discovering god’s plan for...
TRANSCRIPT
DISCOVERING GOD’S PLAN
FOR YOU!
Dennis Franck, Director
Single Adult/Single – Parent Family Ministries
Assemblies of God
WHAT DO YOU THINK? I probably should wait till marriage to…
For me to attempt anything great would
require…
I’m really not ready to do anything of
significance because…
If I had _______, then I’d be able to…
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Because _______happened to me, I can’t…
After I get______, then I can really…
Too often I focus on my weaknesses, which
prevents me from…
If I could do ONE GREAT thing in life, it would
be…
The greatest single adult who ever lived was…
OTHER CHRISTIANS…
Have direction in life…
Seem fulfilled in a ministry…
Do you think?... Insignificant…Inadequate…Untalented…
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!GENERAL PLAN…
I Corinthians 10:31 “to glorify God”
SPECIFIC PLAN…
Romans 12:1-2 “God’s good and perfect plan”
Jeremiah 29:11 I know the thoughts I have toward you… Good (not evil)
To give you hope…..a future…..an expected end!
“God’s Plan” Is…
An idea from God specifically for you!
An Understanding of what He wants for
YOUR life!
A Realization of how He can specifically
use you!
A Ministry that will affect & fulfill Your life!
FULL TIME?
Not necessarily regarding pay & hours
(could be!)
Full-time regarding… Desire & effort
Fulfillment
Effectiveness
Meaning to your life
GOD BEGINS WITH WHAT HE
HAS TO WORK WITH!
Age
Maturity
Attitude
Experiences
Desires
Training
Education
Circumstances
GOD WORKS WITH WHO & WHERE YOU ARE!
FINDING HIS PLAN…
Desiring doesn’t mean finding! You must SEEK It!
Psalm 27:14-Wait on the Lord
John 4:34 – My nourishment is to do will of my Father
Psalm 62:5- Wait upon God-My expectation is from Him
Finding doesn’t mean doing! You must CHOOSE it
James 2:20 Faith without works is dead
GOD WANTS…
AVAILABILITY….NOT ABILITY!
WILLINGNESS TO FOLLOW HIM
J
FINDING GOD’S PLAN
1. Ask God to reveal it!(How consistently do you?)
James 4:2 – You do not have because
you do not ask!
The Lord has no obligation to
answer until we ask!
Why don’t we ask?
A. I’m not sure God can use me -(Low self –esteem)
Would God invest his son’s life on you
for nothing?
– Feel sufficient?...may be too proud for God to use!
– I Cor. 12: 12-22 – Many parts of the body…A place for you!
Why don’t we ask?
B.I don’t really know – (Apathy) Rev. 3:16 – Lukewarm…
C. I’m not sure He’ll answer – (Doubt) I John 5: 14-15…Ask according to His will…
He hears us…
If He hears us…
We have what we ask for!
Would you say it’s His Will
to know His plan?
Why don’t we ask?
D. I’m not sure I’m ready for His
answer!(fear)
God may… • Show something I don’t want to see
• Ask something I don’t want to do
• Tell something I don’t want to hear
• Do something I don’t want Him to do
Are you mature enough to handle His answers?
FINDING GOD’S PLAN
2. Avail yourself to God to be used! “I’ll do what you want even before you show me
what it is”…
Romans 12: 1-2
A. Present yourself as a living sacrifice!(Attitude – Surrender – Responsibility – Don’t crawl off the altar)
B. Don’t conform to the world!(Choices – Circumstances – Friends)
I Tim. 5:22 – abstain from all appearance of evil
FINDING GOD’S PLAN
C. Be transformed by renewing
your mind!(Word – Prayer - Study - Fellowship)
D. Then you will PROVE (Know) HIS WILL!
Our attitude..
“Lord show me your will/plan, then I’ll decide
whether I want to do it!”
YOU CAN TRUST GOD!
He has your best interests in mind. Happiness
Fulfillment
Contentment
Wants to develop you
BE WILLING… God doesn’t really need your ABILITIES!
God needs your AVAILABILITY!
3. Assess Your gifts, abilities & talents! What has God given you?
ASK:What can I do fairly well?
What do I enjoy doing?
Consider Abilities: Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual
Consider Education: English, Math, Writing, History,
Speaking, Economics, Counseling, Computer, Marketing,
Recreation, Engineering, Mechanical, Finances etc.
TYPES OF GIFTS IN
GOD’S WORD
1. “Spiritual”-1 Corinthians 12:4-10 (9 spiritual gifts)
2. “Office”-Ephesians 4:11-12 (5 office/career gifts)
3. “Motivational”-Romans 12:3-8 (7 motive gifts)
God’s plan usually includes your gifts and abilities!
MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS
Romans 12: 4 -10
Motivational Gift: God-given spiritual motivation -
indicates ability and preference for a type of service.
God’s Body: Different members, but each belong to
the others (v 4,5)
Every believer: has at least one primary and one
secondary gift
Importance: All gifts are equal in importance but
different in function (v 4)
Purpose: All gifts are given to help the body
2 Births…
Physical birth (1st birth)
Physical, mental talents/abilities
Genetics: Strengths/weaknesses from parents/grandparents
Inherited from earthly, biological parents
Spiritual birth (2nd birth)
Spiritual, motivational gifts
Inherited from heavenly, spiritual father
Primary gift(s)
Secondary gift(s)
7 Motivational Gifts
Gift of Prophecy
Concerned with motives
Meets spiritual needs
Gift of Serving
Concerned with helping
Meets practical needs
Gift of Teaching
Concerned with truth/facts
Meets mental needs
7 Motivational Gifts
Gift of Exhortation Concerned with encouraging
Meets personal needs
Gift of Giving Concerned with supplying need
Meets supportive needs
Gift of Leadership Concerned with organization/efficiency
Meets effectiveness needs
Gift of Mercy Concerned with emotional needs
Meets emotional needs
Party/Cake Illustration
Birthday for…
Cake is dropped…
How you respond indicates your primary
motivational gift…
What would YOU do?
