Let the Shepherd Lead

• So when we begin a shepherding call we want to…

• Assess the Presenting Problem.
  • To do this we must listen carefully to the person. Let’s read James 1:18
  • We also must ask good questions, seeking to become involved in the gritty details of this person’s life so that we might understand them.[2] (Proverbs 18:2 & 13).
  • As we assess the presenting problem, we can begin to discern if the problem is…
    • Spiritual – relating to that person’s relationship with God and expectations of God in this situation.
    • Personal or Emotional – relating to that person’s posture towards their emotions, past, health, or identity.
    • Relational – relating to the conflicts, abuse, un-forgiveness, or frustrations with other people.
    • Circumstantial – relating to the current situation and circumstances that person is facing.
• Share the Relevance of the Gospel.
  • Reju and Pierre say “Problems in life are occasions for troubled persons to hear the beckoning voice of Christ, neither insisting on their own solutions nor giving up in hopelessness.”[3]
  • Proverbs 20:5 tells us that the purposes in a man’s heart are like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
  • Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we are to speak the truth in love. (See also Romans 10:17).
  • For each of those types of problems we need to share the relevance of the gospel. For instance
    • Spiritual – We can trust God to be who he says he is and do what he says he will do.
    • Personal – Our identity – the beliefs and values that shape our conduct – should fundamentally be as someone who wants to please Christ
    • Relational – God shows us how to love others, forgive and influence others for Christ rather than be influenced away from him.
    • Circumstantial – Our circumstances do not dictate our responses, but our relationship with Christ does give us the appropriate guidance to respond to situations.
• Kick-start their Christian Growth.
  • As we think about the problems people face, we need to already think about practical ways to kick-start their Christian Growth.
  • Growth assignments should be concrete and give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to do the work he alone can do to change and transform their hearts.

[1] Adapted from Deepak Reju and Jeremy Pierre’s work in The Pastor as Counselor, 36-38 and 48-52.

[2] We call this Data Gathering.

[3] Reju and Pierre, 37.