Heartland Baptist Bible College

The Names on the Walls | Floyd Schexnayder

An Instrument to be Used by God

Floyd L. Schexnayder was born to Floyd J. and Betty L. Schexnayder on October 29, 1952, in a little town just south of Houston, Texas. After graduating high school in 1971, Floyd married his high school sweetheart, Amy Allgood, on February 19, 1972. They would move to San Demas, California to attend Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College, where Bro. Floyd graduated with a degree in Music Ministry in 1977. Then, the young couple would move to Tucson, Arizona to serve at New Testament Baptist Church. There they faithfully served until 1982, when God called the Schexnayders to serve at Southwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

An Eye for the Details

Bro. Floyd committed himself to excellence. “Everything he did was with the utmost excellence – he was dissatisfied with anything less.” – Joe Mizer (2007 Heartland graduate and current faculty member). It is said that excellency in character and discipline is reflected in the smallest of details, even down to how a man wears his clothes. For years, Bro. Floyd would take his dress shirts to a little dry cleaner’s shop on the south side of Oklahoma City every week. As he walked into the music building each morning for class, took the platform to lead congregational singing at Southwest Baptist Church, or met with Heartland’s singing groups for practice, he could always be seen dressed in a crisp, freshly pressed shirt, his hair never out of place. In the minutest of particulars, Bro. Floyd cared about the details.

Not only did Bro. Floyd expect excellence in himself, but he also expected it in those whom he taught. One specific instance of this involves the pedals of the pianos at SWBC. Bro. Aaron Mast, who was interning at the church, had the responsibility of getting the platform ready for services each Sunday morning, which included cleaning the pianos. Unbeknownst to him, this meant that he was to dust the piano pedals along with the rest of the piano. Having taken notice of the dusty pedals, Bro. Floyd personally showed Bro. Aaron how to properly do the job. “What’s the big deal about a little dust on the pedals?” you may ask. But to Bro. Floyd, even a little dust showed a lack of excellence – and the God that he served deserved excellence in every area!

A Heart for the Ministry

It is sincerity that made the difference in Bro. Floyd’s life. He had a genuine love for God, and it showed. People recognized Bro. Floyd for his commanding presence and posture in the pulpit while leading the congregation and choir in song. But it was not all just a show – a display of bravado or charisma. There was a heart underlying it all – a heart for God. The members of Southwest Baptist Church could see it. Likewise the students of Heartland Baptist Bible College could see it. The choir could see it too. In a tear in his eye during a chorus of “He Touched Me” or during a pause that he would have to take during a moving part of “Between Me and the Storm,” Bro. Floyd believed what he was singing and because of that, he made the effort to communicate it through song.

An Impact Beyond His Years

Fifteen years ago today, while cleaning up his mother’s property after a storm, the Lord thought it fitting to use an unexpected heart attack to call Bro. Floyd home for eternity. He was fifty-six years old. His twenty-five years of impact on Southwest Baptist Church and Heartland Baptist Bible College were tremendous! But you could not have convinced Bro. Floyd that he was anything great. As he explained to the members of Southwest in one of the few sermons he preached, “[God’s] just using me as an instrument. I am just an instrument of God to be used by Him!” To honor his legacy of faithfulness, Heartland dedicated the Floyd Schexnayder Music Center on January 14, 2009. If you get the chance, take the time to visit the music center, because the memory wall tells Bro. Floyd’s story in even fuller detail. He is more than just a name written on a wall; his legacy continues today to impact countless individuals’ lives.

Click here to see more photos and video of Bro. Floyd Schexnayder on our social media accounts.

The Names on the Walls | Kevin O’Brien

Faithful in Ministry

Kevin O’Brien was born in El Paso, TX on October 31, 1955. A little over fifty-two years later, God called him home. In that period, Bro. Kevin’s faithful commitment to the Lord and ministry made an impact so incredible in the lives of people that only Heaven is fully aware of it to this day.

