Paul and Timothy

Author Donald Miller begins his bestselling book Blue Like Jazz:

“I never liked jazz music. Because jazz doesn’t resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself.”

This past summer I had an awesome opportunity to work at Inspiration Point Bible Camp in Minnesota (www.ipoint.org). It was a life changing experience, I learned so much about God and myself. The biggest growth I went through was how to serve and have a heart for the mission I was called to. Most of what I learned about serving faithfully, because I already had a God given passion, was really how to do it just from watching others.

One day camp I had the privilege of doing was at Bethel Lutheran Brethren in Fergus Falls. It was and usually is a big day camp and had more staff than a normal day camp would have and Janet Anderson was with us the Program Director of IPBC was there because it was so big. She and her husband Greg have been doing ministry at Inspiration Point for over 20 years. They have seen God work in many ways that blow them away each time. The time I spent on that day camp serving and observing and witnessing the passion that Janet shown for the ministry had a huge impact for me on what it means to serve passionately for the gospel.

We all need people that inspire us who are farther along in their faith journey than we are. The Apostle Paul was kind of like a mentor for Timothy and even wrote two letters helping him out. He wrote letters encouraging Timothy to continue strong in what he was called to do for the church and to teach faithfully, ”But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”(2 Timothy 3:14-17). If you have someone who has helped you, pay it forward, do likewise and be a faith mentor to someone else.