Assessing the S.H.A.P.E. You're In, Part 2

God will take it and make it part of your testimony to share with the world. You need to understand that our experiences all count positive and negative your future by way of the past. On today's destined for victory with pastor Marsha thanks for tuning in. If you want to discover how God wants to use you from this day forward, you may want to start by looking backwards to the experiences both good and bad help mold you into the person you are today. Did you grow up without a father, have you gone through a painful divorce.

Did you suffer trauma as a child. Whatever happened in your past could be a clue to what God wants to do in you and through you today say with us now or visit Pastor Paul.net to listen on demand.

That's Pastor Paul.net here is Pastor Paul. Today's message assessing the shape you're in. Please don't get your theology mixed up when you see crashes and you see families trapped in a burning house in their lives. When you see how well God must've wanted know that is all in so many things happen but here is the thing we are people of faith: to everything God's goals who love him and would been called according to his purpose.

So I say that to say. As you reflect on your experiences. Some of them are wonderful.

Some of them you can clearly see God at work right away. Answers to prayer and miracles.

He worked for Jim door the open ways he made and positive experiences, but don't take all baguette up trash, some of you experienced abuse don't throw that away. Some of you experience heartbreak at a deep level. Don't throw that away. Some of you have experienced sickness. Don't throw that away.

You've gone through good and bad. God will take it and make it part of your test them only to share with the world. You need to understand that our experiences all count positive and negative look at this verse I can correct in chapter 1 verses there versus three and four second Corinthians chapter 1 verses three and four says this praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of compassion and the God of all comfort comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with this with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Do you see what that says those verses say God will take the comfort he had to give you when you were going to your difficult seasons and he'll recycle that comfort and let you give it to somebody else in his name. You must understand that God is the demand recycle or conservationist God ways. Nothing God said how you look at it as trash is normal way to lab working around for good, God will take your junk and turn it into a treasure God will take your mass and turn it into a message God will take your task and turn it into an testimony. He weighs nothing so you must understand now that God hears and work not only in the stuff you got answer that prayer thing testimony service and you get a single testimony so grown up in church, I heard more essays testify to one side of their experience came in from work I came in the work most of you have been paying me to keep testimony only weeks later after talking to one of the things I want to say that the humility repossessed that Mustang I'm thinking he paying the bill when he is testimony yeah you excited, but we let you down. God's goals where you need to go. You know I bless you.

So when the job and thank you when the job gives you the pink slip thing give thanks. Why because he is not done yet. Thank God Joseph just told you in jail must have been here for you. When you been in jail for years. Keep walking by faith, keep on serving the prisoners know that what days but wish we could read Joseph's Journal was Bible says the Lord was with Joseph. He served other prisoners and the Lord made him put him in charge of the other prisoners. Those are the highlights. What you need to know is in the seventh year the third month 23rd day, when is good. No Joseph was in somewhere right now believe this had to be like that why God don't tease me by giving me dreams a prominence and I'm in jail you don't understand right in the thick of it where your hidden but when you can't praise him for what he has brought you to place them in advance for what he's gonna bring you my story plays and because God don't work together for good, and I met seventh year when Joseph was at that low point.

All he had to do was keep on keeping on safety clichés and you get mad when you hear you like you get when you think of and they just give you some.

I keep on keeping on the year right but is still true because if you just ride out that season. No matter how long it is. If you have a tenacity that is long trial at the water coming out of that valley of the shadow of death, and when you come out. He will take you to a place prepared what happened to Joseph just called out of jail one day in the middle of the day has no idea what's been going on what's been going on is in the room.

The kings of the semi to interpret this dream I had in the cupbearer who was supposed to remember Joseph to know somebody. Next thing you know that calling them up in the throne room, interpreting a dream why could his Bitterness out his heart, knowing how to kill his life.

He been let bless them and use them while even a place you want to be what you do when you in a place you don't want to be in. Bless the Lord, and let the Lord use your gifts and abilities. That's what Joseph was doing.

