A few weeks ago, I made the annual trip to my Alma Mater, Berry College, to celebrate Martha Berry's birthday and spend time with friends. The event, also known as Mountain Day, is the weekend celebration of our founder's birthday. The main events on Friday include a friendly competition between the dorms on campus and a talent show that evening.
Saturday is the most exciting day! We begin with convocation in the morning, and then go to the Mountain Campus for a picnic and the Grand March. This year, the convocation service was held in Frost Chapel on Mountain Campus instead of the College Chapel on Main Campus. It was an effort to help with traffic for the picnic, and I believe it worked very well.
The picnic offered a great time of reminiscing with fellow alumni and former mentors as well. It was exciting to see President Briggs, Whit Whitaker, Garland Vance, Chris Stricklen, Jason Peterson, Randy and Kathryn Nobles, Diane Clonts, Angie Reynolds, and the list could go on. My appreciation goes out to these listed and all of the individuals that impacted my life during my time at Berry College.
I want to encourage you to take advantage of the location where God has placed you. God will provide you with the people to assist with your spiritual walk. Talk to the people you know who are following God. Ask them questions and listen to their wisdom. I would not be the man I am today without Godly parents and a support base of Christians, who desired to see me grow in my walk with God.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
No Soul Left Behind
No Soul Left Behind is an evangelism program at Southwestern Seminary that sends students and faculty members into the immediate community surrounding the campus. The goal of the program is to share the Gospel with every person within one mile radius of the Seminary. I recently had the opportunity to go into the community with one of my former professors and a friend.
We were pressed for time, but there were only five homes to visit on our list. When we arrived at the third home, a man met us at the door. We asked him if he went to church anywhere, and he said that he goes to the local Catholic church. However, he had not been there in quite a while. We continued to talk with him and shared the Gospel. The Holy Spirit was truly moving within his heart because he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit used the three of us as the instruments to share the Gospel with this man.
The next step will be to follow up and connect him with a local church. No Soul Left Behind is designed to do just that. This is just one story among many that have been occurring recently at Southwestern. God is bringing true revival to Fort Worth. My prayer is that we see revival all over the world. I believe God has something special in store for all of us that will be unimaginable. Remember that we have a powerful message to proclaim, we have a commandment to go, and the Holy Spirit will speak through us.
We were pressed for time, but there were only five homes to visit on our list. When we arrived at the third home, a man met us at the door. We asked him if he went to church anywhere, and he said that he goes to the local Catholic church. However, he had not been there in quite a while. We continued to talk with him and shared the Gospel. The Holy Spirit was truly moving within his heart because he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit used the three of us as the instruments to share the Gospel with this man.
The next step will be to follow up and connect him with a local church. No Soul Left Behind is designed to do just that. This is just one story among many that have been occurring recently at Southwestern. God is bringing true revival to Fort Worth. My prayer is that we see revival all over the world. I believe God has something special in store for all of us that will be unimaginable. Remember that we have a powerful message to proclaim, we have a commandment to go, and the Holy Spirit will speak through us.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Remembering September 11, 2001
I find it hard to believe that ten years have passed since the tragic events occurred on September 11, 2001. I was just entering my teenage years and was an eighth-grade student at Dade Middle School. I remember the events of that morning like it was yesterday. I remember noticing that it was a beautiful day outside, mainly because of the cold front that had moved in, and there was not a cloud in the sky.
After 1st period was complete, rumors began to spread about an attack on the United States. I thought the rumors were indeed rumors, and it would be impossible for someone or some group to attack the US. However, I knew something was wrong when I asked our librarian if our country had been attacked. She did not say anything, but the expression on her face said that something was wrong.
I remember watching the footage on television in my Georgia History class. We had a substitute teacher that day, who encouraged us to to do work instead of watching the news. Some of us attempted to do that, but we were more concerned about the events taking place in New York City.
Someone once told me that the memory of September 11 would be similar to the memory of the assassination of John F. Kennedy within the minds of Americans. As I am now 10 years older, I understand how the events on that day cannot be forgotten. We lost many Americans that day, but I believe they would want us to continue to move forward. I am thankful for a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives.
May we never forget that God is in control of this world, even when we do not understand why certain events occur. We do not know the time or the hour when God will take us out of this world, and I pray that you know Him personally today. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America!
After 1st period was complete, rumors began to spread about an attack on the United States. I thought the rumors were indeed rumors, and it would be impossible for someone or some group to attack the US. However, I knew something was wrong when I asked our librarian if our country had been attacked. She did not say anything, but the expression on her face said that something was wrong.
