Crossroads Church of God, Lima OH

You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. – Amy Carmichael (1867-1951)

Matthew 6:19-34 NIV

ACTS 20:35 NIV

Psalm 119:11 NIV

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

Psalm 1:1-3 NIV

Quote by Brian Zahnd: God is like Jesus.God has always been like Jesus. There has never been a time when God was not like Jesus. We have not always known what God is like but now we do.

Role of Scripture in a life of faith

How Scripture can be formative

Helpful Resources

2 Peter 1:3-8 NIV

Revelation 4:11 NIV

Gathering Supports Spiritual Growth:

How we Gather Matters…

John 10:10 NIV 

Galatians 5:19-21 NIV

The story of the human race is not just one of universal disappointment but one of inextinguishable hope. (John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted).

Galatians 5:22-23a NIV

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

John 14:12 NIV

Dangers That Inhibit Growth:

Life as an Apprentice:

1 Corinthians 15:14 NIV

John 20:19-23 NIV

Jesus is present

John 6:14-21 NIV

John 18:36 NIV

Psalm 139:1-6 NIV

Romans 5:8 NIV

Escapes from becoming king

Divine knowledge

Approaches by walking

“It is I"

Greater Realities

        God above all

        Desire for influential relationship

Invited to...

        Surrender

       Give attention

        Transformation

John 6:1-13 NIV

John 20:30-31 NIV

John 6:35 NIV

Philippians 4:19 NIV

John 10:10 NIV

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Psalm 23:1 NIV

Passover Feast was near

Gave thanks and distributed

12 baskets of bread leftover

Greater Realities

         God’s Provision

          God’s abundance

Invited to...

        Open-handed Preparation

        Sustainable life in his presence

John 2:1-11 NIV

John 1:14 NIV

Revealed His Glory

        Glory seeks relationship

        Glory is the hope for renewal

Our involvement

        Jesus was invited

        Courageous obedience

Quote by David Benner: The Christian spiritual journey is a journey we take with others.  Each of us must take our own journey, and for each of us that journey will be unique. But none of us is intended to make that journey alone. The myth of the solitary Christian making his or her own way alone to paradise flies in the face of everything the Bible teaches about the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We are parts of one body as we follow Christ on the journey of personal transformation. We cannot make the journey apart from spiritual companions and community.

Are we paying attention?

1.) A guiding assumption: God is already up to something good in your life, in your community, and in the world…

A simple definition... Mentoring is a companionship in which two or more persons intentionally come together to pay attention to God’s activity in their lives.

Who noticed you?

2.) We have a tremendous need to be seen and recognized.

Jesus’ relational way with others

3.) Jesus is “a first-class noticer” of others. (Mark 5: 24-34, Luke 19: 1-19; 24:13-35)

Who are you walking with?

4.) There is no shortcut or substitute for life-upon-life when it comes to learning to follow Jesus…

Quote by Keri Wyatt Kent: If we are led by the Spirit, we will increasingly imitate God and become people who are filled with “coming-alongside-ness.” That is, we listen to God and people and then come into their story, get involved with them enough that we can point out where God is in their story and allow them to do that for us as well. When we are full of coming-alongside-ness, we will be willing to walk with people through their pain; we will listen before we try to fix. We will be with people.

How to become a mentor?: amentoringway.org