Responses by Gift Type
Prophecy – “I know she didn’t have an impure motive.”
Serving – “I’ll clean it up.”
Teaching – “I can think of 3 ways to prevent this in the
future.”
Exhortation – “I encourage you. It can happen to anyone.”
Giving – “Here’s $30. Buy another one.”
Leadership – “You get the mop; You get the bucket of
water; You get the wastebasket.”
Mercy - “Oh ______, we LOVE you! I’m so sorry! I feel so
badly for you!”
FINDING GOD’S PLAN-4
4. Abide in Him! John 15: 1-8v. 5 Apart from me…No fruit by yourself
v. 8 Be my disciple…produce fruit
Our Responsibility:Learn to hear His voice
Stay close to Him
Talk with Him
God’s Responsibility:Help know His voice
Never leave you
Speak to you
“ABIDING?”
Are you disciplining yourself to…
Read the Word?.....Listen?
Pray?.....Listen?
Relate to/with other Christians?
GROW UP - Relationship to God
GROW IN - Relationship to yourself
GROW OUT - Relationship to others
Would you be able to grasp God’s plan if He tried to show it to you?
FINDING GOD’S PLAN-5
5. Act in Faith! James 2:14-18
When you think you know His plan…
ACT! …
Move toward the plan…
IDEAS…
Talk with pastors about your desires
Ministries of interest
Explore - Read about
Talk to others doing
Involve/help in
Take relevant classes
James 2:20 “Faith without works is dead”
WHAT YOU CAN/SHOULD DO!
QUIT MAKING EXCUSES!
I don’t have enough
Education
Time
Talent
Experience
Money
Friends
Resources
Training
SINGLE ADULTS HAVE…
MORE FREEDOM…
To make decisions
To serve
To lead
MORE FLEXIBILITY
Schedule
Travel
Living location
Time
THE POWER OF ONE!
YOU CAN AFFECT YOUR WORLD!
I AM ONLY ONE!
I am only one, but still I am one!
I cannot do everything, but I can do something!
And because I cannot do everything, I will not
refuse to do the something that I can do!
--Edward Everett Hale
HOW MANY?…
To confront adulterous David? One…Nathan!
Prophets to stand before wicked King Ahab and predict a drought?
One…Elijah!
Prophets to prepare Palestine Jesus’ coming?
One…John the Baptist!
THE POWER OF ONE!
1776 - 1vote gave America the English language
instead of German…
1845 - 1 vote brought the state of Texas into the
union…
1868 - 1 vote saved President Andrew Johnson
from impeachment…
1923 - 1 vote gave Adolph Hitler control of the
Nazi Party
1941 - 1 vote saved the Selective Service Draft
System just weeks before Pearl Harbor
was attacked
THE POWER OF ONE
JOSEPH - Fled advances of Potiphar’s wife
LILLIAN TRASHER - Orphanage in Egypt
CORRIE TEN BOOM - Survivor of death
camps
DIETRICH BONHOFFER - Writer/spiritual
philosopher
GRIMKE SISTERS - First women to speak
publicly against slavery in the south
MOTHER THERESA - Humanitarian
THE POWER OF ONE
POPE JOHN PAUL - Catholic world leader
HENRIETTA MEARS - Gospel Light
Publishing founder
EVANGELINE BOOTHE – Daughter of
William and helped start the Salvation Army
CLARA BARTON - Red Cross Founder
APOSTLE PAUL - Greatest missionary/author
JESUS - Savior of the world
WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE LEFT, NOT WHAT YOU
HAVE LOST!“S/he burned me”…
“I won’t trust another man/woman again”…
“God let me down”…
TAKE SOME RISKS! Rom. 8:28 “All things work together for good”…
Rom. 8:31 “If God is for me who can be against me?”…
GOD SEES YOU AS POTENTIAL…NOT PROBLEM!
THE ULTIMATE ONE!..
JESUS
John 3:16…God gave his one and only son…
One son!
One sacrifice!
One way to eternal life!
One plan of salvation!
One source of truth and life!
One way to God the father!
One life that changed the world!
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!
You can have - exciting, fulfilling ministry!
Ask, Abide, Avail, Assess, Act!
Trust:
Impressions God gives you (internal)
Circumstances God brings (external)
Abilities God’s given you
Word to guide you
Holy Spirit to lead you (internal)
GOD’S PLAN FOR ME
When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He shows His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way And I see
How I blocked Him here and I checked Him
there, And I would not yield my will.
Will there be grief in my Savior’s eyes,
Grief, though He loves me still?
He would have me rich,
But I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace.
While memory runs like a haunting thing
Down a path I cannot retrace.
Then my desolate heart will almost break
With tears that I shall shed.
I will cover my face with my empty hands
And bow my uncrowned head.
Lord, of the years that are left to me,
I give them to your hand.
Take me, break me, mold me, to
The pattern YOU have planned.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDo you really believe God has a plan for
your life? Why/why not?
Have you had reasons in the past for not
asking God to reveal His plan for you? Were
they valid or invalid?
In what ways have you availed yourself to be
used by God in the last year that might be
part of His plan for you?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS-2
How willing are you to follow His plan even
before you know it? Do you have to evaluate
it before deciding to follow it?
Is there anything preventing you from
following God’s plan if you knew it now?
Do you really trust God to do what is best
with your life?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS-3
If you knew it was His plan to BE and DO
something that scared you, would you still be
and do it? Why/why not?
In what ways do you need to improve your
“abiding in Him”?