I remember watching the footage on television in my Georgia History class. We had a substitute teacher that day, who encouraged us to to do work instead of watching the news. Some of us attempted to do that, but we were more concerned about the events taking place in New York City.
Someone once told me that the memory of September 11 would be similar to the memory of the assassination of John F. Kennedy within the minds of Americans. As I am now 10 years older, I understand how the events on that day cannot be forgotten. We lost many Americans that day, but I believe they would want us to continue to move forward. I am thankful for a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives.
May we never forget that God is in control of this world, even when we do not understand why certain events occur. We do not know the time or the hour when God will take us out of this world, and I pray that you know Him personally today. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America!
Friday, September 9, 2011
A Lesson from Jeremiah
"If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in His name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot." -Jeremiah 20:9As I was continuing my study through the book of Jeremiah this week, God spoke to me through the above verse. Jeremiah was called by God to prophesy to the Children of Israel. His purpose from God was to tell the people that they need to repent from turning their backs on God and worshiping idols. If they refused to repent, God was going to send judgment upon them from Babylon.
Jeremiah continued to speak to the people exactly what God had instructed him to say. However, the people become frustrated with Jeremiah, and he is arrested at the beginning of chapter 20 by Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer. After this, Jeremiah is frustrated with the people and the situation, but he remembers that God has placed a fire within his bones to tell the people that they need to repent. Jeremiah has to tell the people or else he grows weary even though they reject him and do not want to hear it.
If you read through the book of Jeremiah, you see the dialogue between Jeremiah and God. You begin to understand the connection of the prophet to God. If Jeremiah refused to commune with God, he would not have been the prophet that is found within scripture. He probably would not have been mentioned or been mentioned negatively for not following God.
In order for us to follow God, we have to know where He is leading. How do we know this? We spend time in His Word each day and pray to Him. While we do this, we tell others about Jesus Christ. If we are true Christians, we should have the same burning desire within our hearts to tell others about Christ. Now, Jeremiah's calling was to the people of God, the Children of Israel. Our calling is to go forth and make disciples (Matthew 28:19).
We should make disciples through the sharing of Christ and the conversion of sinners. The question I leave with you today is very important. Do you have a burning fire within your bones to tell others about Jesus Christ and to disciple them? If the answer is no, pray to God and ask for Him to give you that desire. There may be something in your life that needs to change. Seek God through His Word and prayer, and reach out to those in your local church.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Southwestern Seminary - First Year
It is hard to imagine that I have completed a full year of graduate work at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I can remember renting the U-Haul in Chattanooga and making the long drive out to Fort Worth, TX with my family for the first time. I have decided to recap the first year as quickly as possible. If you would more details about any of the events that occurred, please let me know.
- Co-leader for a Challenge Group at Birchman Baptist Church. Challenge Groups are focused discipleship groups where the members challenge one another to spend more time in God's Word and to share the Gospel.
- Completed two Elementary Greek classes. I have now started my New Testament Greek classes.
- Preached my first revival at Eternal Life Baptist Church in Mooresville, IN.
- Preached two sermons during our Wednesday night worship time at Birchman over the summer. (One lost soul came to know Christ. Thanks be to God!)
- Performed two weddings during the summer.
- Joined the Birchman Choir.
- Assisted Birchman with the implementation of our new church wide discipleship process, BoldCourse. Feel free to check out www.boldcourse.org.
- Started a prayer time on Sunday morning. The name of which is "Awaken." Also, I now manage all of our prayer times on Sunday morning.
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Heart for Evangelism
After a very tough week, I decided to rent a movie and stop by a local fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat. I had a coupon for this restaurant, so it made this idea even better. While I was waiting in line, I met a man who had just completed his work for the day. He was planning to grab some dinner and go home to relax. We did the normal small talk that everyone does while waiting in line. However, he said something that stuck with me.
The man told me that he would like to grab a few beers when he gets home. He did not mean anything negative by this, but I was struck that he relied on alcohol to calm down and relieve his sorrows. Why was I struck by this statement? I responded to him by saying that I typically watch a television show and pray. I was struck more by my response than his original comment.
God reminded me that I am His son, and that He desires everyone to come to know Him personally. I had a great opportunity to tell the man that I rely on God each and every day. Now, I watch a television show to help me relax at the end of the day, but my source of strength is God Almighty. It is through prayer and reading God's word that I find the strength and encouragement to make it through the day. I wonder what would have happened if I told the man exactly what I just told each of you.
