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For the past several weeks, we have been studying the evangelism model that was given us
by Rob through the evangelism training seminar.

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We have learned all of the steps, well, most of the steps from contacts to prospects,
prospects to Bible studies, Bible studies to converts, converts to new Christians, and new

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Christians back to more contacts.

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Tonight, we're going to start off in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, and we're really looking at
verses

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14 through 17.

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First Corinthians chapter 4, 14 through 17.

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After we get the baptism, we are going to be faced with new converts.

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But this is not a religion of dunk them and leave them.

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There are things that we still need to do after that process.

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He writes in 1 Corinthians,

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When we think of the word mentoring, what comes to your thoughts?

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Mentoring is an effective retention and training tool used many times in businesses today.

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Almost all AAA businesses use this.

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In today's workplace, we may have heard it called coaching.

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This approach provides new employees with a safe, non-threatening environment where they
can ask questions, seek clarification,

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Better understanding.

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Receive personal guidance without the fear of being accosted, made fun of, or simply
embarrassment.

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Mentoring pairs, yeah, there's mentoring pairs in an inexperienced person with a seasoned
individual to offer guidance, advice, instruction, feedback, ongoing support.

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It's connecting someone least experienced with someone far more experienced.

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When a company fails to implement some form of mentoring, it often unintentionally sets
new employees up for frustration and failure, does it not?

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I know that when I go into a new business or a new job workplace in the secular world, I
like to be taught what I'm supposed to be doing.

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They can't just put you out on the floor of the receiving and the back of Lowe's until you
go ahead and receive this 18-wheeler truck in.

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I don't know how to read a manifest.

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I don't know...

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where the keys to the door locks are.

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I don't know who to call if I need to use a lockout tag out system for uh hazardous goods
that may come in the back.

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Historically, this is not a new concept.

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This is something that's been used long ago.

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Long before modern corporate coaching, the idea of mentorship was embedded in the idea of
apprenticeships.

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Apprenticeships stretch back thousands of years, originally from my findings in ancient
Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome.

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and so on.

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All practiced them.

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In these societies, a young person would live typically and work under the roof of someone
far more experienced.

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A skilled master craftsman, think blacksmith, swordsmith, carpenter.

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They would typically live with this person day in and day out, becoming their shadow,
essentially, tied at the hip.

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These apprenticeships were necessary because complex trades like metalworking, weaving,
stone carving,

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ship building especially, could not be mastered simply by reading an instruction booklet.

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I have a hard enough time with the things that we get to have to build from Ikea, let
alone going out into the woods, sawing down the trees and having a little scribbled

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instruction of build a ship.

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That's far harder than what we find at Ikea.

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Skills had to be observed, they had to be practiced, they had to be corrected and refined
under careful eye of an expert.

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This is how we learn.

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This arrangement was mutually beneficial.

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The master was able to preserve and pass on specialized knowledge and skills, keeping the
younger from the pitfalls of what he had already learned the hard way, ensuring the craft

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would not die out while the apprentice supplied labor while learning and growing in a
workplace, and it would eventually take on the trade themselves, becoming a skilled master

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themselves.

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Apprenticeships existed not merely to teach,

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but to shape a worker's habits, ethics, skill sets.

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Over time, this wasn't an overnight thing, they developed laborers for growing societies
while preserving the integrity of whatever trade they were apprenticeship-ing under or

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mentoring under.

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The same principle applies to us spiritually today, doesn't it?

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In the church, we often rejoice when someone is baptized.

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We got to rejoice this morning.

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But oftentimes I see churches fail to nurture them

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afterwards.

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So many different denominations dunk them or sprinkle them or whatever they think that
salvation consists of and then just leave them out hanging to dry.

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Spiritually speaking we kind of bring them in the front door and almost let them leave out
the back don't we?

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Jesus gives us a model that goes beyond conversion.

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Let's look at Matthew chapter 28 and read verses 18 through 20.

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Here we have the greatest teacher of all time giving us a straightforward model of exactly
what we're supposed to do.

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Matthew chapter 28, starting in verse 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all
power is given on me in heaven and in earth.

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Go ye therefore and teach all nations.

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There's teaching.

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Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

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And lo, I am with you all way.

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even until the end of world.

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Do we see the pattern there?

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We have teach, baptize, and teach again.

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So the teaching continues on even after the baptism.

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Sadly, so many congregations fulfill the first two steps but then neglect the third.

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Yet Jesus emphasized so openly ongoing instruction, teaching them to observe, to do as He
says, all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

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So this is a command to teach.

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It's not something that we can choose to do or leave out.

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So why mentoring matters in the church?

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Statistics reveal that new converts typically need to make about three or four meaningful
connections with a congregation in order to remain faithful.

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If you only have one friend in the church that you come to visit each week, it's a lot
harder to remain faithful than if you've made really close friends with everyone in the

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church, right?

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You have a larger network, a larger net of people to catch you should you fall away.

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within a congregation in order to remain faithful.

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Without relationships, they often feel isolated.

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They could drift away, can't they?

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That's why part of our evangelism model includes follow-up.

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We have the new converts class, things like that, which we'll touch on later.

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We cannot simply leave new Christians to figure out what a Christian lifestyle consists of
on their own.

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Yes, they've learned from the back to the Bible pamphlets.

