WEBVTT 00:00:11.529 --> 00:00:14.230 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.349 --> 00:00:17.750 Are you in one of those can -do jobs? What I 00:00:17.750 --> 00:00:20.649 mean is you can do it, but down deep you don't 00:00:20.649 --> 00:00:23.050 really like it. In fact, you might even despise 00:00:23.050 --> 00:00:25.390 it. Well, do you quit? Do you go back to school? 00:00:25.690 --> 00:00:28.910 Could it be that you have yet to discover the 00:00:28.910 --> 00:00:32.429 job that God has specifically made you to do? 00:00:32.909 --> 00:00:36.890 Stay with me and let's find out. What if you 00:00:36.890 --> 00:00:39.649 actually looked forward to Monday mornings? What 00:00:39.649 --> 00:00:42.250 if work wasn't just the price you pay for weekend 00:00:42.250 --> 00:00:45.090 freedom, but a source of deep satisfaction and 00:00:45.090 --> 00:00:48.770 purpose? Most people spend 60 to 80 percent of 00:00:48.770 --> 00:00:51.469 their waking hours counting down to Friday, trapped 00:00:51.469 --> 00:00:54.310 in jobs they don't enjoy. They've swallowed the 00:00:54.310 --> 00:00:57.890 lie that we are what we do. On this weekend edition 00:00:57.890 --> 00:01:00.689 of Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram unveils a 00:01:00.689 --> 00:01:03.899 liberating truth. You're not what you do. You're 00:01:03.899 --> 00:01:07.079 crafted in God's image with unique gifts, passions, 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:09.819 and purpose. And when you discover and fulfill 00:01:09.819 --> 00:01:13.280 your divine calling, work transforms from drudgery 00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:16.819 into delight. A bit later, Chip will also describe 00:01:16.819 --> 00:01:19.239 one of the largest match opportunities in the 00:01:19.239 --> 00:01:21.659 history of Living on the Edge so that you can 00:01:21.659 --> 00:01:24.000 double the impact of your generous year -end 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.599 support. But right now, let's turn our attention 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:29.540 to the subject at hand, leaving a legacy that 00:01:29.540 --> 00:01:33.370 lasts forever. Work is a calling. All work is 00:01:33.370 --> 00:01:35.890 sacred. And our work is to flow from our unique 00:01:35.890 --> 00:01:39.129 purpose. Now, if you're called to be a plumber 00:01:39.129 --> 00:01:42.549 or a builder or a software engineer or a stay 00:01:42.549 --> 00:01:45.329 -at -home mom, you will tell others about the 00:01:45.329 --> 00:01:48.670 love of God by actually how you do your work 00:01:48.670 --> 00:01:54.170 and by what you say. The New Testament command 00:01:54.170 --> 00:01:58.549 is Colossians 3, 23. Whatever you do. Now, let's 00:01:58.549 --> 00:02:01.030 see. What do you think that would cover? Is this 00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:04.090 just spiritual stuff, quote? Whatever you do, 00:02:04.269 --> 00:02:07.530 work at it with all your heart as working for 00:02:07.530 --> 00:02:11.909 the Lord, not for men. This is revolutionary. 00:02:12.509 --> 00:02:15.669 Now let me give you four kind of specific ways 00:02:15.669 --> 00:02:18.289 that are real practical in general to develop 00:02:18.289 --> 00:02:20.569 this and those that you love to pass it on. And 00:02:20.569 --> 00:02:22.800 then what I want to do is I want to... take this 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.020 very specifically in the second half of our time 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:28.939 about how do you help those you love discover 00:02:28.939 --> 00:02:31.639 God's calling for their life. But before we do, 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:33.919 let me give you four quick things that especially 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:35.599 for those of you that might have kids that are 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.960 still at home or you're in those earlier years. 00:02:39.060 --> 00:02:42.620 Number one, give them a lot of jobs growing up. 00:02:43.479 --> 00:02:46.150 Your kids need to learn to cook. and help out 00:02:46.150 --> 00:02:48.669 at 11 and 12. Everyone needs to be able to handle 00:02:48.669 --> 00:02:50.710 and do their own laundry, you know, by the early 00:02:50.710 --> 00:02:53.610 teen or preteen years. You want them to learn 00:02:53.610 --> 00:02:57.909 to work at an early age. Second, feed them responsibility, 00:02:58.090 --> 00:03:01.430 responsibility, responsibility. Give them jobs, 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:04.310 feed them responsibility. Number three, demand 00:03:04.310 --> 00:03:07.530 excellence and develop a work ethic. We have 00:03:07.530 --> 00:03:09.689 just got into this, our little kid's psyche. 00:03:09.789 --> 00:03:12.560 We don't want them to feel bad. My kids will 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.319 tell you, and maybe I was a little over the top, 00:03:14.419 --> 00:03:18.159 I had one son that had a struggle in school and 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:21.879 he had the gift of sloppiness. And so he would 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:23.719 do his homework and he would, I mean, I couldn't 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:25.360 even read it. He said, well, dad, it's the best 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:27.219 I can do. I said, well, the best you can do, 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:29.780 I guess, is not quite good enough because that's, 00:03:29.780 --> 00:03:32.379 and I would give him, you know, the little dad 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:34.759 sermon and I really love you, son. Now do it 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:36.379 again. And that's how you learn to clean out 00:03:36.379 --> 00:03:38.460 the garage. That's not bad. Now try it again. 