9. Every animal on the planet is shaped by God with
some area of expertise - running, hopping,
swimming.
Architects when designing something ask, “what’s
the purpose of this building?”
God when he created you decided on your role on
earth - he planned it and shaped you for those tasks.
You are that way because God shaped you for
ministry like that.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
10. Eph 2:10 For we are God’s
handiwork, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.
The word poem comes from the
Greek word translated
workmanship - you are a God-
crafted work of art
God mixed your unique DNA for a
unique ministry
Tuesday 9 November 2010
11. Psalm 139:13-14 NLT
You made all the delicate, inner
parts of my body and knit me
together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so
wonderfully complex! Your
workmanship is marvelous—how
well I know it.
“God doesn’t make junk” Ethel
Walters
Tuesday 9 November 2010
12. Nothing that happens to you is out
of God’s sight or shaping process:
Like an open book, you watched
me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were
spread out before you, The days of
my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
13. Every part of your life is intended for God’s
glory: abilities, hobbies, talents, personality,
experiences...
You are wonderfully complex - a combination of
many factors, summed up in the acrostic SHAPE
Spiritual Gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
Tuesday 9 November 2010
14. SHAPE: Unwrapping your
Spiritual Gifts
God gives every believer gifts for ministry: Rom
12:4-8; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4:8-15; 1 Cor. 7:7
They are gifts - not earnings - Eph 4:7 - But to
each one of us grace has been given as Christ
apportioned it.
Determined by God 1 Cor 12:11 All these are the
work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes
them to each one, just as he determines.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
15. SHAPE: Unwrapping your
Spiritual Gifts
God gives every believer gifts for ministry: Rom
12:4-8; 1 Cor 12; Eph 4:8-15; 1 Cor. 7:7
They are gifts - not earnings - Eph 4:7 - But to
each one of us grace has been given as Christ
apportioned it.
Determined by God 1 Cor 12:11 All these are the
work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes
them to each one, just as he determines.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
16. God does not give every gift to one
person - if you did have them all who
else would you need?
Gifts are given for the benefit of others.
1 Cor. 12:7 TM - Each person is given
something to do that shows who God is:
Everyone gets in on it, everyone
benefits. All kinds of things are
handed out by the Spirit, and to all
kinds of people!
Unopened / unused gifts are useless
Tuesday 9 November 2010
17. Beware of:
Gift-envy - comparing your gift to other peoples
and being unhappy, jealous, dissatisfied
Gift-projection - we expect everyone to have our gifts
and be called to do what we do.
There are different kinds of service...but the same
Lord.
Remember spiritual gifts are good but need to be
held in balance with other factors in seeing our
shape for service
Tuesday 9 November 2010
18. Beware of:
Gift-envy - comparing your gift to other peoples
and being unhappy, jealous, dissatisfied
Gift-projection - we expect everyone to have our gifts
and be called to do what we do.
There are different kinds of service...but the same
Lord.
Remember spiritual gifts are good but need to be
held in balance with other factors in seeing our
shape for service
Tuesday 9 November 2010
19. SHAPE: Listening to your
Heart
Biblically the heart is the
source of all your motivations -
the whole of your desires
Prov. 29:17 As a face is
reflected in water, so the heart
reflects the real person.
...who you really are, why you
say, do, act like you do
Tuesday 9 November 2010
20. God gives us an emotional
heartbeat - it races when we think
about subjects that interest us,
things we care about etc. Passion
also describes our heart.
This is a God given part of you,
part of your shape - such aspects of
our personality should be used for
God’s glory - serve God from your
heart - not merely from a sense of
duty.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
21. Enthusiasm is a sign you are
serving God from your heart - you
love to do what you are doing and
do it for the sheer enjoyment - and
vice versa!
Effectiveness - passion drives
perfection - high achievers in a
field are often passionate - if you
don’t care you wont do it well.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
23. Verse to remember:
1 Cor 12:6
There are different kinds of
working, but in all of them and
in everyone it is the same God at
work.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
24. Question to consider
In what way can I see myself
passionately serving others and
loving it?
Tuesday 9 November 2010
