Life.

Ever feel like there has to be something more?

Years ago, I was on my morning commute when one thought completely changed everything for me and my family.  

At the time, life had become mundane, monotonous, and without much joy.  I felt trapped, but also like I was just going with the flow.  Living life, but on a hamster wheel.  And not really living.  Living too much according to the expectations of others, just doing what everyone was doing. 

I was desperate for life change. 

I was a 39-year-old male, married to the girl of my dreams for 20 years with two beautiful daughters, ages 11 and 7.  I had so much to be thankful for, but I had reached a point where I wasn’t enjoying life as much as I felt I should be.  I felt trapped in a job I had outgrown, and had just taken a massive pay cut that led to a mountain of debt.  We were living paycheck-to-paycheck, struggling to make ends meet, and going deeper & deeper in debt every month just to survive. 

 

“There has got to be something more to life than this.”

 

This was the thought that led to a decision that sparked a wildfire of complete life change. 🔥

So far, this one decision has led us to:

🌱 Adopt a child

🌱 Take trips to the other side of the world

🌱 Sell everything and move across the country 

🌱 Change jobs

🌱 Help start a church

🌱 Start a YouTube channel

🌱 Start a business

 

I want to encourage you — life change is indeed possible. 

If you’ve ever felt like there has to be something more to life, that’s because there is something more to life.  You’re in the right place.  You can change your life.

What was the decision we made?  

We decided to start seeking God’s will for our life over our own will.  

We began praying for God to show us a way to serve him using our entire family.

The result?

He brought us a child. 

Next, Bobbi was called on a mission trip to Uganda.  

The following year, I was called on a mission trip to Uganda.  

At about that same time, we were called to move from Tennessee to California to help start a new church, which resulted in us getting new jobs. 

I was led to start sharing Finding Life with others — to help people who feel the way I once felt. 

I want to assure you though — just because these are some things God has led us to do, it doesn’t mean it’s what he’ll lead you to do.  God knows you.  He knows your heart, your wiring, your passions, and exactly what he designed you to do.  He will not lead you to something that doesn’t align with who he created you to be. 

Some people want to push their callings on others.  But I believe God’s callings are personal and deeply intentional; that we are each uniquely made with different talents, skills, and abilities.  We have different roles, functions, and attributes — all by design.

I like to think of us as a mosaic — we are all broken, yet God heals us and uses us to be a part of something beautiful — if we allow him. 

So here are some questions for you:

🌱 Whose expectations are guiding your life?

🌱 Who are you following, perhaps without even realizing it?  

🌱 What life did God create you to live?  

🌱 Who did God create you to be?

🌱 What part of the mosaic are you?

 

An Invitation

I want you to know as I have learned — you don’t have to live your life according to the expectations of others — and you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing just because it's what everyone else does.  

You can choose to live your life true to the person God created you to be.  And this changes everything.  

 

 

Laying the Foundation for LIFE — 5 Truths to Build Your Life On

 

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH #1 — YOU WERE CREATED

Some people believe in a Creator, and some don’t.  The first thing we have to understand is that not only are we a human being, we are also a created being.  We were all made in the image of our Creator.  We were designed to do good work, to help others, and to shine the light of the One who made us.  Our life has purpose.  Our life has value.  Our life has meaning.  Our life matters.  We all have contributions that we can make to help others.  Believe, like everything else in the world, that you were created.   

Some of us were born into loving families, and some into pain or unexpected situations.  But no matter the circumstances that brought you here, you are not a mistake.  You are not an accident.  Even if your birth wasn’t planned by people, it was known by God.  He created you on purpose and for a purpose — your life has meaning, value, and worth beyond measure.  Believe this truth. 

Supporting Verse:

“You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” — Psalm 139:13

 

Reflection Questions:

1. What does it mean to you personally to know that you were created — not random, but intentional?   
2. Have you ever doubted that your life truly matters?  What led to that thought, and what truth can replace it?
3. When do you feel most alive — most connected to the person God created you to be?
4. How would your daily life look different if you lived with full confidence that your Creator made you with purpose?
5. What gifts, passions, or abilities has God placed in you that reflect His image?

