Many of you are familiar with Operation Timothy, CBMC’s discipleship Bible study. The study was designed to equip men to live out Matthew 28:19, in which the Word tells us to “go into all the world and make disciples.” Disciple-making is an essential part of our Christian walk, and just as Paul led Timothy in Acts, we are called to mentor and guide one another.

The example Paul sets forth for us is powerful. In Acts 16, Paul meets Timothy, a young believer with a solid reputation among the people. Paul sees Timothy’s potential as a leader, and we watch as Paul mentors Timothy. They spend time together and live life with one another. Eventually, over years of investing into his life, Timothy is ready to lead and disciple on his own. 

We get some insight into this disciple-making process within 2 Timothy. Paul writes to Timothy from his Roman prison cell just before his death. These are some of his last words to the young man he mentored for so long…

“Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. 14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.”

– 2 Tim. 1:13-14

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”

– 2 Tim. 2:2

In those two verses, we see the two sides of the Operation Timothy coin. First, we see Paul stepping into the mentor role, guiding Timothy by his example and teaching him during their time together. Second, we see Timothy in the role of a young believer who is hungry to learn more and grow in his faith. In the verses above, Paul reminds Timothy of the lessons he has been taught and tells him it is his turn to share those lessons with others.

Fast-forward to today and this same relationship between Paul and Timothy is available to us now. Not only is it available, but we are called to it as a way of acting out the faith we believe in. Operation Timothy was designed to guide this process.

For today’s Paul…

“I want to leave a legacy, and do something with some purpose and meaning.” There comes a time in our lives when we feel led to step into our true calling: to be disciple-makers and have conversations that lead people to Christ. Many of us have felt this nudge – and at the same time, felt like we weren’t equipped for that mission.

Operation Timothy changes that, removing the barriers often associated with discipleship, from not knowing where to start to feeling like life is too busy. Intuitive, easy-to-use, and mobile-friendly, Operation Timothy provides a roadmap to discipleship, equipping users to have Biblical conversations, grow together, and connect through life-on-life relationships. Meaning and purpose become real, and the path to creating a legacy that matters becomes clear.

For today’s Timothy…

As a new believer, the Bible can be intimidating. “What is this, where do I start, and who can help me?” Alone, spiritual growth can be slow and sometimes overwhelming amid the challenges of life. A new marriage, young kids, a career… trying to do it all, AND growing in your faith by yourself can feel like too much.

Operation Timothy is a game-changer for new believers. Instead of navigating the journey alone, Advance offers a space for life-on-life discipleship. Here, two or more believers can come together, supporting and challenging each other to grow in their faith. It’s a place to find answers to questions, receive encouragement, and gain direction for life from experienced believers. Together, we can advance discipleship for all.

Now Available! CBMC Advance

We are thrilled to announce the launch of CBMC Advance, a space where Operation Timothy comes to life – even in the palm of your hand! Over the last year, we’ve invested time, energy, and resources into developing a new and improved version of our Marketplace Ambassador Advancement System.

CBMC Advance, as this new platform is known, is a mobile-friendly, easy-to-use digital application designed to simplify life-on-life discipleship and exploring faith together. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” CBMC Advance makes living out this Biblical command easy and accessible, equipping individuals for disciple-making, spiritual growth, and relationship-building.

CBMC Advance delivers:

• A streamlined, modern, and mobile-first user experience
• New and enhanced features to promote discipleship
• Additional resources, sermons, and studies
• All your current answers, connections, bookmarks, and notes are migrated

Begin exploring CBMC Advance today… Start here!

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

-Ephesians 6:11

I’ve written about this topic extensively in the book WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men. Christian men today are in an active battle and fall into three groups. The first group has no idea they’re even in a battle. The next group understands that they’re in a battle but haven’t been trained to fight, so they’re taking casualties personally and within their families. The final group sees the battle and is actively fighting back.

This battle for Christian men’s hearts is real. Their faith is being attacked. Their masculinity is being attacked. Their marriages are being attacked. Their children are being attacked. Their purpose is being attacked. Their identity is being attacked. Their confidence is being attacked. Attacks are being waged from every side.

It’s a reality I see in the lives of men every day. It’s also a truth that I have lived personally, experiencing each of those stages above in my own life. I’ve been the man who had no idea he was in a battle. I’ve experienced the moment when I could see the battle clearly for the first time but had no idea how to protect myself or my family. And today, I’m a man fighting for my faith, my marriage, my children, my masculinity, my purpose, my confidence, and my identity.

