What Three Godly Heroes Are Teaching My Seminary Students

by Chuck Lawless Church Answers Consultant

I have five Christian “heroes” in my life—two who are now with the Lord, and the others who are 95, 82, and 77, respectively. Over the past several years, I’ve asked my three living heroes to speak to one of my graduate-level classes at Southeastern Seminary, where I teach. They join us via Zoom or Teams (sometimes with help from others on their end), but they spend significant time with my students.

I know these men well, and I know how much they mean to me. But I’m always surprised by just how much my young students devour everything they say. I usually give my heroes a general topic (e.g., “Talk to us about finishing well”), but my students often want to know about even more. They ask about, for example:

How did you know God’s call on your life? How did you balance raising a family with doing ministry? How did you know when it was time to make a change in ministry? What would you say to your young self if you were beginning ministry again? What’s been your “secret” to finishing well?

How did you know God’s call on your life?

How did you balance raising a family with doing ministry?

How did you know when it was time to make a change in ministry?

What would you say to your young self if you were beginning ministry again?

What’s been your “secret” to finishing well?

What’s caught my attention more than anything as my students converse with these godly men is this reality: my young students desperately want to hang out with and learn from older men of God who are willing to give them time.

Here are some general thoughts on my mind today:

1. Most of my young students—all of whom are preparing for some kind of ministry—don’t have many genuine role models. I wish I could say they all find their spiritual heroes in their…