 

 

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH #2 — THE CREATOR KNOWS BEST

The second thing we have to understand is only the creator — of anything that’s created — knows best the purpose of what’s created.  We can’t come up with our own purpose.  The clay is not the boss of the potter.  To know the purpose of our life, we have to seek the One who created us.  Our Creator is all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present.  He sees and knows the big picture.  We don’t.  We must humble ourselves.  We must choose to seek him and his will over our own will.  This was when everything changed for me and my family.  We must choose to seek and trust in our Creator above all things. 

Supporting Verse:

“We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” — Isaiah 64:8

Reflection Questions:

1. In what areas of your life do you tend to act like the “clay telling the Potter what to do”? 
2. How does it make you feel to know that your Creator sees the full picture — even when you can’t?
3. What keeps you from fully trusting that God truly knows best for your life? 
4. Can you remember a time when God’s plan turned out better than your own? What did you learn from that?
5. When was the last time you asked God what He wants for your life instead of what you want?

 

 

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH #3 — YOU MUST KNOW YOUR CREATOR

How can we know our Creator’s purpose for our life, if we don’t know our Creator?

How can we know our Creator?

We get to know our Creator through prayer, relationship, and through his Living Word.  

Let’s break this down. 

Prayer is just talking to God.  We can talk to our Creator just like we would a friend.  We can ask him questions, confide in him, ask him for help, and many other things.  This leads us into a relationship with him.  Because of Jesus, we can have a direct relationship with our Creator. 

We also have his Living Word — the Bible.  The Bible is not just a book; it’s a library of books.  Sixty-six books written over 1,500 years by over 40 different authors — shepherds, farmers, tent-makers, physicians, fishermen, priests, philosophers, and kings.  It was written under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit in the languages of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  

In the book of John, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”  Then later, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”  The Word is Jesus.  Colossians 1:15 says, “The Son (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”  Jesus is the Word that became flesh, made his dwelling among us, and went to the cross to give everything, so that we may live.  He died, but came back to life.  He conquered death.  And he is alive today.  He is the one true Living God.  

It’s important to acknowledge that God’s Word is the Living Word that gives life.  It is the foundation for life.  It is the source of wisdom, truth, and life.  The best way to get to know our Creator and his will for our life is to spend time with him in his Living Word and through prayer. 

Supporting Verse:

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” — Psalm 119:105

 

Reflection Questions:

1. How would you describe your current relationship with your Creator? 
2. Do you see God as distant or close? How does that affect how you live your daily life?
3. When was the last time you felt God speak to you through prayer, his Word, or a moment in your day?  What did he say? 
4. When you talk to God, do you feel like you’re talking to him or with him?  How can you change this, if needed?
5. What fears or barriers hold you back from drawing closer to God?

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH #4 — WE MUST LIVE IT OUT

Have you ever met a doctor who smokes?  Or a dentist who loves candy?  Or maybe a dietician who loves fast food?  It’s one thing to have the information; it’s an entirely other thing to actually put the information into practice.  

Everything in life is easier said than done.  And talk is cheap.  But we have all that we need and life change is possible.  As my childhood friend said, “There’s nothing to it, but to do it.”  Shout out to Tony G!  Let’s put it into practice, and change our life.  

 

Supporting Verse:

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22

 

Reflection Questions:

1. In what areas of your life do you “know what’s right” but struggle to actually do it?
2. What would your life look like if you truly lived out what you already know about God’s Word
3. How can you take one truth you’ve learned recently and put it into practice this week?
4. What does “walking the talk” look like for you in your daily life?
5. How would your faith grow if you stopped waiting for perfect conditions and just took action?

FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH #5 — JESUS IS THE ONLY FOUNDATION

Our fifth and final foundational truth is that Jesus is our one and only true foundation.  We must acknowledge that to build our life on anything else is setting ourselves up for failure.  When trials, life challenges, and the unexpected curveballs of life come our way, the only way we can withstand them is to have built our life on the one and only true solid rock foundation of Jesus.  Anything else and our life will eventually come tumbling down.  

We must acknowledge that there is only one true foundation for life.   

 

Supporting Verse:

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:11

Reflection Questions:

1. What are you currently building your life on — your job, relationships, finances, or something else?
2. How can you tell if your foundation is truly built on Christ? 
3. When life gets hard, where do you turn first for stability and strength? 
4. What happens when we try to build our lives on anything other than Jesus? (See Matthew 7:24-27, if needed)
5. How can you remind yourself daily that your worth, purpose, and identity come from your Creator and nothing or no one else?

 

Not to be dramatic, but this leads us to the most important question of your life:  Do you know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior?  

This is not about religion — it’s about relationship. 

It’s about laying the one true solid rock foundation for life. 

I want to invite you, if you haven’t already, to surrender all that you are to your Creator and truly find life.  

Forgive me if this comes across as a bit much.  I’m not a pastor, theologian, priest, or seminary grad; I’m just a guy whose life has been completely transformed by God, seeking to pay it forward.

Please consider these foundational verses from God’s Word:

🌱 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." — Romans 3:23

We have all sinned (done things against God’s will).  It’s not possible for any of us as humans to live a perfect life.  

🌱 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8

Even while we were still seeking our own way of life, God sent his one and only son, Jesus, to die for us. 

🌱 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23

The penalty for sin is death.  The penalty has to be paid.  Jesus paid the price for us.

🌱 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ…” — Romans 8:1

When we surrender our life to Christ, God no longer sees our mistakes, failures, or shame, but instead, he sees the righteousness of Jesus covering us.  Our past no longer defines us, nor condemns us.  We have become a new creation, free in Christ. 

🌱 “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” — Romans 10:9

This is a free gift offered by our Creator.  Without Jesus, we pay the price.  With Jesus, he pays the price for us.  

🌱 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” — Ephesians 2:8-9

Contrary to popular belief, we’re not saved by being a good person.  We can’t live a “good enough” life to save ourselves.  Salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.  Jesus + nothing = everything.  We are not saved by our works — instead, our works are the evidence of our salvation.  “Faith without works is dead.” — James 2:26

🌱 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

If you’re ready, I invite you to a new life — the life God created you to live. 

 

How to Surrender Your Life to Christ

Here’s a simple prayer you can pray to surrender your life to Christ. There’s nothing special or magical about these exact words — it’s truly about surrendering your will to God’s will.

It’s you saying, “God, I acknowledge that you are all-knowing, and you know best the design, plan, and purpose of my life.”

It’s about believing in Jesus — that he is the Son of God; that he died for our sins, the ways we’ve all fallen short of God’s will; that he conquered death and came back to life; that he’s alive today; and that his sacrifice is God’s free gift to us — the gift of true life: life today, life tomorrow, life forever.

If you want to surrender your life to Christ and find true life, pray this simple prayer:

“Heavenly Father, I want to know you more.  I want to know your plan and your will for my life.  I surrender all that I am to you, and I pray your will be done in me in every area of my life.  I choose to fully rest and trust in you.  I give all that I am to you.  Lead me, guide me, and show me the way, I pray.  Heavenly Father, I believe that Jesus was with you in the beginning, and he died for me, so that I may live.  I believe Jesus conquered death, came back to life, and is living today.  According to your Living Word, I believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation — the only way to have eternal life.  I surrender all that I am to you, God.  May your will be done in me.  I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in my heart that you raised him from the dead.  Thank you for saving me.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen. 

If you prayed this prayer sincerely and believe in your heart what you prayed, you are saved.  

And if this is the case…

Welcome to your new life!  

