John Wooden - Mentor

Good Day~

1. Pray that the truth and inspiration of God's Word will be revealed for you from this passage . . . 2. Read the passage 3. "What do you NOTICE?" Read it again, and highlight what strikes you 4. If it fits, pull it apart for application.

Acts 18.23-19.7 After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

In short, we have a segue from Paul to Apollos, who was a Jew who loved God, and travelled to Ephesus to use his stellar knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures to talk about Jesus. However, surely you noticed that there was a little glitch with his teaching. . . it stopped shore. . . he did not have the full story. As God would have it, Priscilla and Aquila were present in the synagogue as Apollos taught, and so they invited him to their home to tell him the 'rest of the story' after John-the-Baptist. Jesus lived, died, and rose again--and then when He had ascended into Heaven, sent the Holy Spirit (on the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2) to fill the hearts and minds of believers.

I believe God would have us notice how Priscilla and Aquila recognized that Apollos needed additional training. They were willing to meet his need, and took Apollos to their home to 'speak into his life', to mentor him. They did not speak out and correct him before the congregation; but after, they took him under their wing and lovingly taught him what they had experienced about the Holy Spirit and new life through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. (After all, there is no new life without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.) Apollos in turn had a teachable heart. Apollos recognized that Priscilla and Aquila had the TRUTH, and he received the message they gave him. (O that you and I will recognize TRUTH when we see it, and desire to grow in it!) The reality is this: if we desire to grow in a particular aspect of life, or in how to navigate through life itself, we do well to talk to someone who has done either well. Naturally, there are two sides to mentoring--the mentor/teacher and the mentee/learner. I have experienced the merit of both roles for the purpose of spiritual growth. For years, successful business practice has recognized the value of learning from seasoned professionals within the same disciplines. After all, do we have to learn everything through personal trial and error, or might we learn from others' experiences? The writer of Ecclesiastes said, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; There is nothing new under the sun."

Many a basketball coach has tried to learn from the modeling of UCLA icon, John Wooden--but not of course until he had realized a winning record, both on and off the court. To play under "Coach" was to be mentored by him. . . do you know what he taught his players first? Oh, you won't believe it, but it's true--he taught his young players to properly put on their shoes and socks. Beginning with the socks, pulling them first over the toes and slowly, snugly pulling them over the heel and the rest of the foot, making sure there were no creases. Then the shoe, properly tying them--the same tension on each foot. . . Why? Because it ensured the player would not get any blisters or calluses, which could interfere with his ability to run up and down the basketball court many times. His strategy then? Start with the basics and then move to the fundamentals of the game.

Growth is imperative to vital living. This topic fits in well after yesterday's briefing concerning legacy. . . when I asked you to name five words or ideas that would represent your life. . . (did you, by the way?). . . because if you struggled, perhaps you would benefit from being mentored by someone. Conversely, if you have 'crested the wave' in your personal, professional, or spiritual life, then maybe you would consider 'pouring into' another. Are you investing your faith in anyone else, like Priscilla and Aquila? Jesus mentored the disciples by walking alongside them and teaching them; Paul mentored Timothy. . . you might want to give the mentoring relationship some thought. But either way, keep learning. Listen to good teaching, read valuable books, learn from people who are "over-comers" in this world. . . Heck, I consider Lee Strobel my mentor, though he doesn't know it! I happen to be a student of his work, though--same with Philip Yancey. . . and Anne Graham Lotz. . . and Richard Foster. Yes, I have learned and grown much from their work. But I suppose my greatest mentor would be the Holy Spirit, who enlightens my mind to understand the truths of Scripture, and fosters the relationship between myself and my Lord. Who's your mentor? Christine