Gifted

By Rev. Heidi L. Barham |  October 5, 2025

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Read 2 Timothy 1:3 – 14  (NIV)
 
Today is World Communion Sunday when we reflect upon God’s love for His entire family... it is a family that reaches beyond all physical borders and stretches across every culture... and all we need to do is look at the Gospel of John to see that this is indeed the case... it is there that we read:
 
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
 
And in a world that feels increasingly more divided than ever, it truly is a blessing for us to be able to join together in unity... across the globe... and celebrate the most precious gift that God has given to us all.
 
Now, here’s the thing... the gift of eternal life given to us through Jesus’ sacrifice for us on that cross at Calvary is a gift that is not something to be hoarded... rather we are meant to share it with others... that they, too, might receive this most amazing gift of God’s grace.
 
Now, let’s turn our attention to today’s text which comes from Paul’s second letter to his protégé, Timothy.  According to scholars, this is believed to be the last letter that Paul wrote.  Knowing he was to be executed soon, Paul sent this final message to Timothy... in essence passing the torch of leadership to him.
 
It is a letter that was meant to remind Timothy that as a man of true faith... he had been GIFTED to serve.
 
Now, this morning, I want to give particular attention to three verses from our text, verses 5 – 7. And I want to invite us to listen to those verses again as they are found in the Message Paraphrase:

That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

Paul’s letter to Timothy was an invitation for him to reflect on the faith that he inherited from his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois... two women who served as true role models of faith for Timothy...  
 
This letter was also a reminder to Timothy that he had been GIFTED to serve in the ministry... and that was a gift he should not squander.
 
Paul’s words of encouragement to Timothy back then can serve as words of encouragement to us today... first, to remind us of those who have been role models in our lives... and second, to reflect upon the ways we have been GIFTED to serve... to ensure that we continually put our gifts to use to glorify God... the One who is the giver of every good and perfect gift (see James 1:17).
 
Now, one of my role models was my godfather, Ken, who was truly one of the most intelligent people I have ever known.
 
Ken was able to talk intelligently about almost any subject... he was GIFTED with a wealth of knowledge that amazed anyone and everyone he met.  I really do miss hearing the lessons he sought to pass on... and I regret not taking full advantage of the immense treasure found in his thoughts and musings on life.
 
Several years ago, I listened to an audiobook that had originally belonged to Ken, entitled, “Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations” by Thomas Friedman, a writer for the New York Times. 
 
The book is something I could have envisioned Ken writing.  It was published back in 2016 and focused on many of the technological advances that had been made up to that point, particularly during the previous 10 years.  It explained how the rate of acceleration of new ideas could conceivably outpace the speed of everyday life.
 
The book was filled with observations about life that reminded me of the way Ken would talk about things happening in the world and expound on how one thing could potentially impact so many other things.  He had a real gift for identifying the interconnections that existed between seemingly unrelated incidents.
 
Now, the author of “Thank You for Being Late” noted in the introduction that the premise for the book came as he found himself with a few minutes to sit and reflect on life while he was waiting for someone who was late to their scheduled meeting.  Far from being angry or frustrated with his associate for being tardy, Friedman actually told him, “Thank you for being late…”  He went on to explain how nice it was to have some free time to just sit and think about life.
 
This got me to thinking about how we have a tendency to live life at a constant speed of “fast forward” ...so often missing the gifts of today because our focus is days, weeks, months, or even years into the future.  
 
But when we keep looking so far ahead... living in fast forward mode... we run the risk of missing the gift of simply being in the moment and enjoying the present.  And we also risk losing the valuable lessons and blessings we have gained from the past.
 
Lessons and blessings that have been bestowed upon us by those who have come before us.  People like my godfather as well as my grandparents for example. 
 
And people like the two women mentioned in our New Testament lesson for this morning.
 
When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, it was during the time when Timothy was serving as a pastor in the Ephesian church.  Perhaps Paul’s words of encouragement are similar to words of encouragement we may have received at some point from our role models of faith... reminding us that, in our own ways, we have been GIFTED to serve.
 
In his letter to the Romans (12:4 – 8), Paul wrote:

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

While in his letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:4 – 5).
 
In other words, we have all been GIFTED for a purpose... and as Peter wrote, “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).
 
Now in his second letter to Timothy, Paul wanted to remind him that he had already received the gift of God... and he was expected to fan that gift into flame... to keep it ablaze. 
 
Let me shift gears slightly and ask a quick question.  How many of you have ever gone camping?  Have you ever had to start a campfire with just a few sticks and twigs that you found out in the woods? 
 
By way of full transparency, I have never actually gone camping... however, I have heard that when you light that first little twig, there will be just a flicker... but if you fan it just right... that flicker will become a full-fledged flame that promises warmth to all who are gathered around.
 
It reminds me of watching as Jane so meticulously lights the candles each week... ensuring that the smallest little flicker becomes an actual flame, so the candelabras remain lit throughout the service.  There really is an art to what she does... and it almost goes without saying, she is truly GIFTED.
 
And as we look at the text, Paul encouraged Timothy to fan the gift of ministry so that it could become a full-fledged flame... and so he would be energized by the power of God within him.
 
And that is how it should be with us as well.  We should fan the gift of God within ourselves so that it becomes a flame... so we can become energized and empowered... on fire for the Lord, so to speak... and we can in turn pass that fire along to others.
 
So, just how do we fan that gift into flame you might be wondering...
 
