You were shaped to serve God.
Each of us was uniquely designed, or "shaped," to do certain things.
The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works."
You are God's handcrafted work of art.
You are a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece.
You are God's poem.
You are the message.
You are wonderfully complex.
He planned every day of your life to support his shaping process.
"Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."
This means that nothing that happens in your life is insignificant.
God uses all of it to mold you for your ministry to others and shape you for your service to him.
Your spiritual gifts were given for the benefit of others.
"A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church."
Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the church.
Two common problems are "gift-envy" and "gift-projection."
"There are diffrent kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving."
Your heart reveals the real you.
Heart is passion.
The first telltale sign is enthusiasm.
The second characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness.
Passion drives perfection.
"A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches."
Good life is not good enough.
"The better life"- serving God in a way that expresses your heart.
Figure out what you love to do- what God gave you a heart to do- and then do it for his glory.