FULL TRANSCRIPT
We’re in a little two-part mini-series.
It’s a topic that confuses a lot of people. In English, we use many words for it:
Last Week:We looked at the story of Moses and discovered that your Ikigai is a work in progress.
It can be what you love or what you’re good at.
It might just be for you, not the world. Something that simply puts a smile on your face.
And it may involve a paycheck—or it may not.
Because getting paid for what you love can actually kill the joy.
I meet people all the time who say,
“Josh, if I had your money, I’d quit my job and finally do what I love.”
But honestly… it might just make you miserable.
I used to love being an artist—until the pressure of turning creativity into income crushed the joy.
I loved design—until the weight of client expectations and deadlines killed the passion.
I loved property development—until councils, engineers, surveyors, and red tape drained the life out of it.
Sometimes your Ikigai lives outside your income.
In your hobbies, your passion projects, your causes, your weird little talents—they all have a place in your story.
So Today…We’re carrying on this theme: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Let me ask you something:
What makes you angry?When you’re exploring your Ikigai, pay attention to what gets you fired up.
What provokes you?
When do you find yourself saying, “Someone should really do something about that”?
My StoryI wasn’t raised in a churchgoing family.
Every few months I’d get dragged along to this boring, slightly weird church… and honestly, it made Christianity feel completely irrelevant.
But in my second year of Fine Arts at Canterbury, Jaz dragged me to a church that actually connected with me.
Hundreds of young people—snowboarders, artists, philosophy majors, drum and bass lovers, misfits.
And the teaching? It made faith come alive. I finally understood it.
I could apply it to my life. I could worship in a way that felt like me.
So I made a choice. I gave Jesus a go.
I read the Bible. I asked questions. I started praying and volunteering.
I read the Gospels for the first time properly—and I was hooked.
I loved how Jesus went to the edges: the forgotten, the outcasts, the hurting.
I loved that he answered questions with questions.
He was comfortable with the grey areas.
He challenged authority.
He was funny and intense and shocking and honest—all at the same time.
I loved Him.
And I believed.
And Then I Got Angry.Not at Jesus. But at the system surrounding Him.
The religious system—full of assumptions, rules, doctrines, worldviews—that, honestly, felt nothing like the Jesus I met in Scripture.
Jesus is so exciting. But the religion around Him can be… intoxicating, boring, even oppressive.
And worst of all—sometimes it pushes people away from Him.
Like the time I was on the board of a Christian school.
My daughter came home upset because she told her class about dinosaurs she saw at a museum.
The teacher told her off—said dinosaurs weren’t real because the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
I was furious.
That night, I brought it up at the board meeting. I said, “This kind of ignorance and religious intolerance doesn’t belong in our school.”
They disagreed.
So I pulled my kids out and resigned from the board.
Over the years, the religious crap I’ve heard:
And that anger has grown into my Ikigai.
It’s why I’m here in Wānaka—trying to create a space where people can discover Jesus without the judgment.
Where He can be fully Himself, and people don’t feel they have to change who they are to meet Him.
“Yeah, but how do we change people then?”
You don’t.
God does.
What makes you angry?What wrongs need righting?
What injustice won’t leave you alone?
Jesus got angry too—especially at religious hypocrisy and injustice.
Matthew 21:12–13 — Jesus enters the temple, sees poor people being ripped off in God’s name, and flips tables:
“My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers!”
Mark 3:5 — He gets angry that people don’t care about suffering:
“He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.”
Matthew 23 — He calls out the religious leaders:
“You tie up heavy burdens but won’t lift a finger to help.”
Jesus was furious about hypocrisy—when people demanded perfection from others but hid their own mess.
Maybe your Ikigai is buried in the things that break your heart or make your blood boil.
Some Ikigai Truths🔹 Your Ikigai might change over time.
That’s normal. Life changes, and your purpose may shift with it.
🔹 Your Ikigai is discovered through hard work.
Genesis 3:19 (paraphrased): “You’ll make your way in the world by the sweat of your brow.”
Wanaka is full of options. That can be paralyzing.
Try this:
Wake up, write down three things, and knock them off.
