Week One: Mentor s Version

Week One: Mentor s Version Take time to view the video, Introduction to Discipleship. You can view it at www.markvanvalin.com. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 Take this first session to get acquainted, and orient the group as to what to expect. Take the time to have the group read together what is here: *Philippians 1:9-11 This is a wonderful description of the life that we aspire to in Christ. *The Man s Prayer. You will end your time each week by praying this prayer together. It is a powerful prayer that covers our heart, our home, and our vocation. The group will likely have it memorized by the end of the year. *Some Assumptions 1

A Man s Prayer Lord, I am not strong enough to promise tomorrow. I can only offer you today. Take your rightful place as Lord of my life. I offer you my heart, Those parts of my day when no one is looking. I offer you my home. Help me live a godly and gracious life before my children. Help me love, encourage and cherish my wife as the treasure that she is. My sexuality is a gift from you to her, And can only be opened by her. I offer you my work, Help me serve others with excellence, honesty, and integrity. I offer this day to you. I offer my all to you. Some Assumptions There is a shortage of godly men in the world. There is a part of every man that longs to touch God and make a difference in the world. True life in Christ really just comes down to full surrender and obedience. To walk with God is like working out. It requires daily, consistent training. We need the Holy Spirit to breathe God s life into us. We need the Bible to know God and know ourselves. We need each other. We are all more content with the sin in our life than God is. We don t have anything until we can give it away and we can t give away what we don t have. We really come to know Jesus when we help the next guy know him too. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer. Amen. 2 3

Objectives You will learn to feed yourself from the Bible. You will encounter God s transforming grace through daily prayer and obedience. You will experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. You will become a spiritual leader in your home and will establish a godly legacy for your family. You will grow free of destructive addictive behaviors. You will grow to love others enough to tell them what Christ has done for you. A year from now, you will experience God s power working through you as you lead, or co-lead a Huddle with 2-3 other men. Week One Welcome Introductions Read the Objectives Read together Philippians 1:9-11, The Man s Prayer (or Woman s Prayer), and Some Assumptions. How are you hoping to benefit from being in a discipleship Huddle? This is important. This will help you discern how each one in the group is hoping to benefit from your time together. It will give you insight into their spiritual growing edge. Name one thing God has done for you? (30 seconds) You will ask this question from time to time. The purpose is to help your group begin to share about spiritual things. This is the first step in telling our story of what Christ as done for us. It is amazing how few Christians share with other believers at a spiritual level. At first, your group will likely share circumstantial blessings: I got over a cold. I got a job. My house sold, etc. In time, however, they should be able to share deeper, more ultimate things: God helped me overcame temptation. He delivered me from alcohol. He helped me forgive my wife, etc. 4 Schedule time before the Lord this week: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday The goal for the year is to cultivate a daily walk with Jesus. What we mean by this is a daily attentiveness to His voice (through the Word, through prayer, and through the

counsel of other believers) and a daily a responsiveness to His commands. Discipleship hinges on this kind of daily life. If we get this right, everything else will fall into place! For some, setting aside time before the Lord will come easily. For others, it will be very difficult. Encourage the group to make an appointment with God, just as they would in their work. Morning is best, but for some, evening might work better. To help the group, a good place to start would be to read one of the Bible stories listed on the following pages. Listed are all the great Bible stories. It is a good way for a beginner to get acquainted with the flow and drama of the Bible. Finally, ask the group to list 3-4 other men or women who don t currently know Jesus, whom the Lord is laying on their heart. Encourage the group to begin praying for these people. If they cannot think of anyone, they can ask God to bring 2-3 to mind. God will always answer that prayer! These might be a good friend, a family member, a casual acquaintance, or even someone whom you just met. It is God who lays that person on your heart. It is God who is at work here. No one will come to saving faith apart from prayer! It is vitally important to pray, not only to change the heart of an unbelieving friend, but just as important, to change our hearts! May God give us a passion for lost people! May our hearts break like His. He shed his blood for a lost world. To have the mind of Christ, we, too, must have our hearts broken at the thought of anyone spending eternity, lost and separated from God. As the group learns the Luther Bible meditation method, you may want to assign scripture portions for the group to do on their own. Either way, Luther s recommended pattern of praying the Word is always the same: Take time to understand God s Word, then pray about it: Thank Him for his truth. Confess your failure to live according to His truth. Ask Him to help you live according to His truth. Ask God to give you 3-4 others who do not know him:

