Chapel Show Notes

In College, You Might Be Searching for Purpose, but Be Careful … Your Purpose Might Not Be What…

In College, You Might Be Searching for Purpose, but Be Careful … Your Purpose Might Not Be What You Think It Is

It’s been said that the “purpose” of life is to discover your gift, and every year, students enroll in college in search of this “gift.” Typically, students view this gift in terms of a dream job or a specialized skill or the pursuit of a lifelong passion. Like every college student, ORU students come to campus in search of something greater, and they do it in an environment that fosters both intellectual and spiritual growth. But in searching for their “gift,” ORU students don’t have to search for a “purpose” … because they find their purpose in serving and loving God.

In his ORU Chapel message, “The Problem with Purpose,” Jesse Wagner talks about the desire for purpose and how it can become misdirected because of self-focus and the demand for personal significance. He calls this misdirection a “problem” but offers a solution, one that reminds us of our main purpose … to honor and worship God with our lives.

Key Takeaways

Too Much about Ourselves, Too Little about God

· Your desire for significance may not be wrong, but it could be misdirected. It can be misdirected when your longing for significance is self-focused.

· The problem with purpose is we can make purpose too much about ourselves and too little about God. We all have a tendency to make purpose and calling about ourselves. That tendency is inside of all of us.

· “As you look through the Bible, anytime that it talks about purpose or calling, you will start to realize it’s not your purpose. It’s God’s purpose. The Bible isn’t about us. Our life isn’t just about us. The purpose of our life isn’t about us. It’s about God, and this truth is echoed all throughout Scripture. You and I weren’t meant for glory. We weren’t meant to receive praise. That’s God’s right.” — Jesse Wagner

· “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16

· Often, we don’t set out to be self-consumed and self-focused, but it can easily happen. It’s a slippery slope because it’s easy to get it backwards. Your purpose involves you and God, but it’s not for you. It’s for God.

Honoring God with Your Life

· Your purpose is simple: it’s to honor and worship God with your life.

· “Maybe you’ve spent so much time obsessing about and being completely dialed into what is the specific thing that God has called you to do that you’ve missed the clearly laid out things in God’s Word. You don’t have to over complicate it. Many people obsess over the concealed will of God and miss the revealed will of God that’s perfectly laid out in Scripture. And that purpose is not about you.” — Jesse Wagner

· Everyone can honor God with their lives. It’s a target every person can hit. It’s not dependent on your circumstances. It’s not dependent on who you are, the season you’re in, or what you do.

The Question to Ask Yourself

· Your purpose is less about what you do and more about who you are. Most people are too focused on what they’re going to do rather than on who they’re going to become.

· For people who are full of purpose, full of potential, full of calling, full of vision, and full of faith, the question isn’t ‘Are you going to do incredible things with your life?’ The question isn’t about achieving your goals. The question isn’t about being rich and successful or about getting your dream job. The question is ‘Can you do all of that and be the person God has called you to be?’”

· “Can you lead others to Jesus? Can your life bring glory and honor to Him. Because you’re not just a future nurse, teacher, educator, athlete, pastor, or businessperson. You’re a child of God, created to worship and honor Him with your life.” — Jesse Wagner

Watch the full Chapel — “The Problem with Purpose” — from Jesse Wagner, and choose from over 250 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

An ORU education is a GLOBAL education!!!

U.S. News ranked ORU https://oru.edu/ “One of the Best Value Universities,” and the Wall Street Journal (2024) ranked ORU a Top 10 university for “Student Experience,” making it one of the best colleges in the U.S. to have “a great experience while attending.” Our mission is to engage with students and to develop whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And our goal — with more than 5,000 students representing well over 140 nations — is to provide our student body with a growing, multicultural, global community (for 2024, Niche ranked ORU one of the Top 25 “Most Diverse Colleges in America” and Oklahoma’s #1 university for diversity). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Learn more.

Frozen in Your Faith? The Steps College Students Must Take to Move Forward

Introduction

For a college student, it can be difficult to move forward in one’s faith. After all, most college campuses put faith on the fringes, not at the center. At ORU, faith is central to everything we do; it’s foundational to both our students and our university. With faith as the foundation, ORU students move forward, listening to God and acting on behalf of His kingdom.

But what if you’re a college student who can’t move forward? What if you’re frozen in place?

In his ORU Chapel message, “Next Up,” Terry Parkman speaks to the immobile believer, to the Christian who’s unwilling to embrace God’s new thing. If you’re a college student and you’re frozen in your faith, Terry urges you to ask God for what He has coming to you, to fully take on the calling that God’s laying before you, and to step out in faith.

