Carl DeLine

Confirming the Faith: Calling and Gifts

Our society has become enamored with ways to search for building “self esteem.” The Christian Faith has for centuries recognized that personal self esteem arises out of one’s relationship with God. As each Christian lives out his or her Christian faith a discovery process begins to emerge. This process will confirm each person’s Call from God and will nurture and demonstrate what “gifts” from the Holy Spirit are prevalent in each believer’s life.

1. Close your eyes, envision a timeline. The beginning of the timeline is the day you were born. The end of the timeline is the day you die. Highlight key moments you remember something being said or something you experienced that caused you to feel, “yes, I am going the right direction, I did right.” Make a list of as many of those moments as you can.

2. Which of these moments/experiences can be viewed as having something to do with what you understand about religious faith? Create a key word from each of these moments or experiences. Create a list of these key words.

3. What does it mean to be called by God?

4. In the Bible, find the story about Jeremiah being called by God. In the Bible find the story about Matthew being called by Jesus. Where did you find these stories and how do these two stories compare?

5. From your list in question two, identify your key words that may be similar to the call of Jeremiah and the call of Matthew.

6. Make a list of things people have said you really do well. Add to this list the things you hope people will say you were really good at while you are living.

7. Look in the Bible and make a list of what the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” are. Where did you find the list in the Bible?

8. From the list of the things you are good at, and the things you hope to be good at, make a list of the gifts of the spirit you will need to exercise to achieve what you are hoping for in your life.

9. Go to a religious leader and ask them how they discovered what their spiritual gifts are.

10. Sit down with a partner and explain this assignment to them. Explain what your answers are to your partner. Write down your partner’s response.