It’s important now to surround yourself with like-minded believers.  Don’t try to walk this journey alone — it’s too difficult, and isolation is dangerous.  We need each other.  God’s Word says we belong to each other.  

On the flip side, if this felt like too much for where you are today, I completely understand.  We’re all at different points on our journey.  The important thing is to keep moving forward.  Keep seeking.  You are not here by accident.

Either way, I encourage you to:

🌱 Talk to God daily through prayer

🌱 Make intentional time to be still, quiet, and listen for his voice

🌱 Read his Word daily to know him more — start with the book of John

🌱 Stay connected with other like-minded believers

🌱 Keep growing in your faith and walking in freedom

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.” — Jesus, Matthew 7:24-25

This is the foundation for life. 

 

Next Steps

There are two parts to Finding Life:

1. Faith Foundation
2. Practical Path

 

Everything we have covered so far falls under Faith Foundation. 

Laying the foundation for life is an ongoing process.  It’s something we continue to do.  It’s important that we spend time daily building and reinforcing our foundation — not out of obligation, but out of a desire to truly find and live life.  We are engulfed by the world; we need to spend time daily with the truth.

Then, as we continue to lay and reinforce our foundation, we build our life on top of the solid rock foundation. 

This is where Finding Life — Practical Path comes in.  

We are all called to live life well — to be good stewards of all God gives us.  We see evidence of this in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). 

So how do we do this?  

In short, we pray for God’s wisdom and discernment.  Then, we take personal responsibility and ownership of the areas of life he has entrusted to us.

Self-discipline is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  If we’ve surrendered our lives to Christ, we already have it — we simply have to use it.

 

💥 BONUS SECTION 💥

 

Finding Life — Practical Path

Introducing...

The Finding Life Roadmap: 7 Steps to Break Free and Build the Life God Created You to Live

Step 1:  Lay your Foundation for LIFE (this guide up until this point)

Step 2:  Pause and Reflect

Step 3:  Renew your Mind

Step 4:  Clarify your Calling

Step 5:  Create your Vision

Step 6:  Take Ownership

Step 7:  Live it Out

 

Step 1:  Lay your foundation for LIFE

This is the Faith Foundation portion of this guide.  Before you build your life, it’s paramount that you lay your solid-rock foundation. 

“As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.  They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.  When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.  But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” — Jesus, Luke 6:47-49

 

Step 2:  Pause and Reflect

Awareness • Current reality • What’s not working

Stop living on autopilot. Take time to honestly examine where you are right now — your habits, your time, your relationships, your walk with God. Identify the gap between the life you’re living and the life God created you to live. 

"In order to get anywhere you must first know where you are.” — Michael O'Neill

 

Step 3:  Renew Your Mind

Break free from worldly lies, patterns, and pressures to conform; end negative and defeating self-talk; replace with truth. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” – Romans 12:2

 

Step 4:  Clarify Your Calling

Identity • Gifts • Passions • Purpose

Discover who God created you to be — identify your God-given gifts, talents, and passions. Understand the unique role you are meant to play in His Kingdom and in the world.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:10

God has a specific purpose for you, and your calling is to find and live out the good works he has planned for you. 

 

Step 5:  Create Your Vision

Design a clear picture of your God-centered life — spiritually, relationally, financially, and vocationally.  Write it down so you can start moving toward it intentionally.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” — Proverbs 29:18

 

Step 6:  Take Ownership

Discipline • Habits • Goal-setting • Margin

Shift from drifting to directing your life.  Implement discipline, habits, and wise stewardship.  Take responsibility for your time, finances, health, and relationships.

In Genesis 1:28, God tells us to, “Subdue the earth.”

The word subdue here comes from the Hebrew word “kābash” (כָּבַשׁ), which means:

🌱 Bring into order

🌱 Cultivate, manage, and develop

🌱 Harness creation’s potential for good purposes

We are instructed to bring the world under responsible stewardship — organize, cultivate, and care for it according to God’s design.

