Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Quest Study Bible Q & A
I think you might like this book – "NIV, Quest Study Bible, eBook: The Question and Answer Bible" by Zondervan, Christianity Today Intl..
Start reading it for free: http://amzn.to/2iC3Tgu
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Monday, September 5, 2016
Enoch Family Tree, Genesis5:21-32
Made the Enoch Family Tree picture file how Noah was able to Build, Survive with the Ark.
Genesis5:21-32
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Friday, May 6, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
The Summarization of The Purpose Driven Life
I would like to share the Summarization of the Purpose Driven Life 74 pages.
Thank Jesus, Rick Warren.
click the link above
Thank you of a few readers for this Blog until making this posting.
God Bless You,
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
The Contents of The Purpose Driven Life
The
Purpose Driven Life
CONTENTS
WHAT ON EARTH AM I HERE FOR?
Day 1 It All Starts with God
Day 2 You Are Not an Accident
Day 3 What Drives Your Life?
Day 4 Made to Last Forever
Day 5 Seeing Life from God's View
Day 6 Life Is a Temporary Assignment
Day 7 The Reason for Everything
PURPOSE 1: You Were Planned for God's Pleasure
Day 8 Planned for God's Pleasure
Day 9 What Makes God Smile?
Day 10 The Heart of Worship
Day 11 Becoming Best Friends with God
Day 12 Developing Your Friendship with God
Day 13 Worship That Pleases God
Day 14 When God Seems Distant
PURPOSE 2: You Were
Formed for God's Family
Day
15 Formed for God's Family
Day
16 What Matters Most
Day 17 A Place to
Belong
Day 18 Experiencing
Life Together
Day 19 Cultivating
Community
Day
20 Restoring Broken Fellowship
Day
21 Protecting Your Church
PURPOSE 3: You Were
Created to Become Like Christ
Day
22 Created to Become Like Christ
Day 23 How We Grow
Day 24 Transformed by Truth
Day 25 Transformed by Trouble
Day 26 Growing through Temptation
Day 27 Defeating Temptation
Day 28 It Takes Time
PURPOSE 4: You Were
Shaped for Serving God
Day 29 Accepting Your Assignment
Day 30 Shaped for Serving God
Day 31 Understanding Your Shape
Day 32 Using What God Gave You
Day 33 How Real Servants Act
Day 34 Thinking Like a Servant
Day 35 God's Power in Your Weakness
PURPOSE 5: You Were
Made for a Mission
Day 36 Made for a Mission
Day 37 Sharing Your Life Message
Day 38 Becoming a World-Class Christian
Day 39 Balancing Your Life
Day 40 Living with Purpose
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Purpose 5: You were made for a Mission
Day36 - Made for a Mission
In
the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in
the world. (John 17:18)
God is at work in the world, and he wants you to
join him. This assignment is called your mission.
God wants you to have both a ministry in the Body of Christ and a mission
in the world. Your ministry is your service to believers, and your mission is your service to unbelievers.
Fulfilling your mission in the world is God's
fifth purpose for your life.
Your life mission is both shared and specific. One part of it is a responsibility you share with every
other Christian, and the other part is an assignment that is unique to you.
Our English word mission comes from the Latin word for "sending." Being a
Christian includes being sent into
the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."(John20:21)
The mission Jesus had while on earth is now our mission because we are the Body of
Christ. What he did in his physical body we are to continue as his spiritual
body, the church. Introducing people to God! "Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the
task of making others his friends also."(2Corinthians5:18)
God wants to redeem human
beings from Satan and reconcile them to himself so we can fulfill the five
purposes he created us for: to love him, to be a part of his family, to become
like him, to serve him, and to tell others about him.
Once we are his, God uses
us to reach others. He saves us and then sends us out. The Bible says, 'We have been sent to speak for
Christ." We are the messengers of God's love and purposes to the
world.
Your mission is a
continuation of Jesus' mission on earth.
As his followers, we are to
continue what Jesus started. Jesus calls us not only to come to him, but to go for him.
Your mission is so significant that Jesus repeated it five times, in five
different ways, in five different books of the Bible.
Matthew28:19-20, Mark16:15,
Luke24:47, John20:21, Acts1:8
In the Great Commission Jesus said, "Go to the people of all nations and
make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to
do everything I have told you."(Matthew28:19-20)
If you are a part of God's family,
your mission is mandatory. To ignore it would be disobedience.
Your
mission is a wonderful privilege.
Your mission involves two great
privileges: working with God and representing him.
Jesus has secured our salvation, put
us in his family, given us his Spirit, and then made us his agents in the
world.
Telling
others how they can have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for
them.
