Vocation, Calling, and the Shape of a Life - For Men

Jeremiah 1:4-10Psalm 139:13-161 Peter 2:91 Samuel 16:6-13Colossians 3:17Colossians 3:231 Corinthians 1:27-291 Corinthians 12:4-11Ephesians 4:1-7Ephesians 4:11-16Romans 12:4-81 Peter 4:10-11Acts 9:1-19Philippians 3:7-14John 21:15-192 Timothy 4:6-8Luke 5:1-112 Corinthians 4:1-7Philippians 1:6Jeremiah 1:4‑10Psalm 139:13‑161 Samuel 16:6‑13231 Corinthians 12:4‑11Ephesians 4:1‑711‑16Acts 9:1‑19Philippians 3:7‑14John 21:15‑192 Timothy 4:6‑82 Corinthians 4:1‑7

Distinct from *Work, Ambition, and the Question of “Enough”*, this study explores vocation as something far larger than a career. It is about calling — the particular shape God has given to a particular life. Scripture shows that God’s call reaches beyond what we do for money: Jeremiah was known before he was formed, David was anointed while keeping sheep, and Paul’s tentmaking simply supported his mission. Many men have absorbed the idea that “ministry” belongs to pastors, teachers, or musicians on a stage. Yet Scripture insists that all God’s people are gifted and called — that the Spirit equips each of us for Kingdom work in the ordinary places of home, work, and community. In this study, men will rediscover vocation in its older Christian sense — the full configuration of work, family, community, gifts, and burdens that together form a life lived before God. It invites each man to consider not how others might remember him, but how he might describe his own life before God: a story of calling, faithfulness, and participation in the ongoing work of Christ’s Kingdom. And for those who wonder if they’ve missed their moment, this study reminds us — it is never too late to offer our lives afresh to God and be used in the time that remains.

What's Included

When you pull this study into your workspace, these items come with it.

Lessons6
Teaching sessions adapted for your audience.
Handouts6
One handout per lesson when this deliverable is included.
Discussion Guides0
Questions and prompts for teachers and parents.
Slides0
Presentation decks for classroom use.

What You'll Study

Known and Called

Jeremiah 1:4‑10; Psalm 139:13‑16; 1 Peter 2:9

God’s Call Is Personal

Learning Objectives

Participants will understand that calling begins with God’s initiative, not human achievement. They will reflect on Jeremiah and the psalmist to see that being known and called by God gives identity and dignity before any role or task. They will learn that every believer is part of a royal priesthood — chosen, called out of darkness, and commissioned to declare God’s praise. Each man will identify one place where he senses God’s personal knowledge and invitation in his life.

Ordinary Places, Sacred Purpose

1 Samuel 16:6‑13; Colossians 3:17,23

God Works Through the Everyday

Learning Objectives

Participants will recognize that their ordinary settings — home, workplace, and community — are sacred arenas for God’s work. They will explore how David’s early faithfulness and Paul’s exhortation in Colossians reveal that vocation grows in hidden places. Each man will name one daily context he can re‑see as holy ground.

Gifts for the Kingdom

1 Corinthians 12:4‑11; Ephesians 4:1‑7,11‑16

Every Believer Is Equipped

Learning Objectives

Participants will grasp that every believer is equipped by the Spirit with unique gifts for the good of others. They will study Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts to discern how their abilities and passions can serve God’s redemptive purposes. Each man will identify one gift or capacity he feels prompted to steward more intentionally.

Calling and Cost

Acts 9:1‑19; Philippians 3:7‑14

Obedience Over Ambition

Learning Objectives

Participants will explore how obedience sometimes involves surrendering ambition or comfort. They will examine Paul’s calling and his honest uncertainty to understand that doubt does not cancel calling — it can refine it. Each man will articulate one area where obedience may require trust amid uncertainty.

Seasons of Calling

John 21:15‑19; 2 Timothy 4:6‑8

Persevering and Being Renewed

Learning Objectives

Participants will see that calling changes across life’s seasons and that past failure or transition does not disqualify them. They will study Jesus’ recommissioning of Peter and Paul’s reflection near the end of his race to discern how God renews purpose. Each man will describe what renewed calling might look like in his current stage of life.

A Life Before God

2 Corinthians 4:1‑7; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:9

Faithfulness in the Time That Remains

Learning Objectives

Participants will integrate the study’s themes by reflecting on how God has shaped their life’s calling. They will consider what it means to live faithfully “before God” rather than for human approval. Each will reflect on how being chosen and set apart to declare God’s praises now takes deeper meaning their lives as they articulate their own vocation before God. Each man will draft a brief statement of vocation — a testimony of how he desires to offer his remaining time and gifts to Christ’s Kingdom.

Actual Lesson Preview

A real rendered lesson for Adults from this study — a preview, not the full content.

Sample Content

Setting the Scene (5 min) This section provides context so participants can locate each passage historically and emotionally before diving into details. In John 21, the resurrected Jesus meets Peter by the Sea of Galilee after Peter’s threefold denial. Peter has returned to fishing — perhaps unsure what future remains for him. Over breakfast, Jesus initiates a tender yet piercing conversation that restores Peter’s relationship and renews his calling: “Feed my sheep.” It’s a moment of recommissioning — not despite Peter’s failure, but through it. In 2 Timothy 4, Paul writes from a Roman prison knowing his death is near. His tone is calm, confident, almost pastoral. He speaks of his life as a completed offering — poured out for Christ — and of a race faithfully finished. Paul’s words reveal that calling endures even when one’s public ministry or physical strength has ended. Together, these passages bookend a life of discipleship — one man recommissioned to begin again, the other ready to hand off the baton. Transition: Let’s look closely at what each passage actually says before we draw conclusions about what they mean.

This study adapts to your church

When you bring this study into your workspace, it adapts to your theological convictions, your teaching context, and your audience. No other curriculum does this.

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