The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry
“But we encourage you brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands …” I Thessalonians 4:10-11
I watched a really good DVD with Jan on Saturday night. The movie probably won’t get much attention, but it was very powerful. It is called THE SECRETS OF JONATHAN SPERRY … What He Teaches Them … Will Last Forever. I want to commend it to you and recommend it to you to watch.
Jonathan Sperry (play by Love Boat’s Captain, Gavin Macloed) is a senior citizen who is living a quiet life as Paul talked about in today’s verse. A widower, Jonathan goes about life living it for God’s glory.
During the movie he meets three young boys and quietly begins to mentor and teach them by the example of his own life. Using very simple, but practical situations, Jonathan teaches how to deal with difficult people, how to deal with anger, and what it means to be kind to one another despite the opposition.
As I was watching the movie, I couldn’t help but think of some of the “Jonathan Sperry’s” in my life growing up. Walt Reiman, a very unassuming man who taught our Primary Department Boy’s Sunday School class. He used stick figure drawings to illustrate his lessons, and often invited us to his house to play marbles or some other fun game. Walt Reiman led Dr. Howard Hendricks to the Lord!
During the movie he meets three young boys and quietly begins to mentor and teach them by the example of his own life. Using very simple, but practical situations, Jonathan teaches how to deal with difficult people, how to deal with anger, and what it means to be kind to one another despite the opposition.
As I was watching the movie, I couldn’t help but think of some of the “Jonathan Sperry’s” in my life growing up. Walt Reiman, a very unassuming man who taught our Primary Department Boy’s Sunday School class. He used stick figure drawings to illustrate his lessons, and often invited us to his house to play marbles or some other fun game. Walt Reiman led Dr. Howard Hendricks to the Lord!
Woody Adcock was a professional business man who took over our Junior Department Sunday School class. His goal was to get his “boys” to memorize Bible verses so that they could go to camp. Every one of us HAD to memorize the verses. We thought that camp was the goal, but we soon realized that what he really wanted was for us to hide God’s Word in our hearts. Little did we know then the impact that Woody’s life had on so many in the Christian business world.
Carl Shoemaker was another Christian business man who taught me how to do the Boy Scout handshake. He was the superintendent of our Junior Sunday School department. He had huge influence in the business world, yet was a humble servant who invested in our lives as kids. He and his dear wife, Gertie, encouraged and pushed me to develop my gifts, always reminding me the importance of living for and serving the Lord
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And the list could go on and on. But the thing that struck me, is that I am now at the age that these men were when they were encouraging me. Like Jonathan Sperry, we need to look for ways to mentor and encourage other young men to love and live for the Lord. This kind of mentoring is biblical. Ask yourself the question: Who can I invest my life in today? – Bill Welte is President of America’s Keswick
Compass Pointers: It’s never right to do the wrong thing. – Pastor Dave Rittinger
Navigation Rules: Level 1: Proverbs 5:21; Proverbs 5:15-23
Anchored to the Rock: Hurry is the death of prayer. Samuel Chadwick
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