I was reminded this week that life is indeed hard, but it is also very short. We may only have one chance to share the Gospel or show God's love to individuals. This is why it is so important that we develop a mindset focused on evangelism. I think a lot of us go through each and every day focused on ourselves instead of on serving God through evangelism. Many of us do not have a heart for evangelism.
It is very sad when we think about it since God has done such a great work in our lives. He has saved us from Hell and provided for our needs on multiple occasions. Take a moment and think back to one of those moments. Do you have that thought in mind? Why then are we different from those who do not know Jesus Christ personally? The difference is that someone cared about us so much to tell us that God loves us and that we are sinners. It is through the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross that we came to know Jesus Christ personally.
If we could get a heart for evangelism and discipleship, then we would see this world change. I added discipleship into the last sentence because I believe it is essential for older Christians to teach new converts about living righteously and following God. In order to develop a heart of evangelism, one must be reminded of who he/she once was and realize that people each day are dying without knowing Jesus Christ personally. This will change our mindset that is focused on us, rather than on others. You don't think so? Ok, when was the last time you thought about who you once were and that there are people around you each day that do not know Jesus Christ? My prayer is that you already have a heart for evangelism, but I realized that I need to improve in this area. I ask that you would pray for me that God would develop this heart in my life.
I will have an upcoming opportunity to share the Gospel on one day as Southwestern fulfills the Take the Hill campaign. This campaign is designed to present the Gospel to every person within an immediate radius of the campus. I am so thankful for a school that places an emphasis on evangelism. Please pray for us as we go out and share the Gospel. Pray for the people we encounter as well that their hearts will be open to hearing God's word. Lastly, pray that we, as a campus, develop a heart for evangelism.
I realize that some of my posts are not easy to digest. Please realize that I am speaking as much to myself as I am to each of you, but the way I see it is that we can relax on evangelism and discipleship when we get to Heaven. Now is not the time to sit on the sideline. We need to get in the game, and we are not limited on the number of people that can be on the court or field. There is an open invitation to serve Jesus Christ. Will you let Him lead you?
The man told me that he would like to grab a few beers when he gets home. He did not mean anything negative by this, but I was struck that he relied on alcohol to calm down and relieve his sorrows. Why was I struck by this statement? I responded to him by saying that I typically watch a television show and pray. I was struck more by my response than his original comment.
God reminded me that I am His son, and that He desires everyone to come to know Him personally. I had a great opportunity to tell the man that I rely on God each and every day. Now, I watch a television show to help me relax at the end of the day, but my source of strength is God Almighty. It is through prayer and reading God's word that I find the strength and encouragement to make it through the day. I wonder what would have happened if I told the man exactly what I just told each of you.
I was reminded this week that life is indeed hard, but it is also very short. We may only have one chance to share the Gospel or show God's love to individuals. This is why it is so important that we develop a mindset focused on evangelism. I think a lot of us go through each and every day focused on ourselves instead of on serving God through evangelism. Many of us do not have a heart for evangelism.
It is very sad when we think about it since God has done such a great work in our lives. He has saved us from Hell and provided for our needs on multiple occasions. Take a moment and think back to one of those moments. Do you have that thought in mind? Why then are we different from those who do not know Jesus Christ personally? The difference is that someone cared about us so much to tell us that God loves us and that we are sinners. It is through the shedding of Christ's blood on the cross that we came to know Jesus Christ personally.
If we could get a heart for evangelism and discipleship, then we would see this world change. I added discipleship into the last sentence because I believe it is essential for older Christians to teach new converts about living righteously and following God. In order to develop a heart of evangelism, one must be reminded of who he/she once was and realize that people each day are dying without knowing Jesus Christ personally. This will change our mindset that is focused on us, rather than on others. You don't think so? Ok, when was the last time you thought about who you once were and that there are people around you each day that do not know Jesus Christ? My prayer is that you already have a heart for evangelism, but I realized that I need to improve in this area. I ask that you would pray for me that God would develop this heart in my life.
I will have an upcoming opportunity to share the Gospel on one day as Southwestern fulfills the Take the Hill campaign. This campaign is designed to present the Gospel to every person within an immediate radius of the campus. I am so thankful for a school that places an emphasis on evangelism. Please pray for us as we go out and share the Gospel. Pray for the people we encounter as well that their hearts will be open to hearing God's word. Lastly, pray that we, as a campus, develop a heart for evangelism.