00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:43.330 You know, the reason the vacuum cleaner, you 00:03:43.330 --> 00:03:45.569 pick up the rug and you actually vacuum under 00:03:45.569 --> 00:03:49.370 the rug, okay? Now, I'm not talking about being 00:03:49.370 --> 00:03:51.990 perfectionistic, over -the -top, wacko. Although 00:03:51.990 --> 00:03:54.090 my kids at times would say I had small moments 00:03:54.090 --> 00:03:59.270 of that. It was, if they don't learn to work 00:03:59.270 --> 00:04:01.710 well and work with excellence and work to an 00:04:01.710 --> 00:04:05.610 audience of one, where do you think they're going 00:04:05.610 --> 00:04:08.520 to pick that up? One of the greatest gifts I 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.520 think I saw my wife and I give our children is 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:13.840 they know how to think and they know how to work. 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:17.740 And the final thing I would say is teach them, 00:04:17.800 --> 00:04:19.720 and I allude to this, to work for an audience 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:23.240 of one. And when they're young, like I told them, 00:04:23.259 --> 00:04:26.720 I said, I understand no one can see behind here 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:28.899 that's really dirty and all the cobwebs and the 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:30.439 spiders that are coming out of the corner and 00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:34.180 stuff that's upsetting your mother. But the reason 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:37.860 you clean here It's because we're not doing this 00:04:37.860 --> 00:04:40.899 for me or for your mom. You do your best because 00:04:40.899 --> 00:04:44.439 this is your work as an offering to God. Did 00:04:44.439 --> 00:04:50.079 you see it? This was really one of the core reformation 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:52.680 principles. The priesthood of the believer was 00:04:52.680 --> 00:04:56.660 one. This other was living life before the face 00:04:56.660 --> 00:04:59.160 of God. All that we do, all that we are as an 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:04.139 offering. And so those are four little things. 00:05:04.649 --> 00:05:08.589 Jobs, responsibility, excellence, audience of 00:05:08.589 --> 00:05:12.930 one. Now, let's get real practical. Help them 00:05:12.930 --> 00:05:16.470 discover God's calling for their life. And to 00:05:16.470 --> 00:05:19.550 do this, you need to ask the following questions. 00:05:19.870 --> 00:05:22.329 And by the way, this isn't original. What is 00:05:22.329 --> 00:05:24.970 your shape? Actually, there was a pastor, I think, 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:27.250 from Saddleback who wrote a book that has this 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:29.910 word shape. But it was such a good acronym, I 00:05:29.910 --> 00:05:32.839 stole it. And so, you know, I don't want any 00:05:32.839 --> 00:05:35.579 credit for it, but I think all truth is God's 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:37.180 truth. If you give credit, if people have done 00:05:37.180 --> 00:05:39.459 better stuff than you, you just grab it, modify 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:43.079 it, give credit, and use it. So this acronym 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.779 of a shape I think is very, very helpful. And 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:48.680 here's your role with your disciples, with the 00:05:48.680 --> 00:05:51.319 people that you love, with your kids, with your 00:05:51.319 --> 00:05:53.180 grandkids, with the people in your Bible study. 00:05:54.579 --> 00:05:59.740 You want to be a student of them. See, your role. 00:06:00.379 --> 00:06:05.300 You've got 365 days to live. If you're going 00:06:05.300 --> 00:06:08.740 to die 365 days from now, and at the end of that 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:11.620 365 days, let's say they live another 20 or 30 00:06:11.620 --> 00:06:15.360 years. Let's just round it. 70 % of their waking 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:18.279 hours, they're going to work. How valuable would 00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:20.660 it be if you could help them discover what they 00:06:20.660 --> 00:06:23.879 were made by God to do? and spend 70 % of their 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:27.000 waking hours doing what God made them to do with 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.540 joy and fruit and impact. And they woke up and 00:06:30.540 --> 00:06:32.819 said, thank God it's Monday. Can you imagine 00:06:32.819 --> 00:06:35.240 the gift that would be? Not only to them, but 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.000 to the kingdom. And my suggestion is you'll have 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:40.779 to become a student. Your role changes. We have 00:06:40.779 --> 00:06:43.860 unconsciously bought how do I help the people 00:06:43.860 --> 00:06:47.240 I love be successful and how I help them be happy. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:51.750 That takes you down. Probably very negative paths. 00:06:52.689 --> 00:06:55.189 What I can tell you is if you help them discover 00:06:55.189 --> 00:06:58.310 who God made them to be and fulfill their calling, 00:06:58.509 --> 00:07:01.029 this sort of side thing will happen. They'll 00:07:01.029 --> 00:07:03.110 probably be pretty successful and they'll probably 00:07:03.110 --> 00:07:06.329 be very happy. But that's a side benefit. That's 00:07:06.329 --> 00:07:09.709 not the goal. So what is your shape? So number 00:07:09.709 --> 00:07:12.569 one, ask them what are their spiritual gifts? 00:07:13.529 --> 00:07:17.279 Help them discover their spiritual gifts. You 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.879 know, you have the core passages in the New Testament, 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.600 Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, Ephesians 00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:26.680 4. And I went over those quickly. But there's 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:29.379 lots of excellent resources to help people discover 00:07:29.379 --> 00:07:31.959 their spiritual gifts. So we put together a thing 00:07:31.959 --> 00:07:34.759 called Your Divine Design. It's an audio series 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.500 and a DVD series that walks people through a 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:40.360 process of discovering their primary spiritual 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:43.300 gift. What did God make them? What is their... 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:45.800 passion spiritually? What did he create them 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:50.100 to do in terms of spiritual gifts? My son, Ryan, 00:07:50.220 --> 00:07:51.920 I'll give a number of real practical illustrations, 00:07:52.339 --> 00:07:54.660 was not a student. I mean, he would have six 00:07:54.660 --> 00:07:56.500 weeks where he'd get like A's and B's. And he 00:07:56.500 --> 00:07:59.019 was a smart kid, but very lazy. And he doesn't 00:07:59.019 --> 00:08:01.180 mind me saying this because it's very true. And 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:03.240 so from sixth grade to twelfth grade, he didn't 00:08:03.240 --> 00:08:06.420 put two six weeks together ever. And I mean, 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:09.800 like his joke is, I was grounded, I think, from 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:12.529 seventh grade on, you know? It's not really true, 00:08:12.629 --> 00:08:15.029 but I mean, he made me nuts. He just wouldn't 00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:16.990 do his work. But so I started, I said, okay, 00:08:17.089 --> 00:08:19.329 I'm responsible for his education. Here's a book 00:08:19.329 --> 00:08:23.029 by C .S. Lewis. I want you to write me a book 00:08:23.029 --> 00:08:25.110 report. And he did. And then here's the major 00:08:25.110 --> 00:08:29.709 Bible themes by Chafer and Walvoord. And I mean, 00:08:29.730 --> 00:08:31.470 it's like this. And this is during the summer. 00:08:31.589 --> 00:08:32.909 You're not going to work at school? That's okay. 00:08:33.710 --> 00:08:34.929 I'm going to be responsible. You're going to 00:08:34.929 --> 00:08:37.029 learn to read, write, and think. And so you read 00:08:37.029 --> 00:08:38.750 a chapter and there's 20 questions at the end. 00:08:38.769 --> 00:08:40.620 You have to go into the Bible. Answer all of 00:08:40.620 --> 00:08:42.799 them. Well, he did. Here's what I learned about 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:46.259 my son. He led four of the six volleyball players 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:48.659 in high school to Christ. He had a Bible study 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:51.600 in our home. When he was supposed to be studying, 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:53.120 he went and learned how to play the guitar very 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.159 well. And when he got bored playing the guitar, 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:57.259 he went out and played the drums. He loved God. 00:08:57.340 --> 00:08:58.980 He had a passion for God's word and he hated 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:02.779 school. Now, part of the discipline was, I just 00:09:02.779 --> 00:09:04.779 was on him, on him, on him, on him, on him. And 00:09:04.779 --> 00:09:07.110 then when he got done with school, He said, well, 00:09:07.149 --> 00:09:08.190 you know, I think I'd like to go to college. 00:09:08.250 --> 00:09:09.549 I said, well, I've got a stewardship issue here. 00:09:10.830 --> 00:09:11.889 Because, you know, we're going to, you know, 00:09:11.909 --> 00:09:13.710 I don't have a lot of money, and so we're going 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:16.960 to have to both. pay as much as we can. But you 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:19.299 need to work for a year and save $8 ,000 to $10 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:21.779 ,000 because you've never put two, six weeks 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:23.799 together. Why should I put $10 ,000 of God's 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:25.899 money down and you go off to college and blow 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:28.840 $10 ,000? So you need to work for a year and 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:30.840 then you pay for your first year. And if you're 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:34.379 consistent and do it well, then by then I think 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:35.779 I'll be able to handle the next three years. 