Dr. Berkley Baker: “Purpose-Filled Living”

About the Topic: Purpose can be defined as “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.” Understanding purpose enables individuals and organizations to act consistently with who they are. But in the absence of purpose, there is a void. There is nothing like observing something doing what it was designed to do. And like the eagle, snake, and ship, our authored purpose allows us to accomplish amazing things. While living a life absent of purpose leaves us, like King Saul, grounded, broken, and bottomed-out.

This session is about awakening to purposed-filled living. It begins by exploring how an intimate knowledge of who we are predated our design. Together, we will explore the foreshadowing of purpose amid an origin story—the hints of personal meaning. We’ll consider purpose and progression while looking at how immaturity can cause us to stumble along the way.

We will discuss practical steps to recognizing purpose by examining frequency, focus, and faculty. Specifically exploring, what happens early, often, and habitually in our lives. What we pay attention to and what distracts us. We’ll explore the role of physical and mental aptitudes in purposeful living, as well as so-called luck. In this journey, we’ll take the time to consider purpose derailed through surrender, failure, and shortsightedness. And finally, we will conclude by discussing how purpose reinforces our connection with God and others.

About the Speaker: Berkley Baker served as an Army officer and has worked in healthcare for approximately twenty years. He serves as an elder at Hope and Life Fellowship and enjoys studying the Scriptures and teaching. He holds a doctorate from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business, an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, and a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Berkley lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia, with his wife and three children.