If your neighbor had cancer or AIDS
and you knew the cure, it would be criminal to withhold that lifesaving
information. Even worse is to keep secret the way to forgiveness, purpose,
peace, and eternal life. We have the greatest news in the world, and sharing it
is the greatest kindness you can show to anyone.
Your
mission has eternal significance. It
will impact the eternal destiny of other people, so it's more important than
any job, achievement, or goal you will reach during your life on earth.
Nothing else you do will ever matter as much as
helping people establish an eternal relationship with God.
This is why we must be
urgent about our mission. Jesus said, "All
of us must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me,
because there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to
an end. (John9:4)
The clock is ticking down
on your life mission, so don't delay another day.
Get started on your mission
of reaching out to others now! We will have all of eternity to celebrate with
those we have brought to Jesus, but we only have our lifetime in which to reach
them.
Your
mission gives your life meaning. William
James said, "The best use of life is to spend it for something that
outlasts it." The truth is, only the kingdom of God is going to last. Everything else will eventually vanish.
That is why we must live purpose driven lives-lives committed to worship,
fellowship, spiritual growth, ministry, and fulfilling our mission on earth.
The results of these activities will last-forever!
There are people on this planet whom only you will be able to reach, because
of where you live and what God has made you to be. If just one person will be
in heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity.
Start looking around at your personal mission field and pray, "God, who
have you put in my life for me to tell about Jesus?"
God's
timetable for history's conclusion is connected to the completion of our
commission.
When the disciples wanted to talk
about prophecy, Jesus quickly switched the conversation to evangelism.
It is easy to get distracted and
sidetracked from your mission because Satan would rather have you do anything
besides sharing your faith. He will let you do all kinds of good things as long as you don't take anyone to heaven with you.
But the moment you become serious about your mission, expect the Devil to throw
all kinds of diversions at you. When
that happens, remember the words of Jesus:
"Anyone who lets himself be distracted
from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”(Luke9:62)
WHAT IT COSTS TO FULFILL
YOUR MISSION
To fulfill your mission will require that you abandon your agenda and
accept God's agenda for your life. You can't just "tack it on" to all
the other things you'd like to do with your life. You must say, like Jesus, "Father, if you are willing, please
take this cup of suffering away from me, Yet I want your will, not
mine."(Luke22:42)
You yield your rights, expectations, dreams,
plans, and ambitions to him.
ONE MORE FOR JESUS
My father was a minister
for over fifty years, serving mostly in small,
rural churches.
Dad built over 150 churches around
the world.
In 1999, my father died of cancer. In the final week of
his life the disease kept him awake in a semi-conscious state nearly
twenty-four hours a day.
One night near the end, while my
wife, my niece, and I were by his side, Dad suddenly became very active and
tried to get out of bed. He replied,
"Got to save one more for Jesus! Got to save one more for Jesus! Got to
save one more for Jesus!" He began to repeat that phrase over and over.
During the next hour, he said the
phrase probably a hundred times. "Got to save one more for Jesus!"
As I sat by his bed with tears
flowing down my cheeks, I bowed my head to thank God for my dad's faith. At
that moment Dad reached out and placed his frail hand on my head and said, as
if commissioning me, "Save one more for Jesus! Save one more for
Jesus!"
I intend for that to be the theme of
the rest of my life. I invite you to consider it as a focus for your life too.
If you want to be used by God, you
must care about what God cares about.
I pray that you will always be on the
lookout to reach "one more for Jesus" so that when you stand before
God one day, you can say, "Mission accomplished!"
Day37 - Sharing Your Life Message
Those
who believe in the son of God have the testimony of God in them.(1John 5:10a)
God has given you a Life
Message to share.
When you became a believer,
you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you.
Paul said, "We speak the truth
before God, as messengers of God."(2Corinthians2:17)
In a courtroom, a witness isn't
expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict; that is
the job of attorneys. Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what
they saw.
If you don't share it, it will be
lost forever.
Personal stories are also easier to
relate to than principles, and people love to hear them. They capture our attention,
and we remember them longer.
Shared stories build a relational
bridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to theirs.
In this book you have learned God's
five purposes for your life on earth: He made you to be a member of his family, a model
of his character, a magnifier of
his glory, a minister of his grace,
and a messenger of his Good News to
others. Of these five purposes, the fifth can only be done on earth. The other four you will keep doing in
eternity in some way. That's why spreading the Good News is so important, you
only have a short time to share your life message and fulfill your mission.
Day38 - Becoming a World Class Christian
Jesus said to his followers, "Go everywhere in the world, and
tell the Good News to everyone."
(Mark 16:15 NCV)
You have a choice to make.
You will be either a world-class Christian
or a worldly Christian. Worldly
Christians look to God primarily for personal fulfillment. They are saved, but
self-centered. They love to attend concerts and enrichment seminars, but you
would never find them at a missions conference because they aren't interested.
Their prayers focus on their own needs, blessings, and happiness. It's a
"me-first" faith: How can God make my life more comfortable? They want to use God for their purposes
instead of being used for his purposes.
In contrast, world-class
Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission. They are eager
to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used
by God. World-class Christians are the only fully
alive people on the planet. Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are
contagious because they know they're making a difference.
In heaven an enormous crowd
of people from "every race, tribe,
nation, and language"(Revelation7:9)
will one day stand before Jesus Christ to
worship him. Getting involved as a world-class Christian will allow you to
experience a little of what heaven will be like in advance.
Shift
from self-centered thinking to other-centered thinking.
"God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the
same way that the people of this world think."(1Corinthians2:12)
Begin asking the Holy
Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you
talk to them. With practice you can develop the habit of praying silent
"breath prayers" for those you encounter. Say, "Father, help me
to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you."
Shift
from local thinking to global thinking.
God is a global God. "God so loved the world...."(John3:16)
"From
one person God made all nations who live on earth, and he decided when and
where every nation would be. God has done all this, so that we will look for
him and reach out and find him." (Acts17:26-27)
Our lives are increasingly
intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment,
music, sports, and even fast food.
These are exciting days to be alive.
There are more Christians on earth right now than ever before. Paul was right, "This same Good News that came to you
is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it
changed yours."(Colossians1:6)
The first way to start thinking
globally is to begin praying for specific countries. World-class Christians
pray for the world.
Prayer is the most important tool for
your mission in the world. People may refuse our love or reject our message,
but they are defenseless against our prayers.
What should you pray for? The Bible
tells us to pray for opportunities to witness," for courage to speak up,
for those who will believe, for the rapid spread of the message, and for more
workers. Prayer makes you a partner with others around the world. You should
also pray for missionaries and everyone else involved in the global harvest.
The best way to switch to global
thinking is to just get up and go on a short-term mission project to another
country! There's simply no substitute for hands-on, real life experience in
another culture. Quit studying and discussing your mission and just do it! I
dare you to dive into the deep end.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus gave us a pattern
for involvement, "You will tell
everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the
world." His followers were to reach out to their community(Jerusalem),
to their country(Judea), to other cultures(Samaria), and to other nations
(everywhere in the world).
Note that our commission is
simultaneous, not sequential. While not everyone has the missionary gift, every Christian is called to be on a
mission to all four groups in some way.
Shift
from "here and now" thinking to eternal thinking. To make the most of your time on earth, you must maintain an
eternal perspective. This will keep you from majoring on minor issues and help
you distinguish between what's urgent and what's ultimate. Paul said, "We fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is
eternal."(2Corinthians4:18)
In one of his most
misunderstood statements Jesus said, "I
tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is
gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."(Luke16:9)
Jesus did not mean for you to "buy"
friends with money. What he meant was that you should use the money God gives
you to bring people to Christ. They will then be friends for eternity who will
welcome you when you get to heaven! It's
the best financial investment you'll ever make.
You've probably heard the
expression "You can't take it with you" but the Bible says you can send it on ahead by investing in
people who are going there! The Bible says, “By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in
heaven-it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a
fruitful Christian life down here as well.”(1Timothy6:19)
We are all called to fulfill God's five purposes for our lives: to
worship, to fellowship, to grow like Christ, to serve, and to be on mission
with God in the world.
God doesn't want to use just some of his people, he wants to use all of his people. We are all called to
be on-mission for God. He wants his
whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.
If you want to be like Jesus, you must have a heart for the
whole world.
You can't be satisfied with just your
family and friends coming to Christ. There are over 6 billion people on earth,
and Jesus wants all his lost children
found. Jesus said, "Only those who
throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever
know what it means to really live!"(Mark8:35)
The Great Commission is
your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.
Day39 - Balancing Your Life
Don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path
and make you lose your balance.
(2 Peter3:17 CEV)
One of the events in the summer Olympics is the pentathlon. It is
composed of five events: pistol shooting, fencing, horseback riding, running,
and swimming. The pentathlete's goal is to succeed in all five areas, not just
one or two.
Your life is a pentathlon
of five purposes, which you must keep in balance. These purposes were practiced
by the first Christians in Acts 2, explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, and
modeled by Jesus in John 17, but they are summarized in the Great Commandment
and the Great Commission of Jesus. These two statements sum up what this book
is all about God's five purposes for your life:
1. "Love God with all your heart": You were planned for God's pleasure, so your
purpose is to love God through worship.
2. "Love your neighbor as yourself': You were shaped for serving, so your purpose is
to show love for others through ministry.
3. "Go and make disciples": You were made for a mission, so your purpose is
to share God's message through evangelism.
4. "baptize them into . . .": You were formed for God's family, so your
purpose is to identify with his church through fellowship.
