Kingdom Builders Playbook

Chapter 1: Why Am I Here on Earth?

I was an eighteen-year-old attending Chapman University when a car accident permanently damaged my spine. I was missing school to go to physical therapy and meet with doctors—trying to restore my health and life. Without realizing or knowing what it was, I fell into a deep depression.

A high school classmate who attended college with me told me about Saddleback Church and this new book, The Purpose Driven Life, written by their senior pastor, Rick Warren. Seeking meaning in my life, I decided to check out this church. I was working weekends and asked my boss if I could leave early to attend their last Sunday service.

It was God’s perfect timing.

Being used to going to a Mormon Church, then a Catholic Church, and attending chapel at my Christian school, this megachurch seemed like Disneyland. Shuttles were transporting people from the parking lot to the worship center. Various tents and venues cater to different music styles and worship experiences. I’ll never forget the warm welcome received from the greeters as you made the long trek from the parking lot up the stairs by the fountains into the worship center.

Pastor Rick Warren was teaching a sermon, and it felt like he spoke directly to me. It’s a common occurrence for most people who hear his sermons for the first time. His practical applications of biblical principles laid out a model of how I would approach my personal and spiritual life, career, and ministry.

The Age-Old Question

I don’t have strong enough faith to believe that everything in this universe happens accidentally. I don’t believe that something comes from nothing. And I certainly don’t have the ability to be an atheist and say that I am a hundred percent sure that there is no God and no rhyme or reason to this earth or all of creation.

Certain things in this world comfort me and reinforce my belief in the existence of God. Music is one of my strongest arguments. We can’t find shelter, eat, or evolve based on our love for music. Music helps tell a story of our experience as humans on this planet. Just because we don’t understand everything in this universe doesn’t mean there isn’t a Creator.

I also challenge the notion that just because I can’t see something means it doesn’t exist. In a rare exception, some people have seen the face of God, but most of us haven’t seen Him nor heard Him audibly. Some of the most prominent pastors in America have clearly made it known that they have never heard God audibly. However, they experience the power and prompting of the Holy Spirit, and those impressions are tested through proper means.

Furthermore, modern technology astounds me. It is incredible to me that images, songs, and voices pass through the air and through us. I am still blown away that I can send a photo from my phone in real-time halfway across the planet. Just because I don’t understand the technology and can’t physically see it doesn’t mean it isn’t real. Though we are created in God’s image, we are not God, nor will we ever be. Only God understands His plan, and how everything is woven together; we do not. We are like an ant trying to understand the internet.

What Is the Meaning of Life?

I subscribe to the view of my pastor of twenty years on the meaning of life as outlined in his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life. It is a spiritual self-help book that inspires readers to discover their unique purpose in life. The book is based on biblical principles and emphasizes the importance of trusting God’s plan, developing a relationship with Jesus, and serving others. Life’s purpose is not just to live for your benefit but to contribute to the betterment of the world.

This comprehensive guide to living with intention and purpose inspired me to focus on my relationship with God, discover His unique plan for my life, live according to my values and beliefs, and serve others.

I’ve read and revisited The Purpose Driven Life many times—it has been a practical guide in my life. I don’t think I’ll ever perfectly balance life’s five purposes, worship, unselfish fellowship, spiritual maturity, ministry, and mission. But I’m not sure anybody does—at least not in this life.

Discovering Your Kingdom Builder Strengths

If I know I am created for God’s pleasure and to serve and love others, how do I determine what I am supposed to do with my life or what I would even be good at doing?

A great way to learn what drives you is by taking a Myers-Briggs personality test. Exploring the four dimensions, which encompass the focal point of attention, information processing, decision-making, and dealing with the world, provided me with valuable insights about myself. Although ENTJ (my personality type)—the Commander—and INTJ (Elon Musk) are natural kingdom builders, all personality types have the traits to become kingdom builders.

Personality tests can help you understand yourself better—strengths and weaknesses—and how to interact with others. However, people are multidimensional, and personality types serve as broad descriptions rather than strict definitions; you are uniquely made by God.

Another helpful resource was discovering my S.H.A.P.E.—the acronym for Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Taught in Class 301 at Saddleback Church and outlined in Erik Rees’s book S.H.A.P.E., this concept encourages you to take a personal inventory of your S.H.A.P.E. It took me years before I attended Class 301 for reasons I don’t know why I procrastinated. It helped me determine my gifts and how to apply them to life’s five purposes in fulfillment of the Great Commission and Great Commandment.

If you are reading this book, you are likely interested in discovering your ministry. There are so many ministry opportunities to get involved in that serve to further God’s kingdom here on earth and to live out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

I have had the blessing of being a blessing to others through opportunities that I have had through the church and work for charity. Though I have done it, painting and repairing homes and church facilities weren’t what I felt was my potential. I believe there is room in the church and God’s kingdom for everyone to contribute in their own unique way.

Leading up to writing this book and launching the Kingdom Builders Ministries, Inc. Non-profit was a long path of self-discovery, life experience, and quite the journey of learning about biblical leadership, stewardship, and generosity and gaining so much even more than the participants I’ve been facilitating and teaching about the subject. You learn more by hosting and training than you ever imagined possible.

While carrying eighteen units as a college junior, I worked full-time for a CPA firm. I found a lot of purpose in what I did in helping people and was able to apply what I was learning in school to my newfound career choice.

I graduated from Chapman University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and married my college sweetheart. Then I went on to study to obtain my CPA license in California. In addition to helping run a thriving tax practice, I began teaching for Becker Professional Education to help prepare students to succeed in their careers and pass their CPA exams. During this time, I received my master’s degree in tax from the University of Southern California (USC).