Codes for the Will:

Understanding God’s Call on My Life

Message By Ken Baugh

Opening Question:
What has God taught you as a result of this study on God’s will?

GOD’S CALLING
What do the following verses say about God’s design of your life?

Verse God’s Plan for My Life

Jeremiah 1:5

Psalm 139:15

Psalm 139:16

Acts 17:26

How do these verses affect your view on your daily schedules?

“God never does anything accidentally, and never makes mistakes. He has a reason for
everything he creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every
person was designed with a purpose in mind.”
The Purpose Driven Life, 238.

DISCOVERING GOD’S CALL ON MY LIFE

“The most practical tool in discerning God’s call on my life is my SHAPE.”

There are 5 Elements to determining your SHAPE:

Spiritual Gifts

Heartbeat

Abilities

Personality

Experiences
“…Each man has his own gift from Element #1: Spiritual Gifts (1 Corinthians 7:7b)
God: one has this gift, another has
that.” 1 Corinthians 7:7b Big question: How has God supernaturally gifted me for ministry?

Fill in the blanks on the 11 truths concerning spiritual gifts.

1. Only ________________have spiritual gifts. 1 Cor. 2:12-14

2. Every Christian has at least _________________gift. 1 Cor. 7:7

3. No one receives _______________ of the gifts. 1 Cor. 12:27-30

4. No single gift is given to _________________. 1 Cor. 12:29-30

5. You can't _____________________ a spiritual gift. Eph. 4:7

6. The ___________________decides what gifts I get. 1 Cor. 12:11

7. The gifts I'm given are ____________________. Rom. 11:29

8. I am to _______________ the gifts God gives me. 1 Tim. 4:14

9. It's a sin to ______________the gifts God gave me. 1 Cor. 4:1-2, Mt. 25:14-30

10. Gifts used without ______________ do not accomplish God's intended purpose. 1 Cor. 13:1-3

11. Using my gifts ___________________God and _____________ me. John 15:8

What spiritual gifts did God give you?

“For it is God who works in you, Element #2: Heartbeat (Philippians 2:13)
inspiring both the will and the deed,
for his chosen purpose” Big question: What do I love to do?
Philippians 2:13

What part of God’s redemptive plan are you most excited about?

Could you turn something you love to do into a ministry to impact Washington?

“God has given each of us a unique emotional ‘heartbeat’ that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or
circumstances that interest us. These are clues to where you should be serving.”
The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 238.

If you could do anything for God without the fear of failure or rejection, what would you do?
“There are different abilities to perform
service, but the same God gives
ability to all for their particular
service.” 1 Corinthians 12:6 (TEV)
“No one can really know what anyone
else is thinking or what he is really
like, except that person himself”
1 Corinthians 2:11
“He (God) comforts us in all our
troubles so that we can comfort
others. When others are troubled, we
will be able to give them the same
comfort God has given us.” 1
Corinthians 1:4 (NLT)
Element #3: Abilities (1 Corinthians 12:6)
Big question: What natural skills or abilities do I have?
What are you naturally good at?
What type of service could you do based on your abilities?
Element #4: Personality (1 Corinthians 12:11)
Big question: Where does my personality best suit me to serve?
How had God wired you up emotionally? What is your personality type?
Why is their now one-size-fits all personality for ministry?
“There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ temperament for ministry. We need all kinds of personalities
to balance the church and give it flavor. The world would be a very boring place if we
were all plain vanilla. Fortunately, people come in more than thirty-one flavors.”
The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, p. 245.
Element #5: Experiences (1 Corinthians 1:4)
Big question: What life experiences have I had that may benefit others if I share them in
ministry?
Experiences that shape our ministry:
What spiritual experiences have I had?
What painful experiences have I had?
What educational experiences have I had?
What ministry experiences have I had?
Why should we pay close attention to our experiences when we consider the ministry God
has designed for us?
How can serving God from the tough experiences in our life bring God glory through our
difficult experiences?