5. "teach them to do all things ...": You were created to become like Christ, so your
purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship.
A great commitment to the Great
Commandment and the Great Commission will make you a great Christian.
But you can keep your life balanced
and on track by joining a small group for accountability, by regularly
evaluating your spiritual health, by recording your progress in a personal
journal, and by passing on what you learn to others. These are four important activities for
purpose-driven living.
Talk
it through with a spiritual partner or small group.
"As
iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other."(Proverbs27:17)
Give
yourself a regular spiritual check-up.
For your spiritual health you need to
regularly check the five vital signs of worship, fellowship, growth in
character, ministry, and mission.
Write
down your progress in a journal.
"It's
crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift
off."(Hebrews2:1)
"At the LORD'S direction, Moses kept a written record of
their progress."(Numbers33:2)
Aren't you glad Moses
obeyed God's command to record Israel's spiritual journey?
If he had been lazy, we
would be robbed of the powerful life lessons of the Exodus.
Don't just write down the
pleasant things. As David did, record your doubts, fears, and struggles with
God. Our greatest lessons come out of pain, and the Bible says God keeps a
record of our tears.
Whenever problems occur,
remember that God uses them to fulfill all
five purposes in your life: Problems force you to focus on God, draw you
closer to others in fellowship, build Christ-like character, provide you with a
ministry, and give you a testimony. Every problem is purpose-driven.
"Write down for the coming generation what the LORD has done,
so that people not yet born will praise him."(Psalm102:18) You
owe it to future generations to preserve the testimony of how God helped you
fulfill his purposes on earth.
It is a witness that will
continue to speak long after you're in heaven.
Pass
on what you know to others.
If you want to keep growing, the best
way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned.
"The
one who blesses others is abundantly blessed, those who help others are
helped."(Proverbs11:25)
Paul said, "Now I want you to tell these same things to followers who can be
trusted to tell others."(2Timothy2:2)
In
this book I have passed on to you what others taught me about the purpose of
life, now it's your duty to pass that on to others.
IT'S ALL FOR GOD'S GLORY
The night before he was crucified, Jesus
reported to his Father, "I have
brought you glory on
earth by completing the
work you gave me to do.”(John17:4)
When
Jesus prayed these words, he had not yet died for our sins, so what
"work" had he completed? In this instance he was referring to
something other than the atonement.
The answer lies in what he said in the next
twenty verses of his prayer."(John17:6-26)
Jesus told his Father what he had been doing for
the last three years: preparing his disciples to live for God's purposes. He
helped them to know and love God (worship), taught them to love each other
(fellowship), gave them the Word so they could grow to maturity (discipleship),
showed them how to serve (ministry), and sent them out to tell others
(mission). Jesus modeled a purpose-driven life, and he taught others how to
live it, too. That was the "work" that brought glory to God.
Today God calls each of us to the same work. Not
only does he want us to live out his purposes, he also wants us to help others
do the same. God wants us to introduce people to Christ, bring them into his
fellowship, help them grow to maturity and discover their place of service, and
then send them out to reach others.
This is what purpose-driven
living is all about. Regardless of your age, the
rest of your life can be the best of your life, and you can start living on
purpose today.
Day40 - Living with Purpose
Many
are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.(Proverbs19:21)
Most people struggle with three basic
issues in life. The first is identity: "Who
am I?" The second is importance:
"Do I matter?" The third is impact:
"What is my place in life?" The answers to all three questions
are found in God's five purposes for you.
"Now
that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."(John 13:17)
Once you know what God wants you to
do, the blessing comes in actually doing it.
LIFE'S FIVE GREATEST QUESTIONS
What
will be the center of my life? This is the question of worship.
How do you know when God is at the
center of your life? When God's at the center, you worship. When he's not, you
worry. Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The
moment you put him back at the center, you will have peace again.
What
will be the character of my life? This is the question of discipleship.
What kind of person will you be? God
is far more interested in what you are than
what you do. Remember, you will take
your character into eternity, but not your career.
What
will be the contribution of my life? This is the question of service.
What will be your ministry in the
Body of Christ? Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities,
personality, and experiences (SHAPE), what would be your best role in the
family of God?
"This
service you perform not only meets the needs of God's people, but also produces
an outpouring of gratitude to God."(2Corinthians9:12)
You have to choose whom you can best
help, based on your shape. You need to ask, "Who do I have a desire to
help most?"
What
will be the communication of my life? This is the question of your mission to unbelievers.
Before most unbelievers accept the
Bible as credible they want to know that we
are credible. That is why the Bible says. `Be sure that you live in a way that brings honor to the Good News of
Christ."(Philippians1:27)
What
will be the community of my life? This is the question of fellowship.
