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Michael Blackstone opens with Peter's post-resurrection return to fishing — a picture of a man retreating after failure — and uses John 21 to argue that spiritual failure is not final with God. The message traces Christ's restoration of Peter as a pattern for anyone who has wondered whether God can still use them after what they have done. Scripture Text John 21:1-19 Main Points or Ideas Failure wants us to go back - After his denial, Peter retreated to fishing — back to old habits and old identity. Failure convinces us that because we are damaged, we are useless. But Galatians 6:1 uses the word "restore" — to mend completely, not discard. God is in the restoration business, and his grace compels us forward, not backward.Jesus meets us in the place of our failure - Jesus appeared on the shore and filled Peter's nets — a deliberate echo of the call in Luke 5. The message to Peter was clear: I haven't forgotten where I found you or what I called you to do. Jesus does not reopen wounds to shame; he reopens them to heal. The place we are most ashamed to bring to Jesus may be the very place he wants to meet us.Jesus sees our failure, but he sees more than our failure - Jesus asked Peter three times, "Lovest thou me?" — once for each denial. He was not humiliating Peter but restoring him. Each time Peter answered, Jesus gave him an assignment: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Failure is an event, not an identity. Like a cracked violin carefully restored, the damage became part of the story without silencing the instrument.Restoration leads to responsibility - Grace is not "I forgive you — now sit down." Every time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus gave him work to do. Peter, who failed publicly by a fire, later stood publicly on the day of Pentecost and proclaimed Christ. Grace restores us so that we can serve again.Your failure is part of your story - WD-40 took forty attempts to get its formula right — and carried its failures in its name. The righteous man is not the one who never falls but the one who rises again (Proverbs 24:16). Peter's failure shaped the way he ministered; those who have known grace most desperately often extend it most freely. The place where you failed may someday be the place from which you help someone else stand again. Conclusion Jesus met Peter at a second fire, fed him, restored him, and simply said, "Follow me." Failure is not final with God — he wants to restore broken tools, mend cracked instruments, and set his people back on their feet. The call is simply to get up and follow him.

Bob Vander Plaats, president of The Family Leader, opens by introducing his organization's mission and its four-part framework for engaging government. Drawing from Deuteronomy 30, he challenges students to choose life — to go "all in" for God's principles in every sphere of influence, including politics. Scripture Texts Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 16:18; Romans 13; Hebrews 2:1 Main Points or Ideas The Family Leader's mission: four "I"s - The Family Leader exists to inspire the church, impact elections, influence policy, and ignite biblical partnership between church and government. The ministry logo uses a lowercase "i" — a reminder that it is not about us. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that he would build his church on this rock, and the gates of hell would not prevail — the church is God's Plan A with no Plan B.Government is God's institution - Romans 13 calls government ministers God. Political leaders — like missionaries sent to the field — are called to carry God's light into a dark place. When a culture drifts from God's order and principles, the result is chaos and division. Hebrews 2:1 warns against drifting; Vander Plaats argues the country is not drifting but sprinting away from God.Deuteronomy 30: Choose life - Before Israel entered the promised land, God set before them life and prosperity or death and adversity — and told them it was not too difficult or beyond their reach. The same choice faces believers today: love the Lord, walk in his ways, and be blessed — or turn away and perish. God calls his people to choose well, choose life.Look higher, think bigger, expect more - The Family Leader's operating posture: look higher (help comes from the Lord, not from political parties — Psalm 121); think bigger (Peter wanted to conquer Rome, but Jesus called him to eternal concerns); expect more (John 10:10 — Jesus came to give life abundantly). Regardless of election outcomes, believers should not be downcast, because they know who wins.Go all in — sacrifice what pulls you from God - Using Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, Vander Plaats asks what each student needs to sacrifice — whatever is pulling them from God's call. Ministry itself can become about self rather than God. The call is to be all in, lukewarm believers are those Jesus said he would spit out (Revelation 3, Laodicea). The challenge: be like Michael Jordan — go all in with a competitive spirit for the things of God. Conclusion Bob Vander Plaats closes with a call to choose well in every arena — at the voting booth, in the classroom, in the workplace, and in the church — and to go all in for God's principles.

