“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something” (Psalm 139:13-15 Msg).
We started a new sermon series last Sunday called “Shaped for Significance.” Our hope is that during this 36-day emphasis we can grow in our understanding and response to God’s unique “shape” and purpose for our lives.
The word “shaped” is used in the Message translation of Psalm 139 to describe how God made us. It is also the word that Pastor Rick Warren has used as an acronym to describe the different elements that come together to help determine our life’s purpose. The acronym S.H.A.P.E. is:
- S – Spiritual Gifts (God-given talents given to believers)
- H – Heart (What we are passionate about)
- A – Abilities (Abilities and talents we have naturally)
- P – Personality (Introvert/extrovert, feeler/thinker, etc.)
- E – Experiences (The life experiences we have)
These five elements fit together like pieces of a puzzle to form the way God has uniquely shaped each one of us for His service. And as each one of us fulfills our unique role, we are like puzzle pieces that make up the whole body of Christ, which is the church.
This coming Sunday we are talking about the “S” which is for “spiritual gifts.” The apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the church at Corinth, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed” (1 Corinthians 12:1 ESV). Like Paul, we don’t want the members of our church to be “uninformed” about spiritual gifts. We want to learn about the gifts that God has given us in the Holy Spirit to edify His church and to glorify His Name in the world.
Will you join us as we take the SHAPE challenge?
#SHAPEDCHALLENGE: 36 Days to Understanding and Responding to God’s Unique Purpose for Your Life!
- Hear the 6 sermons to learn
- Attend a weekly Community Group to deepen understanding
- Read the daily readings to prayerfully apply
- Do the weekly online SHAPE assignments
- Be prepared to respond to God’s unique call