Faithful Doubt: Habakkuk, written by pastor Travis Scott, explores the short prophetic book of Habakkuk, in a practical and meaningful way through the lens of a doubter. Travis approaches the passage of scripture from an honest and humble perspective, recalling difficulties experienced as a husband, father, and pastor.
Our perspective of ourselves can impact the beauty and value we see there. This view can end up being very different from how God and others see us. When we look at ourselves, we tend to see all the qualities that we dislike. But we need to adjust our perspective and make sure we are using the lens of Christ.
Handing our cares and worries over to God gives us peace which keeps us from falling into doubt, as stated in Philippians. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
At Easter, a good question to ask is, "How are people saved?" This should be a question that Christians can easily answer, and indeed most can. However, sometimes Christians are less knowledgeable about the doctrine of justification and its important distinctions than perhaps they should be.
Geneva graduates are equipped to serve in many ways, not the least of which is in their own communities and communities where they find themselves. Here are the stories of three alumnae who have found a way to serve in their callings within a community that needs God's servants.
When someone shows us mercy, they are not giving us the punishment that we deserve. Jesus models this action for us in multiple ways. The importance of the exhibition of mercy by Christians is displayed throughout the New Testament, and there are many ways for us to show mercy daily.
In a world that has been impacted by sin, there is always more that can be done to ensure a mindset of good stewardship and redemption. It starts with understanding that God intends to connect man’s physical existence with the environment from which he was brought forth and continues with educating people with sensible information.
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." Yet sometimes, when the world seems to be in crisis all around you, resting in the Lord seems nearly impossible. With worldwide pandemics, civil unrest, and violence on every news headline today, how can you turn your focus to the Lord and find your hope in Him? In the year of COVID, you may find that your stress and anxiety levels are higher than normal. How should you respond?
Find a semblance of balance by planning when and how you will take advantage of your newfound sense of freedom.
On this National Day of Prayer in the United States, we remember our students in their finals week taking exams, finishing papers and closing out the semester at home. We are thankful that God has provided them and entrusted them into our care during their college years. We pray God will uphold us in this task and them in their challenges.
College is more than just a place to continue your education after high school. The time you spend at college will change and shape you in ways you could never imagine.
What are you planning to contribute to World Kindness Day this year? Learn some easy, free, and powerful ways to celebrate and spread positivity.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12
The world teaches us so much about the workmanship and caring nature of our creator. Whether on vacation or “staycation” these wonders can be seen and enjoyed if we just choose to open our eyes and notice them.
Father's Day is this Sunday and provides an opportunity to reflect on the love of our heavenly Father.
There's more to summer than relaxing. Yes get your rest, but take advantage of the opportunity to restore your body and your spirit.
As we approach Easter we must reflect on how we can carry the Resurrection past one Sunday a year.
This is the point of the year where we are looking back longingly at Christmas vacation, feeling that our summer vacations are too far away. Every day is the same old routine; we’re exhausted and bored. But the real question is: what effect does this seasonal slump have on our spiritual lives?
Being in relationship with God is not a solely individualized experience. Part of the call to Christian-living is being in community with other believers. Community is an easy thing to practice in times of joy, but as the lead singer of contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns learned, it can be difficult in times of suffering.
Do you ever feel like the lack of faith in the world is draining? You are not alone.
Every Tuesday night, CCO staff person Caleb Musselman stands in front of 100 Geneva College student-athletes at their weekly fellowship gathering and makes this announcement. His message is intentional, its repetition underlining the priorities of athlete ministry at Geneva College.
The father’s point in this proverb is to urge his son not to listen to wicked words. A wise son will never join evildoers or join liars. Good people must make it clear that they do not welcome wicked words. Sometimes refusing to listen to wicked talk exacts a price.
Like a good engineer, God made everything for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose is easy to figure out. The purpose of other things take careful study and time to figure out. Some things, God tells us, we will never know because His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9), and some of His plans He keeps sealed until the end of time (Revelation 10:4).
Recently, I had an opportunity to go on a short term mission trip to Oglala, South Dakota to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation with a Wesleyan church group and a few Geneva College students. God used us in amazing ways to build lasting relationships and impact in the lives of many beautiful people with the love of Christ.
A family of gentle speech, a church where people speak kindly, an office with such conversation, is like a Garden of Paradise where one would want to live forever. Could there be higher praise than to compare something to a tree of life, which bestows immortality?
I try to be at the top in other areas of life—but I don’t always approach my spiritual life with the same zeal. Ironically, I train significantly harder for the temporal prize than for the lasting one. I prioritize athletics—a meaningless thing in comparison to Christ—the purpose of living.
Nowadays it is easy to get caught up in our many differences. But in reality, we have so much more in common than we think.
When so many in America seem to be choosing sides, we need to remember that the Holy Spirit is unifying, bringing together all men, women and children of faith.
As a college student, you are facing many things including grieving for a wide array of reasons. It is important that you give yourself the permission to take care of yourself.
In the world today, many messages contradict our beliefs. We must take a stance and live unashamed despite what the world shows us.
The holiday is here. After you catch up on sleep and binge watch all the shows you've missed, take an opportunity to serve others this holiday!
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Despite constant future-telling failure, people still want to know the future. The less sober read their daily horoscope or go to fortunetellers. The college educated trust climate scientists and writers of books like Professor Ehrlich’s 1968 book "The Population Bomb." What is the Lord’s advice about such prophets? Ignore them.
Inevitably we all will face conflict in our lives. While it has historically is viewed in a negative light, we see it a tool to not only grow our faith but cultivate fruitful relationships as well.
At some point in life, we all will experience grief in some form. While we are going through we may feel alone, but we must know even through grief our Heavenly Father is a keeper and comforter.
