Real Servants Pay Attention

“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now”

(Proverbs 3:28 TEV).

Real servants pay attention to needs. Servants are always on the lookout for ways to help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment to meet it, just as the Bible commands us: “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 GWT).

When God puts someone in need right in front of you, he is giving you the opportunity to grow in servanthood. Notice that God says the needs of your church family are to be given preference, not put at the bottom of your “things to do” list.

We miss many occasions for serving because we lack sensitivity and spontaneity. Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly, sometimes never to return again. You may only get one chance to serve that person, so take advantage of the moment.

“Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now” (Proverbs 3:28 TEV).

John Wesley was an incredible servant of God. His motto was: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”

That is greatness. You can begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great things, because God is watching.

Rick Warren

Servants Make Themselves Available

“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier”

(2 Timothy 2:4 NASB).

Real servants make themselves available to serve. Servants don’t fill up their time with other pursuits that could limit their availability. They want to be ready to jump into service when called on.

Much like a soldier, a servant must always be standing by for duty: “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4 NASB).

If you only serve when it’s convenient for you, you’re not a real servant. Real servants do what’s needed, even when it’s inconvenient.

Are you available to God anytime? Can he mess up your plans without you becoming resentful? As a servant, you don’t get to pick and choose when or where you will serve.

Being a servant means giving up the right to control your schedule and allowing God to interrupt it whenever he needs to.

If you will remind yourself at the start of every day that you are God’s servant, interruptions won’t frustrate you as much, because your agenda will be whatever God wants to bring into your life. Servants see interruptions as divine appointments for ministry and are happy for the opportunity to practice serving.

Rick Warren

True Friendship !!!!!

Self-Control Is Not an Option

“For the grace of God…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives”

(Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

As we discussed yesterday, self-control is not optional for Christians. The race we are running is for eternity, and so we’re to develop a strict discipline (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Here are some other steps to self-control.

Talk back to your feelings. Do you let your moods manipulate you? God doesn’t want you to be controlled by your feelings. He wants you to master your moods. With Christ as the Master of your life, you can learn to master your feelings.

Talk back to them. Learn to challenge your emotions: “For the grace of God…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives…” (Titus 2:11-12 NIV).

God’s grace gives us the power to do what is right. God gives you the ability to say no to that feeling, to that desire, to that impulse.

Believe you can change. The fruit of the Spirit begins in your thought life. The seeds must be planted in your mind: The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act.

God gave us the power to change our habits when he gave us the power to choose our thoughts. Does Romans 12:2 tell us to be transformed by working hard at it or by sheer willpower? “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2 NIV).

What are we to be transformed by? The renewing of the mind. When your self-control is being tested, you need to fill your mind with the promises of God. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (NIV).

That’s a fact. If you are a Christian, you can’t honestly say, “The temptation was too strong; I couldn’t help myself.” The Bible says God is faithful. If you’re a Christian, he won’t let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

He never asks you to bear something that is bigger than the strength he puts inside of you through his Holy Spirit.

Rick Warren

Developing Self-Control

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control”

(Proverbs 25:28 NIV).

Self-control brings with it the good feeling of competency. Like a finely tuned precision automobile, your life stays on course with the slightest touch of steering. The results of self-control are confidence and an inner sense of security.

Self-control and self-discipline are also key factors in any success you hope to have in this life. Without self-discipline, you are unlikely to achieve anything of lasting value.

The apostle Paul realized this when he wrote, “Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:25 GNT).

Olympic athletes train for years in order to have a chance to win a brief moment of glory. But the race we are running is far more important than any earthly athletic event. So self-control is not optional for Christians.

How do we gain true self-control?

Admit your problem. The starting point for developing self-control is to face what God has already said about me: I am responsible for my behavior.

James 1:14 (PH) says, “A man’s temptation is due to the pull of his own inward desires, which can be enormously attractive.”

Do you realize what that says? It says you do things because you like to do them! When I do something I know is bad for me, I still do it because I like to do it. I want to do it; it’s an inner desire.

Do you want more self-control? Admit you have a problem and be specific about it. Begin praying specifically about your problem areas.

Put your past behind you. Philippians 3:13–14 (NIV) says, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal…”

This verse exposes a misconception that will keep you from gaining self-control: Once a failure, always a failure.

Failure in the past does not mean you’ll never be able to change. Focusing on past failures, however, does guarantee their repetition. It’s like driving a car and looking in the rearview mirror the whole time. You’re going to collide with what’s ahead of you.