Key Takeaways

Take Hold of What’s in Front of You

· “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” — Isaiah 43:19

· “When it comes to God doing a new thing in our life, sometimes we make the mistake of looking at our best yesterday, giving it an upgrade, and calling that the ‘new thing.’ Your ‘new thing’ means a new thing. It means you can’t compare it to others because others have never been where you’re about to go.” — Terry Parkman

· Take hold of what God has in front of you. Don’t ask for permission from man to do the thing that God has given you a conviction to do. You don’t need confirmation. Confirmation is what you do when you don’t believe what a holy God has said. You don’t need confirmation. You need conviction.

· Anytime your faith becomes more cultural than scriptural, idolatry follows. A cultural Christian is somebody who’s not biblically literate, who’s not discipled, and who’s not culturally discerning.

· Say something culturally triggering, and a biblical Christian redeems it; they filter it through the word of God. But a cultural Christian, instead of filtering culture through the word of God, filters the word of God through culture, and whatever culture doesn’t agree with, they throw away.

Your Faith Requires Action

· When you’re in the presence of God, He is asking you a transformative question: “What do you want Me to do for you?” Does your answer bring more convenience into your life? Or does your answer require you to take steps of faith?

· “Stop comparing leaders, stop comparing students, stop comparing! Why? Because you were not created in the image of other people. You were not created in the image of an influencer or a celebrity. You were not created in the image of a worship team or a church-famous person on a platform. You were created in the image of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords so stop comparing today because others have never been where God is about to take you.” — Terry Parkman

· Many ask God for less than what He’s offering. You might think it’s prideful to ask for more, but it’s just as prideful to ask for less, to play fake humble before God knowing God has called you for more.

· What happens when everything you’ve ever asked for and prayed for is in front of you? Accepting it can change your identity, your behavior, how people view you, and how you live your life. Many are afraid because they know they can’t go back to being who they were. Do not be afraid to take hold of what God gives. Forget the consequences; God wants to use you.

· “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” — James 2:17

· “I know a lot of pastors and a lot of leaders who love the title, who love the office, who love the platform, but there is no power behind it. … Don’t be satisfied with a title, with an office, or with a position. Power doesn’t need a position. Anointing doesn’t need to be announced. Influence doesn’t need a platform.” — Terry Parkman

Fully Step into What God Has for You

· You will never fully step into what God has for you until you ask for the things God has promised you, take hold of the anointing He’s laid out before you, and step out in faith. When you are faithful to God, when you ask for what’s coming to you, when you step out in faith, God will let the miracles in your life far exceed your time on this Earth.

· If God is moving, active, and dynamic and the Holy Spirit is moving in our life, there’s always forward momentum. We’re always at a place where we have to ask for what God has coming to us, fully take on the calling that He’s laying before us, or step out in faith.

· “Your faith has nothing to do with just you but with everybody else that comes after you because of your obedience.” — Terry Parkman

Watch the full Chapel — “Next Up” — from Terry Parkman, and choose from over 250 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Graduate with bold vision!!!

Ranked as one of the Top 25 “Most Diverse Colleges in America” and Oklahoma’s #1 university for diversity (Niche 2024), ORU https://oru.edu/ is a multicultural, global campus with more than 5,000 students representing well over 140 nations. And as a Top 10 university for “Student Experience” (Wall Street Journal 2024), ORU has been recognized as one of the best colleges in the U.S. to have “a great experience while attending.” If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Learn more.

Struggling in College? The Remedy: Change Your Mind

Introduction

Your move from high school to college is a big change. It’s a move that changes your community, your self-reliance, and your capacity to grow. And with these changes, there can be certain struggles … struggles that throw you off your path and jeopardize your values.

So how do you overcome these struggles in college?

At ORU, we find strength in a faith-based community and direction in the power of prayer. As with any college campus, there can be struggles, but we respond with spiritual growth and maturity. Part of this maturity comes from a change of heart. But as Steve Robinson makes clear in his Chapel message “Saved but Struggling,” part of this maturity — i.e., the capacity to be transformed — comes from a change of mind.

Key Takeaways

Change Your Heart, Change Your Mind

When you give your heart to Christ, you change. You’re born again, and your heart changes. But guess what doesn’t change … your head. The Christian life is a life of progression and growth where your heart transforms the moment you come to Christ. But the problem often isn’t in your heart; the problem is in your head.

“If you don’t like where your life is today, if you don’t like what you have today, if you don’t like the direction you’re going today, you have to learn to renew your mind.” — Steve Robinson

You Are What You Think

Proverbs 23:7 says “For as a person thinks within themselves, so they are.” Literally, we become what we think.