On the cusp of a new academic year here at Geneva College, I'm reflecting about the question: "On what should a Christian college be grounded?"
As a student, there are many things that can distract you. You must make a conscience decision about your faith and how it is cultivated as you continue to grow throughout your collegiate career.
With the busyness of college, it can be difficult to always put God first. However, there are ways in which students who want to grow as a follower of Christ can do so, even at college.
The storms and trials of life can weigh us down. When we do not have our gazed fixed to the one who can sustain us, it often seems unbearable. But today we can take a stand Let It Go and allow God to take control.
The decision of choosing a university can be difficult. What happens when the school of your choice happens to be different from your denominational faith?
If someone really is your hero, really is the person you chase after and really is the person you try to emulate, then what happens if this person makes an awful mistake?
Often times we focus on how we cannot fix things in our lives. We can be weighed down by negative thoughts and actions. With Easter approaching we should focus on how we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can be renewed and freed from the bondage of negativity.
People err when they think wealth is the measure of a man. The question, “How much is he worth (meaning money)?” is way off the mark. A far better measure of a man is integrity: “better is the poor man who walks in his integrity.”
Christian universities offer an exceptional avenue to personal enlightenment and professional success. Here are a few of the most bothersome and undeserved myths about religious education.
Reflection is more than just skimming a morning devotional while you grab breakfast or scanning your Bible before bed. It requires deliberate and thoughtful pondering of the materials that quicken and inspire you, using a method and frequency that motivates you to be your best self.
Who is Jesus? How does He fulfill the Old Testament? He is the Messiah, the Son of David. He is the Lamb of God, who fulfills Israel’s worship by sacrifice. He is the Seed of Abraham in whom all nations of the earth are blessed. He is the Second Adam from whom the human race takes a new beginning.
By being the Son of David and God’s chosen Messiah to suffer for His people, rise to life, and ascend to heaven to rule, Jesus fulfills God’s Covenant with David beyond Israel’s wildest dreams. Let’s look more closely now at how Jesus fulfills God’s Covenant made through Moses.
Wouldn’t you love to hear a tape of Jesus’ talk showing how He fulfilled the Old Testament? I would. But we don’t need such a tape. We have the New Testament! The New Testament is Jesus’ interpretation of the Old Testament. In sum, His interpretation is this: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” (John 5:39)
Whether you've attended the same church your entire life, bounced from church to church with your parents, or never attended church at all, you're in for a big change when you start college. You've chosen a Christ-centered college, but now, it's time to choose a congregation capable of providing a spiritual home while you're away at college. This decision could very well shape your next four years -- and your long-term relationship with God -- so take your time and don't jump hastily into a new congregation. Keep the following factors in mind as you make this important decision.
Everyone, it seems, wants to be rich. Can a Christian be rich and still be a real Christian? After all, Jesus was poor. The Apostles were poor. Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had and give to the poor. Not unreasonably, many people in Cyprus believe that a person cannot be both Christian and rich. So, while nearly all Greeks think of themselves as Christian, they are also afraid of being real Christians, because no one wants to be poor.
Geneva does not do “values,” those expressions of positive-sounding qualities, like “strong work ethic” or “tolerance.” “Values” float untethered, without foundation, certainty, or permanence. Whether held by individuals or groups, “values” reflect mere human preference and assertion, changeable according to current fashion. Instead of “values,” Geneva has God’s eternal Word, which teaches what Christians have long called virtues, qualities of mind and habit that imitate Christ, such as love, joy, peace, and patience.
In our day, people loudly assert novel ideas about sexual identity and gender, often with a show of scholarly wisdom centered in universities, with considerable help from popular entertainment and news media, and more recently from major corporations. United States law made at all levels, both by legislative bodies and courts, and enforced with regulations promulgated by administrative agencies, often supports these novel ideas, while people who continue to assert older ideas about sexual identity are shamed as ignorant and persecuting bigots.
American law has the traditions and resources to recognize Geneva College’s freedom, just as Roman law had the resources to find Jesus and Paul innocent. Will the Supreme Court of the United States respect “the free exercise of religion,” which includes the right not to be forced to do wrong? Will it apply the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act and uphold American freedom?
When you are considering your options for college, one of your primary considerations is likely going to be the cost. When you look at the cost of going to a state school compared to a Christian college, you may wonder if it's really worthwhile to invest in a Christian education. Before you make your decision, consider these benefits of attending a Top 10 Best Value School such as Geneva College.
What should students learn? At one extreme the question provokes heated controversy (Google “Common Core,” “Dead White Men”) and at the other extreme throw-up-the-hands, let-the-students-decide adult abdication. The answer reveals what a college believes most valuable.
Does it sometimes feel like all of the challenging people in the world are getting more and more, well – unpleasant? Perhaps some days feel like one never-ending prayer for patience, tolerance and forgiveness.
Many Geneva College professors, some of its students, and its sponsoring denomination call their theology “Reformed,” a cognate of the word “Reformation.” Some students and professors come to Geneva College quite clear that their theology is “Reformed.” Others have never heard the term before, hear it often, and perhaps wonder what it means. The purpose of today’s column is to explain the word “Reformed” to both groups.
Geneva College is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA). The national Synod of the RPCNA elects the Corporation of 12 members that controls the Charter that is the college’s legal basis for existence, writes the College Bylaws, and elects the Trustees. The Trustees elect the President, who with the Trustees operates Geneva College.
If the word of God is foundational to your life, then chances are really good that a wonderful pastor nurtures that thirst for scripture and points you to Biblical truths. There's absolutely no greater gift than being taught God's amazing lessons, and there's no better time to thank your pastor than this October, which has been designated as Pastor Appreciation Month.