WEBVTT 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:19.679 Your identity in Christ, who you are in Christ, always precedes discovering your destiny or your purpose. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.120 And guys, I want to tell you something. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:25.679 I've been trying to violate a formula that I know is true for most of my life. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:31.760 The formula says, intimacy with God equals strength of fiction or purpose or destiny. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:39.359 I've been trying to find my purpose and my destiny apart from intimacy with God and apart from an understanding of what he really wants. 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:42.399 I've been trying to find a purpose and a destiny that I like. 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:46.880 It's being shaped more by the world and my circumstances than it is by God. 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:51.280 And how many of you know if you really love God, that leaves a hole in your heart? 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:57.600 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:02.000 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:05.359 We hope you are encouraged by today's message. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:12.719 For those of you who are due this morning, I am not Pastor Steve. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:18.879 He is up in the mountains today and enjoying some uh rest and some time away with his family. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:25.599 Um I'm Vince Daccioli, one of the pastors here, and it's my privilege to come this morning and share a little bit with you guys. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:27.120 So okay. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:35.920 Last week, Pastor Steve came and he shared the new vision for the road uh at Chapel Hills. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:38.640 And I I'm assuming that's gonna be up on the board here in a minute. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:42.879 The title, by the way, is Mission, the Pathway to Destiny. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:51.760 Steve shared the new vision, uh which says this the road exists to bring kingdom uh revolution to the Rockies. 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.640 The road exists to bring kingdom revolution to the Rockies. 00:01:54.799 --> 00:01:56.319 That is the new vision statement. 00:01:56.480 --> 00:02:11.919 I'm going to unpack our mission statement, which is really the most important part of our process as we move forward, and hopefully be able to tie that together with what that means for us corporately, but more importantly, what does that mean for us individually as people? 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:13.680 Because we are the road. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:18.400 Those of us who are here and call this our church, we're the ones that are going to carry this forward. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:23.360 So think of it this way: the vision, in a military context, it would work like this. 00:02:23.520 --> 00:02:26.159 The vision is we're gonna conquer that hill. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:31.280 The mission is what it's gonna be required in order to make that vision a reality. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:33.919 In other words, what are the ordinances I'm going to need? 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:35.759 What kind of special training am I gonna need? 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:40.800 What kind of people and specialties am I gonna need in order to accomplish the objective? 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:49.199 So the mission really is what we communicate to the to our body, what we communicate outside the church is hopefully what draws people. 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:51.599 So the mission really is quite simple. 00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:56.319 The mission it says that uh we are empowering people to change the world. 00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:00.719 Now that's a pretty simple mission statement, and I'll unpack it here in just a moment. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.080 Empowering people to change the world. 00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:08.319 I don't know how many of you were here, but I guess it was about a month or two ago. 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.360 We had a service and it kind of blew us away. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:16.960 Pastor Steve was talking about the importance of having more of the Holy Spirit in us. 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:30.639 And he asked the question how many of you would say, I sure would like to have more of the Holy Spirit in my life, be better equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit in my life, and most of us in the auditorium raised our hand. 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:36.159 And then at the end of the service, he asked for those of us who wanted more of the Holy Spirit to come forward. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:40.159 I don't know if you guys remember this, but probably about 75% of the church came forward. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:43.039 It was like, whoa, it blew us away. 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:46.879 And so it was telling us where is the need? 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:52.560 Where do our people, where does our family feel like they have a need that needs to be met? 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:58.479 Someone once said, if um if you don't scratch people where they itch, you're just another irritation. 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:00.479 And I I've always liked that quote. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:03.280 You really have to scratch people where they're itching. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:11.840 And what you're telling us is that you really desire, you want to go out and make a difference, but you're not sure you're completely equipped to do that. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:21.439 So empowering people really, what we're what our what we want to do here at the road is we want to empower all of us to go out and make a difference in our world. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:23.439 And here's how we're going to do that. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:27.120 We're gonna do that, we're we really are taking kind of a two-pronged approach. 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:37.120 The first step toward empowering people is helping us grow in our relationship with God so that we can have more of the Holy Spirit in our life to empower us. 00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:42.000 So we really get intimate with God, we get to know how God wired us uniquely and what our purpose is. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:43.199 We'll get to that in a moment. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.879 But we also need to worship God. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:45.920 The Bible says in what? 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:47.199 Spirit and in what? 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:48.000 Truth. 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:52.240 So we worship God in spirit, and it and basically I believe it's in that order for a reason. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:56.480 As we worship God in spirit, the truth becomes a lot easier to understand. 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:07.759 And so we need to worship him in spirit, have his Holy Spirit in us, and then we need as we read the word, that is where we become equipped to go be able to go out and make a difference in the world that we live in. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:18.480 Um, many of you know that in in this church we are really serious about going out and making a difference in what we call uh the seven cultural mountains. 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:22.639 And if you don't have one of these little brochures, I think this they're all over the facility. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:26.319 They're at the Welcome Center and over where the gift boxes are. 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:42.959 The seven cultural mountains, uh uh, and this is a little brochure helping us how to pray for all of these cultural mountains, the mountain of business, education, church, military, uh, arts, and entertainment, uh, government, um, marriages. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:44.319 They're all in here. 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:51.920 So our approach is we want to help you first grow in intimacy with God so you can discover who you are in Him. 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:53.680 Again, we'll get to more of that in a minute. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:06:02.560 And then we want to equip you on how to go out and take that love of God into the world around us so that we can realize the vision of the road. 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:05.199 So here's an example of what we're gonna do. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:14.639 How many of you, just by a show of hands, how many of you would currently be involved in the cultural mountain of education in any way? 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:18.000 I'm not talking about as a student, I'm talking about as a teacher, a worker. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:19.519 Go ahead, raise your hand all over the room. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:20.639 Okay, look around. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:21.839 A lot of you. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:23.439 So imagine this. 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:32.800 Imagine us coming to you, uh, and we're gonna be doing this in the near future, and saying, we want to invite you to a gathering here at our church. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:34.480 We bring you all together. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:38.079 Now, you have that cultural mountain in common with each other. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:40.959 And you can the fellowship will be wonderful. 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:58.639 We can share stories, but the the purpose of gathering you together is to get to know each other, to begin to encourage you, to begin to pray for you so that you can be uh better equipped with God's power when you go forth, but more importantly, to begin to talk about strategies, and believe me, there are lots of them. 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:03.439 There are people that have been doing this all over the planet, and there are lots of them that are pretty cool. 00:07:03.600 --> 00:07:10.879 So we can encourage you that now when you go back into the place where you work, you're better equipped to take the kingdom of God with you there. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:13.279 Does that make sense to you guys? 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:15.920 One of you guys nodded your head. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:17.680 Does that make sense to you guys? 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:24.560 Okay, so that's what we're looking forward to, and we'll do that with government, and then hopefully we'll find people that want to kind of spearhead that. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:33.519 That we might uh ask some of you if you're interested in being a leader, maybe over that area, so that we can begin to meet on a more regular basis and really make a difference. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:35.279 I have a friend of mine, Alan Platt. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:42.639 He has a church in South Africa called Doxadeo, and they have gone into what they call the eight spheres of culture. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.480 And what they do is they measure actual results. 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:57.839 They will tell you that in the two or three years they've been doing this, for instance, in the educational area, that they can look and they can see they have placed, get this, four headmasters. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.399 They call them headmasters there, we call them principals. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:10.079 As a result of them going in and loving on the system, loving on the teachers, getting involved, they can see actual, tangible results. 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.560 And I can get really excited about that, guys. 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:18.000 So I don't know of another church that I've encountered that is that serious about doing those two things. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:24.720 And by the way, this just happens to line up with two words you're hearing a lot: worshiper, warrior. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:26.720 Pastor Steve gets it. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:34.240 The idea that you've got to be a worshiper first before you can be empowered to become a warrior and go out and make a difference in the kingdom of God. 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:40.000 So that's kind of the direction we are going and the approach that we want to uh want to take. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:48.240 Now, um, I want to switch gears and tell you a little bit as I kind of work through this material today about how we start that process. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:55.519 In our ministry, uh which we on target ministers, which we've been doing now for probably 30 years. 00:08:55.679 --> 00:09:05.759 My my wife and I also do uh couples seminars all over North America called Couples on Target, and we'll talk we'll tell talk to you more about that as we as we move down the road here. 00:09:05.919 --> 00:09:07.200 By the way, just a quick announcement. 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:16.720 We were looking at doing an actual couple seminar on Valentine's Day Day weekend, and we've decided with all that's going on, we're not gonna do that, we're gonna push it into the fall. 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:22.080 But we are also thinking about starting uh what I call a connections class. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:25.679 It's a God-centered relationships in a self-centered world. 00:09:25.840 --> 00:09:32.720 And it's all about relationships, and uh, we're thinking about doing that maybe midweek, and we'll talk to you more about that as we move forward. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:41.279 But in all of our work and all of the things that we've done in 30 years, our ministry is founded on what we call three unalterable facts. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:42.720 Let me read them to you. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:49.120 Fact number one is that God knows you and created you for a special purpose. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:50.799 That is a fact. 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:51.759 Here's some verses. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:53.039 Jeremiah 1, 5. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:55.600 Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:09:58.240 Before you were born, I set you apart. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:01.600 I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:09.679 Now I'm sure this is God talking to Jeremiah, and he said, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, but he could be talking to any one of us. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:11.360 But insert your own name there. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:18.240 I appointed you a, and of course, most of us would like to say, okay, God, could you please finish that sentence? 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:20.320 I mean, isn't that what we want to know ultimately? 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:21.840 God, what what is my purpose? 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:23.120 What is my destiny? 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:28.240 Okay, that but but God makes it clear that he knew us and he has a destiny. 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:29.840 Isaiah 44, 2. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:35.200 This is what the Lord says who who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:37.679 Psalm 139, 16, 17. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:39.840 We all have seen this verse over and over. 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:41.759 Your eyes saw my unformed body. 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:46.639 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:57.519 Ephesians 1.11 says, In him, in him, you and I, we, were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:01.519 By the way, I call that real planned parenthood, right there. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:07.519 The plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:12.799 God knows you, and he has a purpose in mind and a destiny for your life. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:14.320 That is an unalterable fact. 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:21.840 Fact number two, God has also equipped you with special gifts toward the satisfaction of that purpose. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:28.320 Can you imagine what it'd be like if God gave us a purpose and he didn't equip us to be able to satisfy the purpose? 00:11:28.399 --> 00:11:29.600 That'd be pretty frustrating. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:34.720 So, what you need to know by this is that you are uniquely wired for that purpose. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:41.279 I wrote a book in the early 90s called Wired to Work, answering the two most important questions in life. 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:43.200 Um, how and why. 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.320 Lord, how did you wire me uniquely? 00:11:46.639 --> 00:11:50.080 In other words, when you look at me, Lord, what do you see? 00:11:50.720 --> 00:11:53.679 Boy, is there anybody here that wouldn't want the answer to that question? 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:55.279 Okay, what do you see? 00:11:55.519 --> 00:12:00.240 I I know you made me, but and you made me special, but uh how do you see me? 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:02.320 And then the second question, why? 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.720 That has to do with purpose, that has to do with destiny. 