wwwunitybydesignorg Simple Advice from a Christian Professor to Christian Students Dr Brad C Meyer Agenda Take it to the bank Live like a Missourian Play the field Live the tension Bonus Top 7 ways to irritate a professor ID: 441715
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Slide1
tonight’s talk is titled…
www.unitybydesign.orgSlide2
Simple Advice from a Christian Professor to Christian Students
Dr. Brad C MeyerSlide3
Agenda
Take it to the bank
Live like a Missourian
Play the field
Live the tension
Bonus: Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
Double Bonus: A sluggard limerickSlide4
My family
My Famil
ySlide5
Introduction
Some good verses to know about school: Slide6
Beyond this, my son, be warned, the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”
Eccl. 12:12Slide7
“
Now
as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus
.
”
Acts 4:13Slide8
Moses
was “educated in all the learning of the Egyptians
”
Acts 7:22Slide9
Some Biblical men who did go to
school:
Moses
was
“educated in all the learning of the Egyptians”Slide10Slide11Slide12Slide13
Moses
was
“educated in all the learning of the Egyptians”
But
what made Moses great was not his education, but his humility. Slide14
Daniel and his three friends Dan 1:3-5
Then
the king
(of Babylon) ordered
Ashpenaz
, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility
—
young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians
.
The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Slide15
What did this training buy Daniel? Slide16
What did this training buy Daniel?
Daniel
worked hard in studying and
it gave Daniel a place in the King’s service and access to the King himself. Slide17
What did this training buy Daniel?
Daniel
worked hard in studying and
it gave Daniel a place in the King’s service and access to the King himself.
God used that position of Daniel’s to humble Kings, to lead the King to issue an edict that all should tremble before the God of Daniel. Slide18
But also notice, when Daniel interpreted dreams for the king, it was not based on his studying, but on God’s revelation to him. Slide19
But also notice, when Daniel interpreted dreams for the king, it was not based on his studying, but on God’s revelation to him.
Notice Daniel did the academics, but he also cultivated his relationship with God. It wasn’t one or the other, it was both. Slide20
Paul Acts 22:3
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under
Gamaliel
, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today
.”Slide21
What did Paul’s education buy him?Slide22
What did Paul’s education buy him?
God made use of this education when he revealed to Paul his plan for the ages, that was brought about in Christ. Slide23
“Although
I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ
,
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things
.”
Eph
3:8-9 Slide24
1. Take it to the bankSlide25
1. Take it to the bank
not to cash it, but to put it in storage for laterSlide26
Go
to the
ant
, O
sluggard
,
Observe her ways and be wise,
Which
, having
no
chief,
Officer or ruler,
Prepares
her food
in
the summer
And
gathers her provision in the harvest
.
Prov
6:6-8Slide27
Invest during your college years, you will
never have a similar period the rest of your life! Slide28
Invest during your college years, you will
never have a similar period the rest of your life!
pay attention to your studies and learn a field that you can leverage in the future Slide29
Invest during your college years, you will
never have a similar period the rest of your life!
pay attention to your studies and learn a field that you can leverage in the future
learn the Scriptures Slide30
you will never have the same opportunities again!
professors with knowledge and thinking skills they can pass on to youSlide31
you will never have the same opportunities again!
professors with knowledge and thinking skills they can pass on to you
freedom from many of life’s responsibilitiesSlide32
Paul once said,
“Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, for the days are evil.”
Eph
5:15. Slide33
you will never have the same opportunities again!
professors with knowledge and thinking skills they can pass on to you
freedom from many of life’s responsibilities
extensive engagement with others of your age who are still shaping their views about this world, God, and their reason for livingSlide34
2. Live like a MissourianSlide35
2. Live like a MissourianSlide36Slide37
ProfessorsSlide38
What do professors want? Slide39
What do professors want?
they want you to thinkSlide40
What do professors want?
they want you to think
they want you to think criticallySlide41
Critical thinking
professors want you to think critically
identify your assumptions, question them
trace your logical carefully
have a solid reason for what you believeSlide42
Email forward:
The Bible talks about various kinds of giant people in the past, this is evidence of it!! Found in Saudi Arabia.Slide43Slide44Slide45Slide46
Email forward:
The Bible talks about various kinds of giant people in the past, this is evidence of it!! Found in Saudi Arabia.Slide47
Email forward:
The Bible talks about various kinds of giant people in the past, this is evidence of it!! Found in Saudi Arabia
.
www.snopes.comSlide48
Email forward:
The Bible talks about various kinds of giant people in the past, this is evidence of it!! Found in Saudi Arabia.
Reality: the pictures were created as part of an archeological hoax competition. Slide49
W
e
often fail to question things that fit our worldview or that represent evidence that we hope will some day be uncovered.