Where will you practice the "one
another" commands with other Christians?
The more you mature, the more you
will love the Body of Christ and want to sacrifice for it.
"Christ
loved the church and gave his life for it.”(Ephesians5:25)
Solomon advised, "It will be good to keep these things in mind so that you are
ready to repeat them."(Proverbs22:18) Here are a few examples:
•"My life purpose is to worship Christ with my heart, serve
him with my shape, fellowship with his family, grow like him in character, and
fulfill his mission in the world so he receives glory."
• "My life purpose is to be a member of
Christ's family, a model of his character, a minister of his grace, a messenger
of his word, and a magnifier of his glory."
• "My life purpose is to love Christ, grow
in Christ, share Christ, and serve Christ through his church, and to lead my
family and others to do the same.
• "My life purpose is to make a great
commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission."
What
matters most is that you fulfill God's eternal purposes regardless of where you
live or work
or
whom you marry. Those decisions should support your purposes.
Focus
on God's purposes for your life, not your plans, since that's what will last
forever.
One day God will review your answers
to these life questions. Did you put Jesus at the center of your life? Did you
develop his character? Did you devote your life to serving others? Did you
communicate his message and fulfill his mission? Did you love and participate
in his family? These are the only issues that will count. As Paul said, "Our goal is to measure up to God's
plan for us."(2Corinthians10:13)
GOD WANTS TO USE YOU
This phrase is the ultimate
definition of a life well lived. You do the eternal and timeless (God's
purpose) in a contemporary and timely way (in your generation). That is what
the purpose-driven life is all about.
Neither past nor future generations can serve God's purpose in this generation.
Only we can. Like Esther, God created you “for
such a time as this."(Esther4:11)
One day history will come
to a close, but eternity will go on forever. William Carey said, "The
future is as bright as the promises of God." When fulfilling your purposes
seems tough, don't give in to discouragement. Remember your reward, which will
last forever. The Bible says, "For
our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all."(2Corinthians4:17)
Imagine what it is going to
be like one day, with all of us standing before the throne of God presenting
our lives in deep gratitude and praise to Christ. Together we will say, "Worthy, Oh Master! Yes, our God! Take
the glory! the honor! the power! You created it all, It was created because you
wanted it!"(Revelation4:11)
We will praise him for his plan and live for his
purposes forever!
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Purpose 4: You were Shaped for Serving God
Day29 – Accepting Your Assignment
God's fourth purpose for your life is
Ministry, or Service.
You
were created to serve God.
It is
God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ
Jesus, and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping
others.(Ephesians 2:10 LB)
You were saved to serve God.
"It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy
work, not because we deserved it but because that was his
plan."(2Timothy1:9)
God redeemed you so you could do his "holy
work." You're not saved by service, but you are saved for service.
It cost Jesus his own life to
purchase your salvation.
"God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God."(1Corinthians6:20)
We owe him our lives. Through
salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our
future is secured.
The apostle John taught that our
loving service to others shows that we are truly saved. He said, "Our love
for each other proves that we have gone from death to life."(1John3:14)
When Peter's sick mother-in-law was
healed by Jesus, she instantly "stood
up and began to serve Jesus," using her new gift of health.
We are healed to help others. We are
blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve, not to sit around and wait for
heaven.
Once you are saved, God intends to
use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his church and a mission
for you in the world.
The Bible says every Christian is
called to service.(Ephesians4:4-14 ref)
Your call to salvation included your
call to service. They are the same.
Regardless of your job or career, you
are called to full-time Christian
service.
Anytime you use your God-given
abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.
In some churches in China, they welcome new believers by
saying "Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen
with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with."
One reason why you need to be connected to a church family
is to fulfill your calling to serve other believers in practical ways.
"All of you together are
Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”(1Corinthians12:27)
Your service is
desperately needed in the Body of Christ, just ask any local church.
You
are commanded to serve God.
Jesus was unmistakable, "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not
come to be served, but to serve and to give my life.”(Matthew20:28)
It is the heart of the Christian
life. Jesus came "to serve" and "to give"
Serving and Giving sum up God's
fourth purpose for your life.
Jesus taught that spiritual maturity
is never an end in itself. Maturity is for ministry! We grow up in order to
give out.
We must act on what we know and practice what we claim to
believe.
Impression without expression causes
depression. Study without service
leads to spiritual stagnation.
We are only fully alive when we're
helping others. Jesus said, "If you
insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their
lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it
means to really live."(Mark8:35, Mattew10:39)
This
truth is so important that it is repeated five times in the Gospels.
God wants to use you to make a
difference in his world. He wants to work through you. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it.
Not how long you lived, but how you
lived.
Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was
unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was
codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family
problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant,
Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was
impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had
several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor
health, and Timothy was timid.