The feelings you feel today are based upon the thoughts you allow into your mind. Your feelings are a response to your thoughts. So what you think about determines what you feel about. What you think and feel determines the choices you make. Ultimately, your makeup and character are the result of what you thought.

“You need to enter into passionately the process of renewing your mind. Your mind still needs to be transformed. ‘Do not be conformed of the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ [Romans 12:2]. Paul is writing to people who love God, who have been transformed in their hearts, but who are still struggling in their souls. They still have the thoughts from their past.” — Steve Robinson

The Keys to a Renewed Mind

The first key to renewing your mind: surrender your total life to God. Daily worship is 24/7. You have to present yourself daily before God.

Consider the difference between a dead sacrifice and a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice can get off the altar and say “I’m not doing this anymore.” Because on the sacrificial altar, it gets hot. If you want your soul to experience substantial change, you have to stay on the altar.

The second key to renewing your mind: transform your thinking. Transformed thinking begins when you’re totally committed to the process. The world around you is a pattern, but don’t be pressed into the mold of the value systems, the mindsets, the philosophies, and the ideologies of the world. The world says “You are what you feel.” God’s Word says “You are what I say.”

“Paul says don’t allow your life to be poured into the mold that the world has built for you … how you view relationships … how you view your future … how you view your presence. Don’t be conformed but be transformed. Paul is inviting us into a dynamic lifelong process.” — Steve Robinson

You’ve got to take responsibility for your thoughts. You have authority in God to control your thoughts. You must reject carnal thoughts that come into your mind. You can capture every thought. You don’t have to receive the trash from the world.

The third key to renewing your mind: rewrite the script. How many times do we live out a script that was given to us by someone other than God? From a parent, maybe you received a script that was not God’s word over your life. Maybe you received something painful from a boyfriend, a girlfriend, or a coach … somebody who didn’t know God. Once you feel these lies, they feel so true. Hell wants to give you a script, but God has a better script.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do all that is written in it. For then you’ll make your way prosperous, and then you’ll have good success” — Joshua 1:8

“The way that you rewrite the script is you take God’s Word with your mouth, and you begin to declare what God says over your life. Biblical meditation is never just thinking; it’s thinking and speaking. How did Jesus defeat the devil? He didn’t just outthink him; He outspoke him.” — Steve Robinson

Watch the full Chapel — “Saved but Struggling” — from Steven Robinson, and choose from nearly 250 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

A degree with integrity … you’ll find it here!!!

Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed ranked ORU a Top 10 university for Engagement. ORU’s mission is to engage with students and to develop whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And as a Top 50 “Most Diverse College in America” and Oklahoma’s #1 university for diversity (Niche 2023), we offer one of America’s most diverse college settings with a multicultural, global campus of more than 4,500 students representing well over 120 nations. If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Learn more.

You’ve Got a Plan after College, but What if God Has His Own Plan for You?

Introduction

If you’re a college student, you might have a perfect plan for after graduation, one that leads you to a big company in a big city making a big paycheck. But what if your plan isn’t God’s plan? What if the plan you need — the thing that will satisfy you — is not of this world?

At ORU, we believe in big plans and bold visions, but when we act, we act with the power of prayer and the power of faith. That’s how our students live … as Spirit-empowered people who welcome God into their plans. In his Chapel message “Revival,” Nick Hall reminds us that God’s plan for you — His better plan — doesn’t need the world’s approval, doesn’t leave room for judgment, and doesn’t need you to be in a hurry.

Key Takeaways

Your Plan, Your Idol

· God is looking for people who are hungry … for people who are willing to admit “Hey, we’re not perfect.”

· “Nothing compares to the glory of God. We can waste our whole lives living for the approval of this world. There’s not a job that will satisfy you. There’s not a boy or girl who will satisfy you. There’s not a bank account balance that will satisfy you. No drugs or alcohol will satisfy you. No big church will satisfy you. No big ministry will satisfy you. Until we are satisfied by Jesus, we will never be satisfied.” — Nick Hall

· God can do anything through anyone, and He can use anyone from anywhere. God is not a respecter of status or persons or titles. If you are willing, God can use you.

· “You will never regret what you give up for God. You will always regret what you withhold.” — Nick Hall

· Having a great plan isn’t always what God wants. If you put your great plan ahead of God, that plan becomes an idol. The number one obstacle to God’s Spirit being poured out is our sin and our plans. God is looking for where we are willing to make space and get out of the way.