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They've run through book one, book two, book three.

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Maybe they even went through to believe the Bible.

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They didn't believe God was there, made it all the way up to here.

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But that's not everything that pertains into godliness and goodness, does it?

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Those are the building blocks, those are the foundations.

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These people are still, in the words of scripture, newborn babies who need the milk before
they can handle the solid food, as they state in 1 Peter 2, too.

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So we need to help Christians grow through.

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We're going to start implementing a new convert class.

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This is going to teach fundamentals of faith, Christian living, maybe apologetics.

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Mentoring relationships, we're going to need to set those up.

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These provide spiritual coaching, they provide accountability, and they provide
encouragement to those that may otherwise fall apart.

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Opportunities for involvement are also very, very important.

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This helps them form bonds with other members here and develop their own gifts for
service.

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What better way to mentor and teach a new convert than to have him help out with, say,
like the Fourth of July thing that we did, or have him help out and

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Go to a class.

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Have him help out by going and door knocking.

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There's so many different things.

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Food preparation, visiting the sick.

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Pair each new convert with an experienced Christian, not someone who's new in the faith
also, who will check on them, pray with them, walk alongside them.

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We need to invite them into our homes.

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We need to share meals with them.

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God calls us His family, doesn't He?

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We're part of His body.

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How far away is your pointer finger from your thumb?

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Not too far, right?

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Typically when you go to pick things up, they meet, they work together to do it.

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The Christian body should be the same way.

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We need to act as a family.

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We need to encourage them to attend Bible studies, participate in service projects,
develop friendships within the church, and follow up regularly.

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Not just in the first few weeks.

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This isn't something that we go all gung-ho for one month and then leave.

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This has to be a long-term thing as they mature in the faith.

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In essence, mentoring in the church is a spiritual apprenticeship, isn't it?

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It's the same thing.

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We want them to live under God's roof.

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We want them to learn from God along with us, just as apprenticeships would have done with
the master craftsmen of the trade back in ancient Egypt.

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Just as ancient masters invested their time and wisdom into apprentices to preserve their
craft, we're called to invest in new believers and to preserve and grow their faith,

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aren't we?

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Evangelism does not simply stop at the baptistry.

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Again, it's not just a dip them and leave them.

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It continues in the classroom.

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It continues in the pew.

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It continues in our home and it continues in our hearts.

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We have to cultivate this kind of relationship with them.

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It's not going to simply come about on its own.

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In Hebrews 10, starting in verse 24, it says, and let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works.

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Not forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as the manner of some is.

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but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

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It's our job to keep up with them or we're not doing what we're supposed to be.

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There's a precedent for this.

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We see mentorship in the Bible in the pattern of Paul.

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In the early church, we see an intentional model of mentorship and discipleship compared
together, tied at the hip.

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Paul didn't emerge as a spiritual giant on his own.

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From the beginning, he was guided and encouraged by someone who believed in his potential.

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Do remember who that was?

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Barnabas.

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Acts chapter nine shows how Barnabas took a risk on Paul, vouching for him before the
apostles when others were afraid.

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I mean, he was once called Saul.

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He, Saul.

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I dropped the L.

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He persecuted Christians.

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He hunted them down and murdered them in cold blood.

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investing in their spiritual growth just as Barnabas had invested in his.

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Paul didn't just teach them doctrine.

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He walked with them.

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He held their hand.

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He was a brother to them.

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He challenged them.

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He encouraged them.

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He shaped their character as well as their knowledge.

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This led to trust.

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Let's look at Titus 1 and verse 5.

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See what Paul writes there, Titus chapter 1 and verse 5.

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For this cause, I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are
wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee." This shows the level

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of trust, doesn't it?

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Paul viewed Titus as a capable and faithful leader, an apprentice who had now matured into
a mentor himself.

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He delegated serious responsibilities.

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This wasn't something to take lightly.

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Organizing the church, he sent him off to set things in order, didn't he?

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He set him off to appoint qualified elders as well so he could trust him.

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This wasn't just the voice of a distant supervisor either.

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This wasn't just the overseer of the job calling and telling you what to do and just
delegating tasks.

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It's the tone of a master craftsman handling his tools to his apprentice, isn't it?

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It's almost, when you run the race for, uh

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Oh, the yearly race that they run with the rings.

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The Olympics, there we go.

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The name was not coming to me.

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When you run the Olympics, do they not pass the torch one to another?

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The first runner passes it to the second, so on and so forth.

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Titus had been mentored and now he was ready to multiply that investment in others.

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We can look at Timothy.

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Paul's relationship with Timothy was personal.

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1 Timothy 5, 21, Paul says, charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect
angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing

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by partiality.

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This wasn't a casual conversation.

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This was a mission, wasn't it?

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Paul instructs Timothy with both urgency and care.

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knowing the weight of his spiritual leadership.

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Paul doesn't stop at doctoral instruction.

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He also instructs Timothy's personal life, doesn't he?

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At one point he reaches out and he tells him in verse 23, drink no longer water, but use a
little wine for thy stomach sate and then often infirmities.

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He showed concern for Timothy's health.

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He cared for him.

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And we don't know what his stomach sate and what his infirmities were per se.

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That's a topic for a totally different time.

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But focusing on mentorship, it's not just about teaching doctrine.

