Honest Thoughts from a Pastor

While I have considered getting another degree at this phase of life, this post is not about me as a college student but as a visitor. Today, I sat next to my son who is in Bible college. This post will highlight my observations of this young generation of Christ’s servants.

When you want to see firsthand what your son is experiencing in college and spend some time with him, you get up at 5:30 am to make the 1 1/2 hour drive to get to his 7:45 Homiletics class. This class teaches them how to formulate a well-organized sermon. Today, they watched a sermon from Dr. Adrian Rogers, analyzed it, and gave reports on articles they had to read about preaching-related subjects. My soul was fed as I watched this old sermon and listened to these students share. There were students fresh out of high school as well as some in their fifties.

Students attend chapel after the first class. It was a simple service with a song and a more academic message from one of the professors. I still left with much to consider from Titus 1:5-9.

The most surprising thing I enjoyed was English class. The professor is 87 years old. She was teaching these students how to diagram sentences. Half of the students in the room were never taught how to diagram sentences, including my son. The professor told me that the public school system threatened to fire her in the 1980s if she didn’t quit teaching diagramming. She said, “Go ahead and fire me, because I don’t plan to quit teaching this.” They didn’t fire her. I watched these students begin to grasp this concept. Many of the students hugged her as they came in or as they left.

The beauty of this Bible college experience was the unity and family feel I observed. The students and faculty care deeply about each other. It took me back in my mind almost 25 years to the days when I lived on a Bible college campus.

These students display such a love for Christ. I heard testimonies of people delivered from occult backgrounds, drug and alcohol addiction, and many other things. Some attend this school, not because they want a theological degree, but because they want a biblical education within an authentic Christian environment. One young man told me he came to faith in Christ at school.

If I could teach this generation of upcoming pastors and Christian leaders, I would jump at the chance. Many have given up on this generation, but these young people really want to honor the Lord. They are hungry for truth. For a guy who needed a day off to be with his son, this man came home refreshed. Many thanks to the Fruitland faculty and students for ministering to this 42 year old man!