I realize that some of my posts are not easy to digest. Please realize that I am speaking as much to myself as I am to each of you, but the way I see it is that we can relax on evangelism and discipleship when we get to Heaven. Now is not the time to sit on the sideline. We need to get in the game, and we are not limited on the number of people that can be on the court or field. There is an open invitation to serve Jesus Christ. Will you let Him lead you?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Prayer in America
I recently watched an episode of "NBC Nightly News," and Brian Williams mentioned that Americans pray for other countries when tragedies occur especially when a similar tragedy has occurred in America. The tragedy Williams was referring to was the mine disaster in Chile, where a group of miners may be trapped underground until Christmas. America has dealt with this type of tragedy in the past. However, I thought it was interesting Williams said that Americans pray!*
Now, I know that America is a country founded on Christianity and the idea of religious freedom, but I am unsure if the people of our country pray. If they do, are they praying to the God of the Bible or do they have their belief in another god?
I am writing this to make us (Christians) think. We profess to be believers in Jesus Christ, but how often do we forget that He is our intercessor to the One who is above all and conquered all. Jesus Christ is how we can communicate with our Heavenly Father, God Almighty!
I believe that if we pray to see people/souls come to know Jesus Christ personally, it will dramatically change us, America and the World. As you finish reading this post, ask God to allow you to witness to someone today and for us to see more people come to know Him. I know that it is difficult to do and can be frightening, but remember that God is with you and He will provide the words. However, he does expect us to prepare, so think back on when you came to know Jesus Christ as your personal savior and read your Bible to be able to show the person scripture (Romans is a great book for this!).
I am not going to post the Salvation message at this time because every Christian should know this message. However, I am more than willing and would love to tell you the message if you have never heard it before. My e-mail address is chad_rowell06@yahoo.com, and I will respond as quickly as I can. My fear is that there are Christians in our churches today that do not know how to share the gospel with someone else. If I give you that message and you are a Christian, is there a challenge for you to study and learn more? I believe I would be hindering you from doing more for God. Remember, prayer is powerful and changes things.
Lastly, I would like to give you a quick update of my life in Texas so far. The Dallas/Ft. Worth area hit a record high Monday with 107 degrees. I remained inside for a majority of the day, but I still made it to the gym to do a little exercise. I am currently looking for a church to serve at. I have visited two so far, and both were great! I'm attempting to plug-in soon, but I am praying over where God would have me serve. Please keep me in your prayers. Feel free to post any comments on the blog or e-mail me at the address above.
God bless,
Chad
*I should note that I am not upset with Brian Williams at all. I believe he is an excellent news anchor, and I enjoy watching "NBC Nightly News."
Now, I know that America is a country founded on Christianity and the idea of religious freedom, but I am unsure if the people of our country pray. If they do, are they praying to the God of the Bible or do they have their belief in another god?
I am writing this to make us (Christians) think. We profess to be believers in Jesus Christ, but how often do we forget that He is our intercessor to the One who is above all and conquered all. Jesus Christ is how we can communicate with our Heavenly Father, God Almighty!
I believe that if we pray to see people/souls come to know Jesus Christ personally, it will dramatically change us, America and the World. As you finish reading this post, ask God to allow you to witness to someone today and for us to see more people come to know Him. I know that it is difficult to do and can be frightening, but remember that God is with you and He will provide the words. However, he does expect us to prepare, so think back on when you came to know Jesus Christ as your personal savior and read your Bible to be able to show the person scripture (Romans is a great book for this!).
I am not going to post the Salvation message at this time because every Christian should know this message. However, I am more than willing and would love to tell you the message if you have never heard it before. My e-mail address is chad_rowell06@yahoo.com, and I will respond as quickly as I can. My fear is that there are Christians in our churches today that do not know how to share the gospel with someone else. If I give you that message and you are a Christian, is there a challenge for you to study and learn more? I believe I would be hindering you from doing more for God. Remember, prayer is powerful and changes things.
Lastly, I would like to give you a quick update of my life in Texas so far. The Dallas/Ft. Worth area hit a record high Monday with 107 degrees. I remained inside for a majority of the day, but I still made it to the gym to do a little exercise. I am currently looking for a church to serve at. I have visited two so far, and both were great! I'm attempting to plug-in soon, but I am praying over where God would have me serve. Please keep me in your prayers. Feel free to post any comments on the blog or e-mail me at the address above.
God bless,
Chad
*I should note that I am not upset with Brian Williams at all. I believe he is an excellent news anchor, and I enjoy watching "NBC Nightly News."
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