By being intentional in doing those things that feed and nurture our spirit... by spending time in prayer and study of God’s word... by taking time to worship and fellowship with other believers... and by allowing ourselves time to just sit and soak in the presence of the Lord.
 
And once that gift is fully engulfed, then what... you might ask? 
 
That is when we head out into the world, whether near or far, to share the Good News about a living Savior who is Christ our Lord. 
 
Now, I do need to issue a word of caution here... the road won’t always be easy... there will likely be some challenges to overcome... but we need to keep moving anyhow... secure in the knowledge that we are not alone.
 
As Paul told Timothy in verse 7 of our text, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, and love and self-control.” 
 
As we move about in the world... we may encounter some opposition just as Paul and Timothy did back in their day... but we can press on because we have been given everything that we need to rise above whatever obstacles we encounter.
 
Now, there is something that I want to point out this morning that I hope will bless and encourage you as much as it did me.
 
This particular verse of scripture gives us the assurance that no matter what trials and tribulations we may be facing... the odds will ALWAYS be in our favor... because it is three against one.
 
In the face of timidity (or fear), God has given us power, love and self-control (or a sound mind as some translations read) ...three against one.
 
In the quest for our souls, the enemy, Satan, has already been defeated by God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit... the ultimate example of three against one!
 
Maybe that doesn’t excite anyone else this morning... but let me just say this... I have gone to the end of the book, and I have read how the story ends... and the good news is that we win!
 
God has given us all the tools that we need so that we can emerge victorious from all the struggles we encounter in this life... and those tools are power, love and self-control. 
 
First Corinthians 2:5 reminds us that our faith should “not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
 
In Romans 8 (35), Paul asks the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” and goes on to give a very clear detailed answer that boils down to this, “Nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ.”
 
And in Galatians 5 we read that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
 
So, in a nutshell, Paul encouraged Timothy... and by extension us... to move forward even in the face of difficulties and hardships... trusting that we are armed with the power of God, the love of Christ and the self-control that comes from the Holy Spirit.   And with all of that... we cannot help but come out on the winning side... no matter what anyone else may say to the contrary.
 
Perhaps you may remember that at the beginning of this sermon, I mentioned how we seem to be living in fast forward mode... with technological advances allowing us to do things that only a few years ago seemed unimaginable... and with artificial intelligence seemingly at the forefront of everything.
 
Maybe you remember watching old episodes of the Jetsons cartoon with everything from machines pouring coffee... to robots cleaning houses... to dogs walking on moving sidewalks... to live picture telephones and flying cars...
 
And back then maybe you thought... “There is no way that could ever happen.”
 
Well, just tell that to the inventors of the programmable coffee maker... the Roomba vacuum... the treadmill as well as the airport people mover... not to mention Zoom and Facetime... and let’s not forget, Tesla.  Soon you will realize that so much of what seemed to be purely science fiction back then has become a reality now.
 
But I want to leave us with a word of encouragement here. 
 
We do not need to, nor should we, place our faith in the things of this world that will become obsolete almost before they get to market...
 
But we can and should place our faith in the One who always has been and always will be faithful to us. 
 
The One who will never become obsolete...
 
The One who will never leave us nor forsake us...
 
The One who has promised to be with us forever.
 
Rest assured, no matter how fast this world may seem to be moving and no matter what direction it may seem to be moving in... it can never move beyond the reach of the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. 
 
When we turn on the news and even just glance at the headlines, it can feel like the world is going to hell in a handbasket as my Granny used to say... with everything from the government shutting down... to ICE agents breaking into apartments in Chicago... to gunmen opening fire and then setting fire to a church in Michigan... and that is just in the last week.
 
But in spite of reports to the contrary, we do not have to live in fear... because Jesus has given us the assurance that He has already overcome the world (see John 16:33)
 
And that is the message God has GIFTED us all to go out and share... whether we do that through our words or by our deeds... we need to let a dark and dying world know that no matter what it looks like... God is still in control... and God is still Good.
 
And let me just add... It is not about having a specific title or position in ministry... it is about living a life yielded in surrender to the One who has commanded us to love God and to love one another. 
 
We have all been GIFTED to serve, without exception... we just have to take the time to find out what the gifts we have been given are and how we have been called to use them to serve.
 
The other day, my adopted nephew asked me what today’s sermon was going to be about... and when I told him the subject, he shared a story with me from a podcast he had been listening to about finding our gifts.  The host of the podcast told a story about buying his children an Oculus for Christmas... a gift that he indicated was rather expensive. 
 
Now to be totally honest, I had to do a quick Google search to find out what an Oculus was... because what first came to mind would not have had an expensive price tag on it.  However, as I soon learned, Oculus is the brand name for a virtual reality device... and it can cost anywhere from $300 on up.
 
Now, the podcaster explained that after two weeks he had seen no sign of the Oculus, and he asked his children what happened to it... they finally admitted that they had lost it... certainly not what Dad wanted to hear.  So, he told his children that they needed to do whatever it took to find the Oculus... so, they started cleaning up their rooms and, lo and behold, they found the Oculus.
 
They found the gift that had been lost once they started putting things in order...
 
Now, the moral of the story is that when we have a hard time finding the gifts that God has given us... we need to start putting things in our life in order... setting our priorities straight... and that is when the gift(s) we have been given will be revealed.
 
So let us be intentional about getting our priorities in order... so that, like Paul encouraged Timothy, we can fan into flame the gift of God that is in us... and serve God and the people of God.
 
And if you know that you have been GIFTED to serve as you live out Jesus’ command to love... I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship: Take My Life (vs 1, 4, 5) #609.
 

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