00:09:35.820 --> 00:09:37.840 I'll pay at least your tuition and you can work. 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:41.620 And he looked at me like, Dad? I said, yes, son. 00:09:42.839 --> 00:09:44.179 Now, do you understand? Now, some of you are 00:09:44.179 --> 00:09:46.059 looking at me like, you must be the harshest, 00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.659 meanest, baddest father I've ever heard. Now, 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:50.700 think about this. Again, am I not being consistent? 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:53.399 It's not my money. It's God's money. He's blown 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:55.740 the last. Why would his behavior change because 00:09:55.740 --> 00:09:57.679 he goes off to college and has more freedom, 00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:00.500 can do more? Well, I will tell you what. He did 00:10:00.500 --> 00:10:03.159 a couple jobs that he thought, I don't think 00:10:03.159 --> 00:10:05.399 I want to do this the rest of my life. He saved 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:07.840 about $7 ,000 or $8 ,000. I charged him rent 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:11.590 in his bedroom from day one. The goal is to what? 00:10:11.830 --> 00:10:14.250 Help them to become responsible. Now, we had 00:10:14.250 --> 00:10:16.389 fun. We played hoop. I loved him. We had a great 00:10:16.389 --> 00:10:20.330 relationship. But what I saw was his motivation 00:10:20.330 --> 00:10:22.309 and spiritual gifts were in this area of teaching 00:10:22.309 --> 00:10:25.090 and discipling. And I praise God for Joe Stull, 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:27.490 who was the president of Moody Bible. He and 00:10:27.490 --> 00:10:29.710 I were on the phone. I described my son. He said, 00:10:29.730 --> 00:10:33.070 I knew a guy just like him once. I said, I'll 00:10:33.070 --> 00:10:35.009 tell you what. I'll let him in Moody Bible. I'd 00:10:35.009 --> 00:10:38.129 rather have a guy who's not as studious. who 00:10:38.129 --> 00:10:40.529 loves God and has a proven track record. And 00:10:40.529 --> 00:10:41.870 I said, well, who's this person you know that 00:10:41.870 --> 00:10:44.909 was like this? He said, it was me. He said, I 00:10:44.909 --> 00:10:47.250 hated high school. He said, I never started studying. 00:10:47.269 --> 00:10:49.330 So I started Greek and the Bible and all the 00:10:49.330 --> 00:10:51.610 rest. I said, Joe, you got a doctorate. He goes, 00:10:51.690 --> 00:10:55.210 man, Chip, it's not about brains. It's about 00:10:55.210 --> 00:11:00.149 calling and motivation. We'll hear more from 00:11:00.149 --> 00:11:02.779 Chip Ingram's message in just a moment. First, 00:11:02.840 --> 00:11:05.139 we're inviting you to multiply your year -end 00:11:05.139 --> 00:11:07.779 donation through an exciting match that's active 00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:10.100 right now. I'm sure you're watching the trend, 00:11:10.220 --> 00:11:13.419 and it is so exciting. I mean, all across our 00:11:13.419 --> 00:11:15.980 high schools and college campuses, there is a 00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:18.820 spiritual awakening taking place. The time to 00:11:18.820 --> 00:11:21.940 respond is right now. Living on the Edge is ready. 00:11:22.159 --> 00:11:25.580 There's never been a more important time to disciple 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:28.960 the next generation. God is moving. We've created 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:32.179 the resources. We have the game plan. 30 years 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:34.919 of God's faithfulness and lots more to accomplish. 00:11:35.259 --> 00:11:37.519 God has sustained Living on the Edge for three 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:41.080 decades. Because people like you said yes. Now 00:11:41.080 --> 00:11:44.240 we're asking again, but with a twist. Living 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:46.379 on the Edge meets young people in the digital 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:49.379 spaces where they actually live. Because of the 00:11:49.379 --> 00:11:51.840 match, your donation will be matched dollar for 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:54.360 dollar in the month of December. Will you give 00:11:54.360 --> 00:11:56.840 to the next generation? Our most fruitful years 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:59.990 are ahead. And when you support this match, you're 00:11:59.990 --> 00:12:02.750 not funding yesterday's methods. You're investing 00:12:02.750 --> 00:12:06.009 in a discipleship strategy that actually reaches 00:12:06.009 --> 00:12:09.730 the smartphone generation right where they are. 00:12:09.990 --> 00:12:13.190 Double the impact of your gift at livingontheedge 00:12:13.190 --> 00:12:17.789 .org. From a series called Leaving a Legacy That 00:12:17.789 --> 00:12:20.549 Lasts Forever. Again, our Bible teacher, Chip 00:12:20.549 --> 00:12:23.360 Ingram. Well, my son ended