On Purpose
Finding God's Voice in Your Passion
Published August 2023
We are hungry for a sense of purpose, direction, and calling in our lives. That’s as basic an ingredient to the human experience as they come. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to participate in something that has eternal merit and lasting impact. We do not want to live a shallow, hollow existence. We yearn for deeper meaning, for deeper purpose within our lives. We want to be more than we are.
In On Purpose: Finding God’s Voice in Your Passion, authors Magrey deVega, Sam McGlothlin, Jevon Caldwell-Gross, and Susan Robb help us see God's purpose for our lives, how to open ourselves to God's voice, and how to take the first or next step to follow God's call. Reading this book and exploring life choices alongside others, individuals will learn how to channel their passions, hear God’s voice, and live the life they were meant to live.
To support reading in a group, resources including a full leader’s guide and DVD with four teaching sessions are also available.
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About the Authors
Magrey deVega
Magrey R. deVega is the Senior Pastor at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida. He is the author of several books, including The Bible Year, Savior, Almost Christmas, Embracing the Uncertain, One Faithful Promise, and Songs for the Waiting. Magrey is a graduate of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the father of two daughters, Grace and Madelyn.
Sam McGlothlin
Reverend Sam McGlothlin is the senior pastor at Belle Meade United Methodist Church. Before her appointment in the local church, she worked for Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach Project), a non-profit dedicated to rural life ministry in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, where she served as the Program Manager of Recruiting and Public Awareness. Sam has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Auburn University and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Sam is the author of Advent: A Calendar of Devotions 2023 and The Sanctuary for Lent 2020. She and her husband Mark are parents to Lewis and Madeline and live in Nashville, TN.
Susan Robb
Susan Robb’s call to ministry led her to leave her career to pursue a Master’s of Divinity degree at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She graduated magna cum laude in 2006 with an award in homiletics. Susan’s area of expertise lies in writing and teaching Bible studies and exploring the idea of listening to and responding to God’s call. She is the author of Called: Hearing and Responding to God’s Voice, Seven Words, and The Angels of Christmas. Susan is the former senior associate minister at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, where she was part of the church staff for 20 years. She is married to Ike, and they have two children, Caroline and James.
Jevon Caldwell-Gross
The Rev. Dr. Jevon Caldwell-Gross has been a transformational ministry thought leader for over a decade. Serving in a variety of contexts, ranging from urban cities to multicultural suburban communities, Pastor J is known for his ability to connect with different audiences and to make the gospel accessible and practical.
Pastor J’s journey has brought him to one of the largest United Methodist churches in the country, St. Luke's United Methodist Church, located in Indianapolis, IN. There he serves as the Teaching Pastor and has been instrumental in leading the congregation in redefining and expanding its digital footprint to reach people around the world. He is currently spearheading the effort to establish St. Luke’s first online campus and transition into the role of Online Campus Pastor. As a Pastor, Author and Professor, his mission is and has always been to equip churches and congregational leaders for relevant and effective ministry in a rapidly changing society.
When he’s not filming a mobile message or designing the next online sermon series, you’ll find him at a coffee shop with something hot in hand.