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:06.000 That's kind of where we're going. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:06.639 Okay? 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.879 So God has equipped us with special gifts. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:10.240 Romans 12, 4 to 6. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:20.399 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:24.000 We have different gifts according to the grace given us. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:32.240 So it there's all kinds of verses in the Bible about uh spiritual gifts, by the way, and and we'll be unpacking that more and more as we move forward as well. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:34.399 Uh and I'll talk to you more about that in just a moment. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:41.840 But number three, God simply, the the third unalterable fact is that God simply wants you to discover his purpose for your life. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:56.720 Ephesians 1.18 says, I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. 00:12:57.039 --> 00:12:59.120 But here's what you have to remember, though. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:00.159 You have to remember this. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:03.519 And if you if you don't hear anything else I'm saying today, please hear this. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.720 Identity comes before destiny. 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:08.399 Let me say that again. 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:16.320 Your identity in Christ, who you are in Christ, always precedes discovering your destiny or your purpose. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:17.840 And guys, I want to tell you something. 00:13:17.919 --> 00:13:22.480 I've been trying to violate a formula that I that I know is true for most of my life. 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:28.399 The formula says intimacy with God equals strength of vision or purpose or destiny. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:36.080 I've been trying to find my purpose and my destiny apart from intimacy with God and apart from an understanding of what he really wants. 00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:44.320 I've been finding trying to find a purpose and a destiny that I like, that's being shaped more by the world and my circumstances than it is by God. 00:13:44.480 --> 00:13:48.559 And how many of you know if you really love God, that leaves a hole in your heart? 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:53.120 You really desire for it to be God's purpose, God's destiny for your life. 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:57.039 So the important thing is that's where we are going. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:03.120 And one of the first steps toward getting there is we're going to be launching uh an exciting new program. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:07.200 And I'll tell you, let me just tell you a little bit about this program before I show you a brief video. 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:09.039 It's called I Serve. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:27.519 And it's a way to begin to bring together more of us in this body that want to be part of the mission moving forward, that want to grow deeper with God, discover how they are wired uniquely, and then uh that want to be helped in moving into ministry and service areas where you're hitting on all cylinders. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:29.039 You're really doing it for God. 00:14:29.200 --> 00:14:33.200 And the way we're gonna do that is by starting this program called I Serve. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:38.879 Now, let me let me say before we get into that, there are about a hundred of us of this body that serve pretty regular. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:44.000 In fact, you'll be seeing more of these statistics unpacked later by Pastor Steve. 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:55.200 But last year alone, we totaled up the hours of service from all of you, and uh we totaled up what the value of those hours would be if it were payroll. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:15:00.080 It was a hundred and eighty thousand dollars of service. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:04.240 We appreciated from those of us who are serving on a regular basis in this body. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:08.080 We've broken it up by departments, and it is absolutely amazing. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.480 But we want to double and triple that. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:18.639 And part of the reason is not just to get work done, but to help you grow in the area and in the way that God has wired you. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:22.960 So let me roll the iServe video and then I'll come back and tell you a little bit more about it. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:24.399 Hello everyone. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:29.039 Here at The Road, we've decided to launch a very special new program. 00:15:29.279 --> 00:15:30.879 It's called iServe. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:39.600 In order to get it started, we came up with a question that we wanted to ask a number of people who are already serving here, faithfully serving here. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:41.120 The question is why? 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:44.879 Why do you like to serve at the road? 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:45.679 I serve. 00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:46.320 I serve. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:46.960 I serve. 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:47.840 I serve. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:51.360 We serve we will have a cup of coffee for you. 00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:55.279 I serve in hospitality because this is what happens when you say no to Vinnie. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:56.720 We will have a donut for you. 00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.759 I'll tell you what, I do it for the donuts. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:04.639 So I serve at the welcome death, and I find it a joy to serve people. 00:16:04.720 --> 00:16:07.039 And if you're not serving, you're missing out. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:08.159 We get to. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:09.840 Not I have to. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:19.360 Whether it's serving with the women's ministry, the men's ministry, or even kids' prayer, or even the homeless ministry here, it's something that we do together as a family and it draws us closer together. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:22.960 I serve so that I can give my talents to the road. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:28.879 I really love it because it gives me great joy to serve other people and to get out of myself and to help others. 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:31.759 We are here to protect, we are here to serve, we are here to sacrifice. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.840 I'm so glad for iServe because I love the donuts. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.519 We're here to welcome you with open arms, always. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:40.960 I love the coffee. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:44.559 And they keep my coffee mug full so that we can all be well grounded. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:46.240 I love doing this stuff. 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:48.720 I serve on the tech team because it's fun. 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:51.519 I love the passion that everybody brings in the lobby. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:55.519 I serve because it's in response to God's grace and mercy to me. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.320 Because I like encouraging people, and that's why I serve. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:16:59.919 We'll have a donut for you. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.000 And that's why I serve. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:06.319 And it also enables me to go hunting and fishing sometimes, so I really appreciate it. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.799 I'm on the life safety team, that's why I serve. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:14.240 I serve because I love to learn, and the best way to learn is to teach. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.079 I will bake on occasion. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.599 I serve here at the road, and one of the things I do is the PBJ. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:23.599 And that's not peanut butter and jelly, that's prayer, Bible, and journal. 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:26.079 I am getting ready to start in children's church. 00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:27.920 And that's why we serve. 00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:29.599 That's why I serve. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:35.119 We are here for you just as God would be, and that is why we serve. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:44.240 I I don't know if you recognize that the theme song from the elf was in that movie. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:50.000 We actually planned on showing that around Christmas time, so I apologize for it, but I really do love that theme song anyway. 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:52.720 But anyway, so here's what we're gonna ask you to do. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:54.079 I want you to pray about this. 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:58.240 We did not distribute the iServe cards today, but they're all over the place. 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:02.960 Um, if you're interested in becoming part of this, here's the first step. 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:16.559 You can either go online and go to the serve uh menu and fill out the card because it's gonna ask you for some of your information and ask you some ministry areas that you may be passionate about that we can begin to plug you into. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:22.240 But today, what we're gonna encourage you to do, if you're sure you want to be a part of this, is go to the welcome center. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:26.160 I'll probably be there after the service as well, and there are cards there for you to fill out. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.440 It'll only take you a moment or two. 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:32.960 And what we're gonna do is we're gonna take all of that information and it's gonna go into a computer database. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:36.559 Those of you who fill out those cards are going to be contacted. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:44.880 We're getting ready to bring on board uh an iServe coordinator, and that's all that they will be doing is coordinating this program. 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:46.960 We're going to get back in touch with you. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:53.359 We're gonna send you to our website uh on Target Ministries website to take uh what we call the natural gift test. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:55.599 Let me just tell you a little bit about that gift test. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:01.759 Um there are a lot of temperament analysis and kind of different kinds of gift tests that have been floating around for years and years and years. 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:08.720 But I uh have always liked this particular gift test because they're the seven natural gifts that are found in Romans. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:14.000 And we've been uh I put this test together about 30, 40 years ago. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:15.920 I've actually used it in the business world. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:24.319 Uh focus on Family, ask actually paid to have our test scientifically validated, and they actually send people there even to this day to take this test. 00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:25.440 You're gonna be given that test. 