That is quite a variety of misfits,
but God used each of them in his service. He will use you too, if you stop
making excuses.
Day30 - Shaped for Serving God
God formed every creature on this
planet with a special area of expertise.
Some animals run, some hop, some
swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play, based on
the way they were shaped by God.
The same is true with humans. Each of
us was uniquely designed, or shaped to
do certain things.
"We
are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works."(Ephesians2:10)
Our
English word poem comes from the
Greek word translated "workmanship."
God deliberately shaped and formed
you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique.
Not only did God shape you before
your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process.
David continues, "Every day of my
life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day
had passed."(Psalm139:16)
God never wastes anything. He would
not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life
experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory.
HOW GOD SHAPES YOU FOR YOUR MINISTRY
Whenever God gives us an assignment,
he always equips us with what we need to accomplish it.
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
SHAPE: UNWRAPPING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
God gives every believer spiritual
gifts to be used in ministry.
"Whoever
does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's
Spirit."(1Corinthians2:14)
You can't earn your spiritual gifts
or deserve them that's why they are called gifts!
They are an expression of God's grace to you. "Christ has generously divided out his gifts to
us."(Ephesians4:7) Neither do you get to choose which gifts you'd like
to have, God determines that.
Paul explained, "It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts.
He alone decides which gift each person should have."((1Corinthians12:11)
Because God loves variety and he wants us to be
special, no single gift is given to everyone. Also, no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all,
you'd have no need of anyone else, and that
would defeat one of God's purposes to teach us to love and depend on each
other.
Your spiritual gifts were
not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. The
Bible says, "A spiritual gift is
given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church."(1Corinthians12:7)
An unopened gift is worthless.
Sometimes spiritual gifts are
overemphasized to the neglect of the other factors God uses to shape you for
service. Your gifts reveal one key to
discovering God's will for your ministry, your spiritual gifts are not the
total picture. God has shaped you in four other ways too.
SHAPE: LISTENING TO YOUR HEART
Your heart represents the source of
all your motivations, what you love to do and what you care about most.
"As
a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person."(Proverb27:19)
Your heart reveals the real you, what you truly are, not what others think you are or what circumstances force you to be. Your heart
determines why you say the things you
do, why you feel the way you do, and
why you act the way you
do.(Matthew12:34 ref)
Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects you
feel passionate about and others you couldn't care less about. Some experiences
turn you on and capture your attention while others turn you off or bore you to
tears. These reveal the nature of your heart.
God wants you to serve him passionately, not
dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel
passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and
others. Listening for inner promptings can point to the ministry God intends
for you to have.
How do you know when you are serving God from
your heart? The first telltale sign is enthusiasm.
The second characteristic of serving
God from your heart is effectiveness.
Whenever you do what God wired you to
love to do, you get good at it.
Passion drives perfection.
The highest achievers in any field
are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.
The Better Life - Serving God in a
way that expresses your heart.
When
you are doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you.
Point to Ponder: I was shaped for serving God.
Verse to Remember: "God
works through different men in different ways, but it is the same God who
achieves his purposes through them all.”(1Corinthians12:6)
Question to Consider: In what way can I see myself
passionately serving others and loving it?
31Day - Understanding Your SHAPE
You
shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 (Msg)
SHAPE: Applying Your Ability
Your abilities are the natural
talents you were born with.
All
of our abilities come from God.
Since your natural abilities are from
God, they are just as important and as "spiritual" as your spiritual
gifts. The only difference is that you were given them at birth.
Part of the church's responsibility
is to identify and release your abilities for serving God.
Every
ability can be used for God's glory.
God has a place in his church where
your specialties can shine and you can make a difference.
It's up to you to find that place.
For God's glory.
First, realize your ability came from God and
give him the credit.
Second, use your business to serve a
need of others and to share your faith with unbelievers.
Third, return at least a tithe (10
percent) of the profit to God as an act of worship.' Finally, make your goal to
be a Kingdom Builder rather than just
a Wealth Builder.
Your abilities were not given just to
make a living, God gave them to you for your ministry.
Peter said, "God has given each of you some special abilities, be sure to use
them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of
blessings."(1Peter4:10)
SAHPE: Using Your Personality
It is obvious that God loves variety,
just look around! He created each of us with a unique combination of
personality traits. God made introverts and
extroverts. He made people who love routine and those who love variety. He made some people "thinkers" and others "feelers." Some people work
best when given an individual assignment while others work better with a team.
The Bible says, "God works through
different people in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his
purpose through them all.”(1Corinthians12:6)
The world would be a very boring place
if we were all plain vanilla. Fortunately, people come in more than thirty-one
flavors.
It feels good to do what God made you to do. When you minister in a
manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience
fulfillment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness.
