2015 Chapel Video

Hope is the presence of God in any situation. To be a Christian is to be an activist for the Kingdom. We are called to rise above fear and change our world by bringing hope and the Light of his love.

Wilderness experiences, like Jesus had, can produce our agenda, passion and calling. God calls us and sets the agenda for our lives in the circle of influence where He places us. Don’t curse the darkness; Instead, turn on the Light.

Chaplain Holcomb interviews three alum as they share how God has lead them to their unique ministries. As we lean in an listen, God is faithful to lead us to where He desires us to be. Our faithfulness and openness allows God to invite us into situations where we can be used for His glory.

God has given us each a job to do as described in the very beginning. As His image bearers we are to reflect His goodness which will redeem and restore this world. As followers of Jesus Christ we are all called to the ministry of reconciling this world to Him.

It is our nature to view our relationship with God as a contractual agreement, but in reality our relationship with Him is a covenant relationship. God desires to be in relationship with us, and this is not tied in any way to what we can do for Him. He is the author of joy and celebration and wants to share these things with His children.

Steward Well Every gift is from God and we must steward these gifts well. Resist Our human bent is to protect our comfort zone and expand our privileges. Christ calls us to do the hard things that no one else is willing to do. As we imitate Christ we must resist our human bents and seek His guidance daily.

A life focused on worldly pleasures had a chance encounter with the presence of God, and from that point on the trajectory of the journey changed dramatically. God has plans for everyone’s live, so we need to be open to the doors before us. If not, there will be so much potential wasted. The fulfilment attainable by following His plan is far beyond anything this world has to offer.

Three ministries all working in different ways to redeem those trapped in the sex trafficking industry share their story.

There are definitely problems in this world, but Jesus has come to reclaim identities. God has given a justice mission to the Church. We are not called to do it alone, we are called to do it together. You will be most tempted to quit when you are closest to your calling. Through breathtaking conversation change can happen.

Everything God has for us lies just on the other side of fear. Life is not fair and we will experience suffering in the world. In order to rise above these experiences we should consider living a life that brings God pleasure by doing what we can to relieve the suffering of others rather than focusing on our own pain. We have to move through and beyond our fear to the place God wants us to be. God is close to the brokenhearted, so if we want to be close to God, we need to be close to the brokenhearted.

We live in the tension between our expectations and reality - what we want versus what we get. The reality is .... life is not fair. We are fortunate that the Kingdom of God does not operate on principles of fairness, but does operate on the principles of grace.

Presidential Candidate Ben Carson shares his life journey and personal testimony of the miraculous change Jesus brought about in his life. When God fixes you, He doesn’t just do a paint job; He fixes you from the inside.

Peter wanted to follow Christ faithfully, but he struggled and failed often. Jesus responded to Peter and to us with love and forgiveness. He extended his hand to help us get back up and encourages us to keep walking.

In order to live on mission with God, we must first have a defining God moment like Paul did on the road to Damascus. Next, we must determine what mission God has for us which is even beyond what we do to make a living. He is preparing us for lives of service to Him and to humanity. As we becoming good followers of Jesus Christ, we will become great leaders in life.

We are really exiles as Christians in this world, but even during this period of exile we cannot make excuses that lead to compromise. The Lord our God is one ….. there is nothing or no one that should take His place in our lives.

Although our culture views a spiritual journey as very individualistic, God’s primary purpose is redeeming His people … the church … as a whole. He makes us one in the world empowered by the Spirit to be The Body. He is calling us to invest ourselves in the church as Jeremiah invested in the property in Jerusalem. Collectively as the body, we can impact the world.

Daniel outlined a beautiful example of resisting the culture in which he found himself in order to maintain God’s blessing. Rather than being squeezed into the mold of this present age, we should ask God to teach us ways to be set apart and different all for His glory.

The message of Christ is not “try harder;” the message is - if we offer our old life to Christ He gives us a new heart and a new spirit. He refuses to let exile be the last word for His people, because He always offers new life. He refuses to let sin have the last word, because grace always has the last word. He refuses to let death have the last word, because new life has the last word. He sanctifies us by His good grace and forms us to bear His name rightly in the world.

Learning what it means to be led by and listen to the spirit is like learning to walk, one step, one day at a time.

We are to live today like it affects forever.

There are the levels of calling: Highest Calling (communion with Christ by means of prayer – rooted in relationship), Common Calling (all Christians share these as outlined in scripture), Specific Calling (particular callings that can change with the seasons of life and discerned through the spirit and the church). Our value is not found in what we do, but rather from the presence of God with us. We are all called.

