Serve Out of Design, Not Duty

Current Teaching Series SHAPED to Make a Difference

Serve Out of Design, Not Duty By Rick Warren — Aug 30, 2017 “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves” (Romans 12:3b NLT). The Bible says that God wants you to listen to your heart. He wants you to look at what you’re made to do, and then you’ll know what he wants you to do. But most people these days are moving so fast that they don’t have time to listen to their heart anymore. We’ve got to slow down! We’re all in such a hurry, stressed with too much to do, not realizing until later that we didn’t have to do so much. That describes most people today in America. They’re speeding with no direction. But God wants you to slow down and listen to your heart. Romans 12:3b says, “Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves” (NLT). I suggest you get alone with God and ask these questions: “What do I love to do? What do I dream of doing? What fascinates me? What can I talk about, think about, and study all day and not get bored? Where have I been most effective in my life?” I once baptized an 80-year-old woman after a service at Saddleback Church. She wanted to be a small group host. That’s pretty cool — an 80-year-old small group host! She said, “I just wish I learned years ago that we serve God out of our design, not out of duty.” I wish everybody could learn that truth. That’s what SHAPE — your Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences — is all about. We serve God out of our design and the way he shaped us. We serve God not out of duty but because we love him. Because when you do what he wired you to do, it brings glory to him. That’s the way to live. Don’t serve God out of force or design or guilt. Serve him out of delight and gratitude. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you’ve been given — in other words, what God put you on earth to do. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What has been your motivation to serve in ministry? How did that motivation affect your attitude toward ministry? What do you believe God put you on earth to do? What steps can you take today to serve him using your gifts and work toward your purpose?

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Series Summary Session 1: Why God Shaped You the Way He Did Session 2: Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts Session 3: Following Your Heart Session 4: Using Your Abilities Session 5: The Purpose of Your Personality Session 6: Employing Your Experiences PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, ​which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe