The most effective ministry is modeled after Jesus his disciples. I have never seen missional living that resembles Jesus’ until I met Stanley. Stanley started this ministry in St. Louis and hundreds went through this internship and were changed and in result the world was changed. Max Lucado was one of the first to go through the internship and I was one of the last. Pick up Max’s book, Applause To Heaven, and you’ll see that it’s dedicated to Max Lucado’s father in the faith, Stanley.
The day that was most memorable with Stanley is when he took me out to mentor me in outreach. Starting out, his cell phone rings and he answers and gives me the phone and I asked Stanley, “Who is it?” He replied, “Max Lucado”. It was the first time I met Max. That weekend I went to the first Promise Keepers I have ever been to. Max spoke and at the end of his sermon, Max invited Stanley on stage. Max then proceeded to bend to his knees and washed Stanley’s, my mentor’s, feet in front of over 10,000 men – What an AMAZING experience!!! Here are ten Impacting life-changing values instilled in my daily missional living learned from the great evangelist, my mentor, Stanley who is now at home with His Father in Heaven:
- Always be available.
- Every follower of Jesus must have a Paul (mentor) and a Timothy (an apprentice).
- Stay youthful in heart being effective for God.
- Every daily contact with a people is an opportunity to share the love of Jesus.
- Relate to people as Jesus did and does!!!
- We are not above committing any sin.
- Do not live for retirement but spend every waking breath sharing the love of Jesus.
- We never get too old to relate to younger generations.
- No vision is too big for God.
- Let your heart be broken for the lost. Stanley wept for those who did not know Jesus.
I asked Stanley that day what he did with his time with God. We were driving by a park.[tweetable author=”@toddlollar”] Stanley pointed to a random man in a park and said, “Todd, see that man. I pray every day that God will help me see someone’s heart like him and be able to minister Jesus to his heart.” [/tweetable]
Stanley’s heart of compassion made him be one of the greatest evangelists I have ever known. Stanley died in his 70’s in a car wreck on his way to speak at an event. He use to always speak about how he is never going to retire and travel and say “look at that mountain, honey”, but how he is going to spend the rest of his life, every waking breath with the ambition to share Jesus. And He did. Max Lucado was at the hospital when Stanley died and performed his funeral.
Stanley affected thousands and inspired them with the passion to share Jesus with the lost. My life was never the same after being with Stanley. I know now that I’m not just living. I am living missionally!
(All giving is tax deductible)
1008 Linn Lane
Yukon, OK 73099