 

Step 7:  Live It Out

Community • Accountability • Freedom • Fruitfulness

Walk daily in alignment with your calling.  Stay accountable, serve others, multiply your impact, and keep your eyes on the eternal prize.

“Let us run with endurance the race set out for us.” — Hebrews 12:1

 

And there we have it…

🌱 Faith Foundation:  Laying the Foundation for LIFE — 5 Truths to Build Your Life On

🌱 Practical Path:  The Finding Life Roadmap: 7 Steps to Break Free and Build the Life God Created You to Live

 

Continuing Forward…

You don’t have to do this alone.  In fact, you shouldn’t.  

There is more to life…and if you’re here, you most likely already feel it.

The question is…what will you do next?

You don’t need to have everything figured out.

You just need to take the next step.

Because the life you were created to live…is built one step at a time.

Let’s go find it. 🌱☀️😊

 

If this guide resonated with you and brought you value, please consider sharing it with someone you care about.  

If you would like more connection with me and my Finding Life journey, please visit me on YouTube and my website:

👉 Join me on YouTube:  sBrianBell — Finding LIFE

👉 Visit my website:  sBrianBell — Finding LIFE

 

Thank you for being here. I’m truly honored that you’ve made it this far, and I invite you to continue growing with me on this journey of Finding Life.

 

Special Invitation

If you know deep down that something needs to change…

If you feel stuck, tired of going in circles, or worn down from trying to figure everything out on your own…

And you’re ready to take ownership and move forward with clarity, purpose, and direction —

You may be exactly the kind of person I created this special invitation to serve.

This next step isn’t for everyone.  And if it’s not for you, that’s completely ok.  

This is for those who:

✅ Are ready to take full ownership of their life

✅ Are willing to take action, not just gather more information

✅ Know they’re capable of more — and are ready to step into it

 

This is not for those who:

• Are looking for quick fixes
• Are hoping for change without action
• Are not yet ready to fully commit to doing the work

 

If you feel that pull…that sense that it’s time…if you’re ready to take ownership of your life and live the life you were created to live…and would like someone who’s been through it to personally walk with you…I invite you to apply for Finding Life Coaching.

This is a simple application designed to help us both determine if this is the right fit.

If it feels like a strong fit, we’ll schedule an initial conversation to explore what’s possible — together.

And if it makes sense to move forward, I may invite you into a complimentary, no-obligation coaching experience.  No strings attached.

👉 Apply for Finding Life Coaching 

 

About the Author — sBrianBell 

Brian Bell is a pretty common name, but thankfully, sBrianBell is not!  Adding my first initial made it possible for me to claim the same handle across every platform — YouTube, my website, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and even Gmail.

I am passionate about life, what matters most, solopreneurship, independence, freedom, YouTube, and helping others find the life they were created to live.  I also love emojis, lol! 😆

With more than five decades of life experience now (gasp! 😅), over three decades of marriage (🙌💍😍), more than two decades of fatherhood (🗿), and over a decade on this journey of Finding Life (☀️🌱✝️) — all to the glory and praise of God — I share with you what I’ve learned along the way.

My goals are simple:

🌱 Live according to God’s expectations and no one else’s

🌱 Find my life in God above all things

🌱 Acknowledge God for who he is and be a faithful steward of all he has given me

🌱 Live a life of gratitude

🌱 Help others find the life they were created to live, in a way that brings honor and glory to God

 

I currently reside in sunny Southern California with my beautiful sunshine bride, Bobbi, and two of our full-of-life children, Shelby and Jayden. Our other full-of-life daughter, Chloe, lives in Tennessee.  

Bobbi and I have spent many years living in both Tennessee and California — and call both home. 🏠💜😊

If you would like to see and read a much more detailed account of my Finding Life story, please click here:  My Story — The One Decision That Changed Everything For Me. (And Can For You, Too.)

Thank you for being here. 

Let’s keep moving forward. 👉