Using Hebrews 12:1-2 as his text, Dr. Will Senn challenges students to identify and discard the ten categories of baggage that couples bring into marriage before they reach the altar. Scripture Text Hebrews 12-13 Main Points or Ideas Hebrews 12:1-2 presents two participles alongside the main verb "run": an aorist participle (lay aside — definitively, immediately discard sin and weight) and a present participle (look unto Jesus — a continuous, ongoing focus). Both are required to run victoriously; addressing baggage without looking to Jesus misses the solution. Bag 1 — Communication - The number one cause of relational breakdown. Vagueness, silent treatment, interrupting, and blame-shifting all erode relationships. Look unto Jesus, the perfect communicator — the Word who speaks and listens.Bag 2 — Commitment - Hardened hearts and emotional disengagement lead to contempt and divorce. Christ's commitment modeled in Hebrews 13:5 — five negative particles: "I will never, never, never forsake you" — is the standard.Bag 3 — Sexual Baggage - Past immorality, pornography, or abortion brought into marriage creates serious damage. Physical reminders of past relationships must be burned. God forgives and restores, but these issues must be addressed before marriage.Bag 4 — Financial Baggage - Debt and financial irresponsibility are real baggage. Dr. Senn urges students — especially those considering ministry — to graduate debt-free, noting mission agencies have turned away applicants over unresolved debt.Bag 5 — Incompatibility - Many differences can be overcome, but showstoppers — church, finances, children, education — must be discussed. Amos 3:3: "How can two walk together except they be agreed?"Bag 6 — Conflict Resolution - Do you have a track record of solving problems biblically? Bullying, avoidance, and blame-shifting destroy marriages. Hebrews 12:14 calls believers to pursue peace.Bag 7 — Abuse Baggage - Past abuse is real baggage, often not the victim's fault. Hebrews 12:3 — "Consider him who endured such hostility" — points to Christ as the one who understands and gives grace to move forward without bitterness.Bag 8 — Addiction - Alcohol, drugs, gambling, and pornography are non-negotiables. Victory must come before marriage, not be hoped for after.Bag 9 — Emotional Baggage - Anxiety, panic attacks, and chronic emotional instability carry into marriage. Look unto Jesus, "the same yesterday, today, and forever" — immutable and stabilizing.Bag 10 — Immaturity - Unrealistic expectations and selfishness signal someone is not ready for marriage. The call is simply to grow up before bringing someone else into unresolved immaturity. Conclusion Dr. Senn closes with a practical homework assignment: identify your baggage, deal with it before marriage using Scripture and recommended resources, and put it in the dumpster — no dumpster diving. The call is to lay aside every weight and sin and run the race looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith.

Dr. Dan Brown opens by reflecting on his own fiftieth anniversary in ministry — he sat in the same chapel as an incoming freshman in 1976 — and uses his personal story as the thread connecting three biblical foundations for the call to ministry. He draws from Romans 12, 1 Timothy 3, and Acts 13 to argue that the call involves a dedication, a desire, and a decision. Scripture Text Romans 12:1-2; 1 Timothy 3:1; Acts 13:1-3; Acts 20:28 Main Points or Ideas A dedication for God's purpose (Romans 12:1-2) - The call to ministry begins with every believer's responsibility to present themselves as a living sacrifice — not just the formally called, but everyone. As a teenager, Dr. Brown publicly dedicated his life to Christ: not a rededication after failure, but a first yes. He had never said no to God, but he had also never said yes. That act of surrender — open-ended and unconditional — preceded the specific call that came when he arrived at Faith as a freshman. Students who have never said "yes, Lord, anywhere, anything" have not yet laid the foundation the call requires.A desire for ministry (1 Timothy 3:1) - The word translated "desire" in verse one actually contains two distinct Greek words: the first means to stretch out and grasp like a runner lunging for the finish line; the second is the word normally translated "lust" — a consuming, burning passion, rooted in the idea of smoldering fire. Together they picture the call as a burden that doesn't go away. A burden that fades by morning is not the call — a burden that sticks across weeks and months, driven by the Holy Spirit, is. Acts 20:28 reinforces that the Holy Spirit places elders and pastors in their positions, meaning the desire itself is Spirit-generated, not self-generated.A decision for service (Acts 13:1-3) - In Acts 13, the Holy Spirit calls Barnabas and Saul not in isolation but through the local church. The church selects, separates, prays for, potentially supports, and later receives an account from its sent-out workers. The call to ministry never happens in a vacuum — it is confirmed and carried out in partnership with the local church. Dr. Brown warns that there is equal danger in entering ministry uncalled and in avoiding it when truly called. For those who sense God's call, the response is to get involved now — serve in your church, seek opportunities, and start preparing today, not at graduation. ConclusionDr. Dan closes with two questions: Have you said yes to God with no conditions? And has God called you into ministry? If the answer to the second is yes, the call to ministry is also a call to prepare — and that preparation begins today, not after school ends.

