Part 2
Part 3
This is the continuation of sharing the things I highlighted in the book. No copyright infringement intended. Just want to share this for people who don't have the patience to finish the whole book but interested to have more than a glimpse of the book.
DAY 29. Purpose #4: Accepting Your Assignment
...we should spend these lives in helping other.
-Ephesians 2:10
You were put on earth to make a contribution.
You were created to add to life on earth.
God wants you to give something back.
It is called your "ministry" or service.
God has carefully shaped you for this purpose.
We don't deserve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he's done for us. We owe him our lives.
In the Bible, the words servant and minister are synonyms, as are service and ministry.
We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing.
God has a ministry for you in church and a mission for you in the world.
Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.
There is no small service to God; it all matters.
Small or hidden ministries often make the biggest difference.
Every ministry matters because we are all dependent on each other to function.
Service is the heart of Christian life. Jesus came "to serve" and "to give"
Serving and giving sum up God's fourth purpose for your life.
Holy living consists in doing God's work with a smile.
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.
To serve and be a blessing. Start asking, "Whose needs can I meet?"
At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God, and he is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life.
We are only fully alive when we're helping others. This is repeated five times in the Gospels. To learn to love and serve others unselfishly.
Service is the pathway to real significance. It is through ministry that we discover the meaning of our lives.
What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of it. Not how long you lived, but how you lived.
Stop making excuses. 😢
DAY 30. Shaped for Serving God
You were shaped served to serve God.
Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped," to do certain things.
You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.
You are a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece.
God never wastes anything.
You are "wonderfully complex".
How God SHAPEs you for your ministry:
Spiritual gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience
"Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit."
To love and depend on each other.
For the benefit of others.
To discover and develop our spiritual gifts.
An unopened gift is worthless. Two common problems are "gift-envy" and "gift-projection."
Key to discovering God's will for your ministry.
The Bible uses the term heart to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections you have.
Your heart represents the source of all your motivations--- what you love to do and what you care about most.
The Bible says, "As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person."
Your heart reveals the real you.
Your heart determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do, and why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do.
God has given each of us a unique emotional "heartbeat". Another word for heart is passion.
God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is the second key to understanding your shape for service.
.."serve the Lord with all your heart."
Serve him passionately.
The first telltale sign is enthusiasm.
The second is effectiveness.
Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.
Meaning is far more important than money.
You can have a lot to live on and still have nothing to live for.
Aim instead for "the better life"---serving God in a way that expresses your heart.
Figure out what you love to do---what God gave you a heart to do--- and then do it for his glory.
DAY 31. Understanding Your Shape
Only you can be you.
Your abilities are the natural talents you were born with.
You are a bundle of incredible abilities, an amazing creation of God.
What I'm able to do, God wants me to do.
God doesn't waste abilities, he matches our calling and our capabilities.
"Whatever you're good at, you should be doing for your church!"
Your uniqueness is a scientific fact of life.
"God works through different people in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purpose through them all."
Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities.
God made you to be you! You can learn from the examples of others, but you must filter what you learn through your own shape.
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.
6 Kinds of Experiences:
Family experiences
Educational experiences
Vocational experiences
Spiritual experiences
Ministry experiences
Painful experiences
God never wastes a hurt!
Your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt.
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!
You must honestly admit your faults, failures, and fears.
People are always more encouraged when we share how God's grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths.
We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead.
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.
Don't waste your pain; use it to help others.
Using your shape is the secret of both fruitfulness and fulfillment in ministry.
You will be most effective when you use your spiritual gifts and abilities in the area of your heart's desire, and in a way that best expresses your personality and experiences.
DAY 32. Using What God Gave You
...be what we were made to be. - Romans 12:5
What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God.
God deserves your best.
Focus on talents he has given to use.
Just start serving, experimenting with different ministries, and then you'll discover your gifts.
You will never know what you're good at until you try.
No matter how old you are, I argue you to never stop experimenting.
When it doesn't work out, call it an "experiment," not a failure.
Get feedback from those who know you best.
Celebrate the shape God has given only to you.
Recognizing your limitations.
Just focus on finishing your race.
Never to compare ourselves with others: Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of."
Avoid comparisons, resist exaggerations, and seek only God's commendation.
Fail to use what you've been given and you'll lose it. Use the ability you've got and God will increase it.
With study, feedback, and practice, a "good" teacher can become a better teacher, and with time, grow to be a master teacher.
Stretch yourself and learn all you can.
Take advantage of every training opportunity to develop your shape and sharpen your serving skills.
