Andrew Shearman – example of a spiritual father
Discipling is about relationship – it’s spiritual fathering, a relationship where one person sees Jesus in another person and says, “Oh, that’s what he looks like!”
Where did this idea of discipleship as a Bible Study come from? That’s a cheap imitation of the real thing. Yes, studying the Bible is an important aspect of discipleship, but it’s just one facet. It’s more about life lived together, casual conversations in the kitchen, the park, over coffee.
Most people are looking for someone to invest in and believe in them. A discipler doesn’t need much to be effective, just a little more experience than the one he’s coaching and the willingness to invest.
But finding that person in our independent society can take real perseverance – I know, I tried and failed repeatedly.
I have made a deliberate pitch to four Christian leaders to disciple me at key times in my life. All of them either turned me down or let me down. One, Andrew Shearman, I continued to pursue until he gave up and started hanging out with me. Andrew is a man I admire – he loves people, and he loves God passionately. He’s a man’s man. Today he is getting on a plane to hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with his son.
Andrew has been a model of a spiritual father for me. He has made time for me; he knows my strengths and proclivities. He listens to my rants and believes the best about me anyway. As we sip our cappuccinos, he listens to my plans and thinks the Jesus in me can actually see them become reality.
Comments (14)
Leave a Reply
Exactly…
I’m really looking forward to the discipleship aspect of the FYM, with that being such a focus (both inward and outward)…something that’s both really needed right now and really looking forward to the reaching out too!
i need a mentor to help on spiritual matters
b cos without a father you cant further.
I have just rededicated my life to God, right now i am waxing strong in the spirit but also lacking one thing: A good spiritual father who will help me in all spiritual matters.
Reading here really helps me at this stage of my life because,I am a pastor and bishop and at this moment I have no spiritual father.I’m thinking about a certain man of God who could be my spiritual father but I’m not sure if he is really who Im suppose to connect with.So maybe you can help me with this because I know how important this move is!Pray for me please.Thankyou!
I would love to read a blog like this one day that does not include the description, “a man’s man.”
In a day of heightened male awareness, I wish we could get away from this terminology, paradigm, or thought process. In usuing this term, it seems that there are those who are more manly than others. I find this kind of thinking insulting as a man. Each of us men is different from the another, & each of us is the expression of the unique thing that is called “being a man.”
i am very much interested to know what life is all about.i want to begine by knowing that which is still hidden in me.i beleif very much in my self but sometimes i fail.i need you you
On this subject of spiritual “fathering” we should be careful not to go too far. Paul says to his “children” in 1st Cor., “though you have ten thousand teachers, you only have one father, it was I who fathered you in Christ Jesus, by the gospel.” 1st Cor. 4:15. The apostle is in a sense a father, by virtue of his extraordinary calling and the fact that he has brought the gospel to places where it had never been heard. In another place, calling them “brothers” he chastized them: “I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people, I had to talk to you as people still living by your natural inclinations, still infants in Christ. I fed you with milk and not solid food, for you were not yet able to take it…” (1st Cor. 3:2)
The danger of living in spiritual infancy too long is to become too attached to man for spiritual things: “who is Apollos and who is Paul, but servants through whom you came to believe.” The Lord himself commanded: “Call no one on earth ‘Father’ for you have but one Father in heaven.” As Christians, our unlimited access to the throne of grace sets us apart on Earth as God’s children. James says “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives liberally”. 1st John 2:27 declares that “the anointing which we have received remains in us, and we do not need anyone to teach us, since the anointing teaches us everything and is true and not a lie.”
While for those who are young in the word, milk and a nurturing influence is necessary, church history, both old and recent, shows the abuse of any power standing between man and his God. All such barriers will be eliminated as the time of maturity of His sons approaches.
if you could help me by giving me a spiritual father, in fact i will be grateful indeed, please try to help though i found this very late but i still believe you can do something.
Dear Pastor -I AM sending his email,Sir Iam in the Agricultureal sector to be precis the livestock sector( POULTARY) pRODUCTION WHICH HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT THROUGH self finance.The project includes thr construction of a bird SHELTER that can house about 10,000 birds..The structures that can take about ten thousand ( 10,000) birds have almost collapsed as a result of financial constraints and all the five permanet workers have to lose their job.
Ghana is be recognize as a stable country and because of the favorable investment climate in the country —Iwould like to plead for a small LOAN,SPONSOR, PARTNERSHIP to start. i hAVE MY business Plan—the company has be registed in the code (act) in Ghana–Ialso have all the pictures in the farm I am also a Pastor. God bless you, hope to hear from you soon, Sir I would be very grateful if my application is considerd and I would do my best to pay back within the terme, you will gave me. counting on your cooperation to help feed African and the world as well by 2011 , –by the way HAPPY CHRISTMASS TO YOU AND THR BODY OF CHRIST
IT IS YOUR LOVELY BROTHER DISTRICT PASTOR AMOAH DA- COSTA APOSTOLIC FOUNDATION CHURCH ( P.A,W Inc)
my address
Dist, Pastor Amoah Da- costa
via Bentivoglio n.1
42124, Reggio Emilia
Italy.
Dear Pastor -I AM sending his email,Sir Iam in the Agricultureal sector to be precis the livestock sector( POULTARY) pRODUCTION WHICH HAVE SHOWN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT THROUGH self finance.The project includes thr construction of a bird SHELTER that can house about 10,000 birds..The structures that can take about ten thousand ( 10,000) birds have almost collapsed as a result of financial constraints and all the five permanet workers have to lose their job.
Ghana is be recognize as a stable country and because of the favorable investment climate in the country —Iwould like to plead for a small LOAN,SPONSOR, PARTNERSHIP to start. i hAVE MY business Plan—the company has be registed in the code (act) in Ghana–Ialso have all the pictures in the farm I am also a Pastor. God bless you, hope to hear from you soon, Sir I would be very grateful if my application is considerd and I would do my best to pay back within the terme, you will gave me. counting on your cooperation to help feed African and the world as well by 2011 , –by the way HAPPY CHRISTMASS TO YOU AND THR BODY OF CHRIST
IT IS YOUR LOVELY BROTHER DISTRICT PASTOR AMOAH DA- COSTA APOSTOLIC FOUNDATION CHURCH ( P.A,W Inc)
my address
Dist, Pastor Amoah Da- costa
via Bentivoglio n.1
42124, Reggio Emilia
Italy.
We cannot find human spiritual fathers any more than we can find biological fathers other than the one we have. Paul was a spiritual father in the sense that he birthed others in Christ but not in the sense that these were seeking him out to play this role. The good news is that we can find the best father possible in GOD THE FATHER through Christ. If we look to man instead of HIM, which is idolatry, we will be disapponted. If we seek HIM with all our hearts, we will be more than satisfied in sonship.
I am a boy of 19years and I want to do the work of god.but I need a helper.am from Ghana and this is my phone number(0240778783)please help me
I am in search of spiritual fother.
Father who had grown in the faith can young man like grow stronger like them.
Only throug spiritual can chidren of God continue to eat from the rich spiritual food that the word of the Lord provide