DISCOVERING GOD’S PLAN

FOR YOU!

Dennis Franck, Director

Single Adult/Single – Parent Family Ministries

Assemblies of God

WHAT DO YOU THINK? I probably should wait till marriage to…

For me to attempt anything great would

require…

I’m really not ready to do anything of

significance because…

If I had _______, then I’d be able to…

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Because _______happened to me, I can’t…

After I get______, then I can really…

Too often I focus on my weaknesses, which

prevents me from…

If I could do ONE GREAT thing in life, it would

be…

The greatest single adult who ever lived was…

OTHER CHRISTIANS…

Have direction in life…

Seem fulfilled in a ministry…

Do you think?... Insignificant…Inadequate…Untalented…

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!GENERAL PLAN…

I Corinthians 10:31 “to glorify God”

SPECIFIC PLAN…

Romans 12:1-2 “God’s good and perfect plan”

Jeremiah 29:11 I know the thoughts I have toward you… Good (not evil)

To give you hope…..a future…..an expected end!

“God’s Plan” Is…

An idea from God specifically for you!

An Understanding of what He wants for

YOUR life!

A Realization of how He can specifically

use you!

A Ministry that will affect & fulfill Your life!

FULL TIME?

Not necessarily regarding pay & hours

(could be!)

Full-time regarding… Desire & effort

Fulfillment

Effectiveness

Meaning to your life

GOD BEGINS WITH WHAT HE

HAS TO WORK WITH!

Age

Maturity

Attitude

Experiences

Desires

Training

Education

Circumstances

GOD WORKS WITH WHO & WHERE YOU ARE!

FINDING HIS PLAN…

Desiring doesn’t mean finding! You must SEEK It!

Psalm 27:14-Wait on the Lord

John 4:34 – My nourishment is to do will of my Father

Psalm 62:5- Wait upon God-My expectation is from Him

Finding doesn’t mean doing! You must CHOOSE it

James 2:20 Faith without works is dead

GOD WANTS…

AVAILABILITY….NOT ABILITY!

WILLINGNESS TO FOLLOW HIM

J

FINDING GOD’S PLAN

1. Ask God to reveal it!(How consistently do you?)

James 4:2 – You do not have because

you do not ask!

The Lord has no obligation to

answer until we ask!

Why don’t we ask?

A. I’m not sure God can use me -(Low self –esteem)

Would God invest his son’s life on you

for nothing?

– Feel sufficient?...may be too proud for God to use!

– I Cor. 12: 12-22 – Many parts of the body…A place for you!

Why don’t we ask?

B.I don’t really know – (Apathy) Rev. 3:16 – Lukewarm…

C. I’m not sure He’ll answer – (Doubt) I John 5: 14-15…Ask according to His will…

He hears us…

If He hears us…

We have what we ask for!

Would you say it’s His Will

to know His plan?

Why don’t we ask?

D. I’m not sure I’m ready for His

answer!(fear)

God may… • Show something I don’t want to see

• Ask something I don’t want to do

• Tell something I don’t want to hear

• Do something I don’t want Him to do

Are you mature enough to handle His answers?

FINDING GOD’S PLAN

2. Avail yourself to God to be used! “I’ll do what you want even before you show me

what it is”…

Romans 12: 1-2

A. Present yourself as a living sacrifice!(Attitude – Surrender – Responsibility – Don’t crawl off the altar)

B. Don’t conform to the world!(Choices – Circumstances – Friends)

I Tim. 5:22 – abstain from all appearance of evil

FINDING GOD’S PLAN

C. Be transformed by renewing

your mind!(Word – Prayer - Study - Fellowship)

D. Then you will PROVE (Know) HIS WILL!

Our attitude..

“Lord show me your will/plan, then I’ll decide

whether I want to do it!”

YOU CAN TRUST GOD!

He has your best interests in mind. Happiness

Fulfillment

Contentment

Wants to develop you

BE WILLING… God doesn’t really need your ABILITIES!

God needs your AVAILABILITY!

3. Assess Your gifts, abilities & talents! What has God given you?

ASK:What can I do fairly well?

What do I enjoy doing?

Consider Abilities: Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual

Consider Education: English, Math, Writing, History,

Speaking, Economics, Counseling, Computer, Marketing,

Recreation, Engineering, Mechanical, Finances etc.

TYPES OF GIFTS IN

GOD’S WORD

1. “Spiritual”-1 Corinthians 12:4-10 (9 spiritual gifts)

2. “Office”-Ephesians 4:11-12 (5 office/career gifts)

3. “Motivational”-Romans 12:3-8 (7 motive gifts)

God’s plan usually includes your gifts and abilities!

MOTIVATIONAL GIFTS

Romans 12: 4 -10

Motivational Gift: God-given spiritual motivation -

indicates ability and preference for a type of service.

God’s Body: Different members, but each belong to

the others (v 4,5)

Every believer: has at least one primary and one

secondary gift

Importance: All gifts are equal in importance but

different in function (v 4)

Purpose: All gifts are given to help the body

2 Births…

Physical birth (1st birth)

Physical, mental talents/abilities

Genetics: Strengths/weaknesses from parents/grandparents

Inherited from earthly, biological parents

Spiritual birth (2nd birth)

Spiritual, motivational gifts

Inherited from heavenly, spiritual father

Primary gift(s)

Secondary gift(s)

7 Motivational Gifts

Gift of Prophecy

Concerned with motives

Meets spiritual needs

Gift of Serving

Concerned with helping

Meets practical needs

Gift of Teaching

Concerned with truth/facts

Meets mental needs

7 Motivational Gifts

Gift of Exhortation Concerned with encouraging

Meets personal needs

Gift of Giving Concerned with supplying need

Meets supportive needs

Gift of Leadership Concerned with organization/efficiency

Meets effectiveness needs

Gift of Mercy Concerned with emotional needs

Meets emotional needs

Party/Cake Illustration

Birthday for…

Cake is dropped…

How you respond indicates your primary

motivational gift…

What would YOU do?

Responses by Gift Type

Prophecy – “I know she didn’t have an impure motive.”

Serving – “I’ll clean it up.”

Teaching – “I can think of 3 ways to prevent this in the

future.”

Exhortation – “I encourage you. It can happen to anyone.”

Giving – “Here’s $30. Buy another one.”

Leadership – “You get the mop; You get the bucket of

water; You get the wastebasket.”

Mercy - “Oh ______, we LOVE you! I’m so sorry! I feel so

badly for you!”

FINDING GOD’S PLAN-4

4. Abide in Him! John 15: 1-8v. 5 Apart from me…No fruit by yourself

v. 8 Be my disciple…produce fruit

Our Responsibility:Learn to hear His voice

Stay close to Him

Talk with Him

God’s Responsibility:Help know His voice

Never leave you

Speak to you

“ABIDING?”

Are you disciplining yourself to…

Read the Word?.....Listen?

Pray?.....Listen?

Relate to/with other Christians?

GROW UP - Relationship to God

GROW IN - Relationship to yourself

GROW OUT - Relationship to others

Would you be able to grasp God’s plan if He tried to show it to you?

FINDING GOD’S PLAN-5

5. Act in Faith! James 2:14-18

When you think you know His plan…

ACT! …

Move toward the plan…

IDEAS…

Talk with pastors about your desires

Ministries of interest

Explore - Read about

Talk to others doing

Involve/help in

Take relevant classes

James 2:20 “Faith without works is dead”

WHAT YOU CAN/SHOULD DO!

QUIT MAKING EXCUSES!

I don’t have enough

Education

Time

Talent

Experience

Money

Friends

Resources

Training

SINGLE ADULTS HAVE…

MORE FREEDOM…

To make decisions

To serve

To lead

MORE FLEXIBILITY

Schedule

Travel

Living location

Time

THE POWER OF ONE!

YOU CAN AFFECT YOUR WORLD!

I AM ONLY ONE!

I am only one, but still I am one!

I cannot do everything, but I can do something!

And because I cannot do everything, I will not

refuse to do the something that I can do!

--Edward Everett Hale

HOW MANY?…

To confront adulterous David? One…Nathan!

Prophets to stand before wicked King Ahab and predict a drought?

One…Elijah!

Prophets to prepare Palestine Jesus’ coming?

One…John the Baptist!

THE POWER OF ONE!

1776 - 1vote gave America the English language

instead of German…

1845 - 1 vote brought the state of Texas into the

union…

1868 - 1 vote saved President Andrew Johnson

from impeachment…

1923 - 1 vote gave Adolph Hitler control of the

Nazi Party

1941 - 1 vote saved the Selective Service Draft

System just weeks before Pearl Harbor

was attacked

THE POWER OF ONE

JOSEPH - Fled advances of Potiphar’s wife

LILLIAN TRASHER - Orphanage in Egypt

CORRIE TEN BOOM - Survivor of death

camps

DIETRICH BONHOFFER - Writer/spiritual

philosopher

GRIMKE SISTERS - First women to speak

publicly against slavery in the south

MOTHER THERESA - Humanitarian

THE POWER OF ONE

POPE JOHN PAUL - Catholic world leader

HENRIETTA MEARS - Gospel Light

Publishing founder

EVANGELINE BOOTHE – Daughter of

William and helped start the Salvation Army

CLARA BARTON - Red Cross Founder

APOSTLE PAUL - Greatest missionary/author

JESUS - Savior of the world

WHAT DO YOU HAVE?

LOOK WHAT YOU HAVE LEFT, NOT WHAT YOU

HAVE LOST!“S/he burned me”…

“I won’t trust another man/woman again”…

“God let me down”…

TAKE SOME RISKS! Rom. 8:28 “All things work together for good”…

Rom. 8:31 “If God is for me who can be against me?”…

GOD SEES YOU AS POTENTIAL…NOT PROBLEM!

THE ULTIMATE ONE!..

JESUS

John 3:16…God gave his one and only son…

One son!

One sacrifice!

One way to eternal life!

One plan of salvation!

One source of truth and life!

One way to God the father!

One life that changed the world!

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU!

You can have - exciting, fulfilling ministry!

Ask, Abide, Avail, Assess, Act!

Trust:

Impressions God gives you (internal)

Circumstances God brings (external)

Abilities God’s given you

Word to guide you

Holy Spirit to lead you (internal)

GOD’S PLAN FOR ME

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ

And He shows His plan for me,

The plan of my life as it might have been

Had He had His way And I see

How I blocked Him here and I checked Him

there, And I would not yield my will.

Will there be grief in my Savior’s eyes,

Grief, though He loves me still?

He would have me rich,

But I stand there poor,

Stripped of all but His grace.

While memory runs like a haunting thing

Down a path I cannot retrace.

Then my desolate heart will almost break

With tears that I shall shed.

I will cover my face with my empty hands

And bow my uncrowned head.

Lord, of the years that are left to me,

I give them to your hand.

Take me, break me, mold me, to

The pattern YOU have planned.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDo you really believe God has a plan for

your life? Why/why not?

Have you had reasons in the past for not

asking God to reveal His plan for you? Were

they valid or invalid?

In what ways have you availed yourself to be

used by God in the last year that might be

part of His plan for you?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS-2

How willing are you to follow His plan even

before you know it? Do you have to evaluate

it before deciding to follow it?

Is there anything preventing you from

following God’s plan if you knew it now?

Do you really trust God to do what is best

with your life?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS-3

If you knew it was His plan to BE and DO

something that scared you, would you still be

and do it? Why/why not?

In what ways do you need to improve your

“abiding in Him”?