SHAPE: Employing Your Experiences
It is this last category, painful experiences, that God uses the
most to prepare you for ministry. God
never wastes a hurt! In fact, your greatest
ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt.
"He
comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are
troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given
us."(2Corinthians1:4)
The very experiences that you have resented or
regretted most in life -the ones you've wanted to hide and forget- are the
experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry!
For God to use your painful
experiences, you must be willing to share them.
You have to stop covering
them up, and you must honestly admit your faults, failures, and fears.
Doing this will probably be
your most effective ministry. People are always more encouraged when we share
how God's grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths.
Only shared experiences can help others.
Aldous Huxley said, "Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you
do with what happens to you." What will you do with what you've been
through? Don't waste your pain; use it to help others.
I hope you have a deeper appreciation
for God's sovereignty and a clearer idea of how he has prepared you for the
purpose of serving him. Using your shape is the secret of both fruitfulness and
fulfillment in ministry.
Day32 - Using What God Gave You
What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is
your gift to God.(Danish
proverb)
God deserves your best.
He shaped you for a purpose, and he
expects you to make the most of what you have been given. He doesn't want you
to worry about or covet abilities you don't have. Instead he wants you to focus
on talents he has given you to use.
Spiritual gifts and natural abilities
are always confirmed by others.
If you want to know if you have the
gift of leadership, just look over your shoulder! If no one is following you,
you're not a leader.
The more mature you become, the more
likely you are to manifest the characteristics of a number of the gifts.
You may be serving or teaching or
giving generously out of maturity rather than because it is your spiritual
gift.
One of the reasons Paul was used so
greatly by God was that he refused to be distracted by criticism or by
comparing his ministry with others or by being drawn into fruitless debates
about his ministry. As John Bunyan said, "If my life is fruitless, it
doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter
who criticizes me."
In heaven we are going to serve God forever.
Right now, we can prepare for that eternal service by practicing on earth. Like
athletes preparing for the Olympics, we keep training for that big day, "They do it for a gold medal that
tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold
eternally."(1Corintians9:25)
We're getting ready for eternal responsibilities and rewards.
Day33 - How Real Servants Act
You
can tell what they are by what they do. (Matthew
7:16)
We serve God by serving others.
Jesus measured greatness in terms of
service, not status.
Even Christians want to be "servant-leaders," not just
plain servants. But to be like Jesus is to be a servant. That's what he called
himself.
Real
servants make themselves available to serve.
Servants don't fill up their time
with other pursuits that could limit their availability. They want to be ready
to jump into service when called on. Much like a soldier, a servant must always
be standing by for duty
Servants see interruptions as divine
appointments for ministry and are happy for the opportunity to practice
serving.
Real
servants pay attention to needs.
Servants are always on the lookout
for ways to help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it
"Whenever
we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially
for the family of believers."(Galatians6:10)
We miss many occasions for
serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity.
Do these little things as if
they were great things, because God is watching.
They have believed the lie that serving God is
only for superstars. Some churches have fostered this
myth by
making "excellence" an idol, which makes people of average talent
hesitant to get involved.
At Saddleback Church, we
practice the `good enough" principle: It doesn't have
to be perfect for God to use and bless it. We would rather involve thousands of
regular folks in ministry than have a perfect church run by a few elites.
Real servants do every task with equal dedication.
You will never arrive at the
state in life where you're too important to help with menial tasks. God will
never exempt you from the mundane.
"If you think you are too important to help someone
in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a
nobody."(Galatians6:3)
Great opportunities often
disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big
things.
Can you be counted on by
others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or
commitments you need to honor? This is a test. God is testing your
faithfulness. If you pass the test, you're in good company: Abraham, Moses,
Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy, and Paul were all called faithful servants of God. Even better, God has promised to reward
your faithfulness in eternity.
Real
servants maintain a low profile.
Joseph is a great example. He didn't
draw attention to himself, but quietly served Potiphar, then his jailer, then
Pharaoh's baker and wine taster, and God blessed that attitude. When Pharaoh
promoted him to prominence, Joseph still maintained a servant's heart, even
with his brothers, who had betrayed him.
You have several prominent features on your body
that you could live without. It is the hidden parts of your body that are
indispensable. The same is true in the Body of Christ. The most significant
service is often the service that is unseen."
In heaven God is going to openly reward some of
his most obscure and unknown servants-people we have never heard of on earth,
who taught emotionally disturbed children, cleaned up after incontinent
elderly, nursed AIDS patients, and served in thousands of other unnoticed ways.
Knowing this, don't be
discouraged when your service is unnoticed or taken for granted. Keep on
serving God! "Throw yourselves into
the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of
time or effort."(1Corinthians15:58)
Day34 - Thinking Like a Servant
My
servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely.(Numbers 14:24 NCV)
Service starts in your
mind.