DAY 33: How Real Servants Act
You can tell what they are by what they do. - Matthew 7:16
We serve God by serving others.
God determines your greatness by how many people you serve.
To be like Jesus is to be servant. That's what he called himself.
Having the heart of a servant is even more important. God shaped you for service.
Your primary ministry should be in the area of your shape, but your secondary service is wherever you're needed at the moment.
Your shape reveals your ministry, but your servant's heart will reveal your maturity.
Anyone can be a servant. All it requires is character.
Real servants make themselves available to serve.
Real servants do what's needed, even when it's inconvenient.
Servants see interruptions as divine appointments for ministry and are happy for the opportunity to practice serving.
Real servants pay attention to needs.
Great opportunities to serve never last long.
One chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment.
Do these little things as if they were great things, because God is watching.
Real servants do their best with what they have.
Do what needs to be done.
Less than-perfect service is always better than the best intention.
Everything we do is done poorly when first start doing it--- that's how we learn.
Practice the "good enough" principle.
Real servants do every task with equal dedication.
Servants "do it with all their heart."
Small tasks often show a big heart.
Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks.
Before attempting the extraordinary, try serving in ordinary ways.
Real servants are faithful to their ministry.
Servants are trustworthy and dependable.
Real servants maintain a low profile.
"eyeservice"---serving in order to impress people with how spiritual we are.
God put you where you are for a purpose.
Know the difference between prominence and significance.
The most significant service is often the service that is unseen.
Even the smallest service is noticed by God and will be rewarded.
DAY 34: Thinking Like a Servant
Service starts in your mind.
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 5 ATTITUDES:
Servants think more about others than about themselves.
Focus on others. This is true humility.
"lose yourself"--- forgetting yourself in service to others
It's only when we forget ourselves that we do the things that deserve to be remembered.
If service is self-serving that is manipulation and not ministry. 😢
Some people try to use service as a bargaining tool with God. 😢
Real servants don't try to use God for their purposes. They let God use them for his purposes.
I am, by nature, selfish. I think most about me. That's why humility is daily struggle, a lesson I must relearn over and over.
Self-denial is the core of servanthood.
Servants think like stewards, not owners.
God owns it all.
"No servant can serve two masters.... You cannot serve both God and Money."
When Jesus is your Master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Wealth is certainly not a sin, but failing to use it for God's glory is.
God uses money to test your faithfulness as a servant.
How you manage your money affects how much God can bless your life.
2 kinds of people: Kingdom Builders and Wealth Builders.
They use the wealth to fund God's church and its mission in the world.
Servants think about their work, not what other are doing.
They're too busy doing the work God has given them.
Each of us is an original.
They just trust God and keep serving.
Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others say.
Servants base their identity in Christ.
Because they remember they are loved and accepted by grace.
Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others.
When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.
The only approval that counts is the Lord's approval.
The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
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."
Serving is the highest use of life.
DAY 35 God's Power in Your Weakness
God loves to use weak people. Everyone has weaknesses.
That God uses imperfect people is encouraging news for all of us.
A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change.
We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.
Own up to your imperfections. Be honest about yourself.
Know who God is and know who you are.
Contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God.
Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on him.
Prevent arrogance. Keep us humble.
It was God's power, not their own strength, that saved them.
Encourage fellowship between believers.
Increase our capacity for sympathy and ministry.
...their weakness was turned to strength.
Vulnerability is emotionally liberating. Opening up relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.
Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get.
Authenticity attracts, vulnerability is the pathway to intimacy.
Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.
The most essential quality for leadership is credibility.
Jesus "understands every weakness of ours," and the Holy Spirit "helps us in our weakness".
DAY 36: Purpose #5: Made for a Mission
You were made for a mission.
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.
Your life mission is both shared and specific.
We are to continue as his spiritual body, the church--- introducing people to God!
5 Purposes He created us for:
✅ to love him
✅ to be a part of his family
✅ to become like him
✅ to serve him
✅to tell others about him
Your mission is a continuation of Jesus' mission on earth
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
Two great privileges: working with God and representing him.
Telling others how can they have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.
We have the greatest news in the world, and sharing it is the greatest kindness you can show to anyone.
Long-term Christians forget how hopeless it felt to be without Christ.
Your mission has eternal significance.
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.
If just one person will be in heaven because of you, your life will have made a difference for eternity.
Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God.
Abandon your agenda and accept God's agenda for your life.
Give yourselves completely to God---every part of you...to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.
God will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.
Save one more Jesus!
What he cares about most is the redemption of the people he made.
DAY 37. Sharing Your Life Message
---you're the message!--- 1 Thessalonians 1:8
God has given you a Life Message to share.
