SHAPE: How to Find and Fulfill God’s Unique Purpose for Our Lives
Abilities, Week 3
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Walter J. Lewis
Sermon in a sentence:
God has gifted each and every one of us with abilities that help us fulfill our purpose
1.We are all gifted by God
Psalms 139:13-15 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
James 1:16-17 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
2. Hone your craft, work as if unto the Lord
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
3. Use YOUR Gifts
1 Corinthians 12:14-18 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
4. Our Focus Determines Our Fruit:
John 15:1-5 1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
David is Chosen by God
1 Samuel 16:11 11 So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
David In Saul’s Service (David’s Gifts)
1 Samuel 16:14 14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”
17 So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
18 One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” 19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. 21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
23 Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
Hone your craft, work as if unto the Lord
1 Samuel 17:32-37 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” 33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Use YOUR Gifts
1 Samuel 17:38-40 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
Our Focus Determines our Fruit (Saul’s disobedience)
1 Samuel 15:10-14 10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11“I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.” 13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”
21The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Our Focus Determines our Fruit (David puts God first)
1 Samuel 17:43-44 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”
1 Samuel 17:45 & 47 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
1 Samuel 17:48-50 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
5. Embrace the “Greater Works” God has for us, TODAY (You’re not too young and it’s not too late):
John 14:12-14 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Matthew 17:20 20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
SHAPE: How to Find and Fulfill God’s Unique Purpose for Our Lives
Heart, Week 2
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
March 23, 2025
Sermon in a Sentence
Our physical hearts keep us alive, but our spiritual hearts make my life worth living
Heart—the center of our entire inner life:
Mind – seat of thought and reason
Will – where decisions and choices are made
Emotions – the place of joy, sorrow, anger, fear
Desires and motives – what drives a person
Conscience – moral compass and discernment
3 Key Truths About Our Hearts
1. Our heart must be protected because it determines what we pursue, achieve, and become
Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
2. Our heart reveals who we really are
Proverbs 27:19 As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person.
Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man
brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full
of.
3. True success and satisfaction is found in surrendering our hearts to God, for His service
Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in
all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Colossians 3:23-24 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
6 Questions to Assess My Heart EKG (Expand the Kingdom of God)
1. What have I enjoyed doing in the past? Peter and Andrew
Matthew 4:18-20 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
2. What energizes me? Jesus
Mark 6:30-34 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted
place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.33 But the multitudes saw
them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
13. 4. 5. 6. What makes me cry? Jesus and Nehemiah
Luke 19:41 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
Nehemiah 1:1-4 1 In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
What makes me angry? Jesus
John 2:13-17 13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the
temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
What do I feel like I have to do, whether I get paid or not? Jeremiah and Paul
Jeremiah 20:9 But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!
1 Corinthians 9:16-17 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. What do I love doing or talking about so much that I lose track of time? Acts 20:7-11 7On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
8There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms
around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
Application
1. 2. 3. Assess the condition of your heart. Is your heartbeat normal, fast, slow, or flatlined?
Answer the 6 Questions to Assess Your Heart EKG (Expand the Kingdom of God)
Come to Wednesday night Bible Study and Sunday morning worship to learn more about how God SHAPed you for service.
SHAPE: How to Find and Fulfill God’s Unique Purpose for Our Lives
Overview, Week 1
John M. Wallace, Jr., PhD
March 16, 2025
Sermon in a Sentence
We are God’s handcrafted masterpieces, SHAPEd to His good work
Psalm 139:13-16 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that
full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was
woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days
ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ
Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which
God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living
the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]
1 Peter 2:21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you.
He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the
widow's cause.
Galatians 6:10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to
everyone—especially to those in the family of faith
Titus 3:8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in
God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
Understanding my SHAPE with insights from the life of Apostle Paul
Spiritual Gifts: Special abilities God gives believers to serve others and build up the church
1 Peter 4:10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to
serve one another.
2 Timothy 1:11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News.
H – Heart: Passions and interests that motivate us—what we love to do and care deeply about.
Romans 15:20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has
never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else.
Abilities—Natural talents and skills we have, whether developed or innate, that can be used to serve.
Exodus 35:31-35 30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the
son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with
understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—32 to make artistic designs for work in gold,
silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.
Acts 18:3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was
Acts 20:33-35 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands
ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.
1Personality—Personality: The unique way we interact with the world, such as being introverted or
extroverted, structured or spontaneous.
Galatians 1:13-14 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted
the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age
and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
1 Corinthians 15:9-10 9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called
an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church. 10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God
poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the
other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace.
Experiences—Our life experiences (both positive and challenging) that shape our perspective and
ability to serve others
Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who
are called according to His purpose.
Acts 22:3-4 3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and
educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws
and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. 4 And I
persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and
throwing them in prison.
2 Corinthians 11: 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him
far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number,
and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine
lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once
I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced
danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as
from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced
danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring
many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have
shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28Then, besides all this, I have the
daily burden of my concern for all the churches.
Philippians 1:12, 14 12 Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really
served to advance the gospel. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been
encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.
1 Timothy 1:15-16 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that
Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then
others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
Application
1. 3. 4. Go to the SHAPE Tab on www.bcpgh.info
2. Get SHAPE Book
Take the online assessment www.freeshapetest.com
Come to Training: Wednesday Night and Sunday Morning
Disclaimer: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We believe and teach that the Bible is God’s Word — His opinion — and provides His instruction for how to live life under His rule (i.e., the Kingdom of God).