up at Moody. He graduated 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:25.960 from Moody. He clipped out of courses. He got 00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:28.700 through. He loved Greek. He's a pastor, and he's 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:33.200 in a ministry that's God's blessing. But part 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:37.340 of it was, what's his spiritual gift? That's 00:12:37.340 --> 00:12:39.220 going to be a big part of what God, when you 00:12:39.220 --> 00:12:42.009 come to Christ, God's gonna give a primary, I 00:12:42.009 --> 00:12:45.009 believe, motivation and a ministry cluster for 00:12:45.009 --> 00:12:46.789 you to fulfill. In other words, if this is your 00:12:46.789 --> 00:12:48.490 good work you're to walk in, doesn't it make 00:12:48.490 --> 00:12:51.289 sense he's gonna put something in you, a power, 00:12:51.409 --> 00:12:53.789 supernaturally, for you to do it? The second 00:12:53.789 --> 00:12:55.570 is, what's their heart? Where's their passion? 00:12:56.629 --> 00:12:59.590 Ask them, what's your desire? What do you dream 00:12:59.590 --> 00:13:01.690 about? What would you love to see happen? I mean, 00:13:01.710 --> 00:13:04.049 that question, if you couldn't fail, what would 00:13:04.049 --> 00:13:06.850 you like to do? I mistakenly asked one of my 00:13:06.850 --> 00:13:09.830 sons that once. And he says, I want to be a musician. 00:13:10.049 --> 00:13:14.070 I thought, oh my gosh. Tell me you're joking, 00:13:14.149 --> 00:13:16.269 son. No, dad, I think God's put this music in 00:13:16.269 --> 00:13:18.669 my heart. And I'm thinking, there's a zillion 00:13:18.669 --> 00:13:21.710 musicians, bands everywhere. You got to get a 00:13:21.710 --> 00:13:23.769 real job. There's no security in this. I mean, 00:13:23.850 --> 00:13:26.110 you know, I'm preaching on the weekends of this, 00:13:26.149 --> 00:13:27.809 but now this is my kid who's not going to get 00:13:27.809 --> 00:13:31.129 a real job, right? And so he goes to a little 00:13:31.129 --> 00:13:32.769 community college. Dad, I'm bored with this. 00:13:32.809 --> 00:13:34.429 I want to go full -time in music. And I'm going. 00:13:35.340 --> 00:13:37.279 And so I can still tell you where I was. I was 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:39.659 here in the kitchen. The table's here. Jason 00:13:39.659 --> 00:13:42.580 was right there. And I'm giving him the logical 00:13:42.580 --> 00:13:44.860 parental, well, after you get done with school 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:46.940 and you need to have enough security, and I'm 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:51.139 giving him all this, basically, money. You got 00:13:51.139 --> 00:13:53.620 to take care of yourself over here. And the fear 00:13:53.620 --> 00:13:55.259 of a dad thinking you'll never be happy because 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:56.600 you're going to end up, you know, a has -been 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:58.419 little musician that's traveled around and wasted 00:13:58.419 --> 00:14:00.860 your early years. So I'm, you know, in my flesh, 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:03.279 I'm worried about his happiness and money. And 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.460 so he's in the kitchen and I'm giving him the 00:14:05.460 --> 00:14:07.019 opposite of what I'm preaching, which is not 00:14:07.019 --> 00:14:09.980 good as a pastor or a father. And he looked at 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:13.159 me and goes, hey, dad, who's that guy who said 00:14:13.159 --> 00:14:15.700 dream great dreams and follow the passions of 00:14:15.700 --> 00:14:17.879 your heart, think outside the box and make a 00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:25.120 difference for Jesus? I said, give me a minute. 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:27.639 Let me see if I can remember who that guy was. 00:14:27.879 --> 00:14:30.299 And we had this exchange and I had to say, son, 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:35.259 I'm sorry. I give, you're right. Give me a day 00:14:35.259 --> 00:14:37.240 to process it and then just tell me how can I 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.879 help you. And it's a long story and he's writing 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:42.659 music and doing what God made him to do. Anybody 00:14:42.659 --> 00:14:44.899 here in this room have that struggle with those 00:14:44.899 --> 00:14:46.440 you really care about? You know, sort of the 00:14:46.440 --> 00:14:49.539 practical versus what God might really want them 00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:52.879 to do. A is for aptitude. What are you good at? 