Dr. Jim Tillotson continues the dating series with a practical, pastor-hearted session focused on two questions: who should I date, and when should I date? Drawing from 2 Corinthians 6, Proverbs, and eighteen years of pastoral counseling, he presents a detailed checklist for evaluating a potential dating partner and a set of guiding principles for when and how to begin dating. Scripture Texts 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 25:19; Proverbs 13:20; 1 Timothy 5:8; Romans 13:14 Main Points or Ideas Who should I date? Only a true born-again believer - The Bible is clear: do not be unequally yoked. Evangelistic dating — pursuing someone with the hope of leading them to Christ — is the exception, not the rule, and almost always ends with the Christian being pulled away rather than the unbeliever being drawn in. Tillotson reinforces this with pastoral experience: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Someone who drinks, looks at pornography, hates church, or has a bad temper while dating on their best behavior is unlikely to change after the wedding.Ten questions to ask when dating - Tillotson presents a practical screening checklist: Are they active in church — and do they serve, not just sit? Do they respect God's Word and respond to it? Are they honest — because if they lie to others, they'll lie to you? Do they control their temper? Are they lazy? Do you respect their character? What is their attitude toward authority? How do they treat their parents? Will you have to constantly apologize for them? And what are their moral standards — are they pushing the physical relationship forward?The progression chart and physical purity - Tillotson presents a chart showing that physical intimacy follows a natural God-designed progression: holding hands → hugging → kissing → long kissing → petting → sex. This progression typically unfolds within six months to a year. Starting it too early in relationship to a marriage timeline creates enormous pressure toward sexual sin. The solution is to build the relationship spiritually and emotionally first, to set personal dating standards in writing before entering a relationship, to agree with the person you're dating on those standards early, and to have accountability in place — someone you would hate to have to tell if you go too far.When should I date, and the ABCs of love - There is no magical age, but the highest prerequisites are God's approval, parental approval, and personal readiness — meaning you have developed your own dating standards and understand both the benefits and dangers of the process. Tillotson encourages students to date while in Christian community, to date long and engage short, and to look for someone who embodies the ABCs: Accepts you as you are, Believes you are valuable, Cares when you're hurt, Desires the best for you, and Erases all offenses. Conclusion Dr. Jim closes by reminding students that no one gets married wishing they had gone further physically before the wedding — and that the point of all this is not restriction but preparation for a lifelong marriage that honors God. Make no provision for the flesh, set a curfew, write out your standards, and trust God to bring the right person in his timing.