Ask God to help you put your past behind you.

Rick Warren

Your Love Prescription: Take Care of Your Body!

“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands”

(Psalm 119:73 NLT).

Many of us are just too tired to love. We want to build deep relationships with those we care about, like family and friends. We want to love people in our community who are hurting. But we’re just too tired. You can’t love when you’re tired.

What happens to your relationships when you’re out of energy? Little issues become big problems and love withers. It takes physical energy to listen to people and put their needs first. I’m convinced that many married couples could avoid spending time with a divorce lawyer if they spent a little more time with a mattress salesman or a personal trainer.

The Bible mentions three habits that will refresh you physically and give you the strength to love others.

1. Get regular rest. “It is senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing you will starve to death; for God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest” (Psalm 127:2 LB). Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap. Too tired to love your spouse and kids? Your problem isn’t spiritual, it’s physical. Get some sleep!

2. Eat a balanced diet. “You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws” (Psalm 119:73 LB). God made your body to use a certain combination of foods as its energy source. Eating right will help give you the energy you need to love more faithfully.

3. Exercise regularly. “…Honor the Lord with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV). Our bodies were made for activity. In biblical times they didn’t have to exercise. People walked everywhere. They did physical work. But we have a sedentary life and drive everywhere we go. We need to exercise regularly.

Rick Warren

Three Habits to Help You Grow Spiritually

“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress”

(Psalm 59:16 NLT).

We all want our relationships to be characterized by persistence and self-sacrifice. But we can never do that on our own. The kind of love we long to show others is only found in a growing relationship with God. Without God's power in our lives, our love will run out.

You don’t build that kind of relationship with God—one that will help you love others when you want to give up—by accident. You do it through habits. Here are three habits that will help you grow in your relationship with God.

1. A daily quiet time. Let God talk to you through the Bible and through prayer. Nothing will help your life more. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “This is the reason we never lose heart. Our body does suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength” (PH). Outwardly our body suffers wear and tear, but spiritually we can be renewed every day by spending time alone with God. It’s not hard. Read through a chapter of the Bible, meditate on it, and talk with God about what’s going on in your life.

2. Small group. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…” (NIV). You need to spend time with other believers. I hope you have a church family. Be a part of whatever mechanism they have to connect you with a small group, whether that’s a Sunday School or off-campus small group. You need the prayer support and encouragement of other believers. A Christian without a small group is an orphan.

3. Worship through song. Psalm 59:16 says, “I will sing about your strength, my God, and I will celebrate because of your love” (CEV). Singing builds you up. The singing time at your church isn’t just the warm-up act; it’s just as important as the message. Don’t miss it this weekend. Also, put some worship music on your iPod or MP3 player this week and don’t be afraid to sing along. It will recharge your soul and give you the God-given strength to love others.

Rick Warren

God Smiles When We Use Our Abilities

“He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do”

(Psalm 33:15 MSG).

After the flood, God gave Noah these simple instructions: “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything” (Genesis 9:1,3 NIV).

God said, “It’s time to get on with your life! Do the things I designed humans to do. Make love to your spouse. Have babies. Raise families. Plant crops and eat meals. This is what I made you to be!”

You may feel that the only time God is pleased with you is when you’re doing “spiritual” activities like reading the Bible, attending church, praying, or sharing your faith, and that he is unconcerned about the other parts of your life. Actually, God enjoys watching everything you do, whether you are working, playing, resting, or eating. The Bible tells us, “The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).

God especially enjoys watching you use the talents and abilities he has given you. God intentionally gifted each of us differently for his enjoyment. You may be gifted at mechanics or mathematics or music or a thousand other skills. All of these activities can bring a smile to God’s face.

You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or by trying to be someone else. You only bring him enjoyment by being you. Anytime you reject any part of yourself, you are rejecting God’s wisdom and sovereignty in creating you. God says, “You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, ‘Why did you make me this way?’” (Isaiah 45:9 CEV).

In the film Chariots of Fire, Olympic runner Eric Liddell says, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” Later he says, “To give up running would be to hold him in contempt.” There are no unspiritual abilities, just misused ones. Start using yours for God’s pleasure.

Rick Warren

God Smiles When We Praise

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name”

(Hebrews 13:15 NIV).

Few things feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it too. He smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to him.

Noah’s life brought pleasure to God because he lived with a heart of praise and thanksgiving. Noah’s first act after surviving the flood was to express his thanks to God by offering a sacrifice (Genesis 8:20).