The Economy of God

· “In the economy of God, He has room for both ends of the spectrum. If you are easy to believe and some call you ‘gullible,’ God welcomes you. And if you are a cynic and a skeptic and a person of reason who wants data and science, God has space for you. We need people who doubt and question. Why? Because it’s going to take someone like you to reach someone like you.” — Nick Hall

· “God is wanting to deliver us from judging what we don’t understand. When, by the grace of God through the power of the Spirit, you’re able to say ‘God, they are only judging because they don’t understand,’ what you’re doing is you’re taking the bullets out of Satan’s gun before he can shoot you. God is wanting an un-offendable spirit in His bride because we need each other, we’re never going to understand each other, and we’re not like each other. That’s a good thing because it takes all of us to reach all of us” — Nick Hall

Not So Fast

· “As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” — Luke 10:38–42

· How easily we are distracted … distracted by pressure, distracted by social media, distracted by lust and sin and shame and condemnation.

· God’s not in a hurry. Western culture and American culture want to say it’s only real if you do something with it right away. A word from the Lord has to be posted on TikTok. Something heard from God has to go up on Instagram. People will say it’s only real if you go and share your faith right away, but sometimes, God has something just for you.

· Repentance and confession should be normal Christian life. Many people are stuck in a sin, and nobody knows it. When you bring it into the light, when you confess it one to another, not only does God heal you, He heals others through your testimony.

Watch the full Chapel — “Revival” — from Nick Hall, and choose from nearly 250 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

An ORU education is a Global education!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 5,000 students representing well over 125 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 50 most diverse universities in America (Niche 2023)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

A College Life Without a Faith Life? Stop Making Excuses

Introduction

When you choose to go to college, you might choose the excuses that come with it. “Too tired” … that excuse will help you skip class. “Too hard” … that excuse will help you fail an exam. “Too much work” … that excuse will leave you without a diploma. Or maybe it’s your faith that will fall victim to excuses; maybe college will be the excuse you need to abandon Jesus. At ORU, we don’t make excuses for our commitment to faith. Faith is foundational in everything we do; it’s central to the spiritual growth that occurs on our campus. But spiritual growth can still be undone by excuses, and in his Chapel message “No More Excuses,” ORU President William M. Wilson talks about the excuses people regularly use to maintain their distance from God.

Key Takeaways

Making Excuses, Missing Out

· Benjamin Franklin said “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

· Excuses have been around a long time. They started in the Garden of Eden. The man’s excuse was “The woman made me do it.” The woman’s excuse was “The devil made me do it.” Excuses are an ancient practice by which we deflect blame and avoid responsibility.

· “As they were walking along the road, a man said to Him [Jesus], ‘I will follow You wherever You go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow Me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow You, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” — Luke 9:57–62

· “When Jesus invites us to follow Him, He’s inviting us to two things: first, a deliberate death, and second, a dynamic life. Following Jesus starts at the cross, and a relationship with Jesus involves the cross for the rest of your life. If you’re going to follow Jesus, it is a deliberate dying to yourself. You can’t go your way and Jesus’ way at the same time.” — Dr. William M. Wilson

· When we give excuses, we miss what God has for us. God wants people in fellowship with Him through all of time, and no excuse stands up when it comes to following Jesus.

What’s Your Excuse?

· Many people say that following Jesus is not comfortable. It’s outside their comfort zone. It’s too hard. If you follow Jesus, He will move you out of your comfort zone. Growing is painful, and the journey with Jesus is a lifetime of growth. Yes, Jesus will put you in uncomfortable situations, but the promise is He will be with you in those situations.

· Another excuse people give for not following Jesus is “It’s just not the right time.” But when will be the right time for you to follow Jesus?

· “Our salvation is never meant to be contingent upon when it is convenient for us. When God speaks to you, when you’re in His presence, when you have an opportunity to follow Him, to say yes to Him, that is the time to do so.” — Dr. William M. Wilson

· In failing to follow Jesus, some give the excuse that “I’m still attached to something in my past.” People say, “Something in my past happened, and that’s why I’m not following Jesus fully.”

· “You will never get to your future in God while you are holding on to your past.” — Dr. William M. Wilson

· “People choose not to follow Jesus because they prefer their lifestyle over the lifestyle Jesus exemplifies.” — Mark Thogmartin

· “For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities — His eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” — Romans 1:20

· God never excuses sin. God is willing to forgive your sin, but He doesn’t excuse your sin no matter what you’ve gone through. You’re without excuse before God, but you’re forgiven because of Jesus.

