Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

What preachers have you heard or been involved with who have influenced you the most? If you have any links to any sermons, messages, or articles by them, please post.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Forgot to add: 'In what way did they influence you?'

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Never much heard a sermon that did anything for me, that I can recall.

But I've read some books that have impacted me (written by preachers of the Gospel).

The ones that come to mind:

Conquest Through Prayer by Denzil Holman
The Sons of Oil by David Huston
Magnificent Meekness by Morton Bustard
The Sin of Lying by B. E. Echols

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

You and I are a lot alike Bro. Its been rare that I have been influenced greatly by sermons tho thats part of the overall picture.

I was blessed to be able to meet Dave Huston on several occasions and he is a real pioneer of restoration to the New Testament Church.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

I love these kind of threads. They may not be read by many but its kind of theraputic to my own soul in telling the stories. My greatest influences were early in my walk. They shaped the direction I would go. None of them had the full New Testament foundation as I understand it today but they were there in points of time when I needed them.

1. Pastor Don Spiers

He ministered all over the world during his life winding up in a denomination called "The Pentecostal Mission". I was blessed to know and fellowship with a satellite Church of theirs in the late 70's. He was considered an Apostle among them. His testimonies of ministering in many nations were truly riveting.

Among their group one could only be accepted in the ministry if they would agree to never ask men for money and trust only in God for their healing. They had to literally forsake all and live with the other ministers communely in "faith homes".
He ministered on the streets in various nations winning souls, starting Churches and praying for the sick and afflicted.

I had various occasions where I was able to fellowship with him. I was surprised being used to hearing the prosperity doctrine from many quarters in those days. His room in the faith home was very small. A bed a few chairs and a small collection of Christian books on a stand. That was it. He did not even own a car as did none of them.

It was this simplicity of life that I think so influenced me. In 1980 when I began to understand Acts 2:38 as the full plan of salvation my Pastor sent for him to try to keep me in Trinitarianism. He came from across the country to talk with me about it. If only I had been as learned in Oneness teaching as I am today I would like to think perhaps he would have accepted this truth. Instead he rejected it.

Nonetheless he had probably the most actual "influence" in my life in that his and their strong point was that they taught very strongly the sermon on the mount, being like Jesus. A constant theme in probably every message was to "present every man perfect in Christ".

There are several video clips on the internet of his funeral several decades ago. From the 16 min point to the 23 minute point a brother is recounting his testimony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg6Gub-ZxoI

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Most of every sermon I have ever heard has impacted me. Of course some more than others, but all move me in some way. How can you hear the word of God and not be moved. I have heard some horrible preaching, but you can not simply read a text from the scripture without it affecting your life in some measure.

The greatest preacher to affect me was my pastor. He past away a couple of years ago, but he impacted me greatly. He showed me how to care about people. Visiting the sick, nursing home, and lock ins. Although our church was small, my pastor was positively known in the community. He was asked how many people did our church run and he would say about 3,000. After a puzzled look he would reply, "about 20 attend, but running after about 3,000 in the little town of Dyer."

He wasn't kidding either. Lord bless you Bro Hardy!!!!

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When I was a kid growing up, I would have to say that Bro. Jonathan Alvear was someone who impacted my life in a great way. I loved his stories of the mission field, and his humility and love for the Lord. His gentle singing was always a blessing to hear.

In recent years, KP Yohannan has become one of my favorites to listen to.

There are many writings and testimonies that have greatly impacted my soul. Perhaps the biggest impact on my life was beginning to read "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, and "Streams in the Desert" by Mrs. Cowman as devotionals as a young child. I have also been greatly enriched by reading classics by great men such as Spurgeon, the Wesleys, Rees Howell, William Law, AW Tozer, Andrew Murray, Watchman Nee among many others. I may not believe all they believe doctrinally, but there was a depth to their walk with the Lord that speaks deep to my heart.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Charles Mahaney impacted me as a teenager when I got on fire for God from that point onward.

My uncle William Bustard is next in line with a powerful gift ministry and bible school I attended, and as a mentor in my ministry.

After that, Watchman Nee, Andrew Murray, Gene Edwards, and Jeff Arnold, as well as Mark Hanby's early days, impacted my ministry showing a depth in God's Word I never saw before.

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My first pastor, David Hinton. He is a very humble man. His only preparation was preaching was continual study of the word and prayer!
My current pastor, Philip Stearns. He an example of someone who hears from God.

and for the last few years, Greg Boyd. I love his teachings on "love", "get your life from Christ", Jesus on the cross reveals God's true essence, what he is really like, and he teaches against Calvinism.

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I enjoyed MaHaney's ministry later in his life when I heard him than I did earlier. He rode that gang conversion testimony thing a decade or two too long. I was visiting a large UPC church not too many years before he died and he was the guest speaker. I was silently bemoaning to myself that I had picked a terrible day to be in town visiting but was pleasantly surprised at how good and deep the sermon was. After the service the pastors wife who I knew well saw me and I mentioned how much I had enjoyed the sermon. She grinned and said something like "yes, his ministry has grown and gotten a lot deeper than when you used to hear him years ago!".

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I heard him when I was a teen in 77.

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That is within a year of when I first heard him also. That terstimony was very impressive the first 10 times I heard it but after that I could quote it verbatim! LOL. He rode that horse for many years and made a good living at it.

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I had him am at my high school that year.

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Joel Holmes
Larry Booker
Tim Copeland
RD Whalen
Scott Graham
James Kilgore
NA Urshan
Daniel Davy
H Earl Wilson
Rex Johnson

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

As I reread my post, I realized I have to take the comment back a bit. There was a time, when I was about three months into the kingdom of God, at a family camp meeting in Shawano, WI, when whoever the preacher was--I don't recall the name--was speaking about how Habakkuk's short prayer of 30-some words caused God to move from Teman to Paran, and how a short prayer, said in faith could cause God to move, and how awesome it would be, if we all would just, by faith, give God our greatest need in a short prayer, and see God answer.

I received the word and went forward to the altar area, arms and hands raised high, earnestly praying these four words, "God, save my brothers!".

At the time, my two older brothers were lost, in sin, and both demon-possessed. I prayed that prayer as hard as I could, until, it was as if I could feel the spear-thrust the Lord experienced on the cross, in my own side.

I am happy to report that God saved both of my brothers, delivering them of their possession as they sat in the water, after having been immersed in the name of the Lord Jesus. They and their households are now in the faith, serving as ministers of the Gospel.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Conquest Through Prayer came at a time when I was newly married, halfway through college, working hard at planting a church at the university through a campus ministry I had begun. The book really stirred me up to get off my butt and pray intercessionally. It was like every page I read caused the Spirit inside of me to move, as if I could literally feel it inside of my body.

The Sons of Oil is, in my opinion, hands down, the best book ever written on how God can heal wounded souls. It's a masterpiece. I've read it at least three times, and have given copies away more than once. It shaped the way I minister to those embittered souls, both within and without the church.

Magnificent Meekness stands out because of the overall point being made, that the humbling process of being broken down and failing is actually the operation of God to bring us to meekness and use us greatly. It was a turn around for me, when I was still semi-new in the Lord, to help me see something I had never considered: the devil wouldn't be attacking you so hard to try and hold you back and hold you down, if God wasn't about to empower you and your ministry for great things.

The Sin of Lying stands out for one reason alone: Chapter Two, Various Forms of Lying. He spends 60 pages giving descriptions of 64 different kinds of lying, repeatedly admonishing the reader how much God despises lying, and that all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire. It's fantastic, humbling and inspiring at the same time.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

:happydance

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Interesting different ends of the spectrum here with Larry Booker and Rex Johnson on the same list!

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That's why I consider myself a moderate conservative!
I almost put Guy Roam one the list, as well.
Also, Jerry Jones.

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It is pretty amazing that a man can own the Dallas Cowboys and be a Pentecostal preacher as well !!!

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Sister Agnes Holmes, Sister Rita Dawson and Sister Mary Williams were the 3 lady ministers that influenced me the most growing up.

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Lady ministers???? I didn't think there was such a thing! :icecream

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You know, I never have thought about it, but they do look alike...

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I forgot to add Nona Freeman.
Some of her family attended my home church, so we saw more of her than most.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Yes, Sister Nona Freeman I loved her much.

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She was an amazing person.
Made you feel ashamed of your light afflictions.
But, inspired you to do better and draw closer to God at the same time.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

its interesting
Sermons that have impacted me?
well there are 2 sermons that have had dramatic impact on me to this day, that were preached by men who have lost my confidence. sad stories.

There is a short list of sermons that I would say have been very impactful.
Most recently my pastor preached a series that included a sermon on Ungodliness... wow. ive taught on Godliness for years, but after that it changed my paradigm.

Papa George Glass' "He has magnified his word above His Name" should be mandatory listening.
In fact the list of his sermons that should be mandatory is extensive. I would say that if you can get your hands on any or all of his lessons as School of Missions, it would be worth whatever you paid and whatever time you spent.

GA Mangun's "Tomb of the Unknown Solider" was powerful. the impact to me was really more in the palpable feeling he was able to transmit of the real need to see people saved. just wow.

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Then there was the single most vivid memory of any sermon ever. I wouldn't necessarily say its a good memory... Although the preacher is on the short list of men of God who have impacted me dramatically and powerfully and positively at a personal level. ...here is the story.
It was the late 70s early 80s. Bishop T. F. Tenney, then District Sup. was preaching an End Times revival at First Church in DeRidder La. (His and my home church). The place was packed and the tension was building every night. I was a kid but it was so powerful and freaky and scary. I mean everyone back then was afraid the end was coming the next day anyway.

Anyway that Sunday night was the last night and he was preaching on the Rapture. A storm blew up duing the service so you can imagine the setting. you can hear the rain pounding on the roof and tension building....

At some point he crescendos "IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE!!!!!!!" As he says "EYE" he pounds the pulpit, you hear the crash of thunder and see the flash of lightning..

and the lights go out! The place is pitch black. silence for a half a heartbeat then the panicked collective moan of a crowd that thought they just got Left Behind.

It took a good 15 minutes to get the place back under control ...

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

There is a longer list of preachers who impacted me not because of sermons they preached but because of the time I spent with them. Not that there aren't great preachers rather, their lives simply are greater. im not going to list them but I am utterly indebted to them.

(Nona Freeman and Vesta Mangun are both on my list of most impactful preachers to impact me.)

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David Wilkerson and his sermon "Call to Anguish" really blew up my world.

My very first pastor after leaving UPC Gordon Houston preached a sermon about the Jewish Wedding Tradition. It made me think about our roots.

TF Tenney befriended me after a mutual friend our ours Brad Bullock passed away a few years ago. He walked me through my bitterness. His son preached at our church and my pastor told me that Tommy wanted to see me.

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A great story! I can just picture it in my minds eye.

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Call to Anguish was/is a great sermon.
We used to show it to our young people, every year.

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Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

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Hey thanks for this!

last Friday, I listened to Papa George Glass preaching about the plan of salvation.

brought back so many memories of this giant of a man.

He was often at our home for dinner and fellowship when I was little. He would tuck me in and pray with me when I had to go to bed.

precious memories.

Re: Preachers who influenced you the most?
 

Dan Segraves exemplified a Pentecostal with a brain.

Kenneth Haney is still my model of a pastor.

Mary Lou Myrick demonstrated to us what a humble Greek scholar was like.

Raymond Bynum was my first pastor. He was terrible !!

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LOL!!!

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When I was a kid, there was a Minister that would preach on Tuesday night "Minister's Night" at the Mother Church-- before my Dad became a Pastor. This Minister's name was Kirby Brown. As a very young kid, I remembered LOVING to hear this man sing and preach.

His exuberance and skill in singing really influenced me to love gospel music-- especially when a few years later, I heard him singing on the radio with Hezekiah Walker and the Love Fellowship Mass Choir!


There was an Evangelist that I heard in Manning, SC with the last name of Blackshear. This would have been in 2006. The Lord led me to him and the Lord used him in such a mighty and impactful way-- all off of a single sermon.

Pastor Rufus Parker really loved me.

Pastor Michael Williams-- so many sermons! When I grow up, I want to preach just like him! It wouldn't shock me to know he has the whole Bible memorized!

Bishop James Gilbert.

Pastor Ted Erskine.

Pastor Adrian Rodgers.

Bishop T. D. Jakes.