Professors want you to think carefully about what you hear. Slide50
Critical thinking
professors want you to think critically
identify your assumptions, question them
trace your logical carefully
have a solid reason for what you believe
many believe that Christianity is just one more religion that is based on superstition and
mythSlide51
Critical thinking
professors want you to think critically
identify your assumptions, question them
trace your logical carefully
have a solid reason for what you believe
many believe that Christianity is just one more religion that is based on superstition and myth
but you should also have the opportunity to question naturalism, atheism, evolution.Slide52
Top 7 ways to irritate a professorSlide53
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned
materialSlide54
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phoneSlide55
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phone
5
. have 3 grandmothers die in the same semesterSlide56
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phone
5
. have 3 grandmothers die in the same semester
4. about five minutes
before class ends, start packing up your
booksSlide57
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phone
5
. have 3 grandmothers die in the same semester
4. about five minutes
before class ends, start packing up your
books
3. walk out in the middle of class for a few minutes. Slide58
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phone
5
. have 3 grandmothers die in the same semester
4. about five minutes
before class ends, start packing up your
books
3. walk out in the middle of class for a few minutes.
2. quietly
hold your phone just under the desk and send text messages during class. Slide59
Top 7 ways to irritate a professor
7
. don’t read the assigned material
6. walk
-in late to
class, talking on your phone
5
. have 3 grandmothers die in the same semester
4. about five minutes
before class ends, start packing up your
books
3. walk out in the middle of class for a few minutes.
2. quietly
hold your phone just under the desk and send text messages during class.
1. right
after the professor says something, ask a question that makes it obvious that you did not listen to what was just said. Slide60
Develop a little edge of being skeptical, a propensity to seek out confirming or discrediting evidence
Acts 17:11
Matt 7:15-23Slide61
3. Play the fieldSlide62
3. Play the field
Invest in learning who you are.
I
pray that you will know the hope of His calling
.
Eph
1:17-18
Phil 1:9 I pray that your love may abound in real knowledge and all discernmentSlide63
I
say to each of you not to think more highly of yourself than
he
ought, but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith…we have many members in one body and all do not have the same function
.
Romans
12: 3-5 Slide64
In college I didSlide65
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkeySlide66
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tractsSlide67
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small groupSlide68
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small group
led a small groupSlide69
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small group
led a small group
delivered our group’s newspaper,
Today’s StudentSlide70
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small group
led a small group
delivered our group’s newspaper,
Today’s Student
did some counseling Slide71
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small group
led a small group
delivered our group’s newspaper,
Today’s Student
did some counseling
started
a Creationist student organizationSlide72
In college I did
sharing the gospel cold turkey
writing tracts
played guitar for small group
led a small group
delivered our group’s newspaper,
Today’s Student
did some counseling
started a Creationist student organization
setup chairs, cleaned, served food, prayed…Slide73
It is only by serving that you learn what God made you to be!
In college you have great opportunities to try many things are learn what God made you to do. Slide74
church = “called out ones”
We sometimes think that because our primary calling is as members of God’s called out group, the church, that our
job
becomes occupation instead of vocation.
occupation = something I spend time at
vocation = calling Slide75
classical vocation
law
medicine
ministry
teaching
blacksmith, baker, shoemaker these were not callings. Martin Luther challenged this thought.
Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, as for the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Col 3:23-24Slide76
Also…
Our society desperately needs Christians in media (journalism), law and politics, education, and the sciences. Slide77
Also…
Our society desperately needs Christians in media (journalism), law and politics, education, and the sciences. Christian pharmacists are nice too.Slide78
Also…
Our society desperately needs Christians in media (journalism), law and politics, education, and the sciences. Christian pharmacists are nice too.
These areas are shaping people’s thinking every day. We need Christians in those areas. We can hold Bible studies and have Sunday services and provide 2 or 3 hours of input each week. Education and media offer 10 times that much input each week for most Westerners. Slide79
By the way, who pays for those unrighteous shows that populate our TV screen?
We need Christians in charge of businesses too! Slide80
4. Live the tension
:Slide81
The tension:
College is the best time to learn thinking skills and tools for a professionSlide82
The tension:
College is the best time to learn thinking skills and tools for a profession
College is the best time to reach people for the GospelSlide83
You cannot serve two mastersSlide84
You cannot serve two masters, but you can serve one master who gives you two responsibilities.Slide85
2
Cor
1:8-10
For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength so that we despaired even of life; indeed we had the sentence of death within ourselves, in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but rather in God who raises the dead.. and he will yet deliver us. Slide86
2
Cor
12:15
I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls.
I fell so far short of this, but it was my target.Slide87
My point is this, if you find yourself wrapped up in this tension, and you feel like you are running ragged, don’t give up, and don’t conclude that you must be doing something wrong. Slide88
It would be silly to say, “God, I will run to the ends of the earth for you, but don’t ask me to give up my sleep or a meal for some minor service to a believer here in college…”Slide89
Phil 2:25-30
Epaphroditus
– risked his life, i.e., probably his health, to serve. His love for others caused him to sacrifice. Slide90
Should we be wise?
Should we get enough sleep?
You can say no to some activities and you are not sinning.
But there are times when God will ask you to pour yourself out for others and that is beautiful in his sight! Slide91
Do you want a sure fire principle, that will always provide a simple answer to what you should do in a given circumstance
:
Should you hang out with the group, should you stay home and study, should you put the extra time into the assignment to really make it shine, should you keep it confined so you can spend more time in the word? Slide92
There
ain’t
one! Slide93
There
ain’t
one!
God wants you to wrestle with Him and learn to live in love. Love is not mechanical, it’s alive. Slide94
Review
Take it to the bank
Live like a Missourian
Play the field
Live the tension