Student Symposium

Are We Missing the Point behind “Jesus is King”?

Jackson Hirsch
Upon Kanye West’s newest album release, some Christian groups developed radical polarizing perspectives. Half of the church seemed to welcome Kanye with open arms, while the other fundamental half completely rejected him. The conversation has become almost entirely hinged on the discussion of whether to accept Kanye’s story of salvation, or not. In today’s post, Jackson Hirch, student at Southeastern University, informs the ongoing dialogue surrounding Kanye West’s latest album, Jesus is King, and suggests a new perspective for the church to consider. ... Read More...
6 min read

Illumination by Translation

Luke Marchesani
Language identifies common ground by allowing us to communicate with one another succinctly and with a standard. Many times we discover portions of reality that have yet to be created in modern language. This week, Luke Marchesani, a graduate student at Southeastern University, engages with creativity, as defined biblically, while providing a methodology for Christ-followers to embody as they interpret Scripture. ... Read More...
7 min read

Cultivating Divine Interaction in Christian Craft

Asia Lerner
As the Church, we understand that vocational ministry is not the only outreach method that facilitates Gospel distribution to those in need of hearing it. Another effective outreach system contextualizes the Good News for a culture through media. In this week’s student feature, Asia Lerner, senior Biblical studies major at Southeastern University, discusses her research intertwining the Divine with modern artistry and cultural engagement. ... Read More...
4 min read

A Gen Z-er’s Perspective on Privacy

Esther Shemeth
Generation Z has grown up with technology as an integral part of their personal growth. Recent conversations on privacy in the digital age have caused many to question the nature of their relationship to technology. Join us as we hear from one Gen Z-er about their perspective on the types of private information we share online and how we should reframe our understanding if we want to develop real intimacy in our relationships as Christians.... Read More...
4 min read

Stephen Hawking and Billy Graham’s Unlikely Legacy

Jordan Reed
Within the past two months, two preeminent figures of the 20th century passed away: Billy Graham and Stephen Hawking. The two may have represented very different camps, but within their respective worlds they occupied remarkably similar positions. As such, perhaps they leave us with a similar legacy which calls us to something greater than perpetuating the Christian/Atheist divide.... Read More...
4 min read

The Idol of Autonomy

Taylor Bertran
In 21st century America, we as Christians want to customize what our walk with Jesus looks like. With user-friendly technology at the tip of our fingers we change the filters on our photos, change our layouts to what’s trending, and even attempt to create a relationship with Jesus that fits our aesthetic. How do we follow the call of bowing to the lordship of Christ if we are primed to do, and be, whatever feels right to us?... Read More...
3 min read

Grief in the Garden of Our Hearts

Lily Garay
Grief is something no one truly wants to experience but that we all must go through at some point in our lives. Unfortunately, we often ignore our grief and fail to process the reality of the situation in a constructive way. Instead of ignoring it, however, what if we were to engage our grief in ways that reflected how Jesus processed it himself. For Lily, this meant allowing God to provide healing through her art.... Read More...
3 min read

Bridging the Cultural Gap

Alivia Moore
Cross-cultural engagement is never an easy task, especially when it comes to evangelizing. The unfamiliarity of the societal norms of different cultures often causes us to want to force our own worldviews onto those we are engaging with. Such a mindset may have shaped Western Society as it now stands, but perhaps there is another, more effective way to view cross-cultural dynamics, even those that exist within our own society. ... Read More...
4 min read

Cursing Christians

Christopher Zaskey
Christians have long stigmatized cursing. Often times we are so quick to dismiss what a person has to say because they employ language indicative of the 'world'. But what if the problem isn't as black and white as it is often made out to be. Perhaps there is more to language than just the words we do or do not speak. Perhaps there is something else that determines whether or not what we say honors God.... Read More...
5 min read

Are You Not Entertained?

Jordan Reed
Since antiquity, human beings have been entertained by and seemingly infatuated with violence. For the Ancient Greeks and Romans this hunger would have been satiated by gladiator fights and tragic plays. Today, these forms of entertainment have been replaced by professional sports and violent films. While the modern equivalents are not perfect translations of these ancient activities, the parallels between them cannot be denied. How then should Christians respond to different representations of violence in all forms of entertainment? What duty do we have as Christ-followers in response to violent entertainment?... Read More...
5 min read

The Millennial Need for Mentorship

Matt Geeslin
Guidance, knowledge, and wisdom as ongoing processes are critical elements within the dynamics of mentoring and discipling. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus models a deeply personal style of leadership by investing into the lives of his disciples through empowerment and wise counsel. Similarly, how is the Church today to follow and continue this practice of mentoring and discipleship?... Read More...
5 min read

The Honest Side of Ministry

Tyler Gay
Let's face it. Social media is the language of our generation. Within the last decade, technological advancements have exploded to provide us all with the capacity to present the highlights of our lives, and access to the highlights of other people’s lives. The selective information we take in deeply affects the way we perceive not only ourselves and other people, but especially our perceptions of ministry. How can we maintain a healthy understanding of ministry in light of its glorified presentation in social media today?... Read More...
6 min read

A Baptist Among Pentecostals

Michael McCain
There can be a lot of disagreement between church denominations and groups about doctrine. Often, though, we never truly engage with people who hold differing views, we only look at how their views are different. Here is one Baptist student's story about studying at a Pentecostal university.... Read More...
4 min read

The Christian Caucus

Stetson Glass
As Christians seeking to tether our convictions to every aspect of our lives, it becomes increasingly difficult to navigate the political arena and hold on to such convictions. To where should we look in order to gain insight during this political season?... Read More...
4 min read

The Bigger Church

Katherine Swygard
Nearly every week children in our churches are reminded that they are not a part of “big” church. Children are more than just little people to be taught about Jesus, but are valuable ministers in the Kingdom of Heaven. How do we as the church stop seeing children as a hinderance to ministry and more a part of the ministry?... Read More...
4 min read