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It's multi-spectrum.

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It's about caring for the whole person, their faith, their character, their health, their
endurance, their knowledge, their soul at the core of it.

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This pattern of spiritual mentorship, one generation investing in the next, was a key
reason the early church grew so strong despite

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all the persecution.

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Think of the cultural oppression that they had from the Romans, the legal persecution that
they had, internal struggles.

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I mean, faithful men and women passed down the gospel not only by teaching but by
training.

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They had to walk alongside those that were mentoring them.

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You had people after you that would take away your life.

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Of course they cared for one another.

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Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 2, and the things that thou hast heard of me
among many witnesses,

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The same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." This is a
model of almost math, It's multiplication.

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Paul teaches Timothy, Timothy teaches faithful men, faithful men spread it on to others.

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It grows.

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So just like our evangelism model where we have contacts turning into prospects and we
take all the many, the hundreds, maybe even thousands of contacts and we boil them down

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into Bible studies.

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and the Bible studies boil down into the baptisms, and then the baptisms into the new
converts that are then trained.

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Now they go out and they find more hundreds, more thousands of contacts, and we keep
bubbling those down and keep turning the wheels of the evangelism model to add people into

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God's kingdom.

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This is a generational pattern.

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It's a biblical blueprint for leadership development and congregational strength.

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This is how we grow in number.

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And not only in number, but in strength as well.

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Our new converts should not stay new converts for 20 plus years.

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They should learn.

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They should grow.

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They should become more involved over time.

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They should get involved in the services, start presiding over the Lord's table, lead
singing.

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There is a way for everyone to work for our Lord.

220
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If we want strong churches, we're going to have to follow the same model.

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We're going to have to identify and mentor new Christians.

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We're gonna have to walk with them, not just once a week, but throughout the rest of their
lives.

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We're gonna have to get into life's trenches together with them.

224
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At the same time, we need to equip them to lead, to serve, and eventually mentor others.

225
00:17:19,364 --> 00:17:22,186
But don't forget to care for the whole person.

226
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That's spiritual, emotional, physical.

227
00:17:26,409 --> 00:17:31,693
And we need to eventually trust them with real responsibility as they grow.

228
00:17:33,637 --> 00:17:36,418
We can't see these backseat drivers all the time.

229
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There comes a point where dad has to go sit in the backseat or even get out of the car and
the child has his license and they drive off for the first time and you're crossing your

230
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fingers, hope they don't get into a wreck.

231
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It happens.

232
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I'm sure my parents were terrified when I got behind the wheel.

233
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A mentor is a living example.

234
00:17:56,394 --> 00:17:59,614
This is another big portion about the mentoring program.

235
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It has to be someone who can live the faith and not just say it.

236
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This is not a do as you're told, but it's a do as I do mentality.

237
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A true mentor is more than just an instructor.

238
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They're someone that the mentee, the person being taught, can look to as a living example.

239
00:18:16,839 --> 00:18:24,421
Many athletes set extraordinary goals, and one of them most effective techniques they use
to reach those goals

240
00:18:24,709 --> 00:18:32,875
is to find someone who's already achieved them, If you want that eight pack of abs, find
someone who already has that eight pack of abs.

241
00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:34,356
Ask them how they got there.

242
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Learn from them.

243
00:18:36,177 --> 00:18:38,179
Think about how it works in sports.

244
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Athletes begin to alter things like uh eating like their mentor, they dress like their
mentor, most importantly, they train like their mentor, they study the routines, the

245
00:18:47,746 --> 00:18:49,887
discipline, the habits.

246
00:18:50,948 --> 00:18:52,529
It's proven success.

247
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If you follow the same eating guidelines and trading guidelines as an Olympic athlete, you
may not become an Olympic athlete, say that five times fast, but you will get better.

248
00:19:09,541 --> 00:19:13,784
Let me ask, has anyone ever here went to the gym and paid for a personal trainer?

249
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I have, on a couple of occasions.

250
00:19:18,307 --> 00:19:22,190
They're going to teach you how to plan and prepare your meals, aren't they?

251
00:19:22,430 --> 00:19:28,254
They're gonna teach you how to measure BMI or body mass index, make sure you're not
getting too much fat.

252
00:19:28,375 --> 00:19:32,757
They're going to teach you how to perform the exercises correctly.

253
00:19:33,378 --> 00:19:37,951
And they're gonna give you how many repetitions, how many sets you need to complete.

254
00:19:38,171 --> 00:19:42,724
So think of those four things in relation to physical therapy.

255
00:19:43,265 --> 00:19:45,666
This becomes the blueprint for growth.

256
00:19:46,207 --> 00:19:49,749
So how do we translate that into spiritual lives?

257
00:19:49,929 --> 00:19:52,151
New Christians need someone to teach them.

258
00:19:52,151 --> 00:19:54,212
Think of it like the personal trainer.

259
00:19:55,093 --> 00:19:57,355
You need to engage in regular Bible study.

260
00:19:57,355 --> 00:19:58,565
What are you consuming?

261
00:19:58,565 --> 00:20:00,156
What are you eating?

262
00:20:00,537 --> 00:20:02,679
The BMI, the body mass index?

263
00:20:02,679 --> 00:20:04,620
What is the seriousness of sin?

264
00:20:04,620 --> 00:20:06,721
What is the weight of the sin?

