Objectives:

1. Understand the role of the Mentor in others' spiritual journeys.
2. Recognize the opportunity to influence both new believers and struggling Christ-followers.
3. Understand the new believers need for priority relationships with other believers and for foundational concepts for Christian living.
4. Introduce the Satisfied? booklet and the Satisfied? Prayer Experience.

Section 1: Sharing

Lead a time of sharing thoughts from the weeks devotionals found in Passages: A Devotional Journey and any reports from significant spiritual conversations.

Section 2: Believers’ Needs

As we enter into the spiritual journeys of others we have the privilege of influencing those who have come to Christ. When a person puts their trust in Christ as Savior, their journey isn’t over. In many ways it has just begun. But on this side of eternity, the journey isn’t easy. In fact, it can at times be down-right hard and dangerous.

Brainstorm together:

• What are the needs of a new believer?
• What are the needs of a struggling believer?

Section 2: A Model Mentor

Ask: In the book of 1 Thessalonians, there are at least five different ways that Paul sought to establish the new believers in their faith. Which ones can you think of? 

1. Prayed for them consistently. (1 Thessalonians 1:2, 3; 3:10, 11-13).
2. He spent time with them, encouraging them on. (1 Thessalonians 2:6-12)
3. He wrote them. (1 & 2 Thessalonians were follow-up letters from Paul).
4. He encouraged their relationships in community with each other. (1 Thessalonians 1:3; 3:6; 4:9, 10; 5:11, 12-15, 26-27)
5. He sent another believer to build into them when he couldn’t be there himself. (1 Thessalonians 3:1, 2)

Like Paul, we seek to provide an environment of growth for the new believer, where he or she can experience the work of God in the context of community.   

The key principle: The growth environment is one characterized by grace (or love) and truth (especially God’s word) with time to grow.

Section 3: Life Connections

The growth environment for believers always involves relationships. Along with one's relationship with the Lord, there are three other relational contexts or priority relationship in which the believer experiences love and grace.  They are:

1. A relationship with a more mature believer who can encourage and guide.
2. A relationship with a group of believing friends with whom they can do life.
3. A relationship with a believing community which provides a fuller experience of God’s grace and truth.

Two out of three is a minimum growth environment. A believer with all three is in an ideal growth environment. Two out of the three should sustain healthy growth over time [no matter which two it is.] Only one relational connection is normally not enough to sustain growth for long. Lacking all three is a dangerous situation, spiritually depriving the new believer of essential relational connections.  

The key principle: Help the new believer make at least one other relational connection beyond your influence.  

Section 4: Life Concepts

The truth of God’s word is essential to spiritual growth and “all scripture is useful…so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). But there are truths that help provide a firm foundation on which to build a Christian life. These truths can be called Life Concepts and include:

• Assurance of Salvation
• God’s Love and Forgiveness
• The filling and power of the Holy Spirit
• Walking in the Spirit
• The principles of spiritual growth, including the importance of prayer, the Bible, fellowship and witness.

An easy paradigm to use to communicate each truth is to start with a struggle and explore a key scripture providing God’s Solution. For example: 

• Assurance – 1 John 5:11-13
• Forgiveness – 1 John 1:5-2:2
• Spirit Empowering - 1 Corinthians 2:9-3:3
• Spirit Led – Galatians 5:16-26
• Growth – Acts 2:24-27

Section 5 – The Turning Point

As you interact with others about their spiritual journeys, you will often meet individuals who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, but who have slipped into a self-centered lifestyle. These individuals are often experiencing frustration in the spiritual life but need some appropriate “love and truth” to get turned around. Satisfied? is a tool designed to help such individuals.

Using Satisfied? is as easy as using the Would You Like to Know God Personally booklet. But the flow of the outline is:

• The Divine Gift – God has given us His Spirit so that we can experience intimacy with Him and enjoy all He has for us.
• The Present Danger –  We cannot experience intimacy with God and enjoy all He has for us if we fail to depend on His Spirit
• The Intimate Journey – By walking in the Spirit we increasingly experience intimacy with God and enjoy all He has for us.
• The Empowering Presence –  We are filled with the Spirit by faith, enabling us to experience intimacy with God and enjoy all He has for us.
• The Turning Point – Individuals who identify with failure to live a Christ-centered life are provided an opportunity to turn in prayer, confessing their sin and trusting Christ to fill them with His Spirit.  

Additional training in using Satisfied? is also available in other sessions. Our purpose today is to merely introduce you to the booklet and make it available to you.

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