Is God Calling Me?: Answering the Question Every Believer Asks
By Jeff Iorg
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Is God calling me? It’s the foundational question that must be answered by anyone considering entry into ministry leadership and then revisited regularly over a lifetime. Writing to a student and young adult audience—although applicable to leaders of all ages—Iorg declares the purpose of his brief, yet powerful book:
“God is calling out a new generation of kingdom leaders who will accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation. My goal is to cut to the heart of the matter and give you tools to work through the call process.”
Endorsements
Jeff Iorg offers a personal, practical, and rich exploration of God’s call to ministry in Is God Calling Me? —Paul Chitwood, President, International Mission Board
No matter where you are on your faith journey, this book provides an excellent guide as you ask God how He might use you to share the gospel and build strong churches. —Kevin Ezell, President, North American Mission Board
Jeff Iorg
Jeff Iorg is president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds degrees from Hardin-Simmons University, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Iorg and his wife Ann have three children and live in Mill Valley, California.
Read more from Jeff Iorg
Illustrating Well: Preaching Sermons that Connect Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Painful Side of Leadership: Moving Forward Even When It Hurts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shadow Christians: Making an Impact When No One Knows Your Name Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Seasons of a Leader’s Life: Learning, Leading, and Leaving a Legacy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Character of Leadership: Nine Qualities that Define Great Leaders Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Case for Antioch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Identity in the Trinity: Discovering God’s Grace in the Gospel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Is God Calling Me?
Related ebooks
Discerning Your Call to Ministry: How to Know For Sure and What to Do About It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Youth Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Youth Ministry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5And the Place Was Shaken: How to Lead a Powerful Prayer Meeting Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Called: Cover the Earth with the Love of Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalling and Clarity: Discovering What God Wants for Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Disciple Well: A Discipleship Guide for the Everyday Leader Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Here and Now: Thriving in the Kingdom of Heaven Today Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAm I Called? (Foreword by Matt Chandler): The Summons to Pastoral Ministry Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Discipleship By Design: The Discipling of Christian University Students Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/550 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCalling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Transforming Prayer: How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Master Plan of Evangelism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5After 50 Years of Ministry: 7 Things I'd Do Differently and 7 Things I'd Do the Same Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Let the Nations be Glad: The Supremacy Of God In Missions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/54 Chair Discipling: What He Calls Us to Do Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Shape of Faith to Come Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Kingdom First Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Christian Baptism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFaithful Preaching Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Supremacy of God in Preaching Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 7 Principles of an Evangelistic Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being a Christian: How Jesus Redeems All of Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCharacter Still Counts: It Is Time to Restore Our Lasting Values Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Titus Ten: Foundations for Godly Manhood Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simple Church Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Christianity For You
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Brain's Not Broken: Strategies for Navigating Your Emotions and Life with ADHD Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Is God Calling Me?
9 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5MUST READ FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERSFew things can be more confusing than working through the idea of God's calling to ministry. Sadly, men and women that struggle with this call don't have many reliable places to turn. Sometimes family can give less than godly advice. Other ministers can even confuse the situation with advice that is rooted more in their subjective experience than in the Word of God.Jeff Iorg offers sound biblical insight into the issue of "calling." This book should be required reading for anyone struggling with a sense of vocational call on their life. I believe that a careful reading of would help anyone who read it thoughtfully and prayerfully.
Book preview
Is God Calling Me? - Jeff Iorg
Contents
A Conversation about the Question
1. Defining the Concept of Call
2. Three Types of Call Experiences
3. Three Ways God Calls
4. Who God Calls
5. Discerning God's Call
6. The Effects of God's Call
7. The Call to Missions
8. The Call to Pastoral Ministry
Continuing the Conversation
"Does God actually call people into ministry? What is the difference between God's calling and a personal desire to minister in a specific arena of need? Just how does a person determine if he or she is being called of God for a specific task? And what happens if you ignore the call of God? Jeff Iorg's book, Is God Calling Me?, is the perfect resource for people asking such questions. Out of a lifetime interest in students and ministry, Jeff offers a practical approach to discerning God's call, an approach hammered out on the twin anvils of Scripture and personal experience."
— Tom Elliff, President
International Mission Board
"Is God Calling Me? is a book I appreciate from a man I greatly respect. Jeff Iorg has helped inspire and equip countless leaders who have answered a call to the world-shaping work of gospel ministry. This is not work for the faint of heart, and it requires wisdom from those who've gone before. Iorg has provided just this type of wisdom in this brief yet profound work."
