With large-scale illustrations and images designed to help bring the gospel to life, Texas artist Sally Greer desires to use each canvas as an opportunity to draw attention to Jesus.
“I am always amazed that the Lord would choose me to be his vessel for communicating with his people,” Greer said. “It blows my mind when people tell me the different things they got from the live paintings at worship services or what certain paintings mean to them.”
Using gifts for God’s glory
As she paints for ministry events around the state, Greer, a member of First Baptist Church Grandview, collaborates with the speaker in advance to coordinate the sermon illustrations for each event and help communicate the speaker’s main idea visually.
Her creativity has captured the attention of audiences at women’s ministry events, Disciple Now weekends, church services, camps and conferences. She also partners with her husband Jared and his ministry, Overcoming Obstacles, at various events.
During these events, Greer enjoys having the opportunity to encourage others to use their gifts for God’s glory.
“One of the most meaningful things is when someone tells me that they love art too, and they are excited to use it for God’s glory,” she said. “I especially love encouraging young women to not be afraid, to keep growing and serving God with their gifts and giving them a space to feel loved and valued.”
She later added, “I was afraid to put my work out there for any and all to see, because it can feel so vulnerable and terrifying. The Lord started teaching me that being controlled by the fear of others’ reactions was not honoring to Him, and my responsibility was to take what He had given me and be obedient to Him with it.”
Teaching art classes at church
In addition to doing live paintings during worship services and ministry events around the state, Greer also offers art classes at churches. These art classes are designed to teach basic skills and help students apply Scriptures into their artwork.
“We will study a [Scripture] verse and learn how to use a creative process to help make it stick in our minds and hearts,” she said.
She brings all the necessary supplies for the class. A class can be condensed into a one-hour session on Wednesday night or an expanded event on Saturday. The class “requires no previous skill or artistic ability and works best for junior high age to adults,” she explained.
“One thing I really wanted to communicate, especially to young people, when I started out with this ministry was that whatever the Lord has put in your heart to do, you should do it and do it for His glory,” Greer said.
“If your gift and passion look different from what you’re used to seeing, that’s OK. We are all different parts of one body of Christ, so don’t be afraid to embrace your part. … No part is better or more valuable than another. Submit all that you have to the Lord and don’t let fear of others rob you of the joy of that.”
Greer became interested in art when she was a young child, but it wasn’t until much later in life she realized how she could use these talents to glorify the Lord and share the gospel with others.
“I became a believer as a young teenager after experiencing some very difficult circumstances that left me in a lot of pain and confusion,” she acknowledged.
“I knew very little about the Lord at the time, but through attending a local church, I did learn enough to know that Jesus was good, powerful, forgiving, loving and inviting me into His arms. I didn’t have much left to give at that point, but I gladly gave my life to Him to lead.”
Conquer fears and help healing
Greer has enjoyed expressing herself through art since she was a child, but she said, “I never thought I was good enough to do much with it, so I never put any real focus on it.”
“I just created things for fun every now and then,” she said. “A few years ago, I started feeling uncomfortable with the fact that I had a passion for art that I believe the Lord put in me, but because of fear, I had never pursued it.
“I decided to start taking it seriously and dedicate significant time to practicing and learning new skills, all the while asking the Lord to help me understand what he wanted to do with it.”
As she was motivated by the purpose and power behind her paintings, Greer felt led to inspire others by using art as a ministry and connect them to the gospel.
“Looking back, it is remarkable how much the Lord used my journey as an artist to provide a therapeutic vessel to open up and deal with struggles and deepen my relationship with Him,” Greer said.
Step by step
“As I became less afraid and more confident in my skills,” Greer noted, “I was more and more willing to step into other things I had never thought I’d be able to do, like painting on stage during a worship service and teaching others how to use art to help process and memorize Scripture.”
Her favorite thing is “helping others to embrace art while pointing them to the Lord and helping them experience Him in a deeper way,” she added.
“Lately, He has been putting together so many different pieces of the puzzle to help me merge my love for art, counseling, creating and healing. I am so excited about getting to teach and help others discover God’s grace, healing and abundant life.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Leann Callaway and originally published by the Baptist Standard.
