Shaped to Serve

A few years ago, we as a Church went on a spiritual journey together entitled, 40 Days of Purpose. It was a discipleship program designed by Rick Warren and Saddleback Church.

One of the key elements in the program was an acrostic of the word SHAPE. We learned together that God has uniquely shaped each one of us to serve Him. There is not a human on this planet that God doesn’t love, doesn’t have a plan for, and who isn’t gifted to serve Him in ministry.

Rick Warren defined SHAPE as:

S- Spiritual Gifts
When we come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12 gives us a detailed list of many of the gifts of the Spirit. It is our responsibility to seek God and unwrap our gifts.

H- Heart of Passion
Everyone is passionate about certain things. God made us that way. As Christians, God wants to use us in the areas that we are passionate about that are pleasing to Him. It was He who put those desires in our heart.

A – Abilities
Here is a great truth, not only do we receive spiritual gifts when we are saved, but God has given us natural abilities. Some people are naturally artistic, some are craftsmen, able to do great things with the work of their hands. Some people are gifted in leadership or administration. What are your natural abilities?

P- Personality
Everyone has their own personality. God will use us in areas that best fit our personality.

E- Experiences
God never waste an experience. Often our experiences are training blocks for what God is wanting us to do in service for Him.

Our God-given SHAPE is nothing new. The Apostle Paul taught this wonderful truth nearly 2000 years ago when writing his letters to the churches in Corinth and Rome.

Romans 12:4-8, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. “ (NIV)

1 Corinthians 12:14-20, 27, “ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
27) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (NIV)

Dear one, God has uniquely shaped you to serve Him, together, we make-up Christ’ body on the earth. When any of us are not serving Him in the areas that He has gifted us, we are handicapping His body. Let me ask you, how has God shaped you to serve? Has He gifted you to teach?, to sing? to work with children? to work in landscaping? to do administration or work in the sound booth? to share the Gospel with those far from God? ‘There is so much to do for Him.

May I challenge you to take a few minutes to pray, read the Word of God and let God reveal to you the areas He wants you to serve Him. Then, Get Involved!

The day has finally arrived, in 4 hrs I walk my precious daughter down the aisle.

Staying Strong

At the height of His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus was in great demand. When reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, you read over and over again how the multitudes would come bringing the sick, disabled and tormented to Jesus. He would have compassion on the multitudes for they were “like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9: 36).

In Mark 1: 32-37, we read how Jesus spent an entire day healing the sick and delivering the demon-possessed. Verse 33 says, “And the whole city was gathered…” How did the Lord Jesus keep from “burning out?” How did the Lord Jesus keep from becoming fatigued and frustrated? The answer is in verse 35, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”

If the Son of God needed alone time with the Father to keep Himself refreshed and His spirit energized, how much more do you and I need to spend a daily quiet time alone with God? Think about it!

How do you have a daily time alone with God?
1. Set an Appointment with God Every Day!
Follow the example of Jesus. Get away with God and let nothing distract you. This is a special time to feed your spirit. Remember, God walked with Adam in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden and God wants to do the same with you. (Gen. 3)

2. Pray and Ask God to Speak to You Through His Word.
James 1:5, “ If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” NIV

3. Read a Passage of Scripture and Meditate on it.
Get on a daily Bible reading plan or take a book of the Bible and systematically read through it. Be careful not to read to large of a portion of Scripture or you might miss some wonderful truths. Instead, read a paragraph (8 to 10 verses) or one chapter at a time and then meditate on the passage and listen for God to speak to you. Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (NIV).

4. Ask these Questions

A – What can I learn about God through this passage?
S – Is there a Sin to avoid?
P – Is there a Promise to claim?
E – Is there an Example to follow?
C – Is there a command to obey?
T – Is there a Lesson to learn?

5. Praise the Lord for the Opportunity to Commune with Him.
Psalm 119:97-99, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.” (NIV)

6. Write in a Journal what God has said to you during your Quiet Time.

Dr. Adrian Rogers used to say, “The weakest ink is better than the best memory. Study with pen in hand.” As you write in your daily journal, you will be amazed at how quickly you develop a wonderful Bible study journal that you can go back too and refresh your spirit over and over again.

Celebrating Marriage!

Matthew 19:4-6

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?" So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. NKJV

This week, Lisa and I celebrated 20 years of marriage. I truly feel blessed to spend my life with a wonderful Christian woman. She is my helper, my lover and my dearest friend. Like any relationship, there are ups and downs, blessings and trials, but I have learned that God has placed her in my life to make me a better me! As Proverbs 27:17 says, "...iron sharpens iron."

Marriage is one of God's great gifts to us. Just take a close look at the verses above.

1. We see the Priority of Marriage. "...a man shall leave his father and mother..." (vs. 5).
For most children, God's plan is for them to eventually leave the home, to leave the "family nest" to make a home for themselves. This places great responsibility on us as parents. We are given these precious children to raise them in the love and fear of the Lord, to equip them to be strong, stable and caring members of society. We are to instill in them the values of a good work ethic, responsibility and find a Christian spouse and begin a family of their own. I must admit, the temptation as a parent is to keep them in "my nest." But that is not God's will. Just think about it. I would not have my own children if I had never left the nest myself.

This truth is especially "real" to me at this stage in my life since I will be walking my first-born down the aisle and placing her hand in the hand of another man in just a matter of weeks. As a dad I have mixed emotions. Sad that my "little" girl is leaving "my" nest, but happy that she is starting her own and that God has given to her a wonderful Christian young man.

2. We See the Permanence of Marriage. "...and be joined together..." (vs. 5)
To be joined is to be "welded, glued" together for life! As I meet with couples before their wedding day, I tell them to be successful, they must remove the word "divorce" from their vocabulary. Yes, the Bible gives some allowances for it, but our society has made divorce way to easy. The results are devastating. Today, nearly 40% of marriages in the church end in divorce. This was never God's intention! Marriage is one man and one woman, committing themselves to God and to each other for LIFE! The vows we exchange must hold value.

3. We See the Purpose of Marriage. "...and the two shall become one flesh." (vs. 5).
What does it mean to become one flesh? Jesus is referring to more than just the sexual union of the new husband and wife. He is referring to a welding together of the whole person - body, soul and spirit. In God's eyes, you are no longer two people, but ONE!

Why is marriage so important to God? From His perspective, marriage is symbolic of a greater union, the union of a Christian and the Lord Jesus Christ. One day, all believers will be invited to what the Bible calls, "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Then, for all eternity, Christ-followers will enjoy the presence of our Lord in His Glory!

Over 20 years ago, Lisa and I agreed to never let the word "divorce" be a part of our vocabulary. We also agreed that Jesus would be FIRST. He would be our BEST FRIEND and that one another would our NEXT Best Friend. After 20 years, I can say that I believe God's outline for marriage works pretty good!