Purpose Driven Life Day 31

Day 31, May 31st, "Understanding Your Shape"
    - Psalm 139:13 says, "You shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb." God designed each one of us unique, there will never be a duplicate. When God created us He broke the mold. "...no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you." (Rick Warren). We each have a unique contribution of natural abilities and spiritual gifts. Yesterday we went over the first two letters of SHAPE, today we will go over the last three.

SHAPE: APPLYING YOUR ABILITIES
    We are all born with natural talents. We all have a different combination of natural talents. Our natural talents are just as important as our spiritual gifts because they both come from God.
    *All of our abilities come from God*
          - "Even abilities used to sin are God given; they are just being misused or abused." (Rick Warren). It is important that we identify and release our abilities for serving God. We need to make sure we use our abilities for good and not for bad.
    *Every ability can be used for God's glory*

         - 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Anything we do we can do it to bring glory to God. There is a place in your local church where your abilities can shine and make a difference. It is important for us to find where we can have our abilities shine. It may be working in the children's ministry, greeting first time guests, or being a prayer partner. 1 Corinthians 12:6 says, "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits." Find a place in your church where you can let your natural abilities shine.
     *What I'm able to do, God wants me to do*
         - We are the only person on earth that can use your abilities. No one else can play your role, its unique. This is why it is so important to discover what you are good at and what you are not good at and do it. "God will never ask you to dedicate your life to a task you have no talent in." (Rick Warren). What you are good at is an indication of what God's will for you is. "God doesn't waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities." (Rick Warren). The abilities that God gives us are not just given to you to make a living but also to work in ministry. 1 Peter 4:10 says, "God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." If we do not use our gifts and abilities that God has given to serve one another we are being selfish.

SHAPE: USING YOUR PERSONALITY

    - Each of of us are unique. God breaks the mold after he creates us. There is no one exactly like you. The church needs all kinds of people to balance the church. Some of us may have the same spiritual gifts but we use them differently. "You can learn from examples of others, but you must filter what you learn through your shape." (Rick Warren). Our different personalities reflect God's light in different colors and patterns. Some one may have the spiritual gift of giving and give financially and another person may have the same spiritual gift of giving and give their time. "When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness." (Rick Warren). Use your personality, natural abilities, and spiritual gifts and you will be satisfied.

SHAPE: EMPLOYING YOUR EXPERIENCES
    - We are all shaped by our experiences. Most of our
experiences are beyond our control. There are six kinds of experiences we go through:
    1. Family experiences - What did you learn growing up? How were you raised?
    2. Educational experiences - How much education do you have? What did you study? What was your favorite subject? How much have you grown educational through personal growth?
    3. Vocational experiences - What jobs have you had? What jobs were you good at and enjoyed?
    4. Spiritual experiences - When were the most meaningful times you had with God?
    5. Ministry experiences - In what ways have you served God in the past?
    6. Painful experiences - What did you learn from your problems, hurts, and trials?
   - God uses our painful experiences to prepare us most for ministry (God's work). "God never waste a hurt. Your greatest ministry will most likely come out of your greatest hurt." (Rick Warren). My greatest hurts thus far in life have led me to be a better christian. Each one has helped me grow to be a better person as painful as they have been. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." "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." (Rick Warren). Each experience we go through we can use to help someone else. People are more encouraged when we share how God's grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths. Its more beneficial to show others what we have gone through and overcome rather than to

only show people are strengths. This is why social media is so bad. People only post themselves at their best so we get a false image in our head and think we are less of a person because all we see is everyone else's life going perfect. "Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you." (Alders Huxley). We need to use our pain to help others. Turn our negatives into positives by helping others grow from our mistakes and painful experiences.

Point to Ponder: Nobody else can be me.
Verse to Remember: "God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God's many kinds of blessing." 1 Peter 4:10
Question to Consider: What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?

Purpose Driven Life Day 26

Day 26, May 26th, "Growing Through Temptation" 

    James 1:12 says, "Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out it is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and and more life." Every believer is faced with temptations, every temptation is an opportunity to do good. Temptation is simple a choice. We can choice to do whats wrong or what is right. "Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of God." (Rick Warren). Temptation is Satan's primary method to destroy us. The closer we get to God the more temptations he will place in front of us. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" As believers we have the Holy Spirit in us to help protect us from temptations. "Fruit always matures and ripens slowly. God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you're tempted to express the exact opposite quality" (Rick Warren). Temptation helps teach us things. It teaches us to love by putting unlovely people around us to love. It teaches us joy in the midst of sorrow, when we turn to him. "Happiness depends on external circumstances but joy is based on your relationship to God." (Rick Warren). Temptation teaches us peace by us trusting God in circumstance we are tempted to worry or be afraid. This one is my biggest temptation and I fail over and over again. Worry is a problem for me. Temptation develops patience by putting circumstances where we are forced to wait. Again, another huge temptation for me. I am very patient with other people but when it comes to myself, I am not patient at all. Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest. What ever you are struggling with know that it is normal. "You can't claim to be God if you've never been tempted to be bad." (Rick Warren). As believers we are all tempted, its how you respond to temptation that matters most.

HOW TEMPTATION WORKS

   - Satan is predictable when it comes to temptation, its a four step process.
        1. Identifies a desire inside of us
            - This could be a normal desire or a sinful desire. He plants temptation in our minds. Mark 7:21-23 says, "For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile us."
       2. Doubt...is it really wrong?
           - Satan starts to plant a seed telling you its really not wrong, its not that bad, everyone is doing it, etc.
       3. Deception
           - Satan can not tell the truth. He makes you think it is okay to do it. Anything he tells us is either untrue or half-true.
       4. Disobedience
           - We act on the temptation and do what is wrong.

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
       1. Refuse to be intimidated

          - We will never outgrow temptation. As believers we will always be tempted in one way or another. We need to think of temptation as a compliment. Satan doesn't tempt those that are already doing evil. Even Jesus was tempted but, he never sinned. "You can't keep the Devil from suggesting thoughts, but you can choose not to dwell or act on them." (Rick Warren). The closer we become to God the more Satan will try and tempt us.
       2. Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it
          - Each of us have certain situations that make us more vulnerable than others. Some of us may be tempted by worry, lust, trust, etc. We have to recognize our patterns that we fall into and avoid them and pray over them. Who are you with when you are tempted? Where are you at when you are tempted? What time of day? Proverbs 4:26-27 says, "Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust."
       3. Request God's help
           - Heaven/God have a 24 hour emergency hotline. Send up a prayer flare when you feel tempted. Psalm 50:15 says, "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." We need to cry out to God! Shout to the heavens. "The Bible guarantees that our cry will be heard because Jesus is sympathetic to our struggle." (Rick Warren). Jesus was tempted throughout his whole life, he understand the struggle we face. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin."

"Temptations keep us dependent on God." (Rick Warren). Without God, we would give in to all our temptations. Next time you are tempted send up a prayer flare.

Point to Ponder: Every temptation is an opportunity to do good.
Verse to Remember: "God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." James 1:12
Question to Consider: What Christlike character quality can I develop by defeating the most common temptation I face?