Watch the full Chapel — “No More Excuses” — from ORU President William M. Wilson, and choose from nearly 250 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 5,000 students representing well over 125 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 50 most diverse universities in America (Niche 2023)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

To Strengthen Your Faith While in College, Stay Rooted

INTRODUCTION

When you leave for college, you pull up your roots, which can be healthy because it gives you a chance to explore and grow in a new environment. Being uprooted offers personal freedom, but while it can be good, it can also lead to a spiritual uprooting, one that wilts your faith and your closeness to God. At ORU, our campus was created to keep college students rooted in their faith as they stretch themselves personally and intellectually. But staying rooted spiritually takes work, and Allie Mendoza — ORU’s Associate Director of Spiritual Life — urges you to be intentional in growing your roots. In her Chapel message “Roots,” Allie explains how to stay anchored spiritually and grow deep when the world tries to blow you over.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Strengthening Your Roots

· The Lord is calling us to check our root systems. Pause and reflect on the areas of your life where you need to become more like Jesus.

· Some people have a root system like a fallen tree. It isn’t as strong as it needs to be. It won’t keep them rooted in Jesus.

· “The Lord has an invitation for us to be reset and to be refreshed and to be re-rooted in Him.” — Allie Mendoza

· “And he will be like a tree firmly planted and fed by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season; its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers and comes to maturity.” — Psalm 1:3

The Roots of Eating Well

· What are you feeding your mind and your heart? We sometimes have unrealistic expectations of what we take into our lives in conjunction with what we expect to come out. What you’re taking into our mind may not be what you want to exemplify in your life. It may create comparison and isolation and discontentment.

· “We need to recognize that just because something isn’t inherently evil doesn’t mean it’s good for us. As believers who are trying to become more like Jesus, even if something isn’t inherently bad doesn’t mean it’s intrinsically good. We need to recognize what is unhealthy, what’s neutral, what’s beneficial, and what season of life we are in.” — Allie Mendoza

· “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” — Philippians 4:8–9

· You don’t become the person God is calling you to be by coincidence. You must fill your mind with the truth. You must be intentional and disciplined. You must be rooted in the right source. Cultivating your spiritual life is a choice. It’s a choice you get to make every day. So be discerning about what you’re feeding yourself.

The Roots of Longevity

· If you want longevity in your faith, then everything else — no matter how good or how great — has to come after Jesus. To cultivate longevity, you need to think offensively … what are the potential obstacles that might keep you from running the marathon of faith?

· Beware of burnout. Oftentimes, the titles we love the most are the ones that cause us the deepest burnout. That’s because we often love the purpose and importance a title gives us more than the person it’s making us to be. Burnout happens when you’re more preoccupied with doing good activities for Jesus instead of abiding with Jesus. If your root system is rooted in activity, then it’s always going to crumble when there’s adversity.

· “Answer honestly: what do you turn to when you’re feeling burned out? If it’s not Jesus, then what in your life is coming before Him? As maturing believers, Jesus gets to be our first answer not our last resort.” — Allie Mendoza

· “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” — Romans 12:11–12

The Roots of Long-Suffering

· How do you respond when you experience pain? Does suffering cause your roots to become dry and withered? Or does it cause them to dig deeper into the soil?

· Suffering acts like a rope. It ties itself around us, but if we let Jesus have the other end, He can pull us to Him. But if you try to save yourself or give the rope to someone other than Jesus, it typically chokes the life out of you.

· “Jesus’ suffering didn’t drive Him away from the Father. If anything, the prospect of the cross drove Him closer. It drove Him to prayer. It drove Him to rely on God fully. Even when we don’t understand the why, our pain can have purpose when it points us to Jesus.” — Allie Mendoza

Watch the full Chapel — “Roots” — from Allie Mendoza, and choose from nearly 200 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 5,000 students representing well over 125 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 50 most diverse universities in America (Niche 2023)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

If You’re Seeking Big Things in College, You Need More than Small Prayers

INTRODUCTION

As a college student, maybe you pray. Maybe you pray for a passing grade or a snow day or a win against your rival team. If these are your prayers, have you ever asked yourself “Am I praying too small? Should I be praying bigger?” The Bible tells us to come to God boldly, but there’s nothing bold in asking God to cure your headache or cancel a class. At ORU, we train our students to have bold vision, and in our Spirit-empowered community, prayer — big, world-changing prayer — is what we believe in. Joe Dobbins, in his Chapel message “The Dichotomy of a Dream”, challenges us to pray God-sized prayers. He says that we often pray for the bare minimum, and because of this, our prayers are too small to change the world.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Habit of Praying Too Small

· We struggle to pray to the size of God’s capabilities. Consider what you’ve prayed for this week and imagine if God said “yes.” What would your life look like? Some would’ve cured their headache. Some would’ve made it home safely. Some would’ve passed an exam, received a promotion, or won the lottery. If God answered every prayer you prayed this week, would the people around you even notice? If you can’t answer that with a resounding “yes,” then you’re praying too small. You can’t change the world praying small prayers.

