Video Transcript: Lesson 6 Section 3

The role of a mentor is to encourage spiritual growth in their students. This is ultimately the  work of the Holy Spirit, speaking through Scripture and bringing conviction and  transformation. As a small group, leader and mentor, you need to be intentional to make  room for the spirit to work. You should model for your students what that looks like, and help  them develop spiritual disciplines of their own. Here are five ways to do this. The first method  is to read the Bible together. The purpose of studying God's word is to grow in our love of God  and our obedience to Him. Love is what motivates us to live out God's truth. And love is  developed through a growing understanding of God's character, as described in Scripture.  Reading the Bible together is the most powerful tool for spiritual growth. The second method  to encourage spiritual growth is to memorize Scripture together. It is powerful to plan God's  Word in our lives and hearts. Spend time with your student reviewing scripture passages, and  commit to memorizing them together. repeat them back to one another, and reflect on the  implications of God's truth. The third spiritual discipline is to reflect God's truth in our prayers. A conversation between two people will consist of statements and questions, we can take a  similar approach to our conversations with God. Start out your prayer by affirming a truth  about God's character. Then, let that guide your requests and how you pray over your needs.  Remember that prayer may not come easily to some students. Even Jesus disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus responded with a simple outline that we call the Lord's  Prayer. He said to them, When you pray, say, Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom  come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. This prayer outlines four points we can  include in our own prayer life. First, starting worship. This is what we just talked about with  affirming a characteristic about God. Then, ask for help with your needs. Ask also for  forgiveness, and seek spiritual strength to avoid giving into temptation. By following these  four points, we reflect God's truth in our prayers. The fourth method to encourage spiritual  growth in the lives of teens is to model the truth. This is seen by others and the choices we  make throughout life. The word pact is defined as a formal agreement between people. It's  also a good word to help us remember how to model the truth in our day to day lives. Each  letter of the word stands for a different spiritual practice. First, we need to practice living the  biblical principle, not in the future when we are older, but today, encourage your students to  think about what they can do this week. After studying God's Word together in your mentoring session, ask them how they plan to take action. What is one practice that will help us live this  biblical principle in our daily choices and actions? How will this practice impact our time and  our money? Next, have the students find an accountability partner. This is essential. Having  someone you were accountable to helps motivate you to do the right thing. Look for someone you can trust and who will not just say what you want to hear. These will ensure the person  will keep your conversations in confidence and that they will not shy away from telling you  the truth in love what needs to be said. You can be an accountability partner for the students  you mentor. But it's also good if they get someone else involved like a peer or a family  member. Another way to help model truth in our day to day lives is to show care and  encouragement to the student during the week. Reach out to them and make sure they know  you're supporting them in prayer. They should know that you don't expect them to be perfect, and that you want to hear about their real journey and experiences next time you meet. The  fourth aspect of the pact is to ask your students to teach someone else about the spiritual  practice. One of the best tests of whether you have learned something well is if you can  explain it to someone else. The student will have to understand the spiritual practice and why it is important in order to be able to teach it to another person in their life. The pact is an  excellent way to model truth. And you should go through these steps at the same time as  your students. They should know you're in it together. The fifth and final method to encourage spiritual growth in your students is to help them make the right choices. Let's talk about the  two most important choices a team will face in their life. The first choice is who or what will be my master. This is the foundational choice every person faces in their life. Who we serve  determines how we live. Our role as mentors is to share the spiritual journey we have taken to make Jesus the master of our lives. Avoid focusing the discussion on rules to be followed.  Instead, focus on your relationship with God. Describe how you experiences leading in your 

life, and the results you have seen from choosing to obey. Once a teenager has determined  who will be their master, they have a second important choice. What is my mission in life, this may be related to the vocation the student is deciding to pursue, or it may be a much larger  discussion about the difference they desire to make in the world. Our role as mentors is to  help students identify their God given gifts and talents, and explore how those can intersect  with the world's needs. Remember, these choices are a journey that take time. As leaders, we want to encourage students in whatever stage they're in, affirm their character and  accomplishments every step of the way. They need to understand that your love does not  have to be earned. They should know that you are proud of them for wanting to grow, even if  the process is difficult, and the results are not always what they want. We have looked at  many ways to encourage spiritual growth in the lives of teens. Don't try to implement all of  these ideas at once. prayerfully consider the spiritual needs of the teenagers you are  mentoring. And begin by identifying one method that you believe will be effective in their  lives. Remember to always participate alongside them. And don't ask them to do something  you would not be willing to do