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:35.519 It takes like 15 minutes uh to go through the entire test, and it produces a report and helps you understand the uniqueness of the way God has wired you. 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:47.920 Uh, and we're gonna take that information and talk with you and help you discover how to live those gifts out in the actual service that you may be plugged into here in our church. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:55.279 So that's kind of the process, and then from that point on, uh, we're gonna be uh helping you discover ways that you can serve. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:20:07.599 And sometimes, listen, guys, sometimes one of the ways that you discover God's destiny or purpose is by just stepping forward and beginning to live out the way you are wired uniquely. 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:12.160 An example might be, let's say you're wired heavily on the administrative side. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:20.319 Maybe that means to stepping out and taking on a project to do so that you can begin to see if God might open up the greater opportunities. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:29.599 Or maybe you're wired more on the ministry side where maybe you should go on a missions trip, and maybe that's where God helps you discover the big bigger picture. 00:20:29.759 --> 00:20:33.599 So we're gonna help you and guide you through that process. 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:48.640 But again, I I want to emphasize this before I move into something really practical here: the importance of drawing near to God first in order for you to really begin to discover how He has wired you uniquely. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:58.960 Once you begin to discover that, then the next step in the process is okay, Lord, now that I know how you've wired me, I know how you see me, why? 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.640 What is my purpose? 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:02.160 What is my destiny? 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:04.000 I want to switch gears for a moment. 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.839 I want to share with you something that I believe will be very practical for many of you. 00:21:08.079 --> 00:21:14.079 Because I know that most of us are always asking that question, Lord, what is my destiny? 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:15.440 Or here's another one. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:26.240 How do I know that the road that you have me on, or the journey that I'm on and the place where I'm headed, is really your idea and not mine? 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:28.319 Anybody ever asked that question? 00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:29.920 Yeah, most of us. 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:47.519 And I know, listen, the desire of your heart is that you really want it to be God, but how many of you know there's also a flesh part of us that says, I think I want a destiny that I'm comfortable with, that I'm happy with, that is kind of uh designed by my own inclinations and my own kind of leanings. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.720 But in the in the in in the closer we get to God, the more we know that God, I I want to give up all that. 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:54.240 I just want what you want. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:22:08.559 Now, I want to read to you something that George Mueller, a remarkable man of faith, he lived a A couple of hundred years ago, George Mueller had a unique six-step plan to discover God's purpose or God's will for his life. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:10.240 This is not going to appear on the overhead. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:16.480 Let me just read it to you and kind of that it's written kind of an old English style, so forgive the way it flows. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:18.079 But here's what he says. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:26.799 I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:29.279 Whoa, is that hard or what? 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:35.359 I mean, to get my heart into such a state to where I'm not inclined one way or the other, it's in neutral. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:37.519 That's pretty hard right there. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:44.799 Two, having done this, I do not leave the result to feelings or simple impressions. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:49.039 If I do so, I make myself liable to great delusions. 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:56.720 Three, I seek the will of the Spirit through or in connection with, listen, the Word of God. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:02.240 And then next, I take into account providential circumstances. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:08.640 These often plainly indicate God's will in connection with his will and spirit. 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:13.759 Then I ask God in prayer to reveal his will to me aright. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:24.559 And then finally, through prayer to God, the study of the word and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.240 I remember reading that probably 40 years ago. 00:23:28.400 --> 00:23:35.200 And what I did as I put a teaching together way back then that we've been doing for men for years and years, and actually for couples as well. 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:47.279 And what I've done is distilled out of that the four things that I believe need to be lined up before you can be sure God's calling you in that direction. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:50.960 And what I'm saying to you is be careful. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:59.519 Even if three of the four are there, be careful that you don't move unless you really feel comfortable with all four of these things. 00:23:59.759 --> 00:24:00.079 Okay? 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.000 Now, here we go. 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:10.480 The prerequisite is that you're praying, you're fasting, and you've got an intimate relationship with God, and you're beginning maybe to sense his purpose for your life. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:12.000 Here's principle number one. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.720 Is whatever you're sensing, is it being revealed through God's word? 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:25.119 In other words, um, is God's word beginning to have a pattern as you read it that's shaping up, that's kind of having you lean in one direction. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:29.440 In fact, let me go through these uh one at a time and kind of further explain it. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:31.519 Is it being revealed in God's word? 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.200 Here is what I am not saying. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:34.480 Here's what I'm not saying. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:37.440 Oh, Lord, I'm struggling to find your purpose for my life. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:39.200 Speak to me, Lord. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.200 Now, I'm I'm not saying God can't work that way. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:44.960 He's God, he can do anything, right? 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:51.119 But I'm sorry, that kind of an approach borders more on superstition than it does on any common sense application of God's word. 00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:52.720 You guys know what I'm talking about. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:57.119 You guys know that you can read the word sometimes, read a Bible verse, it doesn't mean much to you. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:59.440 Read the same verse a year later, and what? 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:05.279 All of a sudden, because of the circumstances in your life and maybe the direction you're going, it has a whole different meaning. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:16.240 So when I say, is whatever it is God is calling you toward being revealed in the word, what I'm saying is, as you're studying God's word, is there a pattern that is beginning to emerge? 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:24.880 That's why it's so important, guys, to get in the habit maybe of journaling and writing some things down, maybe that God is placing on your heart while you're reading the word. 00:25:25.279 --> 00:25:32.160 Number two, and this is the most difficult one for me, are you hearing it by his spirit? 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:34.720 Are you hearing it by his spirit? 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:36.640 In your quiet times with God. 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:42.000 And listen, I don't know about you, but the times when I hear God the most is when I'm outside of myself. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:43.839 I leave myself somewhere else. 00:25:44.079 --> 00:25:51.680 I may be in a time of worship, and we're gonna have a chance here in a few moments to practice this as we enter into a time of worship, and that may be part of your prayer. 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:52.960 God, I need to hear you. 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:57.759 I think you're re you're you're revealing this in your word, but honestly, God, I need to hear your voice. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:03.200 I need to hear that still small voice of your spirit encouraging me and leaning me into this area. 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:04.960 Are you hearing it by his spirit? 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:09.519 And I've met a lot of people that have the you know, thus saith the Lord kind of thing. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.480 They're coming up and saying, I the Lord spoke to me last night and told me to do thus and such. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:16.079 Well, are you sure? 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:17.119 Are you sure? 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:18.400 Was that really God? 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:22.160 Or was that a you know, maybe a bad piece of pizza you got somewhere or something? 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:25.200 You know, I mean, you know, there's no such thing as a bad piece of pizza, I guess. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:26.960 But anyway, you guys know what I'm talking about. 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:29.599 You got you gotta test these things, okay? 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:37.279 Number three, is it being affirmed, listen, through wise, godly counsel. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:52.000 In other words, I may be, I may think I've got a pattern emerging out of the word, and I may be sensing that maybe that's God's whispering to me, and I'm always having a hard time struggling with my own inclinations, whether that's God's voice or Vince's voice. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:27:06.559 But sometimes you have to gather around you wise, godly counsel, people who love the Lord and love you and have your best interest and mine, and don't have a halo effect when it comes to who you are, that are willing to be honest with you, that you can go to. 00:27:06.799 --> 00:27:13.279 And by the way, let me let me just say something, um, let me put a comma here for just a sec second and parenthetically say this. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:20.160 For those of you who are married, husbands and wives, let me just say this, and let me say it as strongly as I can. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:28.480 If the two of you are not on the same page, what whatever the direction is that God you may feel God is calling you, don't go. 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:30.880 Don't go. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:32.640 And men, please hear me. 00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:43.200 I know that we're called to be the spiritual hell of our home, but we're not called to be a bulldozer and to say to our spouses, this is what I really believe God's calling me to do, and you need to follow me. 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:43.839 No. 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:49.119 I and the reason I'm saying that is because you're looking at a man who's been guilty of that. 