INFLUENCES

     Today, you are invited to participate in a project; and as we move forward, think about two or three individuals instead of a multitude of people.
     Name the people who have had the greatest influence of your life.
     For all the choices you have made in your life, and for the choices you make even now, who has had the greatest influence in your decisions?
     The people you list could be people you know personally, or they could be people you have never met, such as people on television, on radio, the internet, writers of books, or people you studied in college.  They could be your role models, or they could be your heroes.
     If you believe in God, Christ, and the Word of God, who has had the greatest influence in these beliefs you presently have?  Who has been your role model, or who has been an example to follow?
     If you have a religion, who has influenced you the most in order for you to claim this religion as your own?  Who has been your example to follow?
     Next, if you do not believe in God, or Christ, or the Word of God, who has influenced you the most not to believe in these three?
     If you believe in the born again experience in Christ, who influenced you to believe this?
     Likewise, if you do NOT believe in the born again experience, who influenced you in this belief?
    If you believe in heaven and hell, who influenced you to believe this?
     Likewise, if you do NOT believe in heaven or hell, who are the influences of your belief?
    If you believe that water baptism is sufficient for the cleansing of sin, who influenced you to believe this?
    If you believe there are other ways to get to heaven other than through Christ alone, what are these other ways and who influenced you to accept them?
     When finished with your list of names, you may discover that wherever you are in your mind is a result of the influences of others.  Their words have become your words, their beliefs became your beliefs, and their actions have become your actions.
     When finished, think about where you are now, and also think about where you are going.