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:57.519 The fourth is personality. You need to look at 00:14:57.519 --> 00:15:00.379 how your kids are wired. And, you know, whether 00:15:00.379 --> 00:15:02.399 that's the aptitude, whether it's the strength 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:04.259 finder test that you can get at any bookstore 00:15:04.259 --> 00:15:06.799 and go online in 30 minutes and kind of see what 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.179 people's strengths are, or the personality test, 00:15:09.419 --> 00:15:12.399 there's lots of them, the MMPI, or sort of the 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:15.019 easiest one is that DISC test, you know, high 00:15:15.019 --> 00:15:19.320 D, I. But my point is, it doesn't take long to 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:21.799 give someone that you're discipling or one of 00:15:21.799 --> 00:15:24.259 your kids or a grandkids a little test and begin 00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:26.840 to talk about, you know, you're high dominant 00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.139 and high I, you're a leader. like details. But 00:15:30.139 --> 00:15:32.440 dad, I want to be a ballerina. Well, I know, 00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:36.799 but sort of in a nice way, you're awkward, honey, 00:15:36.899 --> 00:15:39.980 and you fall down a lot, you know? And we'll 00:15:39.980 --> 00:15:41.759 get you one of those little tutus for Halloween, 00:15:41.820 --> 00:15:43.220 and you can run around the neighborhood, you 00:15:43.220 --> 00:15:46.360 know, you're only seven. But my point is, you 00:15:46.360 --> 00:15:47.960 want to direct them toward what they're good 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:53.059 at. That's how God made them. And then here, 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:56.200 You want to encourage them to get honest, wise 00:15:56.200 --> 00:15:59.100 counsel about who they are and where they fit 00:15:59.100 --> 00:16:02.000 and how to move. Because you may have an influence 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:03.980 on them, especially if they're children or grandchildren, 00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:07.879 but you want them to get wise counsel from people 00:16:07.879 --> 00:16:10.820 you really trust and they trust to give some 00:16:10.820 --> 00:16:13.820 outside, objective view of where are they at? 00:16:14.200 --> 00:16:16.120 Where are they coming from? What are they good 00:16:16.120 --> 00:16:18.799 at? How do they come off? You want to just create 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:22.720 these mirrors of objectivity to help this person 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:26.000 understand, What has God made you to do? What 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.440 is your Ephesians 2 .10 good work to walk in? 00:16:28.559 --> 00:16:30.740 What are you called to do? When you do it, you 00:16:30.740 --> 00:16:33.440 come alive and God blesses it and you're fulfilled. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:37.580 By the way, when you are doing what God made 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:40.120 you to do and when the people that you are helping 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:42.820 are doing what God made them to do, they often 00:16:42.820 --> 00:16:47.340 miss it because it doesn't seem like work. You 00:16:47.340 --> 00:16:50.919 understand, we all have glasses. If you had glasses 00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:52.860 and there was a blue tint so that everything 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:55.320 you saw was blue, you would think everyone sees 00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:59.259 blue. I meet people who see a situation and organizing 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:00.980 it, well, that can't be God's call. I mean, it's 00:17:00.980 --> 00:17:02.399 so easy to organize stuff. All you do is this, 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:03.940 this, this, this, this, this, this, this goes 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:05.579 over here, this goes over here. I mean, it only 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:07.680 took me five minutes and I'm thinking, how did 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:11.099 you do that? Or I watched my son at nine years 00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:13.039 old read the Bible and ask questions about it 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.740 and teach his friends at nine. I'm thinking, 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:19.039 And he thinks everyone does that. Or I've seen 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:21.559 people who, you know, look at something technical 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:23.200 and they click, click, click, click, click, click 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:24.759 here. This is over here. Well, this thing here, 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:26.059 these are cookies over here. I don't know what 00:17:26.059 --> 00:17:29.980 cookies are. And, you know, I mean, you could 00:17:29.980 --> 00:17:32.279 give me that computer. Until Jesus comes, I, 00:17:32.380 --> 00:17:38.400 you know, send, you know. And so what you have 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:42.259 to help people is that when they seem like it's 00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:45.970 not work because it comes so, easy. Now you have 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:49.210 to develop the gift and you have to cultivate 00:17:49.210 --> 00:17:53.390 it. But often that's their sweet spot. That's 00:17:53.390 --> 00:17:55.809 what they're great at. I remember when I first 00:17:55.809 --> 00:17:56.930 started teaching, I thought, well, no one can 00:17:56.930 --> 00:17:59.089 do this for a living. I mean, you get to study, 00:17:59.210 --> 00:18:01.829 you get up in front of people, then you get to 00:18:01.829 --> 00:18:04.609 apply it, you get to see what happens. I