Brad Atkins, who just completed a year as president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, spoke to Charleston Southern University students Nov. 7 about the truth of Luke 9:25 for their lives.
Brad Atkins speaks at Charleston Southern University chapel on Nov. 7.“What profit is it if you get that degree but you get to the end of your life and miss the most important thing?” said Atkins. He recounted his story of growing up in the church and believing he was accepted by default.
“One night, the Holy Spirit began gripping my heart as I drove by my childhood church,” he said. “God said, ‘You’ve got everybody fooled but me.’ In that moment, I became conscious that I was a sinner in need of a Savior.”
Atkins’ chapel presentation came toward the end of Charleston Southern’s Power of One campaign: 20 days of prayer and sharing. The results: salvations, rededications and requests for prayer.
Jon Davis, campus minister, said, “The 20 days emphasized the power of the gospel; one story, shared with someone, one moment, can change one life. God laid this on Dr. Rick Brewer’s heart. He felt like we needed to have a strong harvest going into Thanksgiving.”
Brewer, vice president for student affairs and athletics, said, “The Lord impressed upon my heart in late September the idea of a season of gospel-centered focus on campus. And it became clear to me early on that this could only effectively happen if all CSU ministry groups grabbed hold of this vision as well. Jon and Tam [Odom] did an incredible job enlisting the support of our various campus ministry leaders, which, in itself, brought about a sense of renewal and reminder of our purpose as followers of Christ and ministry leaders on campus.”
In his work with college students, Davis is striving to bridge the gap between Bible knowledge and heart knowledge. “Where Christianity is today, there is a lot of Bible learning but not a lot of applying,” said Davis. “We want students to apply the heart of Jesus and the mind of Christ, and take the next step in discipleship and go deep.”
Next up for the campus ministries department is hosting a packing party for Operation Christmas Child on Nov. 29. Students plan to pack 1,000 shoeboxes that evening in cooperation with several local churches.