Bible Meditation You can choose to work through any portion of scripture that you like. For some smaller books, like Paul s New Testament letters, it is best to tackle only 2-4 verses at a time. For larger books that feature stories, like one of the Gospels, you can handle a larger portion at a time. The Gospel of Mark is a great place to help a new or seeking believer become acquainted with Jesus. If you were to choose to work through Mark this year, you could break down the book in digestible parts as listed below. If you were to study one passage as a group only once per week, there are more texts here than can be completed in a year. You may want to encourage the group to do 3-4 scripture portions on their own per week, then do one together when you meet. If you do this, however, make sure you all commit together as a group to stay together, and do the passages at home. Think how powerful it would be to study the entire Gospel of Mark! Mark 1:1-8 1:9-13 1:14-15 1:16-20 1:21-28 1:29-34 1:35-39 1:40-45 2:1-12 2:13-17 2:18-20 2:21-22 2:23-28 3:1-6 3:7-12 3:13-19 3:20-30 3:31-35 4:1-9 4:10-12 4:13-20 4:21-23 4:24-25 4:26-29 4:30-34 4:35-41 5:1-13 5:14-20 5:21-24a, 35-43 5:24b-34 6:1-6 6:7-13 6:14-16 6:17-29 6:30-34 6:35-44 6:45-52 6:53-56 7:1-8 7:6-8 7:9-13 7:14-23 7:24-30 7:31-37 8:1-10 8:11-21 8:22-26 8:27-30 8:31-33 8:34-38 9:1-8 9:9-13 9:14-29 9:30-32 9:33-37 9:38-41 9:42-48 9:49-50 10:1-12 10:13-16 10:17-22 10:23-27 10:28-31 10:32-34 10:35-40 10:41-45 10:46-52 11:1-11 11:12-14 11:15-19 11:20-26 11:27-33 12:1-9 12:10-12 12:13-17 12:18-27 12:28-34 12:35-37 12:38-40 12:41-44 13:1-8 13:9-13 13:14-23 13:24-31 13:32-37 14:1-11 14:12-21 14:22-26 14:27-31 14:32-40 14:41-52 14:53-65 14:66-72 15:1-5 15:6-15 15:16-20 15:21-32 15:33-41 15:42-47 16:1-8 16:9-14 16:15-20 Old Testament Stories The following contains the main stories and themes of the Old Testament. Once you get a sense of the story, you can go back and read the other parts! Enjoy. Genesis 1-2 Genesis 2-3 Genesis 4 Genesis 6-7 Genesis 8 Genesis 11 Genesis 12-13 Genesis 14 Genesis 15-16 Genesis 17 Genesis 18-19 Genesis 21-22 Genesis 24 Genesis 25 Genesis 27 Genesis 28 Genesis 32-33 Genesis 37 Genesis 39-40 Genesis 41 Genesis 42 Genesis 43-44 Genesis 45 God creates the earth The fall Cain and Abel Noah builds the ark God saves Noah The tower of Babel God calls Abram Abram rescues Lot God promises a Son Circumcision The three visitors God tests Abraham Isaac and Rebekah Jacob and Esau Isaac blesses Jacob Jacob has a dream Jacob wrestles with God Joseph sold into slavery Joseph is accused Pharoah's dream Joseph and his brothers Joseph's brothers return Joseph forgives

Exodus 1-2 Moses' birth and escape Ruth 3-4 Love and marriage Exodus 3-4 God calls Moses back I Samuel 1 Samuel is born Exodus 5-6 Promised deliverance I Samuel 3 God calls Samuel Exodus 7 The plagues begin I Samuel 16 Samuel anoints David Exodus 8-9 More plagues I Samuel 17 David fights Goliath Exodus 10-11 More plagues I Samuel 20 Jonathan and David Exodus 12-13 The passover I Kings 3 Solomon s wisdom Exodus 14 The crossing of the sea I Kings 17 Elijah and the widow Exodus 16 God sends manna I Kings 18 Elijah at Mt. Carmel Exodus 17 Water from a rock I Kings 19 The call of Elisha Exodus 19-20 The 10 commandments II Kings 2 Elijah to heaven Exodus 32 The golden calf II Kings 4 The widow's oil Exodus 33 God's glory II Kings 5 Naaman is healed Numbers 12 Miriam and Aaron II Kings 6 The blind Arameans Numbers 13 Joshua in Canaan Nehemiah 4 The wall of Jerusalem Numbers 14 The people rebel Job 1-2 Job is tested Numbers 21 The bronze snake Job 42 God restores Job Joshua 2 Rahab and the spies Job 42 God restores Job Joshua 3-4 Preparation for battle Psalm 1 Delight in the law Joshua 5-6 The battle of Jericho Psalm 19 God speaks Joshua 10 The sun stands still Psalm 23 My Shepherd Joshua 24 Joshua s challenge Psalm 27 One thing I seek Judges 6-7 Gideon s victory Psalm 51 David s prayer Judges 13-14 Samson is born Psalm 91 God is our refuge Judges 15-16 The Philistines Psalm 139 Search me O God Ruth 1-2 Ruth and Boaz Proverbs 3 Trust in the Lord

