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This Mentoring Minute deals with a really good question you can ask your mentee to start some high-quality conversation. Back in youth group, we would trace out somebody’s silhouette on a piece of butcher paper and have students fill in the space with what a Christian looks like. It was hilarious to watch the paper person come alive with a Christian bookstore t-shirt, a WWJD bracelet, multiple bibles and concordances in hand, other modest clothing and a John 3:16 sign with clown wig for the football games.
So we know by now that Christ-followers come in all shapes and sizes. But, there are three things we know about what a Christian needs to look like and they come from Jesus’ words in Mark 8:34. “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
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- Denying yourself – Oh what a powerful trait for the Christian! To deny yourself is to know your cravings and comforts and anything that will keep you from God and saying NO to them. Self-denial is about sacrifice! It is a daily choice to forgo our own motives and actions for the Lord’s! To help your mentee understand this point, share what things you have denied yourself that have strengthened your faith.
- Taking up our cross – The Cross of Christ is our call as well in life and I know that sounds heavy but we follow Jesus’ example when we realize our PURPOSE and live in obedience to what He has for us. We don’t take up a cross that offers salvation for others. We do take up a cross out of obedience to God so we can do the work He has planned for us. Be prepared to talk about specific crosses you have taken up in your faith journey.
- Following Jesus – This is the best part. Imagine God telling us to deny ourselves, get to work on this earth for Him but then Him leaving us with no direction or guidance. We would be lost! But instead, Jesus says I have a plan and I will be revealing it to you as we walk through life together.
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It’s his PRESENCE in our lives that gives us the motivation to deny ourselves, the power to take up our cross, and the willingness to follow!
Be sure to make the connection with your mentee that it’s your hope to reflect Christ as a mentor. That as you follow Jesus and enjoy communion with him your prayer is that your mentee will follow him as well and have communion with Jesus and you as a mentor.
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Please follow @youcanmentor on social media and give us a 5 star rating! If you are a part of a mentoring organization, we'd love to get to know you! Please reach out to us!
Contact us at zach@youcanmentor.com or at www.youcanmentor.com
Contact us at zach@youcanmentor.com or at www.youcanmentor.com
Creators and Guests
What is You Can Mentor: A Christian Youth Mentoring Podcast?
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
Please find out more at www.youcanmentor.com or find us on social media. You will find more resources on our website to help equip and encourage mentors. We have downloadable resources, cohort opportunities, and an opportunity to build relationships with other Christian mentoring leaders.
You can mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring organizations through resources and relationships to love God, love others and make disciples. Learn more at you can mentor.com or follow us on social media. You can mentor.
Speaker 2:Hello. You can mentor listener. This is John b with your mentoring minute. Okay. I have a question for you.
Speaker 2:What does a Christian really look like? This Mentoring Minute deals with a really, good question that you can ask your mentee, by the way. Alright? Start some high quality conversation. So if you would go back with me, during my couple of decades of doing youth ministry, we had this activity that we'd try some time.
Speaker 2:And I think it was probably more maybe our junior high students as I'm thinking about it. But I think that it can really work for anybody. You know what? And you can even be kinda campy with a college kid to do something like this, honestly, or even with an adult. Just try anybody.
Speaker 2:Right? So back during my youth group times, we would, do something where we would trace out somebody's silhouette on a piece of butcher paper. And then we would have students kind of fill in the space with what a Christian looks like. They would basically draw a person, what this person looked like from head to toe, what they were wearing, and then be able to kind of explain, like, well, this is why this person would look this way or be wearing this thing. And I will tell you, it was hilarious to watch the paper person come alive.
Speaker 2:They would be wearing, you know, a Christian T shirt. They would be wearing the w w j d bracelet. Alright. Showing my age there as well. They might be carrying multiple Bibles and concordances.
Speaker 2:They would, of course, be wearing very modest clothing. Right? And then maybe they would have, like, a big John 316 sign with a clown wig, because they they were going to a football game. So now listen. We we know by now that Christ followers come in all shapes and sizes.
Speaker 2:But there are three things that we know about what a Christian needs to look like, and they come from Jesus's words in Mark chapter 8 verse 34, where he says, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. So let's focus on those three things. And, again, this is this is a really neat thing that you can kind of speak into. Sometimes just having maybe one of those one verse, devotionals or little little lesson with your can really go a long way. So I hope that you guys value Mark 834 in this way because it really shows us something important, when Christ says these three actions are things that can be seen and experienced, and, I think that that just really gives us a good package for our mentee to understand and then also to practice.