He was using his ability to interpret dreams and blessing people now God's ready to bring about. He told the king what the dream is all about things that will happen is only 70 is a great abundance followed by seven years of tremendous famine might oversee that and he said I don't know anybody as wise as you. And the king took a prisoner up selling he's in jail for attempted rape. He took off Devlin and turned them into a prime minister. So your story is not in your experiences. All still had the second half of today's destined for victory message with pastor Paul Shepherd, Senior Pastor destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. We want to thank all of you who sustained destined for victory with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help pastor Paul share the gospel with a growing audience destined for victory is a listener supported ministry right now. During these uncertain times in the face of many challenges. Your help is needed now more than ever.

So as God leads. Please prayerfully consider making a gift destined for victory today. Do you want to know God's plan for your future. Start by looking at what you've gone through in the past. This pastor Paul again with the rest of today's message assessing the shape you're in. So some questions I want to ask yourself. I want to list. First, your spiritual gifts and calling, that is those that you are already aware of, and those that you not aware of what I'm sure my gifts are will make that a matter prayer until you know Mr. spiritual gifts and callings. I want you to list the people needs or type of work you feel called to the people needs or type of work that you feel called to next is the cause is you're passionate about. I want you to list the causes you're passionate about, then I want to list the things you excel at the things you excel at.

We talked about that earlier when it we were looking at the AV abilities the things you you excel it you want to list the abilities you're most known for the people around your family and friends who have complimented you on a particular ability.

List the things you're known for. Then I want you to list your favorite areas, subjects or areas of study. List your favorite subjects or areas of study and a list of the strengths that go along with your temperament. I want to list your weaknesses.

We are renewed and we get productive. List your strengths that go along with your temperament list your most powerful and life shaping experiences, your most powerful and life shaping experiences there I want you to list the significant things you caught from mentors and influences. Remember at one point I said some things are caught not talk.

The people with influence your life the most. One of the positive things you've caught from them, then jot down the painful experiences that you've come through the painful experiences that you've come through. Those are the kinds of things I want you to create a list about in the coming days on that page is your blueprint for serving God and serving the needs of others in his name. Now here's what I want to wrap up the series I want to give you for practical points for being an excellent steward of your gifts and talents for practical points. Here's the first use your gifts on earth in ways that matter in heaven was the first point. How am I going to be an excellent steward of my gifts. Number one, I'm going to use my gifts on earth in ways that matter in heaven. Remember I talked about four principles earlier in the series for being a good steward. The same principles apply to any area of stewardship.

They are so generously shrink that systematically save regularly and spend wisely so this is sort of sewing generously when it comes to your gifts and abilities.

Make sure you don't use all of your gifts and abilities doing things that don't matter in heaven what are and lose it so that's why you shouldn't do your strength and your abilities will lead to pursuits that are natural and don't have any spiritual implication in the Lord's prayer in Matthew chapter 6 verses nine and 10 Jesus said this man is how you should pray our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. So he said give the Lord's name, praise, reflect on who God is and praise and reverence hollow to reverence sacred to make sacred his name. Then the next verse he says what your kingdom come, your will be done. God on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus said that God's kingdom, and his will was done, and it's already been done in heaven and having things going on. That's not the will of God, but on earth there's plenty going on. That's not the will of God. So job as his followers to make sure that a little bit.

I have an agenda comes every day through us. So when you go to work.

You really don't work for the man you work for God in the man's company in the man's business on woman some gun women lost it for that person or no if you work for God in heaven and you are to bring a little bit happens agenda to earth as you live your life.

So make sure that you're using your gifts on earth in ways that matter in heaven. Whatever you do in using your abilities and gifts. Make sure that there is some way that it can result in giving God glory and giving people spiritual hope say one thing and it's a good thing to feed the hungry Jesus taught us we should do that. But if I feed your body and I'm not feeling your spirit only meeting a temporal need. Now that me should be mad about how I came to you by Jesus, don't walk up to a person dying of hunger said you know Jesus will throw the ball. Do you have assignments.

The first thing you know find ways to be good to people.

It's about people so you don't want to be a church person who's trying to tell people about pie-in-the-sky by-and-by and you only give me a slice of pie here that's inconsistent with who God is and so we as his people need to use our gifts and ways on earth that matter in heaven.

So even if I blessing people in their temporal needs. Their everyday needs.

