Other than Jesus who has had the greatest impact on your life?

[David from New Bern]

It is my personal belief that mentorship or in Biblical speak, discipleship is the weakest link in the way the church operates. It is the very thing the Great Commission requires of us, but the one area we are failing most miserably. While sharing the plan of salvation starts the journey, discipleship is the journey. Who has made the greatest impact in that area in your life. Who has taken the message to your heart and held you accountable? Who has done a good job demonstrating faith under pressure? Who has taught you how to study and pray? Of course, the questions get more personal as we contemplate it, who have you had an impact on? Who looks to you to demonstrate faith applied and the practice of discipline displayed? IMO this is the frontline in the cause of Christ.

[Gerioke]

My friend, Lloyd McMillan convinced me to return to the fold. After that there has been an array of people who taught me, encouraged me and loved me and helped to keep me in the fold. Jesus has more than one instrument in His tool box and life requires all of them.

[Giaour]

my parents

[Openly Curious]

I agree their is a lack of discipleship. I can't really say that it is any one person in my life other than Jesus. However there where those I once looked to for examples in the body of Christ but latter on lost respect unto as their whole doctrine changed. I can only think of one sturdy hand in my life who was an example to me and that would be my grandmother who gave me my first bible she was faithful to go to church and read her bible. She was steady and sturdy hand to hold unto in my life and i miss her very much.

OC

[David from New Bern]

My dad has been a great influence in my life at a critical point of my life my upbringing. Cautiously I say this, in some ways I have surpassed his understanding and experiences. But, his endurance and his sincerity are still greatly admirable. He is very open with his affection for people. He has a very narrow vision for himself, but he has been faithful with what he has been able to grasp.

The other great influence in my life was a pastor named Randy Hawkins who took the time to have private probing conversations with me. He took risk with me by letting me in on many of his private thoughts and struggles in light of grace. He entrusted me with an opportunity to teach Sunday School. He prayed with me, forgave me when I needed forgiving and help me to identify a calling on my life, and helped pursue it. He dissapointed me with some decisions he made later on in his ministry. But he had taught me to focus on Jesus and look at others with mercy because we are all projects. So it was easy to apply it to his situation, because I knew I would need the same grace at different points of my life. I still to this day 16 years later remember in detail many of our discussions and impromptu prayer. His involvement intervened in my running from the church to a hot pursuit of the church and its ministry.

[Guest jckduboise]

The most influential person in the role of mentorship in my life was a man who is about 80 yrs old and a recovered alcoholic. He grew up the eldest son of a preacher man and has such a wonderful relationship with the Lord. But this relationship he has was not so much of what he knew from scripture but what God taught him through the Holy Spirit.

This is the person who taught me that in order to have a completely fulfilling relationship with God that I must leave my sins at the foot of the cross, to accept forgiveness and salvation,and then to go beyond the cross to where Jesus lives now. He taught me to listen to that gentle voice that guided and disciplined me and to understand that God disciplines those He loves.

How very special that made me feel. That God could love me! I am the woman who could not be a mother to my children, I am the woman who did what ever I had to to get my drug needs met. I am the woman who tried to take my life because I had nothing to live for. And how beautiful it was the day that I believed in my heart what this wonderful man had taught me.

This man is the closest I have ever known to having a dad and I love that man so very much. Words cannot express the tenderness and respect in my heart for this man.

Praise the Lord for the ones he puts in our lives to teach us such wonderful things about God.

It is so funny that this post was started. I have been seeking answers from God about what He wants of me in the ministry and I spoke to the pastor of the church I attend about this very thing on Sunday. She said that (her ministry is a ministry for the recovering) a mentoring program is being orginized and to come to the first meeting tonight. I just left there. And on my way home I asked God to give me a very clear answer if this is the right thing for me and then this post!

It isn't clear to me yet but this post just shows me that it will be soon.

God is so good.....

[GodisTruth]

My children. I don't think anyone else could have changed my entire life like they did.

[gypc]

Back in the ealy 80's I would get high and listen to Jimmy Swaggart. I would even take his records that my grandmother had and turn them backwards just for kicks. Well after awhile the word that was going out changed me and I got saved.

I'm going to say bro Swaggart, here's why........

Back then, man of God who can do no wrong...........then got caught in sin............and again...... then became broken and down at the bottem.............then he understands that he is nothing and that Christ and what he did at the cross is everything.

Now he is a broken man who knows that the Blood of Jesus is the only answer to man's problem, which is sin.

I tried so hard to live up to what he preached and I just couldn't do it. When he fell I was mad but fell right along with him. But what a life lesson in my journey..........knowing that I can't do it but Christ in me can.

King David became like this.............. he was truly broken and finally got this same revelation and God loved him through it all.

[elkieDannsa' Air An Drochaid]

There are several people the Lordgraciously put in my lifes path to mentor and show the Love of Christ to me and my family.

MY dear Grandmotherr is the closest one to me who did this. He generous faithfullness and Christ like Love is more than I can ever fully explain. I thank God for her.

The pastor of the chapel where the answer to a home church was when i was praying for Gods lead to a home church. His teaching were and are directly out of the Bible. He found strength for the church members by giving bread and meat of the Scriptures every Sunday morning to advance our walks with Christ. I have the greatest reguard for him and wrote a letter to him and let him know last December. His love and honesty is so Christ-like.

A loving woman I met at the chapel, many years ago has become both dear friend and spiritual mentor to me. Her thoughts are centered in Christ in her heart of hearts. She has made me see the importance of bing a woman of grace to other persons.

Many more years prior a friend showed the love of Christ and continually offered Christ and gave His Love to me in a hardest life transition and I saw how a Christian gives their life and prayers to our Faithful Christ as Lord and God.

This changed my life forever for the better.

Some people are Christians because of other Christians and some people are Christians inspite of other Christians.

God is always faithful to give church and be our Light unto outr paths.

Thank you Jesus for directing my path and keeping Your Holy Hands on me long before I ever knew You were and for Your Faithfulness.

Keep The faith

God bless

[EricH]

I have had a couple of guys who have mentored me and really lived it:

1. My youth pastor as a teen, Rich. 30 years later we still talk

2. Dan Webster - who used to be Youth pastor at Willow Creek and now ministers through authentic leadership.

3. The senior Pastor of the church in which I came to Christ. He is a true shepherd

4. Dr. Thomas McComiskey - I worked as his GA in seminary. He taught me to love the word of God

5. A guy I worked with in corporate america named Jay. He was not a believer, but he is one of the best thinkers I ever met. He has great integrity

Some people from the past whom I did not meet personally, yet ministered to me:

1. Dawson Trotman - founder of the Navigators

2. Eric Liddell

3. Robert E. Lee

4. Thomas Stonewall Jackson

5. CS Lewis - his authenticity and clear thinking shine in his writings