Dr. Marty Herron opens with Robert Fulghum's bestselling book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and the simple rules from the sandbox — play fair, don't hit, share, say sorry. He then pivots to Romans 12 and argues that Paul covers the same ground in a far more binding and inspired way: every believer should live harmoniously with all people, if possible. Scripture Text Romans 12:17-21 Main Points or Ideas Don't retaliate (v. 17a) - "Recompense to no man evil for evil" is an absolute — never, not most of the time. Revenge is not the same as justice. Justice says, "This must be made right." Revenge says, "I'll make you hurt." Hollywood did not invent revenge — it found an audience for something already living in the human heart. The text, the social media reply typed to sting — that is retaliation. Herron reminds students that Paul told the Romans God himself is the avenger (v. 19) and that the government holds the sword for civil justice (Romans 13). Personal revenge is never the believer's role.Think ahead and do right (v. 17b) - "Provide things honest in the sight of all men" is literally a command to think beforehand — to be proactive rather than reactive. People are watching how believers respond when they are wronged. Responding is what you choose; reacting is what happens to you. Booker T. Washington put it well: "I will not let any man make me lower myself by hating him."Pursue peace persistently (v. 18) - "If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men." The two qualifiers Paul himself included — "if possible" and "as much as lies in you" — acknowledge two realities: it is not always possible, and it does not always depend on you. Repentance and forgiveness are one-way streets you control; restoration is a two-way street that requires the other person. Herron illustrates the difference through David and Saul: David could not make Saul peaceful, but he could govern his own response. He refused to throw the spear back. You cannot control the spear someone throws — you can decide whether to throw one back. Conclusion Dr. Herron closes by contrasting two scenes: the David-in-the-cave moment of remarkable restraint, and a kindergarten graduation in Toledo, Ohio where a twenty-six-year-old woman slammed another woman's head against a seat in a dispute over seating — with the children waiting in the back in their graduation gowns. The adults had forgotten what the kindergartners were there to celebrate. His closing challenge is simple: grow up, move out of the kindergarten days of the old self, and let the sandbox rules — now grounded in Romans 12 — shape the culture of this campus.

Jeff Musgrave, who works in evangelism and discipleship training, opens by arguing that the gospel is not the exclusive domain of gifted communicators and platform speakers — it is for ordinary people. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 1:17–2:5, he walks through what the gospel is not, what it is, why God chose to work through weak people to proclaim it, and what that looks like practically in the local church. Scripture Texts 1 Corinthians 1:17–2:5; 1 Corinthians 9:22; 2 Corinthians 2:14 Main Points or Ideas What the gospel is not (1 Corinthians 1:17-20) - Six negatives: the gospel is not human engineered (Christ sent Paul — man never could have conceived of such a remedy); not mere religious activity (inviting people to church is nice, but proclaiming the gospel is the call); not a negative message (it is literally "one who shares good news"); not human logic or persuasion (smooth presentations are not what saves people — the message itself does); not a crossless message (apart from the substitutionary death of Christ, there is no gospel and no forgiveness); and not empty hope (the gospel genuinely transforms those who believe it, unlike the hollow words spoken at a deathbed).What the gospel is (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) - Six positives: the message of the cross (displaying God's holiness, justice, love, and grace simultaneously); foolishness to those who are perishing (rejection can be expected, but some will respond); the power of God (God is still in the saving business right now, and if you give the gospel to enough people, some will be saved); the wisdom of God (no human mind could have conceived of the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection as the solution to sin); the person and work of Jesus Christ (the power and wisdom of God personified, now dwelling within every believer); and the exceeding excellence of God (the foolishness of God is wiser than men — illustrated by Voltaire's printing press and house being used to print and store Bibles after his death).Why God chose ordinary people (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) - Not many wise, powerful, or noble were called. God deliberately chose the foolish, the weak, the lowly — so that no human being might boast. The source of every believer's adequacy is verse thirty: because of God, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to you wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The only boast is in the Lord.What this looks like in the local church (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) - Paul models it through four qualities: God's fixed strategy (depending only on the testimony of God, not superior speech); Paul's focus (knowing nothing except Christ crucified — not political opinions or cultural commentary); Paul's frailty (coming in weakness, fear, and trembling — the normal experience of effective gospel witnesses); and Paul's fragrance (the Holy Spirit creates an invisible aura around Spirit-filled believers that impacts people whether they want to be impacted or not). The goal is faith, not convinced brains. The method is sharing the gospel. The confidence is the power of God. Conclusion Musgrave closes with three summary statements: faith is our goal (we are speaking to hearts, not just minds); sharing the gospel is our method; and the power of God is our confidence. God wants ordinary people to carry the most powerful message in the world — and because it is his power and not ours, we can count on it to do its work.

