Are You Ready to Grow?
Thousands of men have found that CBMC provides a priceless resource through an intentional Operation Timothy discipleship connection. Operation Timothy is a CBMC developed mentoring tool used by spiritually mature CBMC men who have a heart for God and the truth of His Word. Operation Timothy allows you to form a mutually beneficial PaulTimothy relationship for a season by following the Apostle Paul's example to come alongside a brother in Christ who is earnestly seeking spiritual maturity and ready to work on developing it. This entails sharing life-on-life lessons, seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord through applying God's word in everyday life, and encouraging each other and praying in authentic discipleship.
See the bottom of this week's devotional from Alan Smith to get connected with this valuable mentoring resource.
Ernie
P.S. - It's free!
 |
|
|
Mentoring
By Alan Smith
|
|
Take a minute to close your eyes and reflect for a moment- whatever seems urgent right now, I promise God will keep things in order until you get back into the grind.
Reflect back on a person, or if you are really blessed, more than one person that you had an extraordinary relationship with. If you are a guy, I don't mean that girl you dated one summer during your high school years- I'm talking about someone of the same sex who you would count as a friend in the deepest sense of the word.
Hopefully you may even use the word "mentor" to describe one or two people that at some point in your life helped you become the person you are today.
Icing on the cake would be if someone like that was also a person you worked with. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people. Philemon 1:7
Tom Russett was one of those guys for me. Not only is he a great leader and my boss for a period while I was at Ziegler Caterpillar, Tom was also someone whom I could depend on to give me Godly wise counsel and encouragement. He wasn't afraid to bring his whole self- including his relationship with God- into his leadership and it was a joy to work with him for several years.
For CBMC members, mentoring and discipling are not only things we do, but a lifestyle we live.
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24
It was sometime in 2011. Soon after I had come on staff with CBMC, and a few months earlier having the blessing of being the "Timothy" with Fred Bills being my "Paul" as he and I journeyed through CBMC's discipleship books, Operation Timothy (OT), that I invited my new friend David Stay to meet with me on a regular basis to work through OT.
Since then-through thick and thin- career, family, personal ups and downs, we have been there for each other. We laugh, we cry, and we pray.
We've studied the Bible, OT, Oswald Sanders book Spiritual Leadership and now most recently, focusing 30 of our 90 minutes together over lunch studying Randy Alcorn's book "Heaven".
This past year has been... interesting for lack of a better term. Sorrowful yet joyful as the apostle Paul put it. Having close friends and CBMC brothers like Steve Williams and Paul Ridgeway go to be with Jesus full time and now my brother and very active CBMC guy David in July having been assigned with the task of living with stage 4 colon cancer.
More than ever, we are realizing that no matter what age or circumstances, life on earth is fleeting. Also the realization that relationships with followers of Jesus are the only thing that will last for eternity.
Jesus said it well: Therefore go and make disciples Matthew 28:19
Might this note be an encouragement for you to pray.
Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to mentoring/discipling relationships which will bear fruit, fruit that will last.
I trust that someday there are people that will reflect back on their lives and YOU will be the person that comes to mind as a brother and mentor that made an eternal difference for them. Alan Smith is CBMC Northland Area Director in the Northland area of MN, WI, ND.
EDITOR"S NOTE: If you have an interest learning more about mentoring, CBMC has the tools - Operation Timothy books and leader-guides are available in print and online media. Contact CBMC New England at NewEngland@cbmc.com
|
|
|
|
|
CBMC New England | 978.840.1093 | NewEngland@cbmc.comi| NewEngland.cbmc.com