IDENTIFYING MY UNIQUE S.H.A.P.E. FOR MINISTRY
"Your hands formed and shaped me..." Job 10:8a (GN)
God has been molding and shaping you for ministry since you were born. In fact, God started uniquely shaping even before you were born!
"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous... You were there while I was being formed... You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe." Psalm 139:14-16 (LB)
1. I was shaped for a purpose.
2. I am unique!
3. I am wonderfully complex!
"What right do you have, a human being, to cross-examine God? The pot has no right to say to the potter: Why did you make me this shape? A potter can do what he likes with the clay!" Rom. 9:20-21
In architecture, FORM follows FUNCTION.
But in Ministry, FUNCTION follows FORM.
MINISTRY IS DETERMINED BY SEVERAL FACTORS:
"There are different kinds of SPIRITUAL GIFTS but the same Spirit gives them. There are different WAYS OF SERVING, but the same Lord is served. There are different ABILITIES to perform service, but the same God gives ability to everyone for their service. The Spirit's presence is shown IN SOME WAY in each one, for the good of all." 1 Cor. 12:4-7 (GN)
God wants your ministry to be a blessing to you, not a burden.
"... Each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." 1 Cor. 7:7b
Spiritual Gifts Analysis will give you a simple overview of spiritual gifts and help you identify which ones you may have been given by God. Go to: https://gifts.churchgrowth.org/cgi cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1 for a free evaluation. "God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose..." Rev. 17:7 "For it is God who works in you, inspiring both the will and the deed, for his own chosen purpose!" Phil. 2:13 (NEB)
MONITORING YOUR HEARTBEAT will help you clarify what you really love to do.
"There are different abilities to perform service..." 1 Cor. 12:6
"I (God)... have given him skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts..." Exodus 31:3"... our competence comes from God." 2 Cor. 3:5b
APPLYING YOUR ABILITIES will help you fully appreciate the natural talents and vocational skills you have and how they can be used in ministry.
"No one can really know what anyone else is thinking or what he is really like, except that person himself." 1 Cor. 2:11 (LB)
PLUGGING IN YOUR PERSONALITY will help you see how your God-given temperament can best be used in ministry.
"There has been enough time for you to be teachers -- BUT you still need to be taught... (you are) without any experience in the matter of right and wrong." Heb. 5:12-13
"Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways." Prov 20:30 (GN)
"God helps us in our troubles, so we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God." 2 Cor. 1:4 (GN)
"Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life -- guard it well!" Prov. 4:13 (GN)
"Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel..." 2 Cor. 9:13
EXAMINING YOUR EXPERIENCES will help you review your personal history to discover how God has prepared you for a unique area of serving that only you can fulfill.
Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you are using your GIFTS and ABILITIES in the area of HEART'S DESIRE in a way that best expresses your PERSONALITY and EXPERIENCES!
REAL MINISTRY IS DOING WHAT GOD MADE ME TO DO!