· “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’ The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’ Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’” — Matthew 20:30–32

· To function better in our dysfunction … this is what we often pray for. We ask God to help us get through the week. Or to make it through the semester. Or to fix our headache. “God,” we pray, “will You help me function better in my dysfunction.”

· It’s human nature to come to Jesus and find ourselves asking Him for the bare minimum.

· “Our prayers more than our statements reveal our theology. If you don’t pray, it has to be because you don’t believe God hears. If you only pray selfish prayers, it has to be because you believe Jesus is not only a personal savior but also a personal servant. If you don’t pray big prayers, it has to be because you think God has some limits that box Him in.” — Joe Dobbins

· We have the ambition to change the world, but we’re not going to do it alone. We have to pray God-sized prayers.

· Don’t settle for anything less than what the Bible says you can have. If it says you can have full restoration, then you ask for full restoration. If it says you can walk in healing, then you keep asking till you see healing. If it says supernatural provision will come to you, then you keep asking because God is able to do it.

· The Bible tells us that when we come to God, we should come boldly. God’s not just looking at what we ask, He’s also looking at our attitude when we come to Him.

· What if our prayers bore God? What if He hears our prayers and thinks “There’s so much more I want to do.”?

· “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.’” — Psalm 2:7–8

· “Stop praying so small when your God wants to do so big in your life.” — Joe Dobbins

Your First Steps Toward Big Prayers

· When you pray, pray that God will increase your vision. You’ll never ask for more until you can see more. For many of us, it’s not our thinking that’s the problem. It’s our imagination. Our imagination has become our limitation. We seek less than what God has to offer simply because we can’t see things at His level. There is nothing impossible to God. If we can picture it, He can complete it. If we can dream it, He can do it. We simply have to ask.

· When you pray, pray that God will decrease your doubt. Often, we don’t ask great things because deep down in our hearts, we struggle with doubt. God doesn’t answer every prayer, but if your faith is strong enough to ask, it’s also strong enough to get a “no.” We’re called “believers,” but many of us want a faith that requires no faith.

· When you pray, ask God to do the supernatural. With the supernatural, we sometimes seek a type of miracle, and then we want confirmation like it was an Amazon order. But God tells you how He does the supernatural. He says it “springs forth.” A moment may not feel supernatural, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t about to spring forth the supernatural. Your season may not feel supernatural right now, but that doesn’t mean it’s not about to come. That’s why we ask. That’s why we plead. That’s why we say “God I’m still here.” Because at any moment, there’s going to be something spring forth. God is going to respond because you’re His.

Watch the full Chapel — “The Dichotomy of a Dream” — from Joe Dobbins, and choose from nearly 200 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 5,000 students representing well over 125 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 50 most diverse universities in America (Niche 2023)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

While You’re in College, Don’t Let Culture Consume You

INTRODUCTION

College has its own culture. It’s a culture connected to young people who find commonality in a university’s customs, social institutions, and achievements. And while culture is important in college, it shouldn’t undermine your faith; it shouldn’t erode your connection to God. At ORU, our culture is about learning and community, but it’s also about personal growth and personal faith in a Spirit-empowered environment. ORU graduates go out into the world and change culture — like a thermostat; they don’t let culture change them — like a thermometer. In his Chapel message “Built in Babylon”, Eli Bonilla Jr. cautions against thermometer Christianity and urges you to scrap your blueprints, ignore the labels, and have faith to endure the impossible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

And Even if God Doesn’t ….

· God is able to save and do immeasurably more than you can think and imagine, but what about the moments when God doesn’t?

· “There’s a generation that’s rising up that says, ‘I don’t care about the consequences of following Christ. I will be able to do it because I know He’s given me the grace of a faith that says “And even if he doesn’t.”’” — Eli Bonilla Jr.

· You were born in a broken world that bends toward opposing God. But you were placed here not with a spirit of fear for where you were placed but with a power that was placed on the inside of you.

· The Kingdom of God is for all those who are willing to say “We want to establish something more than just another institution or another building or another tradition in the earth. We want something eternal.”

