The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Week 5: Purpose Four — You Were Shaped for Serving God (Days 28–36)
Read Days 28–36 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:4–8; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12.
Warren's fourth purpose introduces one of the book's most practical tools — the SHAPE acronym — inviting you to see your unique design not as an accident but as a divine assignment for service. This week is an invitation to discover the ministry God has already fitted you for.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Warren argues that you were not saved to sit — that every Christian is called to ministry, whether or not they are in paid church work. How have you understood the word "ministry" up to now, and how does Warren's definition expand it?
2.Warren introduces the SHAPE acronym: Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. Walk through each letter briefly:
a.What spiritual gifts do you believe you have been given — or what gifts have others recognized in you?
b.What causes or needs consistently stir your heart with passion?
c.What natural abilities did you bring to faith — skills, talents, or learned competencies?
d.How would you describe your God-given personality (introvert/extrovert, structured/spontaneous, etc.)?
e.What painful or pivotal experiences in your past might God want to use to minister to others?
3.Warren says, "God never wastes a hurt." He argues that your most painful experiences are often your greatest ministry qualifications. Do you believe this about your own story? Is there a wound in your past that God might want to redeem for someone else's good?
Closing Prayer
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