4. Encourage the inquirer to seek counsel from a local pastor, preferably his or her own. A pastor can help the person develop relationships and can recommend areas of service through the church.
Scripture
"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; and Your thoughts which are toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered" (Psalm 40:1–5).
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28–30).
"Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9).
"He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' So we may boldly say: 'The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5–6).
Other suggested Scriptures:
Proverbs 3:5–6
LOVE
Background
Until the Good News of Jesus Christ burst onto the human scene, the word love was understood mostly in terms of seeking one's own advantage. Loving the unlovely was incomprehensible. A loving God reaching down to sinful humans was unthinkable.
The New Testament writers chose a little-used Greek word for love, agape, to express what God wanted to reveal about Himself in Christ and how He wanted Christians to relate to each other: "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
This new love bond was given its fullest expression at Calvary. Those redeemed by Christ's death would be able to reach out to God and to each other in a dimension never before understood or experienced. Agape would now be the "more excellent way" of living (1 Corinthians 12:31). This new kind of love quickly became the identifying characteristic of the early church. Jesus had said: "A new commandment I give to you . . . as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34–35).
But as the years passed, much of the true force of agape faded. The church of today is in the position of having to rediscover its meaning. Agape is not mere sentiment; love that is dormant is powerless. Love is dynamic only when it actively loves God, even as He loved us; only when it is surging, unconstrained—loving brothers, sisters, neighbors, and the world for which Christ died (1 John 4:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:14).
On the human plane, as on the divine, love says: "I respect you. I care for you. I am responsible for you":
I respect you: I see you as you are, a unique individual—as we are all unique. I accept you as you are and will permit you to develop as God purposes for you. I will not exploit you for my own benefit. I will try to know you as well as I can, because I know that increased communication and knowledge will enhance my respect for you.
I care for you: What happens to you matters to me. I am concerned for your life and growth. I desire to promote your interests, even if it means sacrificing my own.