Assessing the S.H.A.P.E. You're In, Part 2 (cont'd)

How can you discover your spiritual gifts will find out today on this Wednesday edition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard just a few minutes. Pastor Paul shares his message assessing the shape you are in. But before today's message Pastor Joyce. We know from a studio in California with a word of encouragement pastor, even though we are starting to see some promising signs as a relates to the pandemics. The effects of what's happened during this year, left us weary when I'm really just like you are and I'm sure many of our listeners.

Probably the best way for me to encourage them is to let them sort of eavesdrop on my self talk.

I'm telling myself things like this too shall pass. It's one of my favorite of things I'm saying to myself, reminding myself this I know it's been long and drawn out and it's getting on my nerves. If I'm down to my reserve nerd that's that last one. But this too shall pass. Circumstantially speaking, there are indications at least from my vantage point that there is light at the end of this tunnel and I don't think it's a train barreling toward me. I really do believe that things are going to get better for us even circumstantially, and so I just want people to remember. Most importantly, something that's in the life-changing and timeless word of God, which is God is our refuge and our strain. That's true in good times and that's true in bad times, God is our refuge and sometimes when you're in the midst of a storm he will be your strength to get you through it so I hope our listeners will remain encouraged and know that God is with us and he is more than the enemy and the world and the pandemic against us in the Scriptures from Psalm 46 verse one God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble. Thanks so much for those words of encouragement. Pastor Paul you know Jesus never promised that we'd avoid life's storms only that with his help we could survive them.

We need to cling to that truth during times like these, and help you do that Pastor Paul would like to offer you was booklet built on a solid foundation. It's a great reminder that when we build our lives upon the solid rock of God's word will be able to withstand any storm that comes our way that's built on a solid foundation our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 one more time the addresses Destin for victory.

Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 five children listed become so it's just not calling so spend your time and energy trying to develop a week.

It's never a bad idea to improve your weak areas. But when it comes to your spiritual gifts, unique talents God is giving you for Christian service. Spend your time perfecting the strength you already have on today's Destin for victory.

Pastor Paul Sheppard encouraging you to find your strength and devote your energy to getting even stronger at them so that you can be the best you, you can be so now here's Pastor Paul. Today's message assessing the shape you're in. You look at you these things you want to turn into a way that I can truly you bless other people you casing want to make a CD full nobody want to hear that I got gifts and sharpen the holes you already do well what you already see evidence of God at work in you sharpen. I grew up around a great preacher great preacher through his great preachers so you know like I knew right in public.

I know talk in private couple that exposure with the fact that my head be just like your father and I didn't notice I said back in old age going talk to adults in the old way, but in my heart it would like to be present. Want to be a regular Christian to be a regular daddy go you can go with your father when he preached I was wanted to hang out all the time but I didn't want to do what he did what he was my only example and it was almost never home always serving always that were people he was saying when I thought that was pastor that was just sanguine never knew when he was coming home to now one damn grunt get married and have a wife and children want to know. So what can I do with get me home and that was the way I was trying to process but God wanted to use the most.

He had forced me to see it was going to be pretty. And so I started speaking as as a young person in youth meetings and what have you and I would let the pastor say I was a preacher preacher.

Just you speak. I did. I made him announce me as the speaker for the user, where preacher was all right and so I would go speak to you and you would get the word and get say, and I told you before but but others have had again went to I went to Kansas City invited to speak for you. The weekend told that Pastor speaker don't call me up preacher right fine, I want you to speak to the young people Friday night, speak to time Saturday, then speak to them. Someday we can and by the time I got to speak in Sunday morning, Sunday morning, I prefer the whole chart but is youth weekend and we just happen. Somebody was going with you and you'll speak is about time I got to speak Sunday morning had already spoke Saturday close out the meeting today. Speaking all that wasn't all that was all but a couple of young people in the church had gotten saved.

They was saved by the time I left because the of God had reached into their hearts and God use it for his purpose.

That's what the gift is so he can use you what you want to do this pastor was driving me to the airport Sunday afternoon catch my plane from Kansas City back to Philly. He was driving me and I guess he held onto it as long as he could and finally at one point in the drive to the airport.

