Fifteen years ago this month my family and I moved to Wake Forest, NC, for me to begin teaching as SEBTS. The impact of that move has been so wonderful it is hard to quantify.
My first fall here I stepped into my seminary evangelism class as excited as a middle school girl at a Jonas Brothers concert. Okay, lousy example, but I got to bed at 3 AM this morning! I am no less excited today as I start year 15! That August of 1995 a young man just out of a local college sat in my class. He had a fire, a passion that reminded me why I had reluctantly but obediently left teaching at a university to come to a seminary. This young man had started a Bible study at his university that had grown to over 150 in attendance. As I spoke in class about movements of God among students, including some I had seen just that spring, he asked me to come and speak.
Interestingly in that period of time for me, a professor at SEBTS that had made a move to stand on the Word, the posture of many at his university would be so negative that he introduced me not as a prof at Southeastern, but simply as his friend. God moved that night (he did eventually tell them I was his prof!). We stayed till 1 AM and then left. I saw God’s hand on this young man.
I learned the next day that a senior at that school had invited others to take things that dishonored God and burn them. Yep, they started a bonfire at 3 AM and burned things that kept them from running hard after Jesus. I heard that an institutional leader there called the group a cult for such outlandish practices. Smile.
The young man who invited me is named J.D. Greear, pastor today of the great Summit Church in RDU. The young man who led the bonfire is named Bruce Ashford, dean of The College at Southeastern. I saw then how God had His good hand on a college senior and a recent grad from that school. I still see that.
I still see God’s hand on college students. I am honored to speak at many of them. I have no idea how many campuses I have preached or taught at, although I know it is close to 20 Baptist schools and no doubt that many state and other private institutions. From junior colleges to Harvard, from Liberty University to The University of North Carolina, one of the great honors of ministry has been to meet and to challenge so many college students. This year I am at the University of Florida and Florida State (I guess I need to get to The U at some point), East Carolina, and others. But the past few days I have had the greatest time of ministry in my life at a university.
The guys who travel with me in the Chad Lister Band–Chad Lister, Josh Reid (aka my son), both college students themselves, along with recent grad Tyler Mount and our new bassist Pat Downing,–joined me in ministry at the North Greenville University. You should study the history of this school. Down to less than 400 students almost 20 years ago, president Jimmy Epting led by faith and by focusing on the gospel, and today well over 2000 students attend. This fall over 700 students came as freshmen, and I think I got to meet most of them!
The school has an opening crusade with the North Greenville Baptist Association. We led in this effort this year for students and churches. During the day I got to meet with pastors, and then student pastors, and with many students. What a great team there–Tony Beam, Mike Landrum, Steve Crouse, Jim Bates, Larry McDonald, far too many to name. I know I teach at Southeastern but I love to recruit for NGU (it is about the Kingdom after all). Some of my best students have come from NGU to seminary here. The men who lead our wonderful college ministry at my home church, Richland Creek, in particular Jared and Jacob Via, are NGU grads. Jacob’s wife Keesha coaches my Hannah’s amazing volleyball team. I love this school.
I have preached in chapel for several years now at NGU. But preaching this week was a singular honor. We saw over 100 students trust Christ as Savior. We recorded over 30 who surrendered to missions. I just want to make a few observations of things I keep seeing in college students’ lives:
1. They are hungry. I cannot count how many times this year college students have said “thank you for giving it to me straight.” They want truth. A postmodern world has created a vacuum and they yearn for the Word to fill it. By the way, you do not have to be cool or hip. But if you preach to them, do not be condescending. If you preach from a heart of humility, you can get right up in their business.
2. They are worshipers. Two nights we continued for a length of time after the service ended so students could worship corporately more. Okay, some of you may not be as crazy about the music they enjoy. But they LOVE hymns. And the LOVE songs about the cross and the blood; their musical style may indeed be different than your preference. No doubt those older and wiser can teach students many things; but they may just be able to teach some of us a few things about worship.
3. They are too often fatherless. So many came to me to talk about their home life or lack of it. I am grateful for a wonderful staff of men and women at NGU to help them. Church leader, get your folks to get over their music long enough to listen to their pain. So many want to live for God but greatly need encouragement. I was so encouraged personally by several pastors and church members at the crusade who really love students.
4. They are often overprotected when they have parents who do love them. Parents, teach your children well before college how to wash clothes, and dishes, swing a hammer, help others, you know, basic life skills. Let God call them to the mission field! Let them go on mission trips. Parents, SACRIFICE for your children if they long to go to an evangelical school that stands for the gospel but may cost a lot. I am weary of meeting people my age who are too selfish to sacrifice. I am so glad my mom went back to work fulltime so I could go to a Baptist university. I met my wife there. I came to understand my call there. I know I am not talking to most here so forgive my rant, but I see so many times parents who do not want their children to leave them, or refuse to sacrifice for them for college.
5. They are too often more religious than gospel-focused. So many go to college without a concept of the gospel being the guiding principle of their lives. So Jesus gets lost before the first semester ends. Churches must raise young men and women to understand that, to quote Dr. Epting, “every vocation is a Christian vocation,” and to see their lives as missionaries.
6. They want a challenge. They are tired of being challenged by fantasy football and GH3. They want to see men and women of God older than them who walk by faith and take risks for the gospel. They are not interested in organized religion, but they are so ready to join a movement for the gospel.
7. They could be our hope. There are more young adults (teen and college age) in the US today than ever in our history. God has used them in the past in great revivals. Our great God is aware of this. What if we taught them great faith? What if we lived before them lives of brokenness, hungry for the gospel to change lives? What if they saw those of us older than them model biblical unity around things that matter? What if they were given a vision to live compelling lives for God, and some of us modeled that? I know it is happening some. It must happen more.
What I hear from so many college students over and over is simply this: I want to live for God. I want my life to matter for things that matter. Help me.
Would you take time today to pray for a college student you know? For a Christian college or university? And would you ask God how you can encourage students to live for Jesus?
