Mending!
Bible study
Pastors and Leaders
Use the Pastor’s and Leader’s Guide as a launching pad for sermons and small group discussions.
Leader’s guide
Print onto A4 paper and fold it in half to make an A5 booklet.
A big thanks to theologian and author, Rev Dr Graham Joseph Hill, for writing this Pastor’s and Leader’s Guide.
Please fill out the form if you would like printed copies mailed to you.
How to use this resource
The Pastor’s and Leader’s Guide has been developed as a launching pad for leaders to explore the key themes of the Mending! series with churches and small groups.
Each theme has an introduction of the theme and scriptures, key takeaways, mission stories to use as illustrations, questions for small groups and a prayer. It can be used as a four week series or as standalone sessions.
Session overviews
It starts with us
We live in a broken world, and our lives are testimonies to this brokenness. Yet, amid this reality, we find hope. Our mending God doesn’t discard us due to our fractures; instead, God desires to use us, broken as we are, transforming our wounds into wellsprings of empathy and strength.
In Galatians 5:16-17, 22-26, we discover that this transformation begins within us, as we are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit, learning to live, look, love and lead more like Jesus.
Scriptures
Galatians 5:16-17, 22-26
Key points
- Renewing through dependence on the Spirit
- Renewing through cultivating the fruit of the Spirit
- Renewing through community in the Spirit
It’s always about relationships
Matthew 4:18-22 helps us understand how authentic, meaningful relationships are vital for co-mending the world with God. Our Baptist Mission Australia team exemplifies this by embedding themselves within local communities worldwide, fostering genuine connections and living as good neighbours. They cross streets and cultural divides to embody the hope of Jesus through both word and deed.
Like Jesus, who became proximal by moving into our human neighbourhood and investing deeply in personal relationships, we are called to adopt an incarnational, relational approach.
Scripture
Matthew 4:18-22
Key points
- Relating through proximity
- Relating through shared lives
- Relating as credible witnesses
It’s about the whole Gospel for the whole world
In Luke 4:14-21, Jesus announces His mission to bring holistic restoration. As co-menders, we are called to engage in this mission by responding to the brokenness and injustice around us and worldwide. God envisions a restored creation—people and planet alike—and invites us to participate in this grand, restorative vision.
We are to model Jesus’ approach, combining word and deed, proclamation and demonstration, and expressing God’s love tangibly.
Scripture
Luke 4:14-21
Key points
- Restoring through proclamation and demonstration
- Restoring through personal engagement
- Restoring through community in the Spirit
It’s about availability
As we explore John 1:35-42, the Spirit invites us to consider our response to God’s call. How do we, inspired by the previous sessions, become co-menders in our communities and beyond? The journey of mending begins with availability—a willingness to be used by God amidst the competing demands of life.
Scripture
John 1:35-42
Key points
- Responding with availability
- Responding to the call with others
- Responding in the power of the Spirit
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