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:52.960 And let me tell you, it's not, it's not the best way to go. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:56.240 And it's not about, you know, the I told you so is it come later. 00:27:56.319 --> 00:27:58.319 It's about being in the center of the will of God. 00:27:58.400 --> 00:28:03.920 Listen, how many of you guys know that when we're together and we're married as a couple, we are one. 00:28:04.079 --> 00:28:07.200 Okay, and we have to have that singular mindset before God. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:18.640 And if I've got an idea that I think God's calling me in a direction, and my wife is not a hundred percent behind that idea, what I do now is I say, Lord, that that, Lord, first of all, that's not my problem, Lord. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:20.079 That's probably your problem. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:32.240 I, you know, if if this is the direction you want me to go, Lord, I know you are perfectly capable of loving my wife and encouraging my wife and speaking to her in a way to where she becomes affirmed that this is the right direction. 00:28:32.319 --> 00:28:34.960 Is this is it wave at me if this is making sense? 00:28:35.279 --> 00:28:35.599 Okay? 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:38.480 Be very, very careful that you're on the same page. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:39.680 God is a big God. 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:42.799 He can bring everything together if your heart is right. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:43.359 Okay? 00:28:43.680 --> 00:28:45.920 Is it being are you reading it in the word? 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.680 Are you hearing it by his spirit? 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:50.240 Is it being affirmed through wise, godly counsel? 00:28:50.319 --> 00:28:54.559 And the fourth thing is, is it consistent with current circumstances? 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:57.119 Is it consistent with current circumstances? 00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:58.079 What does that mean? 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:04.880 Well, are the circumstances of your life right now such that this is a direction that seems logical? 00:29:05.200 --> 00:29:11.440 Uh, ah, God spoke to me and told me to move to Africa and be a missionary, and you got a wife and 12 kids. 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:18.240 Uh, and uh something in your current circumstances area might need to be evaluated a little bit before you make that decision. 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:20.160 Or any number of different circumstances. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:27.119 It could be financial, it could be in your family arena, it could be in the education of your children, it could be any number of things. 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:30.720 It could be that you're maybe not fully equipped to go to that right now. 00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:36.160 So always, always put together and evaluate your current circumstances. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:44.480 And if all four of those things line up, then I think that's a pretty good indicator that maybe this is the direction that God is calling you in. 00:29:44.559 --> 00:30:01.680 So I offer that to you as just a tool for you to examine, maybe make some, uh write those things down, make some notes, and in your journey, maybe especially as a family, get together and say, hey, out of these four things, where do we feel like we're really hitting it, and where do we feel like we maybe need some more help? 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:04.960 And let that be something that you might be able to talk about. 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:09.759 Uh because at the end of the day, God wants you to discover what that what that place is. 00:30:09.920 --> 00:30:11.519 You all remember the story of Balaam? 00:30:11.839 --> 00:30:13.519 Balaam kicking his donkey. 00:30:14.160 --> 00:30:15.359 You remember that story? 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:18.160 I really, I really kind of am puzzled by that story. 00:30:18.240 --> 00:30:22.000 In fact, when I get to heaven, Balaam's the first person I'm gonna talk to. 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:23.519 And here's why. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:29.359 The Bible says that he kicks his donkey, and the donkey turns around and talks to him. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:33.119 But that's not that's not the part that gets to me. 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:38.720 It appears as though Balaam is not surprised that the donkey's talking to him. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:42.160 So, I mean, when I get to heaven, that's one of the first things I gotta discover. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.279 I mean, what is going on there? 00:30:43.440 --> 00:30:44.400 What is happening there? 00:30:44.559 --> 00:30:49.279 He's kicking his donkey, and and finally the Lord says, Why have you kicked your donkey these all these times? 00:30:49.440 --> 00:30:55.279 I've come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:59.119 And sometimes, guys, it's an illustration of what we do in our lives. 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:05.359 We kind of kick at the direction that we think we're supposed to go, and God is saying, No, listen to me. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:07.519 That is not the direction I want you to go. 00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:09.039 Please hear me. 00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:16.400 And and how many of you guys know there's somebody else that does not want you to discover God's purpose for your life? 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:17.359 Who's that? 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:19.039 Who is it? 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:20.079 The enemy. 00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:24.000 No. 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:27.359 Do you think he's perfectly capable of taking you off course? 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:28.720