My name is Lory Demshar. I became a disciple in 1972. I was raised as a Catholic in a small town in
Teaching Others - Lory Demshar
- Teaching and learning are intimately related; they are part of a whole
- Teaching and learning should be continuous throughout our life.
1. God expects us to teach one another
Matt. 20:18-20; Col.1:28; Col.3:16; Titus 2:3-5
2. Teaching happens in different ways
1) Formal class situation- (gift)
Examples:
· Jesus’ sermon on the mount in which Jesus correctly interpreted the law to the people;
· Paul going to the synagogue to teach;
· Peter – lesson on the day of Pentecost;
· Acts 2:42-the new disciples being devoted to the teaching of the apostles.
2) Personal Bible study and prayer in which we are taught by the Spirit through the Word. Ex. Acts 17:11; Ps. 119:9-11
3) Teaching One Another/Teaching in Relationships
§ Teaching and learning occur with in the process of life relationships
§ Ex. Deut. 6:7 is a wonderful model of this.
§ Jesus did this with his disciples; walking/ talking; eating/ talking, etc.
§ Titus 2:3-5 – implies this type of process;
3. What does it take to be an effective spiritual teacher?
1) A deep personal relationship with God in which you believe that God loves you, is involved in your life.
- read the word- believe it and pray to put it into practice in your life
- Awareness and Reflection:
a) be aware of and reflect upon God’s working in your life; - Ex. The psalms of David
b) interpret the events in your life from a spiritual perspective
Joseph- Gen. 50:19-20; David 2 Kings 16:6-11
2) A knowledge and understanding of the Word of God-Col. 3:16
3) Humility- A willingness to be vulnerable and share what you have learned from walking with God: victories; struggles, even failures
Ex. Jesus did this: In fact our salvation depends on Jesus doing this. He had a very close personal relationship with God and he shared it with us: Jn.1:18;15:15
Ex. Helen’s sharing at the NECC of her struggle to control her tongue
4) Building a relationship
- build trust; listen; talk; pray together; observe; share scripture
Assignment: Reflect on your life as a disciple and write down three events/situations in your life, past or present and write down how you perceive God worked in those situations and what you learned from them.
For an index to the Legacies of Faith lesson series, see the Introduction.