Speaker 2:Okay. So, again, what does it look like to be a Christ follower? Well, number 1, a Christ follower is all about denying yourself. So what a powerful trait for the Christian. Right?
Speaker 2:To deny yourself is to know your cravings and your comforts and anything that will keep you from God and saying a big fat no to them. Self denial is about sacrifice. It is a daily choice to forego our own motives and actions and replace them for the lords. Right? To help your mentee understand this point, share what things you've denied yourself that have strengthened your faith.
Speaker 2:These might be things that you dealt with at their age or even younger. But you know what? It's gonna be even more powerful if you can talk about just ways that you've kinda denied your own preferences or or that you've said no to the flesh so that you can say yes to the spirit even today. So deny yourself. Number 2, taking up your cross.
Speaker 2:So the cross of Christ is our call as well in life, and I know that sounds heavy, but we follow Jesus' example when we realize that our purpose and we live in obedience to what he has for us. Right? We don't take up a cross that offers salvation for others. That that was the cross of Christ. But we do take up a cross out of obedience to God, so we can do the work he's planned for us.
Speaker 2:Be prepared to talk about specific crosses that you've taken up in your faith journey as well. Some of these crosses are ones that we still carry today. Right? The cross of evangelism. Man, the Lord is really you can talk about how he has inspired you to to share your faith at all times.
Speaker 2:But there might be some of those crosses that you picked up only for a season that he had for you. Maybe it was a particular relationship with a person that you no longer, talk to or, in a place that you no longer live. Those really have some special significance, and and it really shows that you are really willing that when the Lord says to take up a cross, you want to obey. And finally, number 3, following Jesus. Now listen, this is the best part of it all.
Speaker 2:Okay? In fact, it's what the first and second command really hinge on. Imagine God telling us to deny ourselves, get to work on this earth for him, right, by carrying a cross, but then leaving us with no direction or guidance. Listen, we would be lost. Right?
Speaker 2:Nothing would be good enough. It would be a life living for the Lord, but not living with him. But instead, Jesus says that he has a plan and that he will be revealing it to us as we walk through life together. So, again, that's my favorite part of this because denying myself and taking up my cross, well, man, that sounds pretty bad. But when I understand that I have the ability to do that through following Christ, then it makes all the difference in the world.
Speaker 2:It is his presence in our lives that gives us the motivation to deny ourselves, the power to take up our cross, and the willingness to follow. So be sure to make the connection with your mentee that it's your hope to reflect Christ as a mentor. Right? That as you follow Jesus and enjoy communion with him, your prayer is that your mentee will follow him as well, but also have communion with you as you mentor him or her. That's a really wonderful connection about this.
Speaker 2:Right? Paul said that as well. Like saying, hey, as I follow Christ, you follow me, but always keep your eyes on Christ because I don't do this of my own power. Just as Jesus said, he doesn't do the son doesn't do anything by his own strength, but only by the will of the father. So goodness.
Speaker 2:What does it mean to look like a Christian in this day and age? And I love listen. I'll I'll re repeat this before we wrap up here. I love that that we have no idea what a Christian looks like. Am I right?
Speaker 2:I mean, it it Christ transcends culture and age. If we ever find ourselves in a place when we look at someone and think that person is a good Christian or think that person is not a good Christian, We need to really check that because we don't want to judge a book by its cover. Correct? We know that lots of different people love Jesus, and they look so many different ways. But when it comes down to it, what does someone really look like who loves the Lord?
Speaker 2:It's someone who is willing to deny themselves, take up that cross, and follow Christ. It's what we're doing. It's what we hope that our mentee is doing. And what a beautiful thing that connects us is just that. Mentors, thank you for what you do.
Speaker 2:Thank you for how you speak truth and spend time, and continue to strive just in praying for your mentee. Continue doing that. And remember, you can mentor.
Speaker 1:Thanks for tuning in to the You Can Mentor podcast. Please share this with other mentors and download our free resources on our website. You can also order Zach's book, You Can Mentor, or John's book, Mephhibsheth, on Amazon. Lastly, we'd really appreciate it if you gave us a 5 star rating on whatever listening platform you are tuning in on. If you'd like to connect with us further, please contact us through our website because we're always looking for new guests or connections.
Speaker 1:Thank you. And remember, you can mentor.