Rand Hummel closes his three-session series with a message on dating, reading a series of love notes he has collected from campers over the years to capture the reality of how teenagers and young adults approach romance — and then turning to Genesis 24 as a model for what God-honoring pursuit of a life partner actually looks like. Scripture Text Genesis 24:1-27 Main Points or Ideas Questions to settle before you pursue anyone - Using Abraham's charge to his servant as the framework, Hummel raises four foundational questions. When can you start? Not at a set age, but when you are genuinely aware of both the benefits and the dangers of the process. What part do parents play? They don't choose for you as in Bible times, but honor them by keeping them involved — they love you and want God's best. Does your future partner need to be saved? Absolutely — the pattern is clear that an unbelieving spouse will pull your heart away from God. Should you pray about this? Yes, and not just vague prayers — pray daily for your future spouse's purity, walk with God, and protection right now.What you can do to attract the right partner - Rebekah's character in Genesis 24 provides two simple principles. Stay sharp physically — take care of yourself so that your countenance reflects what is inside. Stay strong spiritually — let the fruit of the Spirit overflow into unselfishness. Hummel illustrates this with Rebekah's willingness to water ten camels (an estimated three hundred to five hundred gallons), then warns students to avoid selfish partners: ask a guy what God taught him in his devotions this week and you will know a great deal about him.Guard your virginity and purity - Hummel applies 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 directly: your body belongs to God, not to you, and every act of sexual sin is a sin against your own body. He gives practical handles — avoid situations that make purity hard, learn to say no, refuse to make out, and flee youthful lusts. He illustrates the cost of premarital sex through the story of a young woman who must confess her past to a man who has stayed pure for her, and through the grief of a father receiving news of an unplanned pregnancy. The consequences of sexual sin — broken trust, intensified struggle, STDs, pregnancy, and lifelong regret — cannot be chosen away. Conclusion Rand Hummel closes with the ultimate goal: please God with patience and purity, and it leads to a love that lasts a lifetime. Keep your heart for God — don't let anything steal it away — and trust him to provide the right partner in his time and in his way.

In his second of three chapel sessions this week, Rand Hummel opens by stating his theme plainly: "You talk about what you think about, and you think about what you really love." Using medieval castle warfare as his organizing framework, he argues that the thought life is a constant spiritual battle requiring the same strategic preparation a castle garrison would apply against an approaching enemy. Scripture Texts Proverbs 5:22; 2 Peter 2:14; Psalm 101:3; Psalm 119:11; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8 Main Points or Ideas Keep committed to pleasing your Lord and King - Like a medieval knight pledging his life and loyalty to the king, the believer's thought life must be ordered around the Shema — God first, others second. Hummel argues that when believers are actively focused outward (serving at camp, pouring into others), they are too busy and purposeful to fall into the trap of self-centered thinking. The problem begins when the order inverts: me first, others second, God last.Keep a proper view of the enemy - The enemy is not just temptation but sin itself, which must be hated — not merely avoided. Romans 12:9 calls believers to abhor evil. The pattern of Proverbs 5:22 is sobering: a man's own iniquity takes him captive and holds him with the cords of his sin. Hummel leads a live group meditation exercise on this verse and on 2 Peter 2:14 to illustrate what it looks like to slowly and carefully engage the mind with a passage — sitting with the personal pronouns, the military language of capture and chains, and the word picture of eyes full of adultery — rather than simply reading past it. The take-home: most people fall into habitual sin because they have never learned to truly hate what God hates.Keep the enemy as far away as possible - The castle's defenses — the hilltop position, the cleared approach, the moat, the drawbridge (which could only be opened from the inside), the thick walls, and the inner keep — all illustrate one principle: make it hard to sin. Nobody can make you lower your own drawbridge. No one can force a choice. Psalm 101:3 ("I will set no wicked thing before my eyes") is not only a prohibition but a promise — it will not cling to me, it will not become habitual to me. The believers who struggle most are often those who have never made Job's covenant with their eyes and never learned to simply refuse to go near the door.Keep constantly prepared — through the Word - The weapon for the battle of the mind is Scripture hidden in the heart (Psalm 119:11). Hummel encourages students not to think of this as memorization but as saturation — reading a passage five times a night for two months rather than drilling it. The result, as Romans 12:2 promises, is transformation by the renewing of the mind: not conformed to the world's mold but proved to know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Conclusion He closes by urging students to meditate — in groups of four or five over coffee, or alone in their rooms — and to keep their hearts for God. The battle of the mind is won or lost not in a single dramatic moment but in the daily discipline of filling the mind with what is true, honest, just, and pure.