265
00:20:07,535 --> 00:20:09,142
Do you have too much in you?

266
00:20:11,237 --> 00:20:13,363
How do you the exercises correctly?

267
00:20:13,363 --> 00:20:15,066
Let's teach them how to study.

268
00:20:15,229 --> 00:20:16,871
How do you do it effectively?

269
00:20:16,893 --> 00:20:20,201
More importantly, how do you study God's word consistently?

270
00:20:23,281 --> 00:20:24,821
How many repetitions?

271
00:20:25,341 --> 00:20:26,021
What do you need to do?

272
00:20:26,021 --> 00:20:27,161
How many times do I need to do it?

273
00:20:27,161 --> 00:20:27,981
How often?

274
00:20:27,981 --> 00:20:31,049
How often and in what ways do we need to feed on God's Word?

275
00:20:32,901 --> 00:20:39,253
I can tell you this, if you've ever went four to five days on a fast, you get very hungry,
right?

276
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It hurts.

277
00:20:40,375 --> 00:20:44,341
You fast for a whole week, two weeks, three weeks, you're starving at that point.

278
00:20:46,033 --> 00:20:50,216
try going that long without reading God's Word.

279
00:20:50,576 --> 00:20:59,802
It is infinitely more damaging to you than going three weeks without food, because it's
going to last forever.

280
00:21:00,343 --> 00:21:07,468
Bodily exercise profiteth a little, but spiritual exercise is going to take us a lot
further, right?

281
00:21:08,069 --> 00:21:14,501
If we want new converts to succeed, we want them to flourish, grow into strong servants in
Christ's army,

282
00:21:14,501 --> 00:21:18,103
We cannot neglect their spiritual growth or mentorship.

283
00:21:18,304 --> 00:21:21,546
A new convert left alone is like an athlete without a coach.

284
00:21:22,061 --> 00:21:29,893
You can't throw a 10-year-old on a field and expect him to become, you know, the wide
receiver or the quarterback.

285
00:21:30,134 --> 00:21:31,124
They're directionless.

286
00:21:31,124 --> 00:21:32,836
They're vulnerable to bad habits.

287
00:21:32,836 --> 00:21:37,499
And anyone who tries to work out on their own, they're likely to give up.

288
00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,631
I've given up multiple times.

289
00:21:42,607 --> 00:21:45,658
Mentorship requires innovation.

290
00:21:46,198 --> 00:21:47,398
It's universal.

291
00:21:47,398 --> 00:21:53,060
In the world of technology and innovation, many legendary creators were once students of
someone else.

292
00:21:53,420 --> 00:21:56,581
I started looking this up because it's where my mind goes.

293
00:21:56,721 --> 00:21:59,261
Who here knows the name of Steve Jobs?

294
00:22:00,022 --> 00:22:00,422
Right?

295
00:22:00,422 --> 00:22:07,944
The visionary behind Apple, the cell phones, the iPods, the iPads, all the iDevices.

296
00:22:07,984 --> 00:22:12,355
Did you know that he was heavily influenced by his mentor, Mike Mercula?

297
00:22:12,933 --> 00:22:14,274
He was an early Apple investor.

298
00:22:14,274 --> 00:22:19,536
uh He had advised and taught Jobs key principles of design, marketing, and vision.

299
00:22:20,057 --> 00:22:24,739
That's what shaped Apple's entire future, was because of the mentorship there.

300
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:26,771
Jobs didn't keep the wisdom to himself.

301
00:22:26,771 --> 00:22:32,664
Later in his career, he started mentoring younger innovators at Apple, passing on those
same principles.

302
00:22:32,664 --> 00:22:34,165
So what was the result?

303
00:22:34,165 --> 00:22:36,626
Does everyone know what an Apple iPhone is?

304
00:22:36,886 --> 00:22:37,886
Yes.

305
00:22:38,127 --> 00:22:42,489
Can our mentorship lead us to teach new Christians to where the world

306
00:22:42,549 --> 00:22:46,291
actually knows what the definition of a Christian is?

307
00:22:46,331 --> 00:22:51,734
And no, I'm not talking about a Catholic or a Baptist that calls themselves by the name of
Christian.

308
00:22:51,734 --> 00:22:57,557
We need to define our terms and let them know what being a Christian means.

309
00:22:57,718 --> 00:23:01,760
It's not a loose term you simply slap on any religion you like.

310
00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,021
It's something that should be sacred.

311
00:23:05,679 --> 00:23:08,911
This shows that success breeds success.

312
00:23:08,911 --> 00:23:13,554
When someone passes down their knowledge and habits, others can build on that foundation.

313
00:23:13,554 --> 00:23:14,505
They can flourish.

314
00:23:14,505 --> 00:23:16,236
The same thing happens with spiritual.

315
00:23:16,236 --> 00:23:18,638
In the church, the pattern holds true.

316
00:23:18,638 --> 00:23:26,062
If we want our new converts to succeed and become flourishing, strong servants in Christ,
we can't neglect their spiritual growth.

317
00:23:26,763 --> 00:23:35,483
Paul encouraged Philippians 3.17, brethren, join in following my example and mark them
which walk so as ye have us.

318
00:23:35,483 --> 00:23:36,754
for an example.

319
00:23:36,794 --> 00:23:41,197
Paul understood that people not only learn from instruction, but from imitation.

320
00:23:41,398 --> 00:23:44,780
Mentoring in the church is not about elevating one man or another.

321
00:23:44,821 --> 00:23:47,582
It's not saying, well, I'm a mentor.

322
00:23:47,983 --> 00:23:52,286
It's about elevating Christ and showing who follows him.

323
00:23:52,367 --> 00:24:02,374
Paul also wrote, 1 Corinthians 11, one, be followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

324
00:24:03,576 --> 00:24:05,103
We always say to God,

325
00:24:05,103 --> 00:24:07,895
be the glory, not to man.

326
00:24:09,018 --> 00:24:16,205
Paul made it clear that his mentorship was only valuable because his own life was
patterned after Christ's.

327
00:24:18,671 --> 00:24:20,762
That's the heart of Christian mentorship.

328
00:24:21,043 --> 00:24:23,785
It's not to create copies of ourselves.

329
00:24:24,141 --> 00:24:29,750
It's to help create copies of Christ, to get them to be more like Christ.

330
00:24:30,652 --> 00:24:33,814
So what are some practical steps for Christian mentorship?

331
00:24:34,435 --> 00:24:36,116
We need to be intentional.

332
00:24:36,857 --> 00:24:42,441
We need to pair new converts with seasoned Christians who live as examples of Christ.

333
00:24:42,762 --> 00:24:46,445
We need to model regular Bible reading, prayer, worship.

334
00:24:46,671 --> 00:24:48,982
not just in words, in our own life.

335
00:24:49,623 --> 00:24:55,445
They don't need to be with a mentor that only cracks their Bible open when they walk
through these doors and sit in these pews.

336
00:24:56,206 --> 00:25:04,891
And he's to be someone that's going to reach out to them, spend time with them, answers
their questions, walk with them through their struggles, text them, encourage them to

337
00:25:04,891 --> 00:25:08,573
come, send them memes of the Bible.

338
00:25:08,573 --> 00:25:09,753
Why not?

339
00:25:10,434 --> 00:25:16,567
Be a friend, get close to them, encourage them to find their place in the church's work
and to serve alongside you.

340
00:25:16,827 --> 00:25:17,978
We're a team.

341
00:25:17,978 --> 00:25:19,599
We are a family.

342
00:25:20,161 --> 00:25:29,311
And we always need to point them to Christ, making sure that they know the goal is not to
imitate us, but to imitate the one who taught us.

343
00:25:29,972 --> 00:25:34,817
When we do this, we're able to fulfill the pattern laid out in scripture.

344
00:25:36,367 --> 00:25:38,738
So selection, how do we choose new mentors?

345
00:25:38,899 --> 00:25:42,420
Well, they gotta be mature Christians, don't they?

346
00:25:42,821 --> 00:25:44,622
Can't be another new convert.

347
00:25:44,622 --> 00:25:52,206
Has to be somebody seasoned in the faith, somebody sound androctrine, living by the
scriptures, not merely knowing them either.

348
00:25:52,826 --> 00:25:58,009
You can have the entire Bible memorized and not live by the principles therein.

349
00:25:58,930 --> 00:26:03,192
I used to be able to quote the first chapter of Hamlet back when I was in high school.

350
00:26:03,192 --> 00:26:04,983
That doesn't help me at all now.

351
00:26:05,647 --> 00:26:07,926
I can't do it now, but that's not the point.

352
00:26:10,809 --> 00:26:15,572
Mentors should strive to build genuine relationships, become true friends.

353
00:26:15,812 --> 00:26:20,915
In the early stages, it might mean checking on them daily through texts, emails, phone
calls, visits.

354
00:26:21,696 --> 00:26:25,368
As the new Christian grows in maturity, that frequency can lessen.

355
00:26:25,368 --> 00:26:28,279
It doesn't have to be every single day for the rest of your life.

356
00:26:28,980 --> 00:26:33,463
Mentors should spend time with their new Christian friends in everyday settings.

357
00:26:33,743 --> 00:26:35,204
Ask them out to golf.

358
00:26:35,665 --> 00:26:37,035
Go fishing with them.

359
00:26:38,627 --> 00:26:40,701
Ask them if you can help mow their yard.

360
00:26:41,537 --> 00:26:43,347
There's lots of the go to a movie.

361
00:26:43,429 --> 00:26:45,583
Sporting events, hike.

362
00:26:47,885 --> 00:26:56,830
In one congregation Rob told me about, I've got his thing written down here, what he said,
a young adults group met in different homes each month.

363
00:26:56,830 --> 00:26:58,231
Hill does this.

364
00:26:58,231 --> 00:27:03,334
Every single month they have a young adult gathering over at the birch's house.

365
00:27:03,334 --> 00:27:06,555
I go every single month because I like to make those connections.

366
00:27:06,576 --> 00:27:12,079
We always write cards to the orphans or to someone else that may need cards.

367
00:27:12,079 --> 00:27:14,420
They like to apply the evangelism model.

368
00:27:14,420 --> 00:27:16,461
I go every single month that I can.

369
00:27:19,651 --> 00:27:29,268
In this particular writing that Rob told me about, he said that one day there, a member's
spouse obeyed the gospel.

370
00:27:30,290 --> 00:27:31,770
And here's what he said.