Discipline and focus create movement.
🔹 Your Ikigai is exhilarating and exhausting.
You’ll want to give up—but you won’t want to do anything else either.
That’s the paradox.
And one more truth — this one takes faith:You were made on purpose, for a purpose.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
And God doesn’t leave you hanging.
He gives you a gift to help you live it out--the Holy Spirit.
The GiftThe Holy Spirit isn’t a weird vibe. He’s God’s personal presence in your life.
To guide you, strengthen you, and remind you who you really are.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
(Romans 8:14)
“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth… and tell you what is yet to come.”
(John 16:13)
“This is the way. Walk in it.”
(Isaiah 30:21)
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
(Acts 1:8)
Imagine this:I hand you a gift.
It’s got your name on it. It’s free. It’s just for you.
But you leave it on a shelf.
Never open it.
That’s what many of us do with the Holy Spirit.
You don’t have to earn Him.
He’s not a reward.
He’s a gift.
Jesus said the Father loves to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
So ask.“God, I want the gift.
I don’t want to do life on my own anymore.
I want Your Spirit to lead me, fill me, empower me.”
WorshipCan the band come up?
Let’s have some time of worship.
Time for real encounters with God.
Jesus told His disciples:
“I have to go, but I’m sending you a gift — the Holy Spirit. Don’t do anything until you’ve received it.”
So here’s the invitation:
Don’t leave the gift unopened.
If you want to receive the Holy Spirit — whether it’s for the first time or the first time in a long time — pray this in your heart:
Pray This:“God, I want everything You have for me.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Lead me. Guide me. Empower me.
I receive Your gift.”
Wait on God.
Let Him meet you. Don’t rush.
Sometimes you’ll feel peace.
Sometimes strength.
Sometimes tears.
Sometimes joy.
But He always shows up when you ask in faith.
We’re in a little two-part mini-series.
It’s a topic that confuses a lot of people. In English, we use many words for it:
- Calling
- Purpose
- Vocation
- Destiny
Last Week:We looked at the story of Moses and discovered that your Ikigai is a work in progress.
It can be what you love or what you’re good at.
It might just be for you, not the world. Something that simply puts a smile on your face.
And it may involve a paycheck—or it may not.
Because getting paid for what you love can actually kill the joy.
I meet people all the time who say,
“Josh, if I had your money, I’d quit my job and finally do what I love.”
But honestly… it might just make you miserable.
I used to love being an artist—until the pressure of turning creativity into income crushed the joy.
I loved design—until the weight of client expectations and deadlines killed the passion.
I loved property development—until councils, engineers, surveyors, and red tape drained the life out of it.
Sometimes your Ikigai lives outside your income.
In your hobbies, your passion projects, your causes, your weird little talents—they all have a place in your story.
So Today…We’re carrying on this theme: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Let me ask you something:
What makes you angry?When you’re exploring your Ikigai, pay attention to what gets you fired up.
What provokes you?
When do you find yourself saying, “Someone should really do something about that”?
My StoryI wasn’t raised in a churchgoing family.
Every few months I’d get dragged along to this boring, slightly weird church… and honestly, it made Christianity feel completely irrelevant.
But in my second year of Fine Arts at Canterbury, Jaz dragged me to a church that actually connected with me.
Hundreds of young people—snowboarders, artists, philosophy majors, drum and bass lovers, misfits.
And the teaching? It made faith come alive. I finally understood it.
I could apply it to my life. I could worship in a way that felt like me.
So I made a choice. I gave Jesus a go.
I read the Bible. I asked questions. I started praying and volunteering.
I read the Gospels for the first time properly—and I was hooked.
I loved how Jesus went to the edges: the forgotten, the outcasts, the hurting.
I loved that he answered questions with questions.
He was comfortable with the grey areas.
He challenged authority.
He was funny and intense and shocking and honest—all at the same time.
I loved Him.
And I believed.
And Then I Got Angry.Not at Jesus. But at the system surrounding Him.
The religious system—full of assumptions, rules, doctrines, worldviews—that, honestly, felt nothing like the Jesus I met in Scripture.
