Jesus' Parables and the Purpose of Your Life
This is our Sunday teaching from Senior Pastor, Tom Thompson on Sunday 5th January, 2025. Below you can find a talk summary article; full audio; and unedited transcript; and connect group discussion notes.
Teaching Summery - Finding Purpose in 2025: Wisdom from Jesus’s Parables
As we step into the first days of 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on purpose. Have you ever considered that your life has a God-given purpose? Pause for a moment and let that sink in. Your life has purpose.
The Gospel of Matthew, which we’ll be exploring together over the coming weeks, highlights Jesus as the ultimate source of wisdom. He is the wisest person who ever lived. If you could ask anyone in history the deepest questions about your life, wouldn’t you want to hear from Him?
From the very start of Matthew’s Gospel, we see wisdom woven into Jesus’s story. It begins with a genealogy—one that connects Jesus to Solomon, the wisest man in the Old Testament. Matthew also uniquely includes the visit of the wise men, a detail missing from the other Gospels. Even the most learned and respected figures of their time knelt before Jesus, recognizing His wisdom as greater than their own.
In His most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declares, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise.” His teachings offer us a life firmly rooted in purpose, no matter the storms we face.
At the heart of Matthew’s Gospel lies an invitation: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Jesus’s wisdom offers not only guidance but also peace. He doesn’t just reveal the purpose of your life; He empowers you to live it out with confidence and rest.
This truth is deeply personal. Maybe the start of this year finds you overwhelmed, facing uncertainty, or even grieving. The good news is that God comes to meet you where you are, offering identity, purpose, and grace. Your worth isn’t tied to your achievements or circumstances—it’s grounded in Christ.
Throughout history, people have embraced Jesus’s wisdom to create thriving communities and transform their contexts. Abbess Hilda of Whitby, in 7th-century Yorkshire, built a community that brought life to a barren landscape. Florence Nightingale, compelled by God’s call, pioneered modern nursing during the Crimean War. These examples remind us that no matter how ordinary or challenging our circumstances, Jesus’s wisdom can bring light and life.
Jesus calls us to be the light of the world and compares us to a city on a hill. As individuals and as a church, we carry the responsibility—and the privilege—of reflecting His light. Together, we create a community that offers safety, hope, and purpose to those around us.
So how do we live this out? It’s simpler than you might think. Let your light shine. Stop hiding what God has placed in you. Bring His love and wisdom into your family, workplace, and community. You don’t need to have all the answers or do something extraordinary; you just need to keep doing the right things consistently.