To be a servant requires a
mental shift, a change in your attitudes. God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do.
Attitudes count more than achievements.
Real servants serve God with a
mindset of five attitudes.
Servants
think more about others than about themselves. Servants focus on others, not themselves. This is true
humility.
"If
someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant
life."(Mattews5:41 MSG)
Servants
think like stewards, not owners. Servants
remember that God owns it all.
Servants
think about their work, not what others are doing. They don't compare, criticize, or compete with other
servants or ministries. They're too busy doing the work God has given them.
It is not our job to evaluate the
Master's other servants. It is also not our job to defend ourselves against
criticism. Let your Master handle it.
Servants
base their identity in Christ. Because
they remember they are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to
prove their worth.
Servants
think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation. They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing
ministry. They "serve the LORD with
gladness."(Psalm100:2)
Day35 - God’s Power in Your Weakness
“For
to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise
We are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve
you”(2Corinthians13:4)
God loves to use weak
people. Everyone has weaknesses. In
fact, you have a bundle of flaws and
imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual.
You may also have uncontrollable
circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations. The
more important issue is what you do with these.
We think that God only wants to use
our strengths, but he also wants to use our weaknesses for his glory.
"God
purposely chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the
powerful." (1Corinthians11:27)
Your weaknesses are not an accident.
God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you.
He is drawn to people who are weak
and admit it. Jesus regarded this recognition of our need as being "poor in spirit." It's the
number one attitude he blesses.
The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to use imperfect,
ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses.
A weakness, or "thorn" as Paul called it, is not a sin or a vice or a
character defect that you can change. A weakness is any limitation that you
inherited or have no power to change.
Admit
your weaknesses. Own up to your imperfections.
Stop pretending to have it all together, and be honest about yourself.
Two great confessions in the New Testament
illustrate what we need for healthy living. The first was Peter's, who said to
Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son
of the living God."(Matthew16:16)
The
second confession was Paul's, who said to an idolizing crowd, "We are only human beings like you."(Acts14:15)
If
you want God to use you, you must know who God is and know who you are.
Be
content with your weaknesses. Paul
said, "I am glad to boast about my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is
all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my
weaknesses."(2Corinthians12:9-10)
Contentment is an expression of faith
in the goodness of God. = "God, I believe you love me and know what's best
for me."
Our weaknesses also prevent
arrogance.
God often attaches a major weakness
to a major strength to keep our egos in check.
A limitation can act as a governor to keep us
from going too fast and running ahead of God.
Our weaknesses also encourage
fellowship between believers.
While strength breeds an independent
spirit ("I don't need anyone else"), our limitations show how much we
need each other.
our weaknesses increase our capacity
for sympathy and ministry. We are far more likely to be compassionate and
considerate of the weaknesses of others.
Your
greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your
deepest hurts. The things you're most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and
most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal
others.
God specializes in turning weaknesses
into strengths.
Moses' weakness was his temper. It
caused him to murder an Egyptian. Yet God transformed Moses into "the humblest man on earth." Abraham's
weakness was fear. Not once, but twice, he claimed his wife was his sister to
protect himself. But God transformed Abraham into "the father of those who have faith." Impulsive,
weak-willed Peter became "a rock," the adulterer David became "a man after my own heart," and John, one of the arrogant "Sons
of Thunder," became the "Apostle of Love."
Honestly
share your weaknesses.
Of course, vulnerability is risky. It
can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you
reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection.
But the benefits are worth the risk. Vulnerability is emotionally liberating.
Opening up relieves stress, defuses
your fears, and is the first step to freedom.
Humility is not putting yourself down or denying
your strengths rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more
honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. You will also receive grace
from others. Vulnerability is an endearing quality, we are naturally drawn to
humble people.
Pretentiousness repels but
authenticity attracts, and vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.
This is why God wants to use your
weaknesses, not just your strengths.
Glory
in your weaknesses. Paul said, "I am going to boast only about how
weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his
glory."(2Corinthians12:5)
Instead
of posing as self-confident and invincible, see yourself as a trophy of grace.
When Satan points out your weaknesses, agree with him and fill your heart with
praise for Jesus, who "understands
every weakness of ours," and for the Holy Spirit, who "helps us in our weakness."
Sometimes, however, God turns a
strength into a weakness in order to use us even more.
One night Jacob wrestled with God and
said, "I'm not letting go until you bless me." God said, "All
right," but then he grabbed Jacob's thigh and dislocated his hip.
God touched Jacob's strength (the
thigh muscle is the strongest in the body) and turned it into a weakness. From
that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp so he could never run away again. It
forced him to lean on God whether he liked it or not. If you want God to bless
you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of
your life, because God uses weak people.
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