Are you ready to teach, even if you’re still learning?

A lot of Christian communicators hold back because they wonder if they are truly ready.

• Do I have enough experience to be able to teach this?

• Maybe I need a little more healing first.

• I should probably earn another certification before I start.

But that mindset keeps too many good messages locked inside notebooks.

God can use people who are still part-way up the mountain. You don’t have to be an expert on the subject. You just need to be a guide who remembers what the climb feels like.

Teaching From the Middle

When you’ve recently walked through something, you still remember the fears, questions, and small steps it took to move forward. That’s what makes your message so relatable. You’re close enough to the struggle to speak with compassion. It’s like how a 25-year-old can relate to a teenager’s struggles a lot more keenly than a 55-year-old.

When you share your struggle while it’s still fresh, you’re not shouting out-of-touch advice from the top of the mountain. You’re turning and offering your hand to the person climbing behind you.

I’ve wrestled with anxiety and am still learning more about its roots and patterns. But through that process, I’ve gathered tools and truths that could genuinely help others navigate their own dysregulation, especially fellow people-pleasers and fawners like me. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I hope that doesn't stop me from sharing what I’ve learned. Especially if it helps someone take a real step toward freedom.

This mid-mountain method works because people who are in the middle of the struggle crave empathy more than expertise. They want to feel seen, not studied. When you share what’s helping you while you’re still walking it out, it reminds them they’re not alone. It gives them hope that growth is possible even when life is still messy. Trust. That's the bottom line. Yes, trust is earned partially through our expertise in a topic. But it's also a product of our ability to make someone feel understood and safe.

Jesus Taught in Steps, Not Sprints

Obviously Jesus wasn’t flawed like we are, but He definitely modeled a clear and patient way of teaching people who were in the midst of the mess.

Can you imagine if He had tried to pour all truth into His followers at once? It would have been WAY too much to handle. Instead, He gave them what they could grasp in each season, strengthening their confidence by letting them practice what they’d learned.

• He taught them how to pray before asking them to preach.

• He showed them how to serve before sending them to lead.

• He used repetition, stories, and hands-on assignments to grow their understanding over time.

That’s our model. Not waiting until we have the complete 40-point plan, but teaching in stages, just like Jesus did.

Niche Down by Focusing on One Step

This shift might require you to adjust your goal a bit. It’s not possible to take your audience from broken to completely whole. That’s not a realistic scope for a book, a sermon, or even a retreat.

After all, how long has this journey toward freedom taken you so far? Months? Years? Yet so many people think they can cram years of transformation into a single seminar or workbook.

When you try to cover that much ground, you end up rushing through the content and overwhelming people. They don’t have time to absorb or apply anything in a meaningful way, and the message loses its impact.

Instead, what if you focused on one essential step:

• What truth or mindset moved you forward when you were most stuck?

• What strategy, tool, or practice made a real difference?

• What moment of clarity changed how you approached the problem?

That! That's your message right there. That's your niche. Teach that. 👆🏼

When you find that sweet spot, you can stop trying to fix everything and start equipping people for something specific and doable. You don't need to have all the answers...you just need one specific answer.

Why We Feel Unqualified (and Why That’s a Lie)

Christians often hold themselves to high standards because our subject matter is sacred. It has eternal impact. That’s no small responsibility to carry. We don’t want to misrepresent God or lead anyone astray.

But that carefulness, as important as it may be, can slide into fear.

But, let's be honest, you’ll never have all the right answers. Your audience doesn’t want a polished list of “shoulds.” They need your insight, wisdom, and experience.

If you’ve found a tool, a truth, or a way of thinking that has helped you grow, it is SO worth sharing. It’s evidence that transformation is possible.

Practice, Not Perfection

The measure of your readiness to teach isn’t that you’ve reached the summit. It’s that you’ve learned something true and tested it in your own life. That’s what qualifies you to guide someone else.

Yes, it might be a little messy. You might even need to revise your approach later as you keep growing and learning [gasp!]. But if you can’t offer yourself grace to be in process, you’ll end up stuck in silence, keeping the light God gave you hidden.

Would you hold those you disciple to that same standard, insisting they stay silent until they reach full healing or wholeness? I doubt it.

So instead of asking, “Am I healed enough?” ask, “Have I found something that truly helps?”

If the answer is yes, you have something valuable to teach.

3 Ways to Teach From the Middle

1. Teach what’s working for you right now.

2. Focus on one meaningful step, not the whole mountain.

3. Model progress, not perfection.

Ready to Clarify Your Message?

Look back over your own growth. Where have you seen God equip you with a skill, a shift, or a revelation that changed your life? That’s your next message.

If you feel that nudge to share your experiences, grab the Message Clarity Mini-Kit. It will help you identify your message, define your next step, and start shaping it into something that serves others.

If you’d rather talk it through one-on-one, book a free Discovery Session to explore your message with me. I’d love to help you find clarity on what God has been preparing you to share.

Your voice matters. Don’t wait for someday to start using it. 🔥