Jesus was bound by his calling, not by the expectation of others. He always see past our finite expectations and give us what we truly need. He says “no” to some things in order to say “yes” to what is best. As we surrender to Him and His will He transforms us completely.

We are ALL CALLED, so God redeems our vocations for His Kingdom’s sake. As we live this out we become a taste of heaven on earth. As we discover who we were created to be in Christ, then we can do what we were created to do. In so doing, we give the world a picture, a glimpse, a taste of what is to come.

The story of Jacob’s early life included a vision (confirmation that God was with him), a voice (God was calling him to be all that he was meant to be), and a vow (Jacob’s response to becoming God centered rather than “I” centered). An encounter with God will change our lives forever and allow His great plan for our lives to unfold. God inhabits every aspect of life at Olivet … He is in this place.

The lessons we have learned through the past two semesters of chapel services are laced with hope. Our Father reveals himself to us through parables which are a window into his Kingdom and very heart. When we are faced with difficult situations and begin to doubt, we can have faith in our faith in God. We are people of the resurrection and our trust and hope is in Him.

Dr. Bowling shared the story of his climb to the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. All of life is filled with mountains of various kinds, but we can be assured there is one who comes from above; one who will call you by name; and one who will carry your burdens. He is the Lord God Almighty!

We will not be spared dark and difficult days in this life, but we do not need to be afraid. Our heavenly father assures us time and again that He is with us so we do not need to be afraid.

The Olivet experience allows students an opportunity for transformation in many ways. The three most important questions to consider during the college experience that will affect transformation are: What is Olivet to you? Who is Jesus Christ? What is a Christian? Stories of spiritual transformations where shared by members of the senior class through cardboard testimonies.

Never allow another person’s opinion of you to become your reality. The lesson of Zacchaeus teaches us that we must seek Him, abandon what others think of us, and we have to change. Jesus came to change our default setting of sin, and to turn us into new creatures.

A glance at the life of Thomas reveals a follower of jesus who wrestled with doubts, but stepped out in faith in his spiritual journey. Even when we experience doubt and darkness...there is hope. The savior comes to us to bring us peace not matter what is going on in our lives.

A celebration including highlights from this past summer and spring break mission trips. The impact of stepping out in faith to serve humbly has an eternal ripple effect.

A brief overview and exploration of each day of Holy Week woven between songs leading to the foot of the cross. The narrative causes angst and tension and shatters the notion that we are just called to be religious people.

Faith is a holy, sacred, and to be kept. It has been passed down for us to treasure and share. If we discard faith it will not end...because it is not ours, it belongs to all the saints. We belong to faith, it does not belong to us. The art to keeping the faith is our responsibility, and is achieved through praying in the Holy Spirit and keeping ourselves in God's love as we wait for eternal life.

Forgiveness is the gospel. Forgiveness from God sets us free. Forgiving others sets us free. Forgiveness brings a better kind of freedom … one that takes us close … and binds us by love not hate; one that binds us by mercy, not by revenge.

The Biblical narrative in Luke 18 communicates the value of persistent petition to affect change. In the arena of social justice the basic premise is clear...we are all made in the image of God and change comes through prayer and nonviolent ways. The call of justice is an inescapable part of the gospel message.

The role of the church is to connect people to God and others. Humans are like Legos …. They are made to connect with others. We build the church by connecting to others. The hope for the world and broken people is the church in action connecting with people like Jesus did.

Christ came to fully live into the messiness and risk that is essential to the human condition. He was continually tempted to assume the role of Messiah as humanity understood it though. He chose to walk the path of humanity, so we can have hope when we are experience difficulties. He has experienced human suffering, and is present with us when we cannot rescue ourselves and are shrouded in despair.

Jesus poses the same question to the cripple man as he does to us today... "Do we want to get well?" Getting well requires faith and the willingness to embrace change. Our savior invites us to surrender into His care on the journey to wholeness whether that comes instantly, through a process or in eternity. His presence is with us no matt the path of the journey.

Through the power full messages of bone marrow recipients, a donor and a medical doctor the critical message of Jesus’ presence in the darkness is told. The possibility of being part of the story that is bringing hope around the globe was shared.

Discovering the beauty of the Lenten journey helps us maximize the celebrate of the story of Easter. The journey begins with repentance on Ash Wednesday and leads to a fast for the purpose of drawing closer to God. Jesus’ incarnation brings meaning, value and hope to the “in between” from Christmas and Easter.