During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
As a leader, you may sometimes feel unsure of your calling. You may wonder if God really wants you leading that Bible study group, that group of co-workers, or this class. Yet God is clear—you are His handiwork. He has uniquely equipped you to do the good works He has prepared for you to do. And, in doing so, you bring glory to His great name.
Think about your gifts and talents. Ask yourself these questions to help yourself see the unique ways God has called and gifted you: What am I passionate about? What am I good at? What do others say I am good at? What is God calling me to do?
Questions like these may not immediately reveal your gifts, but they can guide you to understand the passions the Lord has placed in your heart. Discovering your gifts can be a lifetime process. You may find that different gifts become more important during different seasons of your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you unwrap the beautiful gifts He has given you to lead and serve others.
Encourage the students to ask their family members about their gifts. The teens can then share how we can use our gifts to lead and serve others.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
As the teens arrive, ask if any of them had an opportunity to serve others in the last week. Invite them to share with other teens until you are ready to begin. If you have time, allow 1–2 students to briefly share their stories in just 2–3 sentences with the whole group.
When you are ready to begin class, ask the students to sit down.
Last time, we talked about some qualities of good leaders. What are some of the characteristics we discussed?
Allow 5–6 students to answer. Be sure to mention serving others if none of them mention it.
We all have leadership qualities that we can use to lead and serve others. We all have different abilities and talents we can use to help our friends, our families, and our community. Let’s do an activity to see what kinds of leadership skills you have!
Choose 5–8 students to stand in a circle. Give them the rope and tell them they must hold the rope in front of them with both hands, so no part of the rope is touching the ground.
I will say a shape, and those of you holding the rope will create that shape with the rope. You can move your bodies to create the shape, but everyone must hold the rope with both hands the entire time. You only have 1 minute to create the shape. Once you have created the shape with the rope, lay it down on the ground. The rest of the class will decide if it looks like the shape I named.
Tell the students a shape, and give them 1 minute to lay the rope in that shape on the ground. Ask the rest of the class to vote on whether the rope looks like the shape you named. You may begin with a simple shape such as a rectangle, then move to more difficult shapes such as stars, flowers, and clouds. This will require them to communicate more and work together more cooperatively. Repeat the activity 2–3 more times, using different shapes and different students.
In activities like these, we can see the skills each person has. Some of you immediately began to tell others what to do and where to move. This shows that you are good communicators. Some of you stood quietly and followed directions or looked carefully at the shape to decide how to best create it. This shows that you are flexible and creative. Some of you encouraged and complimented others. This shows that you are positive and compassionate. Some of you pulled in different directions and had a hard time agreeing about the best way to accomplish the task. This shows that you are confident and passionate.
These are all leadership skills. We all have opportunities to be leaders, and we all lead in different ways because we all have different abilities and gifts. Today we will talk about the gifts and talents we have and how we can use them to lead and serve others.
Let me start by asking you a few questions. You do not need to answer these out loud—just think about them for a moment.
Ask each of the following questions and pause briefly after each one.
Raise your hand if you thought of at least 1 thing in answer to any of those questions.
See, every one of us has gifts, skills, and talents—things that God has given us to help us lead and serve others. Listen to this verse:
Have a student read Ephesians 2:10 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the verse is printed here.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
What does this verse teach us about recognizing and using our gifts, skills, and talents?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Be sure they mention that God has given each of us gifts, skills, and talents, and He has prepared ways for us to use them.
God has prepared each of us to do good works! That includes being servant leaders with those around us. But how do we know what our gifts are and how we can use them to serve others? Let’s start by talking more about discovering our gifts. Find a partner and find a place you can sit together and talk. You will share your thoughts with your partner as we learn more about gifts and talents.
What do you enjoy, or what are you passionate about? The most helpful way to discover your gifts is to observe what you enjoy doing as you serve, help, or lead others. What are some things you do that have made you feel useful and excited? What things are you passionate about? For example, if you are passionate about singing, you may be able to use your passion to become the leader of a choir or singing group. Turn to your partner and share what you enjoy or are passionate about. The partner will then share a way you could use that as a leader. You will have 1 minute to share, and your partner will have a minute to respond with how you could use that as a leader. Then you will switch roles.
If possible, share an example of a passion or interest you have that helps you as you lead. Time the students as they share so that each partner has a chance to share. When time is up, move to the next question. Repeat this process throughout this section.
What are you good at? Carefully observe what kinds of things you feel you do well or things you feel comfortable doing. Understanding what you do well can help you to discover your gifts. Turn to your partner and share what you are good at. The partner will then share a way you could use that as a leader.
What do others say you do well? Pay attention to the things you do that draw compliments from others. This may lead you to discovering your gifts. This verse tells us more about our skills and gifts.
Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings; they will not serve before officials of low rank.
Proverbs 22:29
What does this verse teach us about recognizing and using our gifts, skills, and talents?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Be sure they mention that others often notice our skills and talents, and we may be recognized for them.
Turn to your partner and share what others say you do well. The partner will then share a way you could use that as a leader.
What do you feel called by God to do? God often calls us to minister to others in the areas where He has gifted us. God always equips us for the tasks He sets before us. All we have as gifts should be used to serve others as we learned last time.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10
What does this verse teach us about using our gifts, skills, and talents?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Be sure they mention that we are called to serve one another with our gifts, skills, and talents.
Turn to your partner and share what you feel God may be calling you to do with your gifts, skills, and talents. Your partner will then share a way you can use that gift, skill, or talent as a leader.
What new things can you try? Another way to discover your gifts is to try new things. When God blesses you with a gift, you will often find that you are very good at doing that task, even if you have never done it before. Remember that there are different kinds of gifts and different kinds of leaders.
Have a student read 1 Corinthians 12:4–6 from a Bible if possible.
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12:4–6
What does this verse teach us about using our gifts, skills, and talents?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Be sure they mention that we all have different gifts, skills, and talents, but we receive all of them from God, and He helps us to use them for His work.
This verse is talking specifically about the gifts God gives to help His children to grow. However, the idea is true for all of us. God gives a variety of gifts, and they all come from Him. He has called us to use them to lead and serve others. Turn to your partner and share a new thing you can try. The partner will then share a way you can use that gift, skill, or talent as a leader.
These questions may not tell you immediately what your gifts are. But they can help you to discover your gifts. Discovering your gifts may be a long process of thinking, praying, observing, and learning. You may discover new gifts or begin to use them differently at different times in your life. You can ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gifts to you, and He can guide you to use them to lead and serve others, especially those in the church.
Based on the questions I just shared with you, think about a gift you think you might have. I will ask the questions again. As I do, think about the skills and abilities you have. You can also pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal your gifts to you.
As you read each of the questions, pause for a minute to give the students time to think and pray.
Now think of the ways your partner encouraged you to use your gifts, skills, and talents as a leader. Think of 1 small way you can begin to use that gift as a leader this week. Turn to your partner again and spend a few minutes praying for each other.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the teens time to complete the pages to discover more about their gifts.
Some of you may feel that you are too young or not skilled enough yet to be a leader. Listen to this verse and let it encourage you that God can and will use you, even while you are young.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12
You can be a leader even now. You can be an example for others as a godly servant leader.
Close with this blessing based on 1 Peter 4:10:
Blessing: May you be confident in knowing that God has given you gifts to serve and lead others. He will continue to help you grow as a leader!
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