· A thermometer is designed so that whenever it comes into contact with something, it adjusts to the thing it comes into contact with. The church has come into contact with culture and instead of changing culture, culture has changed the church. God is flipping the design of a generation that says, “We’re not going to be thermometers, we’re going to be thermostats. Wherever we go, we change the temperature of culture; wherever we’re inserted, we’re the ones that make the difference.”

Having Faith to Face the Impossible.

· Stop asking God to do what you want Him to do. Oftentimes, God is saying “Wrong question. I understand what you’re trying to say, but I’m doing something more profound and deeper inside of you.”

· Culture does not have a structure big enough or robust enough to give every single person the justice they deserve. But Jesus says “I’m a carpenter. I’ve built a table big enough. I’ve built a family big enough for all of you to come.”

· There are two types of labels that have been put on a generation. One label is the label that we put on ourselves. The second type of label is the label that culture puts on you according to what culture believes about you either superficially or just at a moment in your life. It’s not your job to fight the labels other people place on you. If they didn’t design you, they can’t define you.

· “When I say ‘You’re built different,’ I’m not talking about being built different because of your skin color. You’re not built different because of your background. You’re not built different because of your educational status. As a matter of fact, it has less to do with what you’re born with and more to do with what you’re born again with.” — Eli Bonilla Jr.

· The God that knows the future has us in His hands. So whatever He decides to do, we trust Him enough to say “Either this, or either that.” Faith doesn’t make things easy. It makes things possible. God is bringing us into a place where we say, “God, I don’t want what’s easy. I want to face the impossible and watch you do a miracle.”

· “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:11–13

· It is not easy to be hungry and love God, but it’s possible. It’s not easy to be persecuted for your Christianity and remain faithful, but it’s possible.

· “I don’t want the faith that says save me from the persecution. I want the faith that gives me the passion to endure no matter the cost.” — Eli Bonilla Jr.

Watch the full Chapel — “Built in Babylon” — from Eli Bonilla Jr., and choose from nearly 200 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 4,000 students representing well over 100 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 100 most diverse universities in America (Stacker/MSN)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

The Key to Growth: You Have to Embrace the Weight

INTRODUCTION

In college, it’s easy to expect growth from the everyday responsibilities of studying and learning. There’s definitely growth in these college activities, but if you’re avoiding things that will stretch you, then your growth is greatly limited. At Oral Roberts University, students grow in a Spirit-empowered environment, one that uses faith and God’s calling to stretch lives beyond the ordinary. This “stretching beyond the ordinary,” according to Luke Barnett, often requires the “weight of preparation” … a/k/a the weight God places on you to move you past the status quo. In his Chapel message Embrace the Weight, Luke lists four reasons why you should never cast aside the weight God wants to put upon your life.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Weight of Preparation

· Embrace the weight because the weight will make you great.

· Two kinds of weight can be picked up in life. There’s the weight of burdens, and there’s the weight God puts on you in order to grow you. The latter is called the “weight of preparation.”

· “If you never allow a weightier thing to be put on you, if you never allow your faith to get up under something that’s heavier, then your faith will never, ever grow.” — Luke Barnett

· If you can easily lift five pounds, and you only ever lift five pounds, your muscles won’t get stronger. When it comes to your faith, if you want to move into greater dimensions of blessings and influence, you must be willing to pick up a greater weight. If you expect God to do big things in your life, you have to lift something heavier.

· If asked to carry a heavier weight, don’t immediately cast it aside. God might be preparing you and growing you for the next great thing in your life.

Four Reasons Why You Should Embrace the Weight

· First, the weight will call more out of you, but you’ll never see that called out until you embrace the weight. If you continue to live at your current level of comfort … if you resist the weight that God wants to put on your life in order to grow you … then all that will ever flow out of you is what’s currently flowing out of you.

· “If you will embrace the weight that God is putting on you, it will call out of you a greater level of gifting, a greater level of anointing, a greater level of influence, and a greater level of prosperity. So don’t cast the weight aside.” — Luke Barnett

· The Bible says the calling and the gifts of God are irrevocable. So how can you step away from the calling and purpose of God in your life? Don’t cast the weight aside when God puts something heavier on you. He does it not to crush you but to grow you into your destiny and purpose.

· Second, the weight will clarify your perspective about who God really is and what His capabilities are.

· Some have faith going in the wrong direction. They say things like “As surely as the Lord lives, He can’t use my life.” The devil has them placing their faith in the wrong direction because they’ve yet to clarify who God really is and what His capacity is.

· “If all you ever see in life is what you can see, then you will never see all there is to be seen. Faith is not what you can see. Faith is what you can’t see. Faith is what you hear. Faith is what you read. Faith is what the Spirit of God speaks into your life.” — Luke Barnett

· If you will embrace the weight, it will clarify your perspective. You’ll say things like “I once saw this as a weight, but now I see an abundance in my life.” Or “I once saw this as a hurt, but now I see God using it for my greatest ministry.”

· Third, the weight will test your faith. There comes a time in all our lives when we have to pass a test in order to go to the next level of God’s blessing. God will not tempt you, but He will test you to see if your faith is strong enough to carry a weightier thing.

· “There will always be these moments of testing. Why? Because if your faith can’t be tested, then your faith can’t be trusted.” — Luke Barnett

· Fourth, the weight will prepare you for something far greater than what you’re currently experiencing. It’s going to put more demand on you. It’s going to take you out of your comfort zone. It’s going to stretch your faith. But ultimately, it’s going to prepare you for the miraculous things that God wants to do in and through your life.

Watch the full Chapel — Embrace the Weight— from Luke Barnett, and choose from nearly 200 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 4,000 students representing well over 100 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 100 most diverse universities in America (Stacker/MSN)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.

From College to Life: How Do You Find Your Fit?

INTRODUCTION

When you choose a college, you’re hopefully finding a home and a family. But this choice doesn’t necessarily mean you’re finding your fit … i.e., finding your life’s purpose and direction. Finding your fit means taking intentional steps, some personal and some spiritual. At ORU, students find their fit in a Spirit-empowered environment that’s guided by academics, community, and faith. Through prayer and worship, ORU students foster a deep and personal relationship with God, a relationship that’s underscored in David Winston’s Chapel message “Finding Your Fit.” In this Chapel message, David discusses the frustrations of finding your fit and reminds us that dependence on God is critical to finding your best fit.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Are You Missing Something?

· It can be frustrating trying to find our fit in life. When we force ourselves to fit in a place where we don’t fit, it’s frustrating. It’s hard. It’s difficult.

· “The Lord will work out His plans for my life — for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.” — Psalm 138:8

· To find your fit, the first thing you need to learn is don’t hide your flaws and don’t let your flaws make you hide.

· “We always have these things about us that we don’t like. We might see something we don’t like. But God made you the way He made you on purpose for a purpose. The way you do it is how God needs you to do it, and He’s counting on you to do it that way.” — David Winston

· “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” — Ephesians 2:10

· Sometimes, you think you’re missing something, that you’re deficient. You think it’s a liability that you’re not like somebody else. Satan tries to use this to slow you down because a “liability” in Satan’s eyes is a lie about your ability. The enemy wants you to put yourself in this box by making you think that you don’t have what it takes.

· “God says ‘All I need you to do is say yes. Don’t examine your flaws.’ I believe that what we think are flaws are actually just access points for God. Because in those areas that we are weaker, we are more readily able to give that area over to God.” — David Winston

You Already Have What You Need

· “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

· God doesn’t measure your success by what others are doing. He measures your success compared to what He told you to do. When we look at success, some of us don’t want success as bad as we want acknowledgement. We really want the acknowledgement that comes from success because we’re battling with insignificance.

· “God has already impregnated you with solutions that will help with world problems. And oftentimes, we’re looking externally … ‘God what can You do to solve this issue?’ … but God says, ‘All I want you to do is step in front of a mirror because in front of the mirror, you’re looking at the solution.’ You are a walking solution to the things that we’re seeing here in this earth.” — David Winston

· God does mighty works with the things we view as insignificant.

· You don’t perform in order to get God’s anointment. God won’t call you to it unless He’s anointed you. If God has called you to it, He’s already anointed you for it.

· Potential is concealed greatness. There’s greatness inside of you, but everything great has a starting point. A seed will never grow unless it’s buried. God wants to bury you into the ground not to hurt you, not to harm you, but to plant you and grow your greatness.

Watch the full Chapel — “Finding Your Fit” — from David Winston, and choose from nearly 200 other Chapel messages on ORU YouTube.

Searching for a degree with integrity … you’ll find it at ORU!!!

Ranked as one of the top universities in America for student engagement (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed), ORU develops whole leaders for the whole world through a unique Whole Person approach to college education. And at ORU, a college education is a diverse education. We offer a growing multicultural, global community with more than 4,000 students representing well over 100 nations (ORU is ranked one of the Top 100 most diverse universities in America (Stacker/MSN)). If you’re an on-campus student or if you’re seeking an online education, ORU offers bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in a global, Spirit-empowered environment. Explore Oral Roberts University — a leadership innovator and one of the largest, most influential Christian liberal arts universities in the world. Learn more.