Jim Grassi - The Spiritual Mentor

THE SPIRITUAL MENTOR

OTHER BOOKS BY

DR. JAMES GRASSI

Guts, Grace, and Glory

The Ultimate Mens Ministry Encyclopedia

A Study Guide of Israel

Crunch Time

Crunch Time in the Red Zone

Wading Through the Chaos

The Ultimate Hunt

In Pursuit of the Prize

Heaven on Earth

The Ultimate Fishing Challenge

Mens Ministry Catalyst Website:
www.mensministrycatalyst.org

2013 by Jim Grassi

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked The Voice are taken from The Voice translation. 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4016-7791-6

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

Dedicated to my faithful wife and best friend, Louise Grassi, a Proverbs 31 Woman, and to all the faithful mens ministry leaders who help make mens ministry happen

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

1 Corinthians 11:13

Let all of us be imitators of our Lord!

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Small Group Environment

Are you tired of hearing people talk about mentoring and discipleship while not seeing it truly lived out in their lives? If youre like me, you find yourself wishing someone would simply step up and lead the charge to live out this calling Christ has given to us.

The book you hold in your hands is just such a clarion call. And it has come at the exact right time too. I believe there has never been a time when spiritual mentors have been needed more desperately.

Over the past two thousand years, Jesus plan for reaching and transforming the lives of people hasnt changed. The principles of discipleship and spiritual mentorship are as powerful today as ever. And as a veteran fisher of men, Jim Grassi is a reliable guide in this greatest of all adventures.

Having known Jim for over twenty years, I can tell you that he writes from a depth of experience of intentionally investing his life in others that is profoundly rare. Having spent more than forty years discipling others, Jim has proven this is not just a passing interest for him. It is a passion that has become an integral part of his life. And like a skilled guide leading us through treacherous mountain trails, Jim equips his readers with the skills, knowledge, and wisdom necessary to stay on the path charted by our Savior, the greatest Spiritual Mentor the world has ever seen.

With insight, humor, and gripping personal stories, Jim demystifies the frequently intimidating subject of mentorship and helps us gain a fresh vision for how a person can step up and begin to mentor someone else. Within these pages you will discover rich spiritual insights drawn from Scripture, practical tips for countless real-life situations, and time-tested methods for approaching normal, everyday interactions with others in ways that make a lasting difference in someone elses life and legacy.

Dont be fooled: spiritual mentorship is not something to be left to the professionals. If you know what it means to follow Christ each day just one step at a time, you are ready to begin this adventure. I believe that right now there are colleagues, neighbors, and friends all around you who are desperate for someone to simply share with them the truths and promises that Christ has given to His children.

If you will have the boldness to let Jim be your guide as you begin this adventure, I have no doubt that you will begin to see God work through you in your family, your church, and your community in ways that are astonishing.

So as you prepare to turn the page and begin this journey, get ready to be surprised, and dare to begin this life-changing journey of following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, the ultimate disciple-maker. You are in good hands. I commend this book and this greatest of adventures to you.

Phil Downer

President, Discipleship Network of America

Author, Eternal Impact: Investing in the Lives of Others

Why are discipleship and mentoring so important? What place do they have in our faith? How does discipleship connect to men and the struggles they are facing today? On any given Sunday in most churches across America, men will make up less than 39 percent of the congregation.

For those precious few who stay in the church, most believe that discipling others is the responsibility of paid professionalsthe pastors and missionaries. When we consider the former patriots of the Christian faith, warriors and ambassadors like the apostles Peter or Paul come to mind. After considering world leaders in the discipleship movement like Martin Luther, John Wesley, Charles Finney, A. W. Tozer, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody, and Billy Graham, today there seems to be precious few whose primary focus is on discipleship or mentoring. We have many articulate communicators whose Sunday messages inspire people to feel good about themselves, but few are the pastors who preach powerful messages on discipleship that move people to action and to fully commit themselves to the principles of what I call spiritual mentoring. There are some twenty-first-century pastors, teachers, and leaders who consistently speak on and model biblical truths about the primary focus of our faithdiscipleshipbut their voices are being drowned out amidst the idle chatter of liberal theology and feel good religion.

Ive had the privilege of serving at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. Pastor Jim Putman, an energetic youth pastor and All-American wrestling coach from Oregon, came to Post Falls fifteen years ago with a heart and vision to share his passion about discipleship and to do church differently. He was a pastors kid and realized that people were integrating biblical truth into their daily living. Jim realized that hypocrisy was a disease eating like a cancer at the heart of the church.

He and a small team of men came to Post Falls and created some unique models and terminology that are being used by thousands of churches in the nation. I had the privilege of playing a small role in the initial development process, but more importantly, I sat and soaked in much of what Pastor Jim has proclaimed from the pulpit. Ive asked Jim that I might include and paraphrase some of that thinking in this work. He and his church are good examples of how God still uses people to connect with others on a one-on-one basis.

We need to revisit what it means to be a true disciple. We need a fresh look at what Christ taught about discipleship. In todays vernacular, first-century discipleship would best be described as