Jesus is so exciting. But the religion around Him can be… intoxicating, boring, even oppressive.
And worst of all—sometimes it pushes people away from Him.
Like the time I was on the board of a Christian school.
My daughter came home upset because she told her class about dinosaurs she saw at a museum.
The teacher told her off—said dinosaurs weren’t real because the Earth is only 6,000 years old.
I was furious.
That night, I brought it up at the board meeting. I said, “This kind of ignorance and religious intolerance doesn’t belong in our school.”
They disagreed.
So I pulled my kids out and resigned from the board.
Over the years, the religious crap I’ve heard:
- “Mental illness is just a lack of prayer.”
- “God hates homosexuals.”
- “If you had more faith, God would heal you.”
- “If you’re poor, it’s because you don’t work hard enough.”
- “If you’ve had an abortion, you’re a murderer.”
- “If you’re not a virgin when you get married, you’re damaged.”
- “Girls need to cover up so boys don’t sin.”
And that anger has grown into my Ikigai.
It’s why I’m here in Wānaka—trying to create a space where people can discover Jesus without the judgment.
Where He can be fully Himself, and people don’t feel they have to change who they are to meet Him.
“Yeah, but how do we change people then?”
You don’t.
God does.
What makes you angry?What wrongs need righting?
What injustice won’t leave you alone?
Jesus got angry too—especially at religious hypocrisy and injustice.
Matthew 21:12–13 — Jesus enters the temple, sees poor people being ripped off in God’s name, and flips tables:
“My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers!”
Mark 3:5 — He gets angry that people don’t care about suffering:
“He looked around at them in anger, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts.”
Matthew 23 — He calls out the religious leaders:
“You tie up heavy burdens but won’t lift a finger to help.”
Jesus was furious about hypocrisy—when people demanded perfection from others but hid their own mess.
Maybe your Ikigai is buried in the things that break your heart or make your blood boil.
Some Ikigai Truths🔹 Your Ikigai might change over time.
That’s normal. Life changes, and your purpose may shift with it.
🔹 Your Ikigai is discovered through hard work.
Genesis 3:19 (paraphrased): “You’ll make your way in the world by the sweat of your brow.”
Wanaka is full of options. That can be paralyzing.
Try this:
Wake up, write down three things, and knock them off.
Discipline and focus create movement.
🔹 Your Ikigai is exhilarating and exhausting.
You’ll want to give up—but you won’t want to do anything else either.
That’s the paradox.
And one more truth — this one takes faith:You were made on purpose, for a purpose.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
(Ephesians 2:10)
And God doesn’t leave you hanging.
He gives you a gift to help you live it out--the Holy Spirit.
The GiftThe Holy Spirit isn’t a weird vibe. He’s God’s personal presence in your life.
To guide you, strengthen you, and remind you who you really are.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
(Romans 8:14)
“When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth… and tell you what is yet to come.”
(John 16:13)
“This is the way. Walk in it.”
(Isaiah 30:21)
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”
(Acts 1:8)
Imagine this:I hand you a gift.
It’s got your name on it. It’s free. It’s just for you.
But you leave it on a shelf.
Never open it.
That’s what many of us do with the Holy Spirit.
You don’t have to earn Him.
He’s not a reward.
He’s a gift.
Jesus said the Father loves to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.
So ask.“God, I want the gift.
I don’t want to do life on my own anymore.
I want Your Spirit to lead me, fill me, empower me.”
WorshipCan the band come up?
Let’s have some time of worship.
Time for real encounters with God.
Jesus told His disciples:
“I have to go, but I’m sending you a gift — the Holy Spirit. Don’t do anything until you’ve received it.”
So here’s the invitation:
Don’t leave the gift unopened.
If you want to receive the Holy Spirit — whether it’s for the first time or the first time in a long time — pray this in your heart:
Pray This:“God, I want everything You have for me.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit.
Lead me. Guide me. Empower me.
I receive Your gift.”
Wait on God.
Let Him meet you. Don’t rush.
Sometimes you’ll feel peace.
Sometimes strength.
Sometimes tears.
Sometimes joy.
But He always shows up when you ask in faith.