Rand Hummel — camp director and speaker — opens his first of three chapel sessions by announcing the week's topics: media life (day one), thought life (day two), and dating life (day three). With the urgent plea "keep your heart for God" as his refrain, he works through Ezekiel 8 to show that the progressive drift of God's people toward idolatry is a precise picture of how the dark side of the internet works in the lives of Christians today. Scripture Text Ezekiel 8:1-18 Main Points or Ideas No one is beyond the pull of media sin - Samson, Solomon, and David all fell through sexual temptation, and Ezekiel 8 shows that the seventy ancients — the leaders, the teachers, those who should have known better — were in the middle of it. Whatever our spiritual background or knowledge, none of us is immune. The key question is simple: what do you do in the dark when you think no one can see? God sees. Delete does not mean delete. Satan is patient — he may wait years to expose what was done in secret, until maximum damage can be done.The power of the dark side of the internet - Hummel traces four dangers: perversity (the content itself destroys its victims — real people whose lives are ruined to produce it); false privacy (internet service providers by law record every site visited; there are no secrets); the price tag (everything you love — trust, marriage, ministry, relationships — can be lost in ten seconds after twenty-five years of faithfulness); and the pathway (Ezekiel 8 maps the progressive drift: you stop wanting God in your devotional life, then in your private life, then eventually you turn your back on him entirely).Four principles for prevention - Hummel offers four memorable pictures. The secret agent principle: don't hide what you do online — let the meditation of your heart be acceptable in God's sight. The surfer dude principle: the prudent man foresees evil and avoids it; don't go near the door, refuse to surf dangerous waters. The sumo wrestler principle: put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh — make it hard to sin and easy to do right by using passwords, filters, and accountability. The strange woman principle: remove your way far from her, don't come near the door, and concentrate your heart on your relationship with your family, your future spouse, and your Lord. Conclusion Rand Hummel closes by pointing to the one man he could not help — a husband addicted to pornography whose only reasons for wanting to quit were self-centered. Every reason he gave was "me." The only motivation strong enough to truly fight this sin is loving God and others more than yourself. Keep your heart.

Mark Davis opens with the story of Teddy Roosevelt being shot in the chest before a campaign speech and pressing on anyway, then asks: what does it take to knock you off mission? Using Paul's defense of his ministry in 1 Thessalonians 2, he presents three qualities of a life lived on mission — the right message, the right motivation, and the right manner. Scripture Texts 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Acts 16:19-31; John 10:10 Main Points or Ideas Right Message: the gospel - In the midst of beatings and imprisonment at Philippi, Paul went straight to Thessalonica and declared the gospel in the middle of more conflict. The message of his life was the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ — and nothing would get in the way of it. Davis illustrates this with a head-on collision on the way to deer hunting: he was so committed to getting to his stand that he drove on through the wreck. He wishes he were that passionate about the gospel. If the gospel is not central to everyday life and conversation, he argues, a person simply is not on mission.Right Motivation: pleasing God, not people - Paul's appeal did not spring from error, impurity, or deception — it was not to please men but to please God who tests the heart. Davis illustrates the failure of people-pleasing and success-chasing with Sean McVay (youngest Super Bowl-winning coach in NFL history, who described buying his second LA home and winning the Super Bowl as the loneliest period of his life) and Tom Brady ("I've done it all — I wish I knew what's greater out there"). If winning is your motivation, your life will be a waste. The love of Christ constraining and an identity resting in him is the only motivation that holds.Right Manner: gentle like a mother, exhorting like a father - Paul shared not only the gospel but his own life, weeping and rejoicing with the Thessalonians and working night and day so as not to be a burden. He was gentle as a nursing mother and exhorting as a father — the goal of both being to help others walk in a manner worthy of God. Ministry is people. Living on mission means doing life with them, spending evenings and mornings and weekends with them, on purpose. Conclusion Mark Davis closes with the story of Olympic shooter Matt Emmons, who fired a perfect shot at the wrong target and lost the gold medal. Bullseye on the biggest bank account, the most followers, or the most influence — but wrong target. The right target is a life whose message is the gospel, whose motivation is pleasing the Father, and whose manner invests in others for a worthy walk. That life can start today.

Pastor Ken Keltner opens by acknowledging that most believers — even pastors — struggle to declare the gospel, though the church has done well at defining and defending it. Drawing from Acts 1:8, he presents a simple three-word outline and fills each point with personal stories from his own ministry of evangelism. Scripture Texts Acts 1:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5 Main Points or Ideas Evangelism is expected - Acts 1:8 is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus told his disciples they would be witnesses — the question is not whether but where (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the earth). Keltner urges students not to wait for a pastoral role or a formal ministry setting to begin: the opportunities are already around them every day. A student who cannot be found sharing the gospel or pouring into anyone's life should not be in ministry — the habit of declaring Christ is formed now, not later.Evangelism is exciting - Keltner illustrates this with story after story: a married couple who came to Christ at midnight after a long dinner; a school principal who came to faith through a sweaty-shirted ninth grader whose name he never got; a seven-year-old granddaughter named Rowan who led an eleven-year-old classmate named Stryker to Christ. When someone trusts Christ, heaven breaks out in praise — and the believer who witnessed it carries that joy everywhere.Evangelism is explosive - When Dr. Smith — Keltner's surgeon — came to faith, he immediately began bringing his surgical team to church. This is the nature of true conversion: new believers want others to know. Keltner closes with the sobering statistic that ninety-five percent of evangelical believers have never led a single person to Christ, and challenges students to begin praying for divine appointments. God will bring someone — the only question is whether the student will be sensitive enough to recognize the moment and courageous enough to open their mouth. Conclusion Pastor Keltner closes by pointing students back to Acts 1:8: the Spirit of God is given specifically to make believers effective witnesses. They do not go alone. The challenge is simply to go — praying for divine appointments, opening their mouths, and trusting the God who promises to go with them.

Directing listeners to Psalm 139, Bob Holmes opens by announcing his subject plainly: the God of love found in the Bible is the God who loves you — not in a general, abstract way, but personally, individually, and specifically. Drawing from Psalm 139, Proverbs 3, and his own ministry experiences, he makes the case that the same God who formed each person in the womb is actively involved in every detail of their life. Scripture Texts Psalm 139:1-2, 13-14, 17-18; Proverbs 3:5-8; 1 Peter 5:7 Main Points or Ideas You are not an accident - Psalm 139 overflows with personal pronouns — God has searched me, known me, understood my thoughts, and covered me in my mother's womb. Holmes argues that before anyone else saw you, God was carefully weaving you together, thread by thread, piece by piece. You were planned, prepared, and purposed — and the God who formed you for nine months has a plan for all the years that follow.God has thought about you more than the sand - Psalm 139:17-18 declares that God's thoughts toward each person outnumber the grains of sand. Holmes takes this literally: a God who thinks about billions of individual people more than the total grains of sand on the earth is a God who is astonishingly, specifically, personally attentive. There has never been a moment when God has not been thinking about you.God can be trusted with the rest of your life - Proverbs 3:5-8 calls believers to trust God with all their heart and promises health to those who fear him. Using a live illustration involving a student, Holmes makes the point: if God formed you for nine months in the womb, he can be trusted with your twenties, your calling, your trials, and your future. The navel through which nourishment came in the womb is the picture — the same God who sustained you then is sustaining you now.God is there before you get there - Holmes closes with a series of personal stories — an $83,000 answer to prayer, three cameras materializing at a school assembly, a back injury healed three times in one day — to illustrate that God goes before his sheep and is already present in every situation before they arrive. Not one of these circumstances surprised him. Tomorrow has not yet introduced itself to God — he already knows it. Conclusion Bob Holmes closes by urging students to go through life saying "that is my God" — the God of Noah, Daniel, David, and Shadrach is the same God who thinks about them more than the sand and who will never put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on his throne. Cast every care on him, because he cares for you.