He looked over at me, shook his finger in my face, the sound care what you call yourself.

He said you are called to be a preacher. He said, and the quicker you will agree with God and surrender the better off you're going to be a Own drive was in college when this happened I was trying my best to do some other than preach and at that point I said you know what I gotta shift my mind and start preparing myself even academically for the ministry so you look for your strongest gifts and sharpen all if you write well in my case operates well my writing is very bright with my writing is not nearly as entertaining as speaking. I know how to do that I've learned over the years up on this crap. I keep people's attention.

Stupid as a method behind went great because it helps me to engage people that he wasn't crack up, preach the word, so I got an honest people, you know I was on the conviction crime you so you do what works for you when we can have a writing partner. He's gifted in writing gifted in preaching sermons say this with your flavors back to me let me do my collaborator people we partner together. You gotta learn to do that in your own life stop which week is gifts let them be a little hobby some time to get 20 minutes on the weekend don't get good quality time. The stuff that is never going to produce a lot of fruit.

Find your strengths and work him you know some of the best food companies can call somebody cook something well one thing well and all their friends wanted and wanted to make make make Christmas make Thanksgiving these and then I found somebody who can help market and they found somebody who could help the next thing you know they started. You find somebody who has the distribution contact and next thing you know your stuff is in the and you BMP why stick which is strength is worth a real mess around a million people. Some things at home or something and make a note to be multimillionaires. If you stick with your strong points and when you do, don't get this message. Bring the time to the store house where my hormone .2 okay so give your most gifts rather than something that we can will be right back with more of today's destined for victory message from Pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor, destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California listen to the broadcast on demand. Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net reply to José great resources in our online store.

Sometimes God may want to stretch you to take you out of your comfort. Pastor Paul now with the rest of today's message assessing the shape you're in is number three. Use your strongest gifts in both ministry and vocation.

If you can see if you can stream your strengths.

If you're not much of a people person so you will bless your heart. You say you love Jesus, we can put you in front of people, or have you interacted to other people because you're not good at communicating the goodness and the love this in your heart. It didn't get in your face and then getting your words I'm saying you know not everybody could be for instance in greater and greater going on and how you doing, we, God bless you.

Using your gift of connecting with people so greater in the ministry. You may also be up to find a job that pays well that will use your nature and your friendliness in those areas. But if there people that you want to be a receptionist for you people. People have hung up on just called. When I got not to be a boon to get somebody else you may see if you can find a way to maximize it for both ministry and vocation ministries that every church needs to grow its volunteer ministries.

So find your strengths and your church doesn't wear younger church plan essentially where early in the season to bring the message we don't even have old building yet and so we are very limited in what we can do but were going to be expanding ministries in the coming 12 months.

Not only win but even before we get into our building and that's gotta start with some of you here my strength. How can we turn this into ministry efforts. I want to start you all sit around and dream up every ministry here my gifts. I love you.

Then you try and come up with some possibilities.

Send me some possibility that the time for that you have a good idea wrong timing but is not your job to lead the ministry, but you're going to help me think, imply, give me some things to work with people came to me with a complaint. I think there will as a pastor the fix.

People you come to me with a complaint you leave with a job, we don't think about leaving to find your strength.

See if you can use them in both ministry and vocation. Find ways to serve time wasted not just your resume sell you the people you looking for job is not just the resumes you will my friends at your resume get more than your resume to one thing.

Your resume is another thing you convince him I'm the person I can bless your organization. I hope you get this from here to there user strongest gifts if possible in ministry and vocation does what it is that while trying so far all you can do is what you can do when you pray, believe the results to God can open doors and make ways and sometimes you need to develop some of the strength that you have thought about this. Some people were busy trying to sell themselves for one particular type of job and what you don't realize is that some mills really are to be developing. It's already a strength. You just need to give it some time and sharpen it had in another direction because maybe your provision is in that direction. She sometimes there's much more that we can't see beyond where we are right now.

