The Goat | week 5 | Elijah mentors Elisha
August 14, 2022

1 Kings 19:19-21

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” 21 And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

We underestimate two things: (1) the amount of good influence and leadership that we could have over other people in our lives, and (2) how much young people hunger to be mentored. —Pastor Brad

Lifeway did extensive research with young adults, and this is what their findings were:

• 45 percent of unchurched young adults identified the opportunity to receive advice from people with similar life experiences as very important.


• 68 percent of churched young adults identified the opportunity to receive advice from people with similar life experiences as very important.


The research concluded that both churched and unchurched young adults desire a maximum number of opportunities to connect with a mentor.

Ways Elijah mentored Elisha

  1. Elijah alerted Elisha to God’s call in the middle of his routine life.

  2. Elijah held Elisha accountable right from the beginning.

  3. Elijah modeled the way for Elisha by spending intentional time with him.

  4. Elijah taught Elisha what he empowered him to do what he had done


Questions for Reflection

  1. Who mentored you? Who led you?

  2. Who have you been thinking of during this time? Who looks up to you? Who is in your life that could really use someone to befriend them and intentionally point them toward Jesus?

  3. Are you willing to say yes to passing on the Jesus that you know, the lessons you’ve learned, and the insight you’ve gained to someone else?


How to start mentoring someone

  1. Pray for them

  2. Point their attention to the ways that God is working in their lives

  3. Provide accountability when the time is right (be careful on this one)

  4. Model the way for them by planning intentional time with them

  5. Teach them and empower them