371
00:27:31,991 --> 00:27:35,513
He did it because he realized Christians can have fun too.

372
00:27:36,555 --> 00:27:44,141
He thought for whatever reason that it was just living by a book, being very stern, almost
like chained down.

373
00:27:44,141 --> 00:27:49,157
But when he realized that Christians were just normal people too, he was open to studying.

374
00:27:49,157 --> 00:27:50,960
He learned through the back of the Bible.

375
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:55,488
He saw that believers are ordinary people with an extraordinary goal, right?

376
00:27:55,488 --> 00:27:56,889
What is our goal?

377
00:27:57,210 --> 00:28:00,515
To reach heaven, to be with Christ, to serve Him for eternity?

378
00:28:00,676 --> 00:28:04,011
When he realized that, this person said, sign me up.

379
00:28:07,077 --> 00:28:10,059
Think of the way many online communities mentor newcomers.

380
00:28:10,441 --> 00:28:20,250
Coding forums, open source project, experienced developers and computers take time to
guide beginners reviewing what they had written down on their code.

381
00:28:20,271 --> 00:28:22,643
They offer advice, they encourage them as they grow.

382
00:28:22,643 --> 00:28:26,987
The support system helps newcomers stick with it and learn faster.

383
00:28:28,646 --> 00:28:34,033
Tell me, a family that sticks together, is it one that lifts each other up in faith and
grows?

384
00:28:34,417 --> 00:28:35,378
Yes.

385
00:28:37,721 --> 00:28:40,591
Galatians 6, 1, and 2.

386
00:28:40,591 --> 00:28:50,535
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such in one in
the spirit of meekness, considering thyself.

387
00:28:50,535 --> 00:28:57,757
Lest thou also be tempted, bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ.

388
00:28:58,937 --> 00:29:00,798
Mentoring requires time.

389
00:29:00,998 --> 00:29:02,398
It requires patience.

390
00:29:02,398 --> 00:29:04,539
It requires sacrifice.

391
00:29:05,199 --> 00:29:08,942
but it does not take away our God-given ability to enjoy life together.

392
00:29:09,003 --> 00:29:10,665
Christians can still have fun.

393
00:29:10,665 --> 00:29:13,208
It shows the world that Christians can be joyful.

394
00:29:13,208 --> 00:29:16,331
It shows the world that Christians can be supportive of one another.

395
00:29:17,372 --> 00:29:23,969
And it shows the world more importantly that we're united in our goal towards reaching
eternity together as well, doesn't it?

396
00:29:27,739 --> 00:29:29,700
So how do we advise new converts?

397
00:29:30,941 --> 00:29:34,102
This happens through intentional daily encouragement.

398
00:29:34,262 --> 00:29:39,445
Again, like I said earlier, sending Bible videos, sending devotionals, sharing the gospel.

399
00:29:39,445 --> 00:29:42,006
Maybe it's articles that you read throughout the week.

400
00:29:42,687 --> 00:29:48,449
I send our buddy Michael, I send him encouragements throughout the week.

401
00:29:48,790 --> 00:29:52,181
I don't ever get texts back, but I hope that one will stick at some point.

402
00:29:54,053 --> 00:29:56,004
Take time to discuss lessons together.

403
00:29:56,004 --> 00:29:57,814
Hey, dude, were you able to read that article?

404
00:29:57,814 --> 00:29:58,144
you did?

405
00:29:58,144 --> 00:29:58,664
Great.

406
00:29:58,664 --> 00:30:00,045
Let's talk about it.

407
00:30:00,165 --> 00:30:01,505
This could be in a formal setting.

408
00:30:01,505 --> 00:30:03,246
It could be a meal over coffee.

409
00:30:03,246 --> 00:30:05,446
Not everything has to be a business transaction.

410
00:30:05,446 --> 00:30:10,468
Make sure they're faithfully attending the new converts class and activate participating
in its lessons.

411
00:30:11,768 --> 00:30:14,369
And above all, we need to pray for them, right?

412
00:30:14,569 --> 00:30:19,430
How many of you still have your bookmarks with the names?

413
00:30:19,870 --> 00:30:22,509
Have you been praying regularly for them?

414
00:30:22,509 --> 00:30:24,560
On a daily basis, I hope you have.

415
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:25,519
I do with mine.

416
00:30:25,519 --> 00:30:26,951
I don't have it in my coat right now.

417
00:30:26,951 --> 00:30:30,243
I believe it's in my bag, but you get the point.

418
00:30:30,243 --> 00:30:32,244
Those people on the list, pray for them.

419
00:30:32,244 --> 00:30:34,765
When you meet someone new, add them to the list.

420
00:30:34,765 --> 00:30:35,785
Keep praying for them.

421
00:30:35,785 --> 00:30:39,777
So many times we discount the power of prayer.

422
00:30:41,307 --> 00:30:43,749
Christ went to his own Father in prayer.

423
00:30:44,631 --> 00:30:47,835
He certainly didn't do it because he didn't think anything would happen.

424
00:30:48,637 --> 00:30:51,861
He did it because he knew his Father had the power to change things.

425
00:30:51,861 --> 00:30:54,123
He taught us to pray, after all.