Your life has 💟4💟 parts to it:
💟Your testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus
Your testimony is the essence of how Christ has made a difference in your life.
The essence of witnessing--- simply sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord.
Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what they saw.
Share your story with others.
Your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because unbelievers see pastors as professional salesman, but see you as a "satisfied customer", so they give you more credibility.
It also bypasses intellectual defenses. People listens to a humble, personal story.
"Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect."
The best way to "be ready" is to write your testimony in 4 parts:
✅What life was like before I met Jesus
✅How I realized I needed Jesus
✅How I committed my life to Jesus
✅The difference Jesus has made in my life
💟Your life lessons: the most important lessons God taught you
The truths that God has taught you from experiences with him.
It is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.
"A warning given by an experienced person to someone wiling to listen is more valuable than...jewelry made of the finest gold."
Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are filled with practical lessons on living.
Make a list of your life lessons:
✅What has God taught me from failure?
✅What has God taught me from a lack of money?
✅What has God taught me from pain or sorrow or depression?
✅What has God taught me though winning?
✅What has God taught me through illness?
✅What has God taught me from disappointment?
✅What has God taught me from my family, my church, my relationships, my small group, and my critics?
💟Your godly passions: the issues God shaped you to care about most
"A man's heart determines his speech."
A passion to speak up for a group of others who can't speak for themselves: the unborn, the persecuted, the poor, the imprisoned, the mistreated, the disadvantaged, and those who are denied justice.
💟The Good News: the message of salvation
Learn to love lost people the way God does.
Love leaves no choice.
"There are no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear."
Ask God to fill your heart with his love for them.
The eternal salvation of a single soul is more important than anything else you will ever achieve in life.
God's 5 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 5 purposes, the fifth can only done on earth. The other four will keep doing in eternity in some way.
DAY 38: Becoming a World-Class Christian
World-class Christians know they were saved to serve and made for a mission.
They are the only fully alive people on the planet.
History is his story.
"e-vangelistic" conversation are now a possibility
The only barrier is the way we think.
Grown-ups think of others.
Praying silent "breath prayer" for those you encounter. Say, "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you."
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.
Don't trade your life for temporary things.
Use the money God gave you to bring people to Christ. It's the best financial investment you'll ever make.
Think of creative ways to fulfill your commission.
We are all called to fulfill God's 5 purposes for our lives: to worship, to fellowship, to grow like Christ, to serve, and to be on mission with God in the world.
The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance.
DAY 39. Balancing Your Life
Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.
.."people can improve each other."
"Put into practice what you learned."
We are meant to grow together.
"Encourage each other and give each other strength."
Evaluate yourself periodically.
Keep a spiritual journal. Record the life lessons you don't want to forget.
We remember what we record.
Your life is a journey, and a journey deserves a journal.
Don't just write down the pleasant things. As David did, record your doubts, fears, and struggles with God.
Every problem is purpose-driven.
The best way to learn more is to pass on what you have already learned.
Those who pass along insights get more from God.
"Anyone who knows the right thing to do, but does not do it, is sinning."
Imagine how different the world would be if everyone knew their purpose.
DAY 40. Living with Purpose
Living on purpose is the only way to really live.
Once you know what God wants you to do, the blessing comes in actually doing it. Do them!
What is a LIFE PURPOSE STATEMENT?
It's a statement that:
✅summarizes God's purposes for your life.
✅points the direction of your life
✅defines "success" for you
✅clarifies your roles
✅expresses your shape
What will be the center of your life? This is the question of faith.
Whatever the center of your life is your god.
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 your life? This is the question of discipleship.
Make a list of the character qualities you want to work on and develop in your life. You might begin with the fruit of the Spirit or the Beatitudes.
It takes a lifetime to build a Christlike character.
What will be the contribution of my life? This is the question of service.
Knowing your combination of spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (SHAPE).
What will be the communication of my life? This is the question of your mission to unbelievers.
If you are a parent, part of your mission is to raise your children to know Christ, to help them understand his purposes for their lives, and to send them out on their mission in the world.
What will be the community of my life? This is the question of fellowship.
In addition tow writing a detailed life purpose statement, it is also helpful to have a shorter statement or slogan that summarizes the 5 purposes for your life in a way that's memorable and inspires you.
You develop your life purpose statement based on what you would like other people to say about you at your funeral. Imagine your perfect eulogy, then build your statement on that. Frankly, that's a BAD PLAN.
At the end of your life it isn't going to matter at all what other people say about you. The only thing that will matter is what God says about you.
The Bible says, "Our purpose is to please God, not people."