Early Years

Kevin was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. There his parents, Claude and Angie O’Brien, and their family were faithful members of Hillcrest Baptist Church, which was planted and pastored by Bro. Bob Stewart. After graduating from Irvin High School (where he met his future wife Darlene Turbeville), Bro. Kevin would go on to get his three-year Bachelor of Theology from Baptist Bible College. Before graduating in 1977, however, he and Darlene were married on June 12, 1976.

Bethany Baptist Church

Soon after graduating, Bro. Kevin and his new bride moved to Lubbock, TX to join the staff of Bethany Baptist Church under Pastor Ross Spencer as the music and youth director in 1997. Here he would serve for the rest of his life, becoming assistant pastor, co-pastor, then pastor in 1996. Bro. Kevin O’Brien sincerely loved the bus ministry and faith promise giving, and he encouraged both at Bethany Baptist. His love for preaching to youth led to countless young people coming to Christ and surrendering to the ministry! Bro. Kevin was also an accomplished pianist, piano technician, and singer and he used all three gifts willingly for the Lord.

Heartland Baptist Bible College

It was in 1996 that Bro. Kevin first became acquainted with Pacific Coast Baptist College of San Demas, California. Recognizing the importance of solid Bible college education, he wholeheartedly threw his support behind the school and became a director that year. As God led men like Sam Davison and others to move the school to Oklahoma City and rename it Heartland Baptist Bible College, Bro. Kevin enthusiastically supported it. At Heartland, he would serve on the Executive Committee and was the Secretary to the Board of Directors until the final days of his life.

Faithful in the Face of Trials

Bro. Kevin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006. By God’s grace, he endured over a year-long, grueling battle, at one point having to undergo chemo every three to four weeks. Yet through all the darkness, Bro. Kevin never gave up on the Lord! While preaching for Heartland’s Opening Days Conference in 2007, Bro. Kevin referenced Isaiah 45.

“And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.” (Isaiah 45:3)

Most assuredly, Bro. Kevin discovered many of the treasures of darkness. When faced with a trial that would cause many a faithful Christian to waver, Bro. Kevin refused to do so. Instead, he encouraged the students that morning, “God is so good… He never leaves you, never forsakes you!”

Bro. Kevin kept his plow in the ground, faithfully serving the Lord until his last days. In honor of his faithful service and leadership, Heartland Baptist Bible College dedicated the Kevin O’Brien Memorial Conference Room on January 14th, 2009. May God raise up more faithful men and women of God, who, like Bro. Kevin O’Brien will keep the plow in the ground despite the dark trials through which they must follow the Lord.

Click here to see more photos and video of Bro. Kevin O’Brien!

The Benefits of Bible College

This article contains excerpts from Ryan Rench’s book A Case For Bible College. Many young people have enjoyed and benefited from his writings, and it has become our desire to share some of this helpful information with you.

Bible College Provides a Solid Bible Foundation for Life.

My brother is working on building his own little house right now. He and my dad went through the phase of digging ditches, setting rebar and pouring concrete. That was lots of work! Those footer ditches had to be deep and wide! That was no fun digging those footers by hand… they won’t even be seen!

Imagine if my brother just got sick of digging and quit.

“No one will see these dumb holes. We are just going to fill them up with concrete anyway. What’s the point! I just want to start building, man!”

Imagine him grabbing a 2×4, whipping it above his head with a scream of war (trying to summon the powers), and smashing it into the ground, hoping it pierces the topsoil enough to stand upright.

“Hey! It worked! All that rage and fury helped! I’ve got my wall started!”

So he thinks.

Now, imagine him doing that over and over until he has a row of these 2x4s pierced into the ground, standing upright like fence posts. “I’m sure my wall will be sturdy once I add the siding. Hey, at least something shows, man! I’ve got a wall up! Forget these dumb ditches and footers or whatever. I like these dirt floors anyway. I’m rustic. Yeah. That’s it. Rustic—like a log cabin in the pioneer days.”

Sure bud. Whatever you say. You’re cool.

That is, until the first bugs come through the walls and floors. Or until the first rain. Bye-bye house.

Bible college is like a concrete foundation.

You see, a concrete foundation seals out the bugs and the rain. It holds strong against the wind. It is unmovable. It is stable. You can build on it without fear of the building collapsing.

Bible college is like a concrete foundation for the rest of your adult life. Since the only sure foundation is God’s timeless Word, Bible college is a place that tries to anchor every part of your life to the Bible.

Imagine a place that teaches and preaches the Bible every day. Imagine classes that focus on studying the Bible. Imagine living with hundreds of people whose passion is to know the Bible—immersed in an environment where peers and mentors are all pushing you toward a deeper relationship with God and His Word. This is Bible college.

While some people might have had godly parents and a good church to give them a solid childhood foundation, a lot changes after high school. When a graduate is presented for the first time with much more freedom than he has ever had, he should strengthen his foundation rather than launch straight into building his life.

You still have room for improvement.

Is it possible to “make it” in life without Bible college? Of course! But at what other time in life will a person go through an intensive lifestyle of being immersed in the Bible? Was that level of foundation laid at home?

In most cases, it was not. Even in the best-case scenarios that I have seen where the Bible is central to a family and the kids have been raised in a solid, Bible-preaching church, the kids who grow up in that home still have room for improvement.

To be clear, no one is ever ready for life. I get that. The point here is not that a person is inept at life and has no foundation if he does not attend Bible college. The point is that Bible college is a powerful tool to form or strengthen a solid foundation for the remainder of one’s adult life.

What God used in my life was Bible college.

My wife had a roommate in college who was saved months before starting her freshman year. She did not have a childhood foundation and came to Bible college hardly knowing anything about the Bible. Everything she learned was new. The Bible Survey classes she attended were not review to her… they were foundational! She is now a missionary in Australia.

My best friend, John, was saved in Washington under Pastor Dave Brown’s ministry. He was a senior in high school with a mop of hair on his head. After high school graduation, he decided to attend Bible college, cut his hair and move halfway across the country.

God used Bible college to build a solid foundation for the rest of John’s life. He grew in God’s Word. He learned to read, study, live and love God’s Word. He became truly passionate about knowing and obeying God’s Word. He allowed God’s Word to be his only foundation. At first, he would sit through Bible college classes not knowing much of anything. The professor would say, “Turn to the book of Job” and he thought that book was a story of employment (“How To Get a Job”). Bible college was his first solid foundation, and it set him on the right course for a fruitful Christian life. John Lande is now the college director at the church he attended through Bible college, and he is using his life to train others to build their lives on the foundation of God’s Word.

Bible college was a foundation to the rest of my adult life.

My story is different. I was saved when I was 5, was raised in church and I knew all the Bible lessons. I memorized portions of Scripture, competed in Bible quizzes and could sing the books of the Bible. I was in Bible classes all through my Christian and home school life and was ever growing in the Lord.

While I was developing my own personal convictions through high school and had already received a solid foundation in my childhood years, I still had plenty to learn. Without realizing it at the time, I had no real answers as to why I believed what I believed. I had been taught correctly and I believed it, but I did not always retain it.

Bible college, for me, was as much a foundation to the rest of my adult life as it was to those who did not have the same upbringing as I did. Sure, I knew more Bible stories than they knew, but I still needed to know more than just the facts of the stories in order to have a truly solid foundation. I needed to know the truths of the Bible and make them mean something to me.

Yes, I knew much of the Bible already. Yes, I had been raised in a Christian home (a pastor’s home, at that)! Yes, God absolutely used my childhood years to mold and begin my life’s foundation.

However, I see now that I needed much more than my childhood foundation in order to give me the tools to build my own foundation. What God used in my life was Bible college.

Bible college is completely focused on providing a solid Bible foundation for life.

Most Bible colleges are structured in a way that the student’s freshman year is packed with basic, but foundational, Bible truths. Many Bible colleges offer a one-year Bible certificate that will immerse the student in Bible classes primarily, and allow him to experience one year of this intensive study.

Whether you believe Bible college is for you or not, you cