Mentoring

I have been encouraged recently by some signs of spiritual maturity in a few of our church members. I have seen people who a few years ago were like fragile, young plants needing lots of spiritual attention and investment, now exhibiting the strength and stability of a mighty tree.

One of my pet peeves is email. More specifically, it is email that is used as a substitute for a personal touch. Ministry is people work. It involves building real relationships and nurturing spiritual growth.

Christian hospitality is one of the most fruitful of ministry disciplines. Over the years, my wife and I have made a habit of having people over on a regular basis, and we’ve found that opening our home for fellowship often opens hearts for discipleship and mentoring.

How will you be remembered? Perhaps that is not the correct first question—will you be remembered? I suppose each of us would like to think that our lives will have meaning and influence beyond our own days. Just what will we leave behind: money, debt, or both a physical and a spiritual inheritance?

You will never have a great teacher who does not have passion. The personality of individual teachers may be different and their passion may come out differently, but you have never been taught by a great teacher that did not have a passion for what he was teaching.

Summer is one of the best times for making memories and becoming more productive. The longer evening hours make for great family and ministry time, and the changes in our routines that happen around this time of year, are the perfect opportunity to take a fresh look at our goals and plan our priorities.

God has a plan for each one of His children. If His only goal was to simply take us to Heaven, He would do so the moment we trust Christ. The Bible makes it clear that God has saved us to serve.

The older I get, the more difficult it is for me to quickly remember names. Often my wife and I, in thinking of some incident in our long lives, will try to remember the name of a person involved.

Harvey Firestone once said, “It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.” This is true in every area, but it is especially true in the church.

The ministry, by definition, is about people. While it is true that we oftentimes (of necessity) get encumbered with details of work and administrative tasks, ultimately, the ministry is about people.

As you prepare all of the logistics of the trip, it is equally important that you prepare your team too.

When I was a child, I was like most kids—I thought life was always supposed to be fair. As I grew older, I began to realize that life is not always fair.

No one expects a little child to learn to walk on his own, but sometimes we forget that baby Christians need help in learning to walk in the Spirit.

A good relationship with a wise mentor is like having personal access to a goldmine. It’s an opportunity anyone would be foolish to not take advantage of!

“I feel like I’m about to die if I stay there.” Bobby Roberson told his friend and mentor, Dr. Harold Sightler.

Care about people.

A mother’s work is never done. The years fly by, and before you know it your grandchildren are ringing your doorbell. Your mothering instincts happily grab the opportunity again.

The following is a lesson I gave to our soulwinners at Heritage Baptist Church. This article will help you form a well thought out retention strategy and answer the following questions.

Jesus took His disciples with Him, and this small group of men took the Gospel throughout the world.