The Gift Of Teaching

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

Seeking God’s Call

When I first married Sam, I desperately needed to feel a sense of God’s call on my life. I thought if God had called Sam to preach and pastor a church, then I should have a calling, too. If we were married, God would want us to both have a call, right? Well, yes, but not because we were married.

God calls all of us that have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior to serve Him. We are all called to love one another (John 23:34) and to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). But how are we supposed to do that? Well, this leads us into our final spiritual gift in Romans we have been studying, the gift of teaching.

Seeking His Guidance

Over the years of seeking God for His guidance, I realized that it’s through our gifts that He uses each of us to further His kingdom here on earth. When we use these gifts to their fullest potential, and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in our lives, there is no stopping us. God has given me many gifts. Some of these gifts have been for a season and some I’ve had for as long as I can now remember.

As I kept seeking, I began feeling a need to teach. I began leading Bible Studies. This was more about facilitating a group and leading them through a series of questions. I kept feeling from God He wanted more. So I would do the Bible Study and research more and add a little more in to what the book said. This continued through my time in Texas and followed by Florida. When we moved back to Texas, I felt the Lord say this is your growing season, not a time for you to lead. Our time at the church in Houston was a time of refreshing for me.

Open Doors

When we moved to Montana, I felt God say it’s time to teach again. I started another Bible Study and began facilitating once again. I received invitations to go teach at other churches and I felt like God was opening doors for me to live out this call of teaching in my life. Then Lyme Disease invaded my body and everything came to a complete standstill. A two-year standstill.

Shut Doors

I struggled with God a lot. I often asked why did you put this desire in me to teach, but then allow Lyme Disease to stop me from teaching. After asking, over and over, the answer kept getting clearer and clearer. God began saying, “You can still teach. You don’t have to walk, or stand, to teach and you can even teach from your home.”

God Kept Nudging

Then COVID hit and everyone went online and God again said, “See, even church is now online.” From that moment on, God kept nudging me to step out of my comfort zone and teach. This time it was to not facilitate, but to teach. It was time to dig into the Word and learn it so that I could teach it. With the encouragement of some friends, my online studies began. And all I can say is, “Wow.”

When I sought God twenty-six years ago, for what He wanted from me, never did I think it would look like this. And, because of what Lyme Disease taught me, I never take for granted a moment the Lord allows me to teach. When we live out our gifts, we thrive. Not because the gift sustains us, but because serving God and living out the gifts He placed within us drives us to press on.

Online Christian Community

I have taught Revelation and Romans and have an online community that I think is amazing. These women have taught me so much. After teaching Revelation again, while teaching Romans, God has put in my heart to keep teaching, but with more urgency.

From this I have put together and four-week series called, “Ignite Your Faith.” Over the next four weeks, I am going to dig in deeper into all God has shown me through my seeking, and I pray it will help you understand where God is calling you. I invite you to join us on this journey.

Spiritual Gifts In Romans

Over the past few weeks, we have looked at the spiritual gifts Paul reveals in Romans. We have looked at prophecy, serving, encouraging, giving, mercy, leading and today’s teaching. Have you recognized any of these gifts in yourself? I would love to here if you have and how God has used you when using these gifts. Please share them in the comments below.

I pray that each of you will live out your gifts in a way that will draw others to Jesus. If you do not recognize your gift yet that you press in to Jesus and ask Him to reveal it. Keep asking until you know it. If you do know your gifts, live them out to the fullest. God wants to do amazing things through you and with you.