We praise God for who he is and we thank God for what he has done (Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 116:17). David said, “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD” (Psalm 69:30–31 NIV).

An amazing thing happens when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy!

My mother loved to cook for me. Even after I married Kay, when we would visit my parents, Mom prepared incredible home-cooked feasts. One of her great pleasures in life was watching us kids eat and enjoy what she prepared. The more we enjoyed eating it, the more enjoyment it gave her.

But we also enjoyed pleasing Mom by expressing our enjoyment of her meal. It worked both ways. As I would eat the great meal, I would rave about it and praise my mother. I intended not only to enjoy the food but to please her. Everyone was happy.

Worship works both ways too. We enjoy what God has done for us, and when we express that enjoyment to God, it brings him joy—but it also increases our joy. The book of Psalms says, “The righteous are glad and rejoice in his presence; they are happy and shout for joy” (Psalm 68:3 TEV).

Rick Warren

God Smiles When We Obey

“Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him”

(Genesis 6:22 NLT).

Noah obeyed completely (no instruction was overlooked) and he obeyed exactly (in the way and time God wanted it done). That is wholeheartedness. It is no wonder God smiled on Noah.

If God asked you to build a giant boat, don’t you think you might have a few questions, objections, and reservations? Noah didn’t. He obeyed God wholeheartedly. That means doing whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation. You don’t procrastinate and say, “I’ll pray about it.” You do it without delay. Every parent knows that delayed obedience is really disobedience.

God doesn’t owe you an explanation or reason for everything he asks you to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can’t. Instant obedience will teach you more about God than a lifetime of Bible discussions. In fact, you will never understand some commands until you obey them first. Obedience unlocks understanding.

Often we try to offer God partial obedience. We want to pick and choose the commands we obey. We make a list of the commands we like and obey those while ignoring the ones we think are unreasonable, difficult, expensive, or unpopular. I’ll attend church but I won’t tithe. I’ll read my Bible but I won’t forgive the person who hurt me. Yet partial obedience is disobedience.

Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully with enthusiasm. The Bible says, “Obey him gladly” (Psalm 100:2 LB). This is the attitude of David: “Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord. As long as I live I’ll wholeheartedly obey” (Psalm 119:33 LB).

James, speaking to Christians, said, “We please God by what we do and not only by what we believe” (James 2:24 CEV). God’s Word is clear that you can’t earn your salvation. It comes only by grace, not your effort. But as a child of God you can bring pleasure to your heavenly Father through obedience.

Any act of obedience is also an act of worship. Why is obedience so pleasing to God? Because it proves you really love him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments” (John 14:15 TEV).

Rick Warren

God Smiles When We Trust

“By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see, and acted on what he was told…As a result, Noah became intimate with God”

(Hebrews 11:7 MSG).

Imagine this scene: One day God comes to Noah and says, “I’m disappointed in human beings. In the entire world, no one but you thinks about me. But Noah, when I look at you, I start smiling. I’m pleased with your life, so I’m going to flood the world and start over with you and your family. I want you to build a giant ship that will save you and the animals.”

There were three problems that could have caused Noah to doubt:

• First, Noah had never seen rain because prior to the flood God irrigated the earth from the ground up (Genesis 2:5–6).

• Second, Noah lived hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean. Even if he could learn to build a ship, how would he get it to water?

• Third, there was the problem of rounding up all the animals and then caring for them.

But Noah didn’t complain or make excuses. He trusted God completely, and that made God smile.

Trusting God completely means having faith that God knows what is best for your life. You expect him to keep his promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.

The Bible says, “He takes pleasure in those who honor him, in those who trust in his constant love” (Psalm 147:11 TEV).

It took Noah 120 years to build the ark. I imagine he faced many discouraging days. With no sign of rain year after year, he was probably criticized as a “crazy man who thinks God speaks to him.” I imagine Noah’s children were often embarrassed by the giant ship being built in their front yard.

Yet Noah kept on trusting God.

In what areas of your life do you need to trust God completely?

Trusting is an act of worship. Just as parents are pleased when children trust them, your faith makes God happy. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Rick Warren

Jesus Gave Honest Counsel

“A friend means well even when he hurts you”

(Proverbs 27:6 GN).

Jesus shows us that real friends care enough to confront. Even when it's painful, they'll tell you the truth (Proverbs 27:6 GN). They won’t let you waste your life in silence.

I’ve found that correcting another is powerful—and it can be dangerous. Done the right way, it builds people up, but done the wrong way, it can scar a person for life.

The difference between the right and the wrong way to correct is your attitude. If all you're doing is pointing out faults, then stop. The purpose has to be to correct, not to condemn.

You need to ask, "What's my motive in this? Am I correcting him for my benefit or for his benefit?"

A lot of times we want to correct people just because they're being jerks and they're hassling us. We think, "If they would stop being such a jerk, my life would be easier."

That's the wrong motive.

Instead, follow Ephesians 4:15, which says, "Speak the truth in love." Love means giving people what they need rather than what they deserve.

So this is the key to proper correction: Affirm the person; then correct the behavior.

Rick Warren

Jesus Encouraged People

“We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak in order to build them up in the faith”

(Romans 15:1).

Jesus encouraged people, and he told those who are strong in faith to make a point of encouraging others in their faith (Romans 15:1).

We all need confidence. When you know that someone believes in you, it brings out your best. Jesus did this with the Apostle Peter. “Petros,” Peter's name, meant pebble. But Jesus said, "Pebble, you're going to be a rock. I'm giving you a new name."

When Jesus said that to Peter, the apostle was anything but a rock. He was Mr. Impulsive, Mr. Foot-in-Mouth. But Jesus didn't tell him what he was—he told him what he could be. He gave Peter confidence to live up to his potential.

We all need encouragement. Over the years, I’ve kept an Encouragement File. Every time anybody writes me a note, a card, or a letter, I file it. Even if it's mildly encouraging, like "Better luck next time," or "You tried on that sermon—good try," it still gets filed.

Then on days when I'm discouraged, down, and tired, I get out the Encouragement File and read through all the letters and cards that I've collected.

When you give encouragement, it needs to be genuine. So, give from the heart and with sincerity. Encouragement also needs to be regular—don’t be stingy with your encouragement.

And encouragement needs to be specific. Instead of saying, "I enjoyed the meal,” say, "I can tell you put a lot of effort into this meal and the seasoning you chose was perfect.”

Instead of saying, "You did a good job,” say, "I noticed you handled that angry member with tact and you maintained your cool under pressure.”

Rick Warren

Jesus Challenged People

“We should consider the good of our neighbor and build up his character”

(Romans 15:2).

You can be a homebuilder, bodybuilder, reputation-builder, or a retirement-nest-egg-builder, but none of those things will last. There is something, though, you can put your efforts into now that will last forever. You can be a people-builder.

The Bible encourages us to do just that in Romans 15:2, where it says, "We should consider the good of our neighbor and build up his character."

How do you build your people? The key is kindness—giving people what they need, not what they deserve. When you consider the way Jesus built people up, he did three things—challenged, encouraged, and spoke honestly.

Rick Warren


Today, we’ll look at how Jesus challenged people to be all God made them to be. The Apostle Paul echoes this teaching, in Ephesians 4:1, when he says, "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

His point is, “Don’t waste your life!”

Challenge your family and friends to live beyond themselves and to discover their strengths and abilities. God has given each of us some special abilities, and he wants us to use them to help each other. We’re to pass on to others God's many kinds of blessings.

We all need somebody who will help us discover our gifts and who will challenge us to develop, strengthen, and use them. You can play a critical role in this way by helping the ones you love to discover their strengths and abilities, and then challenging them to use them.

And, help them understand how special their gifts are—that we will all miss out on a blessing if they don’t use the gifts God has given them. It’s like a singer who never sings; we miss out on the blessing that would come from hearing the voice. We are meant to be a blessing to others.

Fear And Grace

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever”

(Psalm 23:6 NLT).

God is watching over you.

When King David writes, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me,” he’s not saying, “Surely only good things will happen to me!”

The fact is that bad things happen to good people. What David is teaching us is that God can take bad, evil, and difficult situations and bring something good out of them.

It’s one of God’s great promises to us: we can know that all things are working for our good “if we love God and are fitting into his plans” (Romans 8:28 LB). If you’re a believer, the Bible says all things are working together for good—not that all things are good, but that they work together for good. There’s no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in life that God can’t ultimately turn toward good.

When you understand God’s grace and mercy, there’s no need to fear the future. God isn’t trying to get even with you. Jesus shouldered the penalty for everything you’ve ever done wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on the cross. So when a bad thing happens, you don’t have to think, “God’s getting even with me.”

Mercy, like goodness, follows us in life. Picture a parent following a little child around picking up after them; God is constantly picking up our messes.

Think about this:

Christians go toward the future, not with a question mark, but with an exclamation point. God will be with you no matter what happens. He will help you out.

God’s goodness provides and protects; God’s mercy pardons and forgives. God’s goodness will supply; God’s mercy will sooth. God’s goodness will help; God’s mercy will heal.

Goodness is the fact that God gives us good things in life that we don’t deserve. Mercy means God holds back the condemnation we deserve.

Rick Warren

God's Purpose In Suffering

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”

(Psalms 23:4 NIV).

Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned and criticized unjustly? The answer to all these questions is “Yes.”

And none of us are exempted from suffering, or loneliness, or discouragement, or unjust criticism—because God is developing within us the character of Christ, and in order to do this, he must take us through all of the circumstances in life that he took Christ through.

This means God is more interested in your character than your comfort, and he's more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. So, the question is not if you'll go through dark times in life, but when you'll go through them.

Now, does this mean God causes tragedies? No. God is good, and he will not cause evil or do evil. But God can use dark and stressful times for good; he'll use them to build a Christ-like character within us.

So, what should you do when you go through difficult times?

Refuse to be discouraged. David said, “I will fear no evil” (Psalms 23:4 NIV). His use of the word will implies a choice, an act of decision. In the final 12 hours of Christ's life, we can clearly see he made a choice to follow God's will; He made a choice to face down fear; he made a choice to ignore despair.

Remember God is with you. David said, “For you are with me” (Psalms 23:4 NIV). God not only promises his power; he promises his presence. We will never go through a dark day alone. Jesus knew he wasn't alone as he walked out his Passion.

Rely on God’s protection and guidance. David said in Psalm 23:4 that God's rod and staff comforted him. The rod and staff were basic tools a shepherd used to protect and guide the sheep. God will be with you, and he'll protect and guide you. Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels; he could have called his disciples to arms; instead he relied on God to protect and guide Him.

We all go through difficult times. The difference for those who believe in Jesus is not the absence of the shadow but the presence of the Light.


Rick Warren

Serving from the Heart

From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he'll take charge of sending the rain at the right time ....

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 (MSG)

Repeatedly, the Bible says to "serve the Lord with all your heart." God wants you to serve him passionately, not dutifully. People rarely excel at tasks they don't enjoy doing or feel passionate about. God wants you to use your natural interests to serve him and others.

How do you know when you're serving God from your heart?

The first telltale sign is enthusiasm. When you're doing what you love to do, no one has to motivate you, or challenge you, or check up on you. You do it for the sheer enjoyment. You don't need rewards, or applause, or to be paid, because you love serving in this way.

The opposite is also true: When you don't have a heart for what you're doing, you're easily discouraged.

One characteristic of serving God from your heart is effectiveness: whenever you do what God wired you to love to do, you get good at it. Passion drives perfection. If you don't care about a task, it is unlikely that you'll excel at it.

On the other hand, the highest achievers in any field are those who do it because of passion, not duty or profit.

We've all heard people say, "I took a job I hate in order to make a lot of money, so someday I can quit and do what I love to do." That's a big mistake. Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart.

Remember, the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. The richest man in the world once said, "A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16 MSG).

Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" - serving God in a way that expresses your heart.

Figure out what you love to do - that which God gave you a heart for - and then do it for his glory!

Rick Warren

When Serving God, Listen to Your Heart

A man's heart reflects the man.

Proverbs 27:19 (NIV)

The Bible uses the term "heart" to describe the bundle of desires, hopes, interests, ambitions, dreams, and affections that you have. Your heart represents the source of all your motivations – what you love to do and what you care about most. Even today, we still use the word in this way when we say, "I love you with all my heart."

The Bible says what is in your heart is what you really are, not what others think you are, or what circumstances force you to be (Proverbs 27:19). Your heart is the real you. It determines why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do, and why you act the way you do.

Physically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Just as we each have unique thumbprints, eye prints, and voiceprints, our hearts beat in slightly different patterns. It's amazing that out of all the billions of people who've ever lived, no one has ever had a heartbeat exactly like yours.

In the same way, God has given each of us a unique emotional heartbeat that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving.

Another word for heart is passion. There are certain subjects that you feel deeply passionate about and others that you couldn't care less about. Some experiences turn you on and capture your attention, while others turn you off or bore you to tears. These reveal the nature of your heart; listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.

When you were growing up you may have discovered that you were intensely interested in some subjects that no one else in your family cared about.

Where did those interests come from? They came from God!

God had a purpose in giving you these inborn interests. Your emotional heartbeat is a key to understanding your shape for service. Don't ignore your interests; consider how they might be used for God's glory. There is a reason that you love to do these things.

Listen for inner promptings that can point to the ministry God intends for you to have.

Rick Warren

Spiritual Gifts for Serving God

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (TEV)

You can't earn your spiritual gifts or deserve them - that's why they are called gifts! They're an expression of God's grace to you: "Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us" (Ephesians 4:7 CEV).

Nor do you get to choose which gifts you'd like to have. Paul explains that God determines that, "It is the one and only Holy Spirit who distributes these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have" (1 Corinthians 12:11 NLT).

Because God loves variety, and he wants us to be special, there's no one single gift given to everyone, and no individual receives all the gifts. If you had them all, you'd have no need of anyone else, and that would defeat one of God's purposes - to teach us to depend on each other.

Your spiritual gifts were not given for your own benefit but for the benefit of others, just as other people were given gifts for your benefit. The Bible says, "A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church" (1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT). When we use our gifts together, we all benefit. If others don't use their gifts, you get cheated, but if you don't use your gifts, they get cheated. This is why God wants us to discover and develop our spiritual gifts.

Whenever we forget these basic truths about gifts, it always causes trouble in the church. Two common problems are "gift-envy" and "gift-projection."

• Gift-envy occurs when we compare our gifts to others, feel dissatisfied with what God gave us, and become resentful or jealous of how God uses others.

• Gift-projection happens when you expect everyone else to have your gifts, do what you're called to do, and feel as passionate about it as you do. The Bible says, "There are different kinds of service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving" (1 Corinthians 12:5 NLT).

Sometimes spiritual gifts are overemphasized to the neglect of the other factors that God uses to shape you for service. So keep in mind, your gifts reveal one part of God's will for your ministry, but not all of it.

Rick Warren

Ministry: Shaped to Serve

God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us is uniquely designed, or "shaped," to do certain things.

Before architects design any new building they first ask, "What will be its purpose? How will it be used?" The intended function always determines the form of the building.

Before God created you, he decided what role he wanted you to play on earth. He planned exactly how he wanted you to serve him, and then he shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry.

The Bible says, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works" (Ephesians 2:10 NIV). Our English word "poem" comes from this Greek word translated "workmanship." You're God's handcrafted work of art. You're not an assembly-line product, mass-produced without thought. You're a custom designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece.

God deliberately shaped and formed you to serve him in a way that makes your ministry unique. He carefully mixed the DNA recipe that created you. David praised God for this incredible personal attention to detail God gave in designing each of us: "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous" (Psalm 139:13-14 NLT).

Not only did God shape you before your birth, he planned every day of your life to support his shaping process. David continues, "Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Psalm 139:16 NLT).

This means 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.

God never wastes anything. He would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless he intended to use them for his glory. By identifying and understanding these factors you can discover God's will for your life.

The Bible says you are "wonderfully complex." You're a combination of many different factors: "The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises" (Isaiah 43:21 NJB).

Rick Warren

Two Keys to Thinking Like Jesus

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. Philippians 2:56 (MSG)

The first half of this mental shift is to stop thinking immature thoughts, which are selfcentered and selfseeking. Babies, by nature, are completely selfish. They think only of themselves. That is immature thinking: "Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life" (Romans 8:5 MSG).

The apostle Paul wrote, "To be perfectly frank, I'm getting exasperated with your infantile thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head-your adult head? It's all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that's needed there. But there's far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and wellexercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility" (1 Corinthians 14:20 MSG).

The second half of thinking like Jesus is to start thinking maturely, which focuses on others, not yourself. In his great chapter on what real love is, Paul concluded that thinking of others is the mark of maturity: "When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good" (1 Corinthians 13:11 MSG).

Today, many assume that spiritual maturity is measured by how much biblical knowledge and doctrine you know. While knowledge is one measurement of maturity, it isn't the whole story. The Christian life is far more than creeds and convictions; it includes conduct and character. Our deeds must be consistent with our creeds and our beliefs must be backed up with Christlike behavior.

Christianity is not a philosophy, but a relationship and a life where we practice thinking of others as Jesus did: "Don't push your way to the front; don't sweettalk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand (Philippians 2:34 MSG).

Thinking of others is the heart of Christlikeness, and the goal of spiritual growth. This kind of thinking is unnatural, countercultural, and rare. The only way we will learn to think this way is by filling our minds with the Word of God.

"God has given us his Spirit. That's why we don't think the same way that the people of this world think" (1 Corinthians 2:12 CEV).

Rick Warren