mean, 00:18:04.609 --> 00:18:07.529 is this for real? Like this is a real job? Now 00:18:07.529 --> 00:18:10.390 I spent hours and hours and hours intensely working, 00:18:10.509 --> 00:18:14.900 but I'd say about 95 % of it, I think. Are you 00:18:14.900 --> 00:18:17.640 kidding me? I mean, someone actually gets to 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:19.900 do this because when I open the text and when 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:22.759 I study, it breaks apart for me. I sense what 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:25.019 God wants to say. This is what you need to, I 00:18:25.019 --> 00:18:28.099 mean, it's hard in terms of intense and time 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:31.359 and energy, but it's not hard as in, oh brother, 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:35.119 I got one more sermon to write or oh boy, I got 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:37.039 to get together in a group and we got to dream 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:38.500 what we're going to do with this church and we 00:18:38.500 --> 00:18:40.440 got all these problems and boy, what a bummer. 00:18:40.500 --> 00:18:44.509 I love it. I just love it. I wake up in the middle 00:18:44.509 --> 00:18:46.369 of the night with ideas. I have to kind of hold 00:18:46.369 --> 00:18:48.210 myself down, you know, like quit trying to do 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:52.630 too much. Encourage them after the honest, wise 00:18:52.630 --> 00:18:54.910 feedback. Help them be willing to move out of 00:18:54.910 --> 00:18:58.549 their comfort zone to fulfill their divine purpose. 00:18:59.609 --> 00:19:01.750 You need to understand that the people that you 00:19:01.750 --> 00:19:03.769 love the most, the people that you want to help, 00:19:04.269 --> 00:19:09.829 the most common command in all of Scripture is 00:19:09.829 --> 00:19:17.109 a very short sentence. be afraid. That's the 00:19:17.109 --> 00:19:20.430 most repeated command in all of the Bible. Joshua, 00:19:20.509 --> 00:19:22.930 don't be afraid. Moses, don't be afraid. Disciples, 00:19:22.950 --> 00:19:28.230 don't be afraid. Why? As one ancient Greek philosopher 00:19:28.230 --> 00:19:32.609 said, safety is the greatest hindrance to all 00:19:32.609 --> 00:19:36.450 human endeavor. All of us tend to want to be 00:19:36.450 --> 00:19:40.420 safe and secure. I had to literally say to one 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:42.680 of my sons, son, you're in this community college. 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:46.259 And I mean, you can't go back there next year. 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:48.720 We'll look at different schools, but you have 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.059 this dream. But he just didn't want to get away 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:54.079 from home. This is the same son. I put roller 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:56.799 skates on him. And I said, you can't come back 00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:00.579 inside till noon. I don't want to learn. It's 00:20:00.579 --> 00:20:02.559 hard. I know it's hard. And I pushed him and 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:04.140 did all this stuff when he got his first bike. 00:20:04.750 --> 00:20:06.589 It was like, I don't want to learn to ride. I 00:20:06.589 --> 00:20:08.450 mean, he just could never get him out of his 00:20:08.450 --> 00:20:11.930 comfort zone. But man, every step of the way 00:20:11.930 --> 00:20:14.730 has been pushing him where he didn't think he 00:20:14.730 --> 00:20:19.890 could go. Lovingly, gently. But you have to help 00:20:19.890 --> 00:20:22.150 people understand. A lot of people, that's why 00:20:22.150 --> 00:20:25.069 you're where you're at. It's called coaching. 00:20:25.640 --> 00:20:28.099 Most of us can never fulfill what God made us 00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:30.799 to fulfill unless there's someone who does two 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:32.920 things. There's an arm around us that says, I 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:34.359 love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:37.660 I love you, and there's a foot that I love you 00:20:37.660 --> 00:20:41.299 so much that I'm not gonna let you stay in this 00:20:41.299 --> 00:20:45.079 little spiritual, emotional, geographical cul 00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:50.099 -de -sac of safety, okay? And so the life message 00:20:50.099 --> 00:20:56.900 is, you were created. to work. With that change 00:20:56.900 --> 00:21:00.220 of person, I was made for this. The lie is that 00:21:00.220 --> 00:21:03.299 you are what you do. You've been fatted on. You 00:21:03.299 --> 00:21:05.720 are a housewife. You are a doctor. You are a 00:21:05.720 --> 00:21:07.960 scientist. You are a builder. You are a bricklayer. 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:10.359 You are a plumber. That's a lie from the pit 00:21:10.359 --> 00:21:16.660 of hell. The truth is, do what you are. You are 00:21:16.660 --> 00:21:20.480 not what you do. Do what you are. You are created 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:23.079 in the image of God with a spiritual gift, with 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:25.759 a personality, with a passion, with aptitude, 00:21:25.819 --> 00:21:29.240 with skills, with experience to do this designed 00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:32.839 Ephesians 2 .10 good work. Discover it and then 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:36.059 help others discover theirs. And when you do, 00:21:36.180 --> 00:21:39.539 work becomes a gift from God instead of drudgery 00:21:39.539 --> 00:21:42.259 to get out of so you can go play on the weekends. 