When Ruth and Naomi showed up in Bethlehem. Ruth had no idea that the field she was volunteering as a cleaner and just so that she and Naomi could eat every day.

She had no idea that what looked like welfare and picking up behind the harvesters she was going to hold that field because she was going to marry its owner you know one day I won't miss you already people I have worked behind the glass of the me that was the truth, but she didn't. But you gotta serve well even when you're not being paid for because it helps set you up and perhaps get paid for what you're already doing so. Just look at the possibilities. Pray that the Lord speak to you.

There couple biblical examples we just mentioned I don't have time to expound but in acts chapter 9 there was a woman named Tabatha called Dorcas and she was always doing good and helping the poor. Then when you jump down to verse 39 you see is what happened.

She died, Peter went when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the windows stood around him crying and showing him the roles and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them, not a story as well, because the Lord uses Peter to raise her from the dead. But the point was during her life. She helped people to use her gift and she help people did it just as a volunteer and all the poor people used of God to get the woman raised because she served.

She used it in ministry now over. In acts 16 somebody use a similar gift a woman named Lydia use a similar gift and she made money on the Sabbath. 1613 when outside the city gate to the river where we expected to find a place of prayer. We set out and began to speak to the women who would gather their first 14 of acts chapter 16 one of those listening was a woman from the city of five Tyra named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, a dealer dealer. It was her business. She made her money using that gift.

I just want to point those out to you and she end up being one of the first things in the church at Philippi. By the way, and so she ended up being used of God to make her money so that she could be a believer so into the kingdom, and all that. The other lady use of same gifts as a ministry. Perhaps you can do both so you prayerfully look at that possibility is the final thing I'm done number for fourth point for me and an excellent Stewart fulfillment in favor come from serving well sometimes what you just do passionately got old. Later on, give you favor for fulfillment people walking around looking for fulfillment fulfillment comes Venus what God gave you first and foremost about money is first and foremost about fulfillment because if you're going fulfill God bless you to make you some money. But you got to find fulfillment you find those ways in acts 20 where simply reminded verse 35 of something Jesus said and everything I did post that I showed you that this kind of hard work that I've been doing is being a missionary said because I've always remembered the words of the Lord Jesus himself who said it is more blessed to give than to receive your blasts by giving the house more blessed to give than receive.

Never tried see if you have a consumer mentality of a welfare mentality is all about receiving the happiest people in the world. Even secular research is a covenant with this conclusion. Every down and you see these reports and they finally figured out that the Bible was true because they will get about a credit for research, mass research, whole communities going big research project and they come back saying people are more fulfilled when they enjoy helping other people. Then when they make a lot of money but don't have that same sense of connecting the help people reach out to he said is more blessed to give than to receive your money. Give time and give you you be blessed fulfillment comes from. If you don't know that feeling you need to go somewhere and volunteer and as you helping people say God bless you, Jesus loves whatever.

That's why I encourage you if you can find a Christian organization when the lease is an anti-Christian so that you can get people were to hold while you serve.

Yes, good to give them just let me what the Lord loves you. What's your name, I will be praying for you this week listening to family don't have to be praying for and put some ministry limited you be surprise how fulfilling you to make a dime you just been to three hours half a day but you walk away feeling I did something that mattered in heaven and it's fulfilling not only does fulfillment come from it but sold us favor to love." Proverbs 1816 but they don't understand. A gift opens the way in us is the difference the presence of the great want to be in the presence of the great well what you don't need him only great people to use a gift use my gift and been shocked when I end I never ever when you if I just kept convincing myself will be ready because nine terminal I would miss some of the greatest people in the I've been blessed to walk in some rooms as humbly come in here. I will walk around with autograph book. If we unless you gift makes room usually gifts and serve the Lord. Thanks so much for joining us for today's message assessing the shape you are in. If you'd like more information about the Destin for victory ministry or this month special offer. A booklet from Pastor Paul called built on a solid foundation. Be sure to stop by our website Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net that I will let you know that you made to an believable way. Withholding thing that God has in that's tomorrow when Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message exalting the Lord's name. Until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory