What would you do with your life if you found out you had just 30 days to live?

That is what two local churches are trying to discover in a new series, the "One Month to Live" challenge.

The Highlands church in Gainesville just finished the second week of the six-week challenge and Lakewood Baptist Church will begin the series on Oct. 18.

"It is so full of practical, relevant, easy-to-wrap-your-head-around suggestions about how to really maximize the time you've got here," said the Rev. Jeff Coleman at The Highlands. "The reality is nobody really wants to leave earth with unfinished business; we all want to live a life of purpose and direction and know that our days are spent in the best possible way."

Coleman said much more will be covered in the next four weeks of the series.

"We will kind of analyze the four universal principles that are exhibited in the life of Christ," he said.

Lakewood Baptist has been preparing for the series for weeks and ministers there can't wait to get the entire congregation, from children to adults, on board with "One Month to Live."

"What we try to do here, once a year, is a month-long or 40-day emphasis, and the reason we do it is multifaceted," said Scott Smith, minister of adult discipleship at Lakewood Baptist Church. "The predominant thing is to get the church on one theme for a specific period of time. Where through our worship services, our groups, the preaching, children's ministry, student ministry, we're all on the same page, talking about the same thing."

"One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life" is a book turned church movement, by Kerry and Chris Shook who founded Woodlands Church in 1993 in the Houston area. The book is all about reassessing priorities and living an intentional Christian life.

Ricky Ayers is a group leader at The Highlands and said that so far the "30 Days to Live" program has made him stop and consider his life.

"One of the things that most everyone says is ‘I would tell my family and friends how much I love them and how much I care about them,'" he said. "So if you would do that, why wait until you are on your death bed - do that now."

Ayers said he also has learned a lot from the meaningful quotes dispersed through the book.

"One quote that really stood out to me was ... the ‘ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what they are built for,'" he said. "We feel safe in our comfort zone, but that is not what God made us for; it is to step out of our comfort zone and go places that we probably wouldn't go, to spread the word and sometimes that is tough for me.

"I have found that recently, when I do, he's there with me."

Sharing daily experiences from the book with small groups also is one of the core principles of "30 Days to Live."

"You really need a group, somebody throws something out there ... sometimes what somebody else says will spark something in your mind that you might not have gotten at home," Ayers said.

Lakewood Baptist will have between 50 and 60 small groups meeting weekly to delve in to the message.

"I would say 90 percent of them will be in home groups predominantly on Sunday night," Scott said. "We will have some that meet throughout the week. Usually there is going to be about 10 people in each group.

"This weekend you'll probably start seeing "One Month to Live" yard signs at host homes."

Scott said he hopes that all who become involved with the teachings will learn how to live a purposeful life.

"We press our folks to live life with intention," he said. "To be intentional about the choices that you make, the way you spend your money, the relationships that you get in, the people that you are surrounded with, where you work, what you do in your parenting.

"God has created us to live life on purpose, not just to muddle through life, he wants us to be intentional and strategic."