Pastor Dennis St. Lawrence opens with Proverbs 20:6 — "Many will tell you they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly trustworthy?" — and shifts the focus from a broken world's untrustworthiness to the personal question every believer should ask: am I trustworthy? Drawing from a secular book on trust, he presents eight qualities that build trust in every area of life. Scripture Texts Proverbs 20:6; Proverbs 28:13; Ecclesiastes 9:10; 1 Corinthians 13; Ephesians 4:15 Main Points or Ideas Character - Doing what is right when no one is looking; being dependable regardless of the cost.Competency - Character without skill is incomplete. A mechanic with great integrity who cannot fix the car, or a skilled mechanic who cheats customers, both fall short. Believers must pursue excellence in whatever God has called them to do — the inward man can keep growing and improving until the day of death.Consistency - Anybody can perform well briefly, but lasting trust is built by day-in, day-out faithfulness in character and excellence. Being a "steady Eddie" — someone others know exactly what to expect from — is a powerful testimony.Conviction and Commitment - Ecclesiastes 9:10 calls believers to do whatever their hand finds with all their strength. Half-heartedness does not build trust. Passion, wholehearted commitment, and a clear sense that "this is what God wants me to do, and I am all in" are visible to everyone around us.Compassion - 1 Corinthians 13 says that oratory, knowledge, and faith without love amount to nothing — a clanging cymbal. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Truth without genuine love fails to land.Communication - Ephesians 4:15 commands speaking the truth in love. Four rules of trustworthy communication: be honest, keep current, attack the problem not the person, and act rather than react. Evasion, dishonesty, or emotional reactivity erode trust quickly.Courage - Paul stood alone when no one else would. There will be times when doing what is right draws criticism and isolation. Trusting God more than the approval of others — while remaining open to genuine correction — and maintaining a right spirit through it is what builds lasting trust.Confession - Proverbs 28:13 promises mercy to those who confess and forsake sin. Failure does not destroy trust; how a person responds to failure does. Owning mistakes without blame or excuses, seeking forgiveness, and making things right are marks of a person others can trust. Conclusion Pastor St. Lawrence closes by pointing to God as the perfect embodiment of all eight qualities — except confession, since God never sins. Because God is trustworthy, believers can trust him. And because they trust God, they should live in such a way that others can trust them.

Dr. Jim Tillotson opens the first of a three-part dating series by grounding the topic in biblical priorities and framing marriage as the ultimate purpose of dating — while also affirming that not everyone is called to marry. He covers the foundations of friendship, God's design for marriage, and the importance of a healthy self-image before any dating relationship begins. Scripture Texts Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Proverbs 18:22; Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 13:4; Mark 10:2-9; Psalm 139:13-14 Main Points or Ideas Start with friendship - Ecclesiastes 4 establishes that God did not design people to be alone — whether or not they marry, every believer needs a genuine friend. Tillotson urges students to spend the early weeks of the semester building broad friendships with people of both sexes before pairing off, warning that moving too quickly into dating narrows the field prematurely and puts unfair pressure on early interactions.God's design for marriage - Genesis 2 establishes that marriage was God's idea before sin entered the world. Woman was created as a suitable completer for man — not above him or below him, but alongside him. Marriage is permanent (Mark 10), and Hebrews 13:4 declares that sex within marriage is honorable and undefiled. Tillotson argues that the world inverts God's order (physical first, then emotional and spiritual), while God's design works from spiritual and emotional connection outward — and that following God's order produces the best result.A healthy self-image is the prerequisite for dating - Students who try to find their identity and worth through a dating relationship will put unfair expectations on the other person and set themselves up for disappointment. Four handles for building a God-honoring self-image: realize your importance to God (made in his image); value inner character over outer appearance (God looks at the heart); accept how God made you (Psalm 139 — your physical traits are not accidents); and improve what you can (hygiene, communication, dress, and social skills are all improvable). Conclusion Dr. Jim closes by encouraging students to carry the booklet for all three sessions, accept who they are while working on what they can improve, and build the kind of genuine friendships that form the only solid foundation for any future dating relationship. Parts two and three — covering who to date and how to date — will follow in subsequent sessions.