— Kevin Ezell, President
North American Mission Board
"Reading Is God Calling Me? is the next best thing to sitting on the porch and discussing this pivotal life question with a wise mentor. If you are unable to engage in the latter, I strongly recommend that you read this down-to-earth book. It could change your life!"
— Ron Ellis, President
California Baptist University
"Practical and thought provoking, Is God Calling Me? by Dr. Jeff Iorg is a wonderfully insightful book of benefit for a new generation of Christian leaders. What an excellent tool for collegiate ministry!"
— Linda H. Osborne
National Collegiate Ministry Leader
Life Way Christian Resources
"Dr. Jeff Iorg is right on! Is God Calling Me? is concise, clear, and inspiring. I recommend it to anyone seeking insight to ministry. My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Iorg's personal illustrations and openness; it was refreshing."
— Rob Zinn, Senior Pastor
Immanuel Baptist Church,
Highland, California
What an incredible book to help you understand God's calling on your life. Anyone seeking God's will can find significant assistance here.
— Max Barnett, Christian Challenge Director
State of Colorado
© 2008 by Jeff Iorg
All rights reserved
978-0-8054-6397-2
Published by B&H Publishing Group,
Nashville, Tennessee
Dewey Decimal Classification: 253.2
Subject Heading: Leadership \ God-Will \ Pastoral Work
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
10 11 12 13 14 • 17 16 15 14 13
For my children—
Casey, Melody, and Caleb—
And the generation of young leaders they represent.
We need your passion.
Take over.
page11.pngYou probably selected this book because you are trying—maybe even struggling—to answer the question on the cover: Is God calling me?
Considering this question reveals something very positive about your spiritual sensitivity and commitment. Answering it will determine your spiritual destiny.
Is God calling me?
is the essential question you must answer before entering ministry leadership or accepting a specific ministry assignment. Settling the issue of call is foundational to effective Christian leadership. Being called
is one characteristic of distinctly Christian leadership. Answering this question, initially, charts a lifelong course of ministry leadership. Knowing how to answer the question subsequently, at key junctures in life, will clarify God's assignment of specific leadership roles or responsibilities. Is God calling me?
is a question you must answer now and be able to answer again and again over a lifetime.
As ministry leaders, we serve in response to God's invitation and at his pleasure, not at our initiative. Throughout the Bible and church history, men and women have responded to God's call and led his people. The demands of ministry leadership are simply too great and the consequences too long lasting to assume these roles capriciously or casually. Ministry leadership is a calling we answer, not a career we pursue.
You may be struggling to answer this question, confused by the different perspectives you have heard and frustrated by the many ways people describe the concept of call. If so, take heart! You share a common struggle almost every Christian leader experiences. I hope this book will help you solve the problem without adding to your frustration.
The insights in this book have been hammered out over more than thirty years of personally pursuing God's call and many years of teaching others to do the same. Students and conference participants have heard my messages and presentations on God's call and have freely critiqued me. Sometimes, they changed my mind. Other times, they helped me think more critically and communicate more clearly. Sharpening this message has been a fulfilling, but sometimes painful, quest.
What you are about to read is not an exhaustive treatment of God's call. It is, however, a collection of field-tested insights that have helped many to clarify their understanding of call. Others have, and will, write longer books on God's call. My first goal is to cut straight to the heart of the matter and give you tools to work through the call process. But detailed analysis and intellectual understanding are not enough. My ultimate goal for you is clarity about God's call so you can answer affirmatively! If God is calling you, obedience is the only desired response.
My prayer is that God's call will become crystal clear and his grace will empower and motivate you to radical obedience. God is calling out a new generation of passionate leaders—kingdom leaders—who will accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation. Perhaps you are one of them. As you read, ask God for insight and spiritual discernment. Your future and the future leadership of the kingdom of God are in the balance. The stakes are high, but God's power and grace are sufficient to call you and sustain you in ministry leadership.
May God inspire and direct you as you read!
page111.pngFew concepts are talked about more and understood less in Christian circles than God's call. Some believers claim to be called into ministry, to missions, to the pastorate, or to some other church leadership role as a special instruction from God. Others contradict that narrow understanding with the claim that all believers are equally called to serve God. Still others point out phrases in the Bible such as called to be holy
or called out of darkness
(i.e. 1 Pet. 1:15, 2:9) as evidence that calling is just another word for a common spiritual experience, not a special or specific instruction from God.
Who is right about all this? Does God call people to serve him in special ways? Are all believers called? If they are, are all callings equal before God? Is the concept of call simply another way to describe the sanctification process? Is it an overspiritualized