4. SHAPE: applying your
ABILITIES
You have natural abilities - those you were born
with
Ex 31“...I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of
Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with
the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding,
with knowledge and with all kinds of
skills...crafts...have appointed Oholiab son of
Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him.Also I
have given ability to all the skilled workers to make
everything I have commanded you:
Friday 12 November 2010
5. All of our abilities come
from God
Rom 12:6 God has given us different
gifts for doing certain things well.
Therefore natural abilities are as
important as ‘spiritual’ abilities - the
difference being that they came at
birth.
Studies show the average person
possesses 500-700 different skills
and abilities, some being less obvious
than others: you can smell 10,000
different odours, your mind can
make 15,000 decisions / second...
Friday 12 November 2010
6. Every ability can be used
for God’s glory
1 Cor 10:31 So whether you eat or drink or
whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Examples of abilities God uses for his glory:
Artistic ability, architectural ability, baking,
boat making, debating, designing, gardening,
leading, managing, farming, fishing,
carpentry, tailoring, writing - and even
teaching.
God has a special place in his church where
you can make a difference - it is up to you
to find that place.
Friday 12 November 2010
7. God gives some people an ability to make a lot of
money. If that is you how should you use that gift
for God’s glory?
Dt 10:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it
is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth
1. Realise it is a God given gift - give the glory to
him.
2. Use it to serve the need of others and
remember to share your faith.
3. Return at least 10% to God as an act of
worship.
4. Make sure you build the KOG not your wealth.
Friday 12 November 2010
8. What I’m able to do,
God wants me to do
You are the only person able to do
your role - you have your own
unique abilities
Heb 13:20-21 Now may the God
of peace...equip you with everything
good for doing his will...
What are you good at
doing?
Friday 12 November 2010
9. Strengths are a good indicator of what
God wants you to do with your life.
God doesn’t waste abilities; he
matches our calling and our
capabilities.
1 Pet 4:10 Each of you should use
whatever gift you have received to serve
others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace
in its various forms.
At Warren’s church people are told,
“whatever you are good at,
you should be doing for
church”
Friday 12 November 2010
10. SHAPE: using your
PERSONALITY
The possibility of someone
having the same DNA as you
is:
10 to the 2,400,000, 000th
power - a number you would
need a piece of paper 37,000
miles long to write out!
There has never, nor ever
will, be anyone like you.
Friday 12 November 2010
11. God loves variety in people -
introverts, extroverts, people
who love variety and who love
routine, thinkers and feelers,
team workers or solo workers.
The 12 disciples had differing
personalities - and personally we
see this often in interpersonal
conflicts - fortunately in God
there is no right or wrong
person, in terms of
temperament, for his work
Friday 12 November 2010
12. A God given gift will be expressed
differently by two different people
with contrasting personalities -
one is not wrong or right, they
are just different.
If you have to work in a way that
doesn’t suit your temperament
then you will feel uncomfortable,
have to give more effort and
probably not get the best results.
Don’t copy other people - learn
from them and apply it to your
shape.
Friday 12 November 2010
13. Personality types
Warren describes Peter as sanguine, Paul a choleric
and Jeremiah as melancholy
There are many ways of describing personality types
and the classical 4 temperament types are defined
below as extracted fromWikipedia.
I have used the Myers Briggs Personality type indicator
an found it useful - free versions which take a while to
complete, are available online.
Beware here, such tools can ‘box’ people in if not used
wisely and recognized as simply aids not definitive in
their results.
Friday 12 November 2010
14. The Sanguine temperament personality is fairly
extroverted. People of a sanguine temperament tend to
enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to
be quite loud.They are usually quite creative and often
daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those
of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean very
sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine
personalities generally struggle with following tasks all
the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be
forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when
pursuing a new hobby, interest is lost quickly when it
ceases to be engaging or fun.They are very much people
persons.They are talkative and not shy. For some
people, these are the ones you want to be friends with
and usually they become life long friends.
Friday 12 November 2010
15. Choleric
A person who is choleric is a
do-er.They have a lot of
ambition, energy, and passion,
and try to instill it in others.
They can dominate people of
other temperaments, especially
phlegmatic types. Many great
charismatic military and political
figures were cholerics.They like
to be leaders and in charge of
everything.
Friday 12 November 2010
16. Melancholic
A person who is a thoughtful ponderer
has a melancholic disposition. Often very
considerate and get rather worried when
they could not be on time for events,
melancholics can be highly creative in
activities such as poetry and art - and can
become occupied with the tragedy and
cruelty in the world.A melancholic is also
often a perfectionist.They are often self-
reliant and independent; one negative
part of being a melancholic is sometimes
they can get so involved in what they are
doing they forget to think of others.
Friday 12 November 2010
17. Phlegmatic
Phlegmatics tend to be self-content and kind.
They can be very accepting and affectionate.
They may be very receptive and shy and often
prefer stability to uncertainty and change.They
are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious,
and observant, making them good
administrators and astronauts.
Friday 12 November 2010
18. SHAPE: employing your
EXPERIENCES
Experiences shape your life -
through God using them, he
moulds you.
Family - what did you learn
growing up as part of your family?
Education - favourite subjects?
Vocation - what jobs have you
been good at, what did you enjoy
most?
Friday 12 November 2010
19. Spiritual - what have been your
most meaningful times with God?
Ministry - have you served God,
what ‘affected’ you in that?
Painful - hurts, trials come along
our path
God often uses painful experiences
in preparing us for ministry - “God
never wastes a hurt” - your pain
can be used in many ways by God.
Friday 12 November 2010
20. 2 Cor 1:4 who comforts us in all our
troubles, so that we can comfort those in
any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves receive from God.
“The experiences you have
resented or regretted most in
life...are the experiences God
wants to use to help others”
Warren page 247
People are more encouraged when we
share our weaknesses than brag about
our strengths.
Friday 12 November 2010
21. 2 Cor 1:8-10 We do not want you to be
uninformed, brothers and sisters,about the troubles
we experienced in the province of Asia.We were
under great pressure, far beyond our ability to
endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed,
we felt we had received the sentence of death. But
this happened that we might not rely on ourselves
but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered
us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us
again. On him we have set our hope that he will
continue to deliver us...
Paul sharing his depression and doubt - so you
might be encouraged
Friday 12 November 2010
23. Point to ponder
1 Peter 4:10
Each of you should use whatever
gift you have received to serve
others, as faithful stewards of
God’s grace in its various forms.
Friday 12 November 2010
24. Question to consider
What God given ability or
personal experience can I offer
to my church?
Friday 12 November 2010
