Category: SBTS

Pierce the Darkness: A Charge to the Graduates of Boyce College

May 12, 2017

Dear Boyce College Graduates, This morning you’ll rise with a rush of excitement mixed with a few unnecessary nerves. You’ll mentally rehearse the big event as you dress in your regalia, get your hat and tassel properly arranged, and somehow get over that momentary feeling of silliness that always fades as graduates start feeling like medieval … More Pierce the Darkness: A Charge to the Graduates of Boyce College

The Final Week

April 27, 2017

Today I will give my final lecture as a college professor, symbolizing the end of fifteen years in Christian college ministry. Sometime late in the afternoon, I’ll finish a lecture like I’ve done many times before. But this time will be different. I’ll close my white teaching binder for the last time, corral my personal … More The Final Week

ASKED: How should I decide what to memorize?

March 15, 2017

If you want to begin memorizing Scripture, how should you decide where to start? A student asked this question yesterday in Spiritual Life Dynamics. After some class discussion, here were my three basic recommendations. 1. Scripture you love. Hunger is the best spice. If you want to start memorizing, it may be wise to start … More ASKED: How should I decide what to memorize?

Three Clarifying Questions for the Roadblocked Writer

October 24, 2016

The majesty and mystery of writing are matched only by the misery of the writer’s roadblocks. I’m consistently energized by the magic of writing, but constantly humbled by the inexpressible difficulty of the craft. I recently gathered with a small group of young professors with the goal of pushing each other forward in the writing process. … More Three Clarifying Questions for the Roadblocked Writer

ASKED: Should a younger Christian ever correct an older Christian?

September 1, 2016

ASKED: A New Feature This semester I’m teaching 230 students in four biblical counseling classes at Boyce College, the undergraduate school at Southern Seminary. CN101a: Introduction to Biblical Counseling CN101b: Introduction to Biblical Counseling CN201: Methods of Biblical Counseling CN481: Counseling Skills Development I Depending on time and topic, students ask 10-20 questions per class, and many … More ASKED: Should a younger Christian ever correct an older Christian?

A Blank Page and a Good Father: Welcome to Southern Seminary and Boyce College

August 12, 2016

Welcome to the blank page of your next chapter. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life. Welcome to Southern Seminary and Boyce College. Our campus is abuzz this morning. The graduate students were getting oriented all day yesterday, and hundreds of you new college students and your families are preparing to blitz … More A Blank Page and a Good Father: Welcome to Southern Seminary and Boyce College

Join the Dawn: A Charge to the Graduates of Boyce College

May 13, 2016

Dear Boyce College Graduates, It’s nearly midnight on the eve of your graduation. Your families, friends, and professors will soon awake with excitement as we prepare to watch you flow into Alumni Memorial Chapel in full regalia. You’ll enter to pomp and circumstance, with heads high and smiles broad, before rightfully receiving the sacred symbols of … More Join the Dawn: A Charge to the Graduates of Boyce College

“I Saw My Father in Every Verse”: The Enduring Legacy of Mike Padilla (1954-2016)

May 2, 2016

Michael Simon Padilla (1954-2016) died suddenly last Tuesday, April 26, 2016. I knew of Mike’s Christian kindness from his friendly greetings that radiated across the Southern Seminary campus. I knew of Mike’s strong marriage from a female staff member who’s been mentored by his godly wife. And I knew of Mike’s heroic hospitality from one … More “I Saw My Father in Every Verse”: The Enduring Legacy of Mike Padilla (1954-2016)

The Christian Imagination: Depression, Hope, and a Better Reality (by Jeremy Pierre)

April 29, 2016

Occasionally I share resources I’ve found helpful. These are my personal notes from a session with Dr. Jeremy Pierre at Southern Seminary’s recent Counsel the Word conference. These are not the speaker’s notes, nor are they a manuscript or transcript of the lecture, although I recorded the main points verbatim. Speaker: Dr. Jeremy Pierre | Dean of … More The Christian Imagination: Depression, Hope, and a Better Reality (by Jeremy Pierre)

Passing the Torch: My Last Student Leadership Meeting

April 25, 2016

One hour ago I walked out of my final student leadership meeting after fourteen years of full-time Christian college ministry. It’s late, tomorrow’s a packed day, and I should head straight to bed. But after twenty-eight semesters of a college schedule, what’s one more reflective jaunt into the a.m.? Each year, on a Sunday night … More Passing the Torch: My Last Student Leadership Meeting

The Main Thing: Gospel-Rich Theology and the Students of Boyce College

December 11, 2015

College is supposed to teach you many things, and those many things are all important in their own way. The big ones, of course, are pretty comprehensive, like character, virtue, a mind awake, and a noble work ethic. The next tier is more personalized but still vital: a major, a vocational direction, and a set … More The Main Thing: Gospel-Rich Theology and the Students of Boyce College

Give Me the Scenic Route: Intellectual Curiosity vs. Intellectual Cul-de-Sacs

December 5, 2013

If you want to be a scholar, you have to know your field. The seminal works, the major contributions, the game-changing periods, the ebb and flow of dialogue throughout the decades or centuries or millennia. You have to join the conversation. There’s one potential problem with this (well, more than one, but only one I’m … More Give Me the Scenic Route: Intellectual Curiosity vs. Intellectual Cul-de-Sacs

Teachers of the Future: Advice from Seminary Leader Dan Dumas

December 28, 2012

The landscape of higher education is undergoing a seismic shift. What’s the future of teachers after the shakedown? What will the teachers of the next generation need to look like and prioritize? Dan Dumas, Senior Vice President for Institutional Administration at Southern Seminary, recently shared four observations with a classroom of prospective teachers. Dumas has … More Teachers of the Future: Advice from Seminary Leader Dan Dumas