426
00:30:56,827 --> 00:31:07,936
Paul modeled his ongoing mentorship in his relations with Timothy and Titus, as letters
revealed a pattern of spiritual coaching, not just in doctrine, but in practical ministry

427
00:31:08,316 --> 00:31:09,917
and personal focus.

428
00:31:11,227 --> 00:31:21,647
1 Timothy 1, starting in verse 3, says, as I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when
I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,

429
00:31:21,647 --> 00:31:26,671
neither give heed to fables and endless geologies, which minister questions.

430
00:31:26,851 --> 00:31:29,632
rather than godly edifying which is in faith.

431
00:31:29,733 --> 00:31:30,494
So do.

432
00:31:30,494 --> 00:31:35,917
Here Paul urges Timothy to stay in the Course, in Ephesus, and focus on sound doctrine.

433
00:31:35,917 --> 00:31:37,878
He warns against distractions.

434
00:31:37,878 --> 00:31:41,701
These are fables, who begat who begat who.

435
00:31:42,161 --> 00:31:45,564
Those kind of endless debates don't build faith, do they?

436
00:31:45,564 --> 00:31:49,046
Spending time in what God said is what builds faith.

437
00:31:49,706 --> 00:31:54,149
Paul's almost protecting Timothy by showing him where not to waste his energy.

438
00:31:54,490 --> 00:31:56,911
Need to do the same thing with our new converts.

439
00:31:57,061 --> 00:32:06,313
Titus 3 and verse 9, but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and
striving about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain.

440
00:32:06,594 --> 00:32:13,215
One of the things that Rob taught us when going through the Back to the Bible series, if
they have the question, if they want to chase the don't chase the rabbit.

441
00:32:13,236 --> 00:32:13,926
Don't do it.

442
00:32:13,926 --> 00:32:15,296
Defer.

443
00:32:15,396 --> 00:32:16,796
Don't debate.

444
00:32:16,937 --> 00:32:17,877
Write it down.

445
00:32:17,877 --> 00:32:21,598
If it's not answered in the booklets, you can come back to it at the end.

446
00:32:21,898 --> 00:32:26,349
Christ himself asked far more questions than he gave answers to, didn't he?

447
00:32:29,145 --> 00:32:32,287
The principle of ongoing support is not limited to scripture.

448
00:32:36,207 --> 00:32:41,891
But as Christians, how often do we feel isolated like we're the only ones enduring a
certain trial?

449
00:32:42,792 --> 00:32:46,074
Can a mentorship help us from feeling that way?

450
00:32:46,887 --> 00:32:48,335
Of course it can.

451
00:32:48,896 --> 00:32:53,599
When we open up to others in the church, we discover brothers and sisters who've walked
similar paths.

452
00:32:54,100 --> 00:33:01,865
You would be surprised at some of the conversations that I've had with people, and they
were surprised to hear some of the conversations I've had with them.

453
00:33:02,586 --> 00:33:03,987
Sometimes,

454
00:33:04,165 --> 00:33:08,197
We bring up our paths to relate to this person, to tell them, look, I know what you're
going through.

455
00:33:08,197 --> 00:33:09,238
It's tough.

456
00:33:09,338 --> 00:33:11,219
I may have done something similar.

457
00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:12,860
Here's what happened.

458
00:33:13,601 --> 00:33:15,202
Here's how I got through it.

459
00:33:15,202 --> 00:33:20,004
Here's how I turned my life around and gave it to Christ.

460
00:33:20,885 --> 00:33:22,786
We don't have to feel bad for those things.

461
00:33:22,786 --> 00:33:24,307
We need to learn from them.

462
00:33:26,839 --> 00:33:32,201
It may just be the push they need to hear that someone else has gone through the same
thing or something similar.

463
00:33:35,331 --> 00:33:37,112
Scriptures help people through.

464
00:33:37,312 --> 00:33:43,276
We need to our mentees practical advice for staying faithful.

465
00:33:44,357 --> 00:33:54,253
Our own personal experiences and failures and the story of our redemption can absolutely
encourage others to keep going, can't it?

466
00:33:56,803 --> 00:34:04,181
Sometimes it's easier when you find a like-minded soul who's went through the same
downfalls, the same problems that you have.

467
00:34:07,991 --> 00:34:11,815
Even Christ says that He became a man so that what?

468
00:34:11,815 --> 00:34:14,437
He could understand us better, didn't He?

469
00:34:15,099 --> 00:34:18,032
We don't have a high priest who cannot be reached by our feelings.

470
00:34:18,032 --> 00:34:19,283
He knows what it's like to be human.

471
00:34:19,283 --> 00:34:21,165
He knows what it's like to be tempted.

472
00:34:21,406 --> 00:34:23,097
And yet He did it without sin.

473
00:34:28,005 --> 00:34:29,716
But let's remember the big picture.

474
00:34:30,819 --> 00:34:34,623
All experts were once beginners.

475
00:34:36,291 --> 00:34:38,752
No expert became an expert overnight.

476
00:34:39,432 --> 00:34:41,873
Nobody knows all the scripture in one week.

477
00:34:41,873 --> 00:34:43,094
Doesn't happen.

478
00:34:43,294 --> 00:34:44,485
It takes a lifetime of learning.

479
00:34:44,485 --> 00:34:46,895
It takes a lifetime of growing.

480
00:34:46,896 --> 00:34:50,597
And it takes a lifetime of walking faithfully in Christ.

481
00:34:51,338 --> 00:34:54,299
I like to think that I learned a lot at the Memphis School of Preaching.

482
00:34:54,499 --> 00:34:59,241
Two years, 12 hours a day, five days a week, sometimes six or seven days a week.

483
00:34:59,241 --> 00:35:00,741
It's a lot of hours.

484
00:35:00,742 --> 00:35:04,243
I can tell you right now, I still know hardly anything.

485
00:35:04,943 --> 00:35:09,326
There is a lot more for me to learn, a lot more for me to grow with.

486
00:35:10,507 --> 00:35:23,915
Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 24 says, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and
good works, exhorting one another and so much more as you see the day approaching.

487
00:35:25,217 --> 00:35:31,621
The whole point of mentorship is exhortation.

488
00:35:32,203 --> 00:35:33,403
It's walking with one another.

489
00:35:33,403 --> 00:35:34,701
It's helping one another.

490
00:35:34,701 --> 00:35:38,214
It's encouraging growth and building up each other in love.

491
00:35:38,434 --> 00:35:43,698
As we help new converts stay on the narrow path, we ourselves are also strengthened.

492
00:35:43,819 --> 00:35:48,243
What better way to learn than to teach what you know, right?

493
00:35:48,243 --> 00:35:49,863
It helps retention.

494
00:35:50,464 --> 00:36:03,395
Some of the best ways that I have learned was when I had to teach a class on what I was
currently studying, because you study way more than you would have had on your own.

495
00:36:03,417 --> 00:36:06,729
Because now you have to prep yourself for questions that are incoming.

496
00:36:06,910 --> 00:36:10,112
Because they're definitely coming and you should have an answer.

497
00:36:10,973 --> 00:36:12,554
We're strengthened by this.

498
00:36:12,554 --> 00:36:14,235
And the church becomes...

499
00:36:17,519 --> 00:36:19,580
the church becomes a better home for them.

500
00:36:20,661 --> 00:36:30,118
I heard about someone conducting a Bible study, during which a couple who were concerned
about their growing children stated that their children had patterned their lives after

501
00:36:30,118 --> 00:36:31,148
their father.

502
00:36:32,190 --> 00:36:34,832
Again, this is a story from Rob that he shared with me.

503
00:36:34,832 --> 00:36:39,915
Taking on the same job, they took on the same hobbies, and even the same lifestyle as
their father.

504
00:36:42,191 --> 00:36:47,800
He told me that the parents had told him, if only we had modeled Christ, they would be
saved at this point.

505
00:36:50,287 --> 00:36:52,554
They asked Rob what they could do now.

506
00:36:56,889 --> 00:37:02,530
He had this to say, you can influence them until you have done what you want them to do.

507
00:37:04,485 --> 00:37:06,331
We have to be examples, don't we?

508
00:37:08,175 --> 00:37:11,917
The truth is you can't save someone else until you've tended to your own soul.

509
00:37:12,518 --> 00:37:16,320
We've got to concentrate on our own spiritual conditions, don't we?

510
00:37:16,701 --> 00:37:26,687
Think about when you get on the plane, anyone that's ever even flown a short flight, you
put on your own oxygen mask before you can put on someone else's oxygen mask.

511
00:37:30,051 --> 00:37:35,316
Your example of obedience to the gospel is the first step in leading your family to
Christ.

512
00:37:35,316 --> 00:37:39,620
It's the first step in your leading a wayward Christian to Christ.

513
00:37:39,620 --> 00:37:42,602
It's the first step in leading a new convert to Christ.

514
00:37:45,027 --> 00:37:47,844
Your obedience to the gospel is the first step, period.

515
00:37:50,223 --> 00:37:51,964
We need to live it out every day for them.

516
00:37:51,964 --> 00:37:57,766
As for us as a congregation, when you see new converts among us, new people, sit with
them.

517
00:37:58,446 --> 00:37:59,847
Encourage them.

518
00:38:00,887 --> 00:38:02,648
We don't need cliques.

519
00:38:03,388 --> 00:38:05,469
We don't need friend groups.

520
00:38:06,490 --> 00:38:10,471
Everyone needs to be involved with everybody else in some way, shape, or form.

521
00:38:11,309 --> 00:38:20,923
I cannot tell you how many churches I've went to where the CLP group over here won't talk
to the CLP group over there, and then there's one over here that won't invite anyone else

522
00:38:20,923 --> 00:38:22,234
to their game night.

523
00:38:23,157 --> 00:38:25,861
It's been almost every congregation I've been in, and it's terrible.

524
00:38:25,861 --> 00:38:27,582
We're supposed to be a family.

525
00:38:29,509 --> 00:38:35,082
We need to sit with them, we need to encourage them, and we need to be the mentor they
need to succeed.

526
00:38:35,083 --> 00:38:41,547
Our consistent example in worship and daily life is what can set them up for spiritual
success.

527
00:38:44,325 --> 00:38:45,656
The lesson's yours.

528
00:38:45,698 --> 00:38:50,367
If you've not been the example others can follow towards Christ, you can change that
today.

529
00:38:50,367 --> 00:38:57,045
If you have needs, prayer requests, or you're ready to obey the gospel, we invite you to
come forward as we stand and we sing the song of the church.