What do these battles look like? Every week, I hear new stories.

“Porn is destroying me. I’ve been battling it since I was fourteen, and now I’m thirty-six.”

“The drinking isn’t really an issue. It’s more social than anything. I just wish I could control it.”

“I’m just trying to keep up. If I work a little more and a little harder, I’ll get what I want and be happy. It will finally be enough.”

“My wife wants a divorce. I never thought I’d lose my kids full-time.”

“It finally caught up with me. I lost my job and my girlfriend.”

Men are at war, and unfortunately, most have no idea. They’re either oblivious to the war being waged all around them, or they feel stuck in it with no weapons. Because they’re unaware and unequipped, they’re not fighting back. And, because they’re not fighting back, they’re getting destroyed.

You can see it in their eyes. Look around the next time you walk through the grocery store, the gym, or even your church. You’ll meet men who have a glaze in their eyes, that distant stare. When you look for it, you can see it a mile away. They’re yearning for something more in their lives, but the battle is breaking them down.

At work, they’re looking for meaning and purpose but not finding it. They’re struggling to measure up and endure the pressure, but it’s getting to them. Every day, they’re being asked to do more with less and to carry heavier loads. “Keep going, son, and it will pay off someday.”

At home, the battle is just as hard. Some are trying to lead in their homes, and others are showing up passively with no energy or intention. Relationships with the women they love are strained. Husbands are struggling to be there for their wives the way they know they should, and for men raising kids, they’re desperately trying to navigate their role as a dad.

To deal with this, men find ways to cope. Some turn to alcohol, drugs, porn, and gambling to deal with life. For others, chasing money, success, and material gain is their addiction. On the battlefield of our lives, these are some of our greatest enemies.

Becoming aware of the battle you’re in is the first step to winning that battle. What’s the key to winning? Jesus… and other Christian men. First, you need to invite Jesus onto the battlefield with you. Humble yourself and ask Him to join your fight for the things that matter in your life. Then, invite other Christian men to fight alongside you. Stop trying to do this alone.

Too often, Christian guys step onto life’s battlefields alone with no one fighting alongside them. When we’re alone, it makes us an easy target. Standing with Jesus and other Christian men, we change the odds and stack them in our favor.

Take that first step today. Invite Jesus into your battles. Then, surround yourself with other Christian men who are ready to fight with you and for you.

Looking for that group of Christian men who will step into the battle with you? One of the places where I have found that is in my CBMC relationships, specifically my Trusted Advisor Forum. If this is something you’re looking for, I suggest you explore all of the CBMC offerings and find a group of solid Christian men to step into your battles with you.

“I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.”

-Romans 1:11-13

These verses from Paul to the Romans contain something very powerful. In this passage, Paul is sharing this deep desire to visit Rome. More specifically, he expresses something we should all remember as we walk through our faith journeys. These are powerful words…

“That you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.”

Having spent a decade surrounded by other men in Bible studies, I can say with certainty that these words are true. We are called to be encouragers to one another. We are called to lift one another up, and to allow others to lift us up when we need it.

A pastor shared this from the front of the church years ago. “You’re either in a storm, you’re coming out of one, or one is coming.” I’ve walked through all of those seasons in my life, and I would bet with confidence that you have as well.

Do we need encouragement in our lives? Absolutely! As a husband, the dad of two teenagers who are about to leave for college, a business owner, and a leader, let me be as transparent as possible. I need all of the encouragement that I can get! And, across all of those men I’ve shared studies and built relationships with, so did they.

Every man needs other individuals in his circle to encourage him from time to time. No matter how strong or in control we may act, we will face those moments where we get tired, feel overwhelmed, and face unexpected challenges. There will be mornings when we wake up from a long night to face a long day, and we’ll need some encouragement.

There will also be days when our tank is full, and we become the encourager. Some days, it’s our cup that needs to be filled, and other days, we can fill someone else’s cup. In those moments where we find ourselves equipped to be the encourager, God’s call on our lives is simple. Look for those around you who need that. Seek out the brother who is:

• Struggling in their marriage
• Trying to love a child who is disconnected
• Mourning a lost job
• Fighting an addiction
• Stressed out at work

Be the one who shows up for them, and live out this verse. “That you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” Live out that calling, lift one another up, and make this part of being the man God called you to be.