00:21:46.029 --> 00:21:49.009 Chip Ingram is talking about leaving a legacy 00:21:49.009 --> 00:21:52.170 that lasts forever. How to give your kids and 00:21:52.170 --> 00:21:55.269 grandkids what money can't buy. Please stay with 00:21:55.269 --> 00:21:57.190 us. We're going to hear an important closing 00:21:57.190 --> 00:22:00.269 comment from Chip in just a moment. First, I'm 00:22:00.269 --> 00:22:02.369 excited to share that Living on the Edge has 00:22:02.369 --> 00:22:04.990 activated one of the largest match opportunities 00:22:04.990 --> 00:22:08.369 in our 30 -year history. So now's the time to 00:22:08.369 --> 00:22:11.289 leverage your December year -end giving. Whatever 00:22:11.289 --> 00:22:13.730 amount God places on your heart to give will 00:22:13.730 --> 00:22:16.670 be doubled in size, yielding twice the impact. 00:22:16.970 --> 00:22:19.950 And the deadline for receiving your gift is December 00:22:19.950 --> 00:22:23.630 31st. And we'll use these gifts to come alongside 00:22:23.630 --> 00:22:26.730 parents, grandparents, and their kids with tools, 00:22:26.849 --> 00:22:29.690 resources, and encouragement so that people of 00:22:29.690 --> 00:22:32.789 all ages discover how to apply the Bible to every 00:22:32.789 --> 00:22:35.930 aspect of their lives. At Living on the Edge, 00:22:35.990 --> 00:22:38.069 we know that many families are struggling to 00:22:38.069 --> 00:22:40.289 answer questions about the Bible and the Christian 00:22:40.289 --> 00:22:43.349 faith. For that reason, we're equipped to respond 00:22:43.349 --> 00:22:46.230 with credible answers using methods that are 00:22:46.230 --> 00:22:49.069 preferred by a new generation of listeners. Chip? 00:22:49.130 --> 00:22:51.109 You know, we've all heard about kids who take 00:22:51.109 --> 00:22:54.069 a gap year from church after high school. But 00:22:54.069 --> 00:22:57.390 for many millennials in Gen Z, that gap year 00:22:57.390 --> 00:23:00.430 has turned into a decade. They're not angry at 00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:03.089 God. They're just not convinced Christianity 00:23:03.089 --> 00:23:05.609 has anything relevant to say to their lives. 00:23:06.130 --> 00:23:08.490 Living on the edge is reaching this generation 00:23:08.490 --> 00:23:11.670 where they are, on their phones, in their earbuds, 00:23:11.990 --> 00:23:15.049 during their commute or workout, with teaching 00:23:15.049 --> 00:23:18.859 that's both deeply biblical and intensely practical. 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:21.519 When you give to this match, you're creating 00:23:21.519 --> 00:23:24.559 on -ramps for young adults to come back to the 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:28.000 faith or to discover it for the first time in 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:31.359 a way that actually makes sense. Right now, through 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:33.880 this match, your gift is literally multiplied 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:37.559 times two. That means double the reach, double 00:23:37.559 --> 00:23:41.359 the impact, and double the lives changed. But 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:45.869 this Window won't stay open forever. The deadline 00:23:45.869 --> 00:23:50.099 is December 31st. Will you respond today? You 00:23:50.099 --> 00:23:53.019 can respond to Chip right now by going to livingontheedge 00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:59.039 .org or you can call right now, 888 -333 -6003. 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:02.539 Together, let's make an impact by giving generously 00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:05.000 to the match that's active today and through 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:08.039 December 31st. To send your donation in the mail, 00:24:08.079 --> 00:24:11.920 write to Living on the Edge, P .O. Box 3007, 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.660 Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Chip will conclude our 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:18.960 teaching series this coming Tuesday. It's called 00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:22.220 Leaving a Legacy That Lasts Forever. Did you 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:24.180 know that we have a study guide for moms and 00:24:24.180 --> 00:24:27.299 dads? It's one of the most highly requested resources 00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:30.059 in our collection called Effective Parenting 00:24:30.059 --> 00:24:33.339 in a Defective World. To learn more or to contribute 00:24:33.339 --> 00:24:39.960 to the match, call 888 -333 -6003 or visit livingontheedge 00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:43.640 .org. I'm Dave Drury, inviting you to listen 00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:46.079 next time when Chip Ingram describes how to help 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:48.880 your children and grandchildren make wise choices 00:24:48.880 --> 00:24:51.839 on the weekend edition of Living on the Edge.