How Can I Use My Talents For God?

“It is the task of youth not to reshape the church, but rather to listen to the Word Of God.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

For many people in our generation there is a burning desire for adventure and success. We want to be creative and successful. We desire to leave a legacy and to have fun while doing it. In the church, in the work place, and in our schools – we desire to bring some kind of change and leave our mark on the world.  In order to reach our goals we need to learn how to use our skills and talents to their full potential.

I enrolled in YWAM Montana Lakeside’s “Summer Programs” in 2012. When I signed up for the program, I was mostly looking for a fun summer experience. To be quite honest, I wasn’t focused on growing in my faith. All I wanted to do was play music and tour around the world. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for my priorities to change.

On the first day of class I quickly realized that my desire to just show up and play music was shifting. During worship the next day, the Spirit of the Lord hit me so hard that I fell to my knees trembling in the presence of the Lord. At that moment I realized that Jesus knew everything I had done, every sin I had committed, every negative thought I ever had, and I was scared out of my mind. In that moment I expected condemnation and wrath, but what I got instead was the comfort of a Father showing me how he had been by my side through all of it.

I discovered that I was made for something greater than just playing music

The next six weeks took me on a radical journey. When I asked, “how can I use my talents for God?” I discovered that I was made for something greater than just playing music. I was built to use my gifts to reach unbelievers and lead people into worship of the Lord. This experience radically changed the way I live and God has never felt more real to me than he does today.

Our Summer Programs exist to show everyone that they can be used by God. We desire to give our students an experience that reaps lasting fruit in their lives. Our heart is evangelism and using our gifts to tell people about Jesus. We focus specifically on sports, dance, and music (with more focus areas coming in the near future).

We believe that artists and athletes who are equipped with the Word of God are incredible resources for the Kingdom

Our commitment, first and foremost, is giving our students a solid foundation in the Word of God. We spend our mornings in lectures learning about the character and nature of our Father. Then in the afternoons students break into their “tracks” to focus on honing their skills. Our talents, interests, and passions give us the ability to reach into the hearts of so many people who might not otherwise be open to hearing the good news. We believe that artists and athletes who are equipped with the Word of God are incredible resources for the Kingdom. So many times our students will get to see, for the first time, what is like when a person accepts Jesus. During the summer of 2014, we took three teams to Cambodia. We saw 50 people accept Christ and get connected to ministries that are eager to disciple these new believers.

You’d be amazed to see how God can use your life, and your talents, to impact another. If you are a dancer, athlete, or musician, I want to personally invite you to come and join with us in our mission to know God and make him known, together!

Please tell me more about Summer Programs!

Ready to make the jump.

At YWAM Montana-Lakeside, we are all about doing whatever it takes to know God and to make Him known, together! We’d love to help you make that next step in your global missions education. Apply now!

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