John Gamades

Author, WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

We ask this question like it’s expected that we all have a quiet time in our lives, but as men in the world today, making and taking the time to get quiet can feel almost impossible. There’s a lot of cultural noise to contend with, coming at us from every direction. Layer on top of that the challenges and expectations that can come with being a leader at work, and getting quiet becomes even more difficult. Add being a husband and a dad, and the noise can become deafening.

Finding the mute button can feel futile and even impractical. We’ve been conditioned to prefer the noise, almost like we need it to feel productive. For some, myself included, the noise can sometimes become a badge of honor, and stillness can be elusive.

The younger version of myself was always intrigued by the old men who talked about getting up at 5:00 AM for quiet time. “I get up before the sun, make my coffee, and spend an hour or so in my Bible with the Lord to start my day.” Their devotion and discipline were almost mythical. It was like listening to old warriors talk about the battlefields of their youth, and I always felt like they knew something I didn’t or had something I lacked.

Over time, I learned what they had already figured out. I came across the scriptures that point to our best example of having a quiet time… Jesus. Who better to learn from than the Son of God when it comes to spending time with the Father? In scripture, Jesus left us some profound yet simple clues on how to get still with God…

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

– Mark 1:35

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

– Luke 5:16

“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”

– Luke 6:12

I picked up three things from Jesus’ example.

Jesus made time to get quiet.

Whether it was “very early in the morning” or late at night, Jesus set aside time to get still. This can feel futile for us today with overloaded schedules and packed calendars. “I’m too busy” can be an easy excuse. That said, we can assume that Jesus was also busy. He had a ministry to grow, a team of twelve to lead, and a full travel schedule. Amid all that, he was surrounded by individuals who wanted his time and attention. Sound familiar? Remember, despite all this, Jesus made time to get still. You can too.

Jesus withdrew from the noise.

One of the consistent elements of Jesus’ quiet times revolved around stepping away from the noise. Scripture tells us he withdrew, went to the mountains, and left for the lonely places. What this is really telling us is that Jesus departed from the distractions, which were many. He made time to get quiet and space to get still. This meant finding spots in his world where there was no noise – where he could find rest and hear from the Father. This means finding our own place to connect with God… a space in our home, out in the woods, walking through our neighborhood, or in our car during the commute. Jesus created space. You can too.

When Jesus got quiet, He prayed.

Jesus’ example for us is clear. Prayer and communicating directly with the Father are essential to our quiet time. I was reminded the other day that prayer is an open conversation that we enter into and not a challenge to use flowery words or Christian slang. It’s an opportunity to worship God, confess our sins, and bring Him our needs and challenges. It’s our chance to talk to Him… and to listen to Him. Don’t know what to say when you pray? Start with another of the examples Jesus left us with…

This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

– Matthew 6:9-13

Start there, and get quiet with the Lord. When you’re intentional about taking the time, making the space, and communicating with Him, He will meet you right where you’re at.

–       John Gamades, Author of WAR: A Tactical Guide for Christian Men

When I embarked on the adventure of discipling other men – or if you prefer, disciplemaking – I could not have imagined what God would be doing not only through me, but also in me. 

When I was asked to write a post about what my years of discipling men have taught me, I was reminded of the iconic Elizabeth Barrett Brown poem that starts, “How do I love thee, let me count the ways….” Similarly, I could write an entire book – or more – about the many things I have learned while investing my time and energy in helping others to grow spiritually. 

Even though it was nearly 40 years ago that I met with a man for the first time to go through Operation Timothy, I still feel like discipling someone is a continuing exercise in on-the-job training. Because in an effective, fruitful Paul/Timothy relationship, it’s a mutually beneficial experience. 

Since this is a blog, and not a book, I’ll highlight just a handful of the key lessons I have learned through the discipling process: 

Don’t worry about being qualified. In his excellent book, Spiritual Leadership, Oswald Sanders wrote that a person who seeks after a leadership position is thereby disqualified. I guess the same could be said about the privilege of being used by God to make disciples. Yes, the last thing Jesus Christ told His followers was, “Go therefore and make disciples…teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20). But He didn’t say we had to do it in our own strength, through our own abilities. 

Jesus closed His Great Commission with the assurance, “I am with you always.” Earlier, in speaking about bearing spiritual fruit, He had told His followers, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). This humbling assertion is affirmed by the apostle Paul’s declaration, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). 

