God started speaking to me about preaching about a year ago. And now the time has come for me to walk through that door. I will be sharing God's word at my church on Sunday, March 23rd in the 2pm service. Praise be to God! (If you want more details send me an email or message on facebook.)
Let me back up a little so you understand what a "God thing" this is. As a child and even through college, I hated public speaking. I would get prepared and then psych myself out. To the point of tears. (Singing and acting have always been different for me. I have never had a problem with either and have been singing for audiences since I was 2 or so.) My first B ever was in my speech class in college. It was something about feeling like I was being critiqued and scored for speaking in front of others that could put me in a panic. Looking back I don't think it was as much about the speaking as it was about eyes staring at me and my appearance, my skin, my hair, my less than designer wardrobe.
So the thought of my sharing what God has laid on my heart in a public setting is so not me. But it is exactly where God is leading me now. He has given me time to get used to the idea. (I am so thankful for that. Sometimes God gives me times to adjust to change, since he knows I don't do change well.) I have had dreams where I have seen myself preaching and ministering and it was good. I think it was God's way of preparing me and letting me know that it was okay to step out in this and that he will not leave me by myself.
I now know that God moved me to teaching the college/career Sunday School class as a preparation for this. When I started, it was very hard for me. I chose to not use literature because I really wanted God to lead me and not to be bound by literature. And God starting speaking to me through his word in ways I had never experienced in my many years serving him. And my few faithful blog readers got to hear a lot of what God was showing me. I starting using this blog to share those thoughts and to process what God was saying. And that too, has been good for me.
God started giving me a word to share in May of 2013. For nine months, I added thoughts and scriptures verses to it, waiting patiently for an opportunity to share. A few weeks ago I felt God urging me to ask my pastor for an opportunity to preach and he quickly said yes and we put it on the calendar. So here we are.
I am excited and at least a little scared. If you would, please pray with me, for me, that I will be led by God as I put this together and that He will increase and I will decrease.
So the thought of my sharing what God has laid on my heart in a public setting is so not me. But it is exactly where God is leading me now. He has given me time to get used to the idea. (I am so thankful for that. Sometimes God gives me times to adjust to change, since he knows I don't do change well.) I have had dreams where I have seen myself preaching and ministering and it was good. I think it was God's way of preparing me and letting me know that it was okay to step out in this and that he will not leave me by myself.
I now know that God moved me to teaching the college/career Sunday School class as a preparation for this. When I started, it was very hard for me. I chose to not use literature because I really wanted God to lead me and not to be bound by literature. And God starting speaking to me through his word in ways I had never experienced in my many years serving him. And my few faithful blog readers got to hear a lot of what God was showing me. I starting using this blog to share those thoughts and to process what God was saying. And that too, has been good for me.
God started giving me a word to share in May of 2013. For nine months, I added thoughts and scriptures verses to it, waiting patiently for an opportunity to share. A few weeks ago I felt God urging me to ask my pastor for an opportunity to preach and he quickly said yes and we put it on the calendar. So here we are.
I am excited and at least a little scared. If you would, please pray with me, for me, that I will be led by God as I put this together and that He will increase and I will decrease.
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