Isaiah 6 Isaiah is called Matthew 5-7 Sermon on the mount Isaiah 53 The Coming Savior Matthew 8-9 Jesus heals many Jeremiah 1-2 Jeremiah s warning Matthew 10 Jesus sends the twelve Jeremiah 31 A coming day Matthew 11 Jesus judgment Ezekiel 37 Dry bones will live Matthew 12 Jesus critics Daniel 1-2 Nebuchnezzar Matthew 13 Jesus parables Daniel 3 The fiery furnace Matthew 14 John is beheaded Daniel 5 The writing on the wall Matthew 15 Miraculous signs Daniel 6 Daniel in the lion's den Matthew 16 Jesus mission revealed Hosea 1,3 Hosea and Gomer Matthew 17 Jesus person revealed Jonah 1-2 Jonah and the whale Matthew 18 Stories of compassion Jonah 3-4 Ninevah repents Matthew 19 The rich young man Jonah 3-4 Ninevah repents Matthew 20 Jesus coming death Malachi 1 Sloppy worship Matthew 21 Jesus enters Jerusalem Malachi 2 I hate divorce! Matthew 22 Stories of the end Malachi 3-4 The Day of the Lord Matthew 23 Jesus warning New Testament Stories The following contain the main stories and themes of the New Testament. Once you become familiar with the story of Christ s coming and the adventures of the early believers, you will want to go back and read in depth from the many letters and sermons that are also found in the New Testament. Matthew 24 Matthew 25 Matthew 26 Matthew 27 Matthew 28 John 1 John 2 When the end will come How to be ready. The plot to kill Jesus Jesus trial and death Jesus resurrection Jesus, the Lamb of God Jesus clears the temple Matthew 1-2 The birth of Jesus John 3 Jesus and Nicodemus Matthew 3 Jesus is baptized John 4 The woman at the well Matthew 4 Jesus begins preaching John 5 The healing at the pool

John 6 Jesus feeds 5,000 Acts 12 Peter s escape from jail John 7 Jesus is the Christ Acts 13-14 Barnabas and Saul John 8 The adulterous woman Acts 15 Jerusalem council John 9 The man born blind Acts 16 To Macedonia John 10 The good shepherd Acts 17 To Athens John 11 Lazarus is raised Acts 18 To Corinth John 12 Jesus enters Jerusalem Acts 19 The riot in Ephesus John 13 Jesus washes feet Acts 20 Eutychus raised to life John 14 Comforting final words Acts 21 Danger in Jerusalem John 15 Remain in me Acts 22 The Jews reject Paul John 16 The coming Holy Spirit Acts 23 The plot to kill Paul John 17 Jesus final prayer Acts 24 Paul before Felix John 18 Jesus arrest and trial Acts 25-26 Paul before Agrippa John 19 Jesus crucifixion Acts 27-28 The shipwreck to Rome John 20 The empty tomb Revelation 1 John s vision of Jesus John 21 Jesus restores Peter Revelation 4 The throne of heaven Acts 1 Jesus ascension Revelation 5 The lion and the lamb Acts 2 The Holy Spirit comes Revelation 6 The seven seals Acts 3 Peter heals the beggar Revelation 7 The redeemed Acts 4 Peter and John arrested Revelation 19 Victory over Satan Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira Revelation 20 The judgment Acts 6-7 Stephen s martyrdom Revelation 21 The New Jerusalem Acts 8 Philip and the Ethiopian Revelation 22 Jesus is coming Acts 9 Saul is converted Acts 10 Cornelius believes Acts 11 The gospel for non-jews