I'm also making sure that the word of witness or through sharing the love of God, or anything like that. I am also caring for the more important part of them, which is their soul see if I feed you only bread I'm going keep your body alive.

But what about your spirit spirit needs to know who Jesus is and so use your gifts on earth in ways that matter in heaven. So when you look at that list that you're going to create God. How do you want to use me to do some of these things in your name to bless people now here's the second of the four points I want to give you about being an excellent steward. The first is usually gifts on earth in ways that matter and have a number two.

Give the most time and attention to sharpening your strongest gifts rather than strengthening your weakest gifts.

I'll keep that up on the screen while jot down give the most time and attention to sharpening your strongest gifts rather than strengthening your weakest gifts measured jot that down, listen to why this is so important. There are a lot of people who never become extremely effective in doing anything because they're busy giving time and energy to things that will never become so proficient in their lives. A lot of folks love being a jack of all trades but here's the problem with being a jack of all trades but are you the master of God doesn't want you to take all of your time and energy and money and gifts and abilities and give them to a cause that will produce but so much.

Let me show it to you in parable form from the mouth of Jesus Matthew chapter 13 verses three through eight.

Look at what Jesus said he told them many things in parables, saying, a farmer went out to sow his seed. You know, this parable of the parable of the sower verse four as he was scattering the seed. Some fell among the path and the birds came and ate it up. Verse five.

Some fell on rocky places where it did not have much soil it spring up quickly because the soil was shallow. He put the seed but did put it on the ground that was too shallow for it to go down and really produce roots verse six. Matthew 13 but when the sun came up. The plants were scorched and they weathered because they had no root verse seven. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants of the sea, fell in a place where he could grow, except that the forms around it, choked it, so we all got thorns around you. That's why you're not growing as an observer. Verse eight still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop hundred 60 or 30 times what was sown.

Now of course we know that Jesus went on to explain that that parable means he's the sower and the seed of the word of God, and it talks about the word of God. What it produces in four different types of people, and of course the idea is if you and I are good soil for the word of God to fall onto that God will use it to produce a lot of fruit so we know that that was the primary meaning but I want to now show you the principle of the parable as it applies to your life. It also can teach you. Don't waste good seed in poor ground and in your life. You have some areas that children get wet so as to become so gifted, it's just not your primary calling. So don't spend your time and energy trying to develop a week when you have other gifts you're already strong and you need to sharpen those close dolls will produce 160, and 30 fold goals will give you a good return always wanted to be a singer do case has to help you now come to church with him to hurt my feelings. Yet you just know it. But sometimes you gotta get hurt for you to get on the right track and if they would just let me up on the praise team and let me develop my give on the praise team and no you can't come up here appears singing in the key of Q you need to look at your God which of these things do you want to turn into a way that I can truly you and bless other people you casing want to make a CD full nobody want to hear that you need to find gifts and sharpen what you already do well what you already see evidence of God at work in you sharpen if past experiences have left you disillusioned if you've lost your joy in remembrance of your own personal history. God wants to help you learn from those experiences to find healing and deliverance so that you can use them to help others draw from your past. Don't just let your past draw from you. What partnership is always been essential for every great work of God. He designed us for relationship for partnership both with him and with one another and today Pastor Paul would like to invite you to partner with him as he seeks to share the gospel all over the world is our way of saying thanks for your partnership will send you if you think you gifts including want to pastor Paul's most popular CDs. The best of let my people smile, call 855-339-5500 to find out more about how to become a destined for victory partner for as little as $20 a month, or mail your gift letting us know you wish to become a partner.

The addresses destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. You can also become our partner for my website. Pastor Paul.net. If you can't become a destined for victory partner but would like to make a donation today would love to send you pastor Paul Shepard's booklet built on a solid foundation. You can avoid life's storms, but with God's help, you can survive this booklet tells you how. Again that's built on a solid foundation. A booklet from Pastor Paul in our gift to you by request for your generous gift to destined for victory in your life.

You have some areas that children become so gifted, it's just not your primary calling.

So don't spend your time and energy trying to develop a week. That's tomorrow and pastor Paul Shepard's message assessing the shape you're in. So until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory