Finding Your Passion Series

Service with a Smile:

Finding Your Passion

Scripture Reading: Gal. 1:11-24

[Tigger video depicting a cartoon character who displays passion]

I don’t care who you are,

I don’t care how smart you are,

whether you’re young or old,

whether you’re tall or short,

as beautiful as Robin or as homely as me,

there is something within you,

something you really care about,

a place that makes your eyes light up—or tear up—

when someone or something touches it,

a subject or interest that gets you excited,

that can make you crazy with enthusiasm,

excitement,

fulfillment.

[ASK ONE OF THE KIDS] What was it for Tigger? What was his passion? What got him all excited in that video we just watched? RIGHT! It was bouncing!

For Dr. James Dobson, it’s—what? [FAMILY]

For Billy Graham, it’s—what? [EVANGELISM]

For Mother Teresa it was—what? [THE NEEDY]

For YOU, it’s—what?

That’s the question we’re going to try to answer this morning.

So, as we get started, I’d like to invite you to pray with me, please:

Father God,

I pray for each of us in this place this morning.

Please speak to us from your Word, the Bible,

turn on a light in our hearts and minds

that we might see more clearly

how to follow and serve you,

and that the way might be opened for us to

have FUN and find FULFILLMENT

in glorifying you and serving others,

in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Good morning. My name is Bob Hostetler, and

this morning at Cobblestone Community Church we begin a new four-week series of messages from the Bible, entitled “Serving with a Smile.”

You see, we here at Cobblestone Community Church have been meeting together for worship for only eight weeks now; this is our ninth Sunday celebration.

And it’s our plan, as we worship and fellowship and pray together, to prepare to launch a full fledged, new, different, dynamic,

community-oriented,

student-friendly,

seeker-aware,

outward-focused church

on Palm Sunday, April 8, 2001.

But we feel very strongly

that we want that church

to be the kind of church

where people are equipped and energized

—set free—

to have FUN and find FULFILLMENT

in glorifying God and serving others.

As a matter of fact,

I not only believe that’s possible,

I believe it’s IMPERATIVE!

Because, you see, when the Bible says,

“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7).

I believe it’s a mistake to apply that statement

to the giving of money alone.

I believe “God loves a cheerful giver” applies also to those who give their time and effort and expertise in the service of God . . . .

And God LOVES IT when you and I are serving

him

and his people

and his children who haven’t yet surrendered to him

with joy

and laughter

and excitement

and exuberance

and fulfillment.

I believe God LOVES IT when we’re having a blast

in glorifying him by serving others!

Because he loves cheerful giving!

So how do we do that?

I’m so glad you asked.

Because I’m convinced that the key to

to having FUN and finding FULFILLMENT

in glorifying God and serving others

is in:

• finding your passion

• finding your gifts

• finding your style, and

• finding your place.

And those are the things we’re going to concentrate on these next four weeks:

• finding your passion

• finding your gifts

• finding your style, and

• finding your place.

You see, the way it usually happens is that when we become Christians, we want to do like that tenth leper we read about in Luke 17 last week,

and return to God with gratitude for his healing

and salvation

and blessing,

so we jump in and start serving him somewhere,

or we get “pulled in” and start serving wherever,

and we can become very active,

but not necessarily effective.

And we serve and serve,

but our efforts often exhaust us,

and we feel like we’re spinning our wheels,

not making the difference we had hoped for.

And sometimes it even seems like

the more we DO for God,

the less we get out of it,

the less HE gets out of it,

and we end up feeling like

not only our service

but our relationship with God

is going nowhere.

But I’m inclined to believe that when that happens,

when we’re expending a lot of motion without

movement,

it’s because we haven’t found God’s design

for serving according to who he made us to be . . .

we aren’t focusing our passion,

or gifts,

and our style

in the place he has called us to occupy.

But when we do that, we’ll be able to make a mark.

And my hope is that by the end of this series,

you’ll be equipped to serve God and others

according to your passion, spiritual gifts, and personal style, in a way that will energize YOU and make a discernible difference in the lives of others.