So when we first engage in the process of discipling another person, we don’t need to be haunted by worries such as, “I don’t know enough” or “I’m no spiritual giant myself” or “what if he asks me something and I don’t know the answer?” The fact that we feel – and know – we’re unqualified for such an important task means we’ll have no choice but to rely on the Lord and His Spirit. 

As a CBMC leader often said, God is not interested in our ability, but our availability. If we’re willing to be usable for His service, He will not fail to put us to use. He will honor our obedience as we step out in faith as He directs. 

Discipling is a long-term investment paying great dividends. I began my adventure in discipling others in 1981, and by the following year I was meeting weekly with two men. I remain in regular contact with one of them to this day. We occasionally meet for coffee or lunch or talk by phone. In some ways, he still regards me as his spiritual father. 

Some men I met with over the years drifted away after a few months, or a year, for a variety of reasons: their personal schedules precluded our continued meetings; they moved out of town; they started meeting with another person, and some simply lost interest. But no matter. We’re not responsible for the results; God is. Our job is only to be faithful, consistent and available – for as long as needed. Sometimes the Lord injects someone into our lives for just a brief time, and then takes them elsewhere on their ongoing spiritual journey. 

There are some other men, however, that have remained in my life for a long time, even though our relationships are no longer in weekly, or even monthly, discipling settings. However, it is exciting to know they are moving forward in their walk with Christ and ministering to others in a variety of ways. As the apostle John wrote, “I have no great joy than to hear that my [spiritual] children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). 

One of the foundational verses about discipling that CBMC has embraced through the years is 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men who will able to teach others also.” In that single verse we find four generations of believers – Paul, Timothy, faithful men, and others. When we invest in the life of a man, there is no limit to the ultimate impact that will have: on his wife and family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, business contacts. 

And those people, having also had a life-changing encounter with Christ, will have an eternal influence on others. It’s a chain of spiritual reproduction that never ends. 

The importance of Scripture memory. Prior to becoming involved with Operation Timothy, I had been part of a two-year, small group discipling program created by The Navigators. One of the key elements in that series was Scripture memory, learning dozens of verses verbatim, including the “address” for each, so we could easily look them up if needed. 

It was always interesting to challenge a “Timothy” to memorize Bible verses. Often, they would say, “Oh, I’m not good at memorizing things.” But that wasn’t true. They could rattle off their home address, phone numbers, personal and family birthdays, and other information they used regularly. So, the real issue was not whether they could memorize, but being persuaded that the Scriptures were important enough to commit to memory. 

Personally and professionally, this proved of priceless value for me. Whether in the course of a conversation, writing an article or chapter of a book, or simply seeking God’s wisdom and guidance for an important decision, having a storehouse of Scripture passages in my mind was phenomenally helpful. 

I didn’t have to stop whatever I was doing and find a Bible, then fumble through the pages to find what I needed. It was already stored in my mind, like a spiritual filing cabinet readily accessible to the Holy Spirit. King David captured this so well when he wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word…. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I may not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11). 

Discipling is not a matter of ownership. Early on I would hear some men talk about “my Timothy,” almost as if the man being discipled was his personal property. As if the spiritual growth and well-being of the Timothy were his sole responsibility. Pride is at the root of most, if not all, sins – and it can spill into the discipling process as well. We all would be well-advised to avoid this. Discipling isn’t about “ownership.” 

God may have brought a particular individual into my life, but I’m nothing more than a steward: serving this man with the biblical insights and wisdom God has entrusted to me, and seeking to use every possible way for helping him to grow and become the person God wants him to be. 

To this end, I quickly learned that one way to escape the fear of not knowing everything the Timothy might bring up in the course of a meeting is simply to admit – to myself and to him – that I don’t know everything. For instance, if he talks about a marriage or family problem he is struggling with, I don’t have to pretend to be a professional counselor. I can listen and perhaps offer some feedback, but then I would direct him to someone with expertise in that particular area. 

The same applies to personal finances. I learned a lot about the right and wrong ways of handling the money and material resources the Lord has entrusted to me, but I never pretended to be an expert when financial matters came up. I would refer my Timothys to a financial advisor I trusted or some other pertinent resource. And it’s the same for career and workplace challenges. 

Beyond this, I learned that the more committed, godly people I could introduce to the men I was discipling, the more their growing faith could be confirmed and strengthened. Having the opportunity to know other men who have dedicated their lives and work to Christ and being able to observe how they do that in real, everyday ways, is a wonderful resource for spiritual growth. The teaching of Hebrews 10:24-25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another,” is not limited to traditional church gatherings. 

Discipling others promotes your own spiritual growth. The last point I’d like to mention is how the process of discipling others has enhanced my own walk with the Lord. When we talk about stewardship, it’s often in terms of money and material resources, but it also applies very much to the spiritual riches God entrusts to each of us. 

One translation of Philemon 6 states, “I pray that you will be faithful in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of everything you have in Christ Jesus.” We might interpret that in terms of evangelism, but in reality, whenever we talk about what God has taught us – even with fellow believers – we are sharing our faith. 

I have come to regard this as “God’s spiritual sponge principle.” Once a sponge becomes saturated, we don’t discard it – we simply squeeze it out so we can absorb some more. I believe this is true spiritually as well. The Lord will only entrust us with as much biblical truth and understanding as we’re willing to put into practice and share with others. 

Jesus alluded to this in His parable of the talents, in Matthew 25. There we see the story of three men given different amounts of talents. The ones that put them to use were given more; the one who hid his talent wasn’t. The Lord said, “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). 

When I first came to CBMC in 1981, I would marvel at seasoned believers who displayed a depth of knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. “How did they learn all that?” I would wonder. There wasn’t any secret formula, I discovered. They were simply faithful to use what God had been teaching them, applying it in their homes and where they worked and passing it along to others. Because they were trustworthy stewards of His spiritual riches, He entrusted them with more. 

So, if you have been thinking about going through Operation Timothy – or taking someone else through the studies – I strongly recommend it. As the old TV commercial used to say, “Try it. You’ll like it!” You’ll find it’s the investment of a lifetime – with wonderful, eternal dividends.

Robert J. Tamasy is a former publications director for CBMC, and writes for The Connector newsletter. He has written numerous books, including Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies; The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard; and has edited other books. Bob’s biweekly blog is: bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

By Robert J. Tamasy

If someone you cared about deeply were going away and wanted to tell you something very important before leaving, wouldn’t you pay close attention? That’s exactly what Jesus Christ did. Moments before He ascended to Heaven. He gave His followers specific instructions – the mission He was delegating to them:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”

–Matthew 28:19-20

Known as Jesus’ Great Commission, it was simple then and remains so today – make disciples. I became involved in CBMC nearly 40 years ago, and when I learned that making disciples was a central part of its mission statement, I eagerly wanted to participate in that. The problem was, I didn’t know how to get started.

Even though I had been a church member for most of my life, I was fairly new in my faith. My walk with Christ had gotten its jumpstart when I became part of a small group discipleship program, but CBMC’s one-to-one disciplemaking model was totally unfamiliar to me.

Reflecting on the years I spent attending churches without knowing Jesus, I wished that I had benefited from having a “Paul,” a spiritual mentor to help me understand the Scriptures. Especially in how to integrate my faith into my career, as well as my personal life. Lacking that example, I started looking for someone to disciple me. My boss, the most spiritually mature man I knew at the time, had a different idea.

When I asked Duane to take me through Operation Timothy, he suggested instead that I take another man through it so we could learn about the process of discipling and disciplemaking together. What a daunting thought! I felt still wet behind the ears spiritually; who was I to start trying to disciple another man? As it turned out, my boss was right.

Not long after that, I took my wife and children to a CBMC family conference where the daily Bible teacher was Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, who spent the week expounding on a passage about an obscure fellow named Jabez. The content from his messages later became his best-selling book, The Prayer of Jabez, but it was the central theme that stuck with me.

You might be familiar with the passage, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, which says:

“Jabez was more honorable than his brother. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”

Those two verses comprise everything that we know from the Scriptures about this fellow Jabez. Why was he singled out in the middle of a very extensive genealogical listing? Wilkinson’s book, if you haven’t read it, seeks to answer that question. But as I listened to him expound on the passage, one truth jumped out for me: It’s okay to ask for personal blessings – as long as the motive is to bring glory to God.

Jabez asked God to bless him and to enlarge his territory. Or as another translation phrases it, “expand my borders.” Some might read these words and conclude, “Hey, that’s great, now I can pray for that fancy car or the big house we’ve been wanting!” But I took them to mean something entirely different. Jabez was asking God’s blessings to increase his influence, his impact on the world around him – and when he prayed that, the Lord granted his request.

There I was, thinking about becoming engaged in CBMC’s mission to make disciples, when it occurred to me that I should pray about it. So I did. I asked God to bless me and expand my borders by bringing one man into my life that I could begin discipling, using Operation Timothy.

I don’t remember the exact words, but know I didn’t pray for fame or fortune. Even though I was a writer with dreams and aspirations, I didn’t pray to become a best-selling author. I prayed something like this: “Lord, I would be thrilled to help another man to grow in his walk with You. And in the process, to grow myself. Would you please give me a man – just one man – that I could disciple?”

This is the kind of prayer God delights in and is eager to answer. The next month, a friend and I were following up on a guest at a CBMC outreach luncheon earlier that week. We met Sam, an executive who didn’t have a church background. He had prayed with the speaker at the meeting, but I recall him saying, “It can’t be that easy.” After further discussion, Sam and I agreed to meet and talk more about this thing called Operation Timothy.

We didn’t start immediately, however, because his wife was pregnant and due to give birth within the next couple of weeks. And since it was the holiday season, Sam’s business commitments for the next two months would be all-consuming.

The following month my CBMC friend and I visited another outreach luncheon guest who worked at a local investment firm. This man, Gene, was a believer but quickly admitted he was not where he wanted to be spiritually. He would welcome help in growing. When I explained what Operation Timothy was about, he was excited. “When can we start?” he asked. “How about next Wednesday morning,” I suggested.

We did meet the following week, and that began a discipling relationship that lasted more than two years. It was a joy to be used by God to help Gene grow – discussing Bible passages, learning how to apply these truths to different areas of his life, and also discovering the benefits of memorizing Scripture passages – “hiding God’s Word in his heart,” as Psalm 119:11 tells us.

In the meantime, I kept in contact with Sam, and true to his word, he and I began going through Operation Timothy after the first of the year. How amazing it was to experience the fulfillment of the simple “Jabez prayer” I had silently expressed just a few months earlier. I had prayed for one man to disciple, to “enlarge my territory,” and God had responded by giving me two!

There’s a truism in discipling: No two people are alike. That’s not an exaggeration, as I quickly realized. Gene and Sam had been at different places in their lives; one was an immature but very receptive believer, while the other was trying to get past his former religious skepticism. With each man, there were starts and stops, bumps in the road. But both grew into mutually beneficial relationships. I found I was growing as much – or perhaps more – than my “Timothys” were.

When guys ask questions you can’t answer, or perhaps have never considered before, it causes you to dig deeply to seek those answers. “What do I believe about that? And why do I believe it?”

Decades later, God continues to bring business and professional men into my life to disciple and mentor spiritually. More than a couple dozen overall. Some have met with me “for a season,” then we have lost touch. I’ve stayed in contact with others for many years. In fact, Sam and I still talk regularly and resumed meeting every few weeks or so, living out Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one many sharpens another.”

Some of these men have gone on to disciple others, who then have proceeded to disciple other men. This is in keeping with 2 Timothy 2:2, which shows us the multi-generational dimension of discipling: “And the things that you [Timothy] have heard from me [Paul], entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others.” In each case, I believe, God has used me to make a spiritual contribution into their lives – as they have in mine.

Another of my favorite verses says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). Being the father of biological children is a wonderful experience, without question. Especially when they come to know Jesus and commit to following Him. But it’s also a source of incredible joy to be a spiritual parent – and to see one’s spiritual children walking in the faith.

There’s an interesting parallel here: Raising children isn’t an easy task, whether they’re part of your physical bloodline or an extension of your spiritual lineage. Sometimes they grow slowly, other times their growth astounds you. They have problems that you try to help them work through, and at times they disappoint you. They don’t turn out exactly as you expected – but much of the time, they turn out to be far more than you could have ever hoped.

I see it as an investment. Discipling other men has taken time, energy, and sometimes even financial resources. But the “dividends” have exceeded my expectations. Years ago another friend in CBMC pointed me to a wonderful verse that talks about this idea of investment and return. In Isaiah 43:4, God says, “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” I can’t think of a better deal!

Robert J. Tamasy is a former publications director for CBMC, and writes for The Connector newsletter. He has written numerous books, including Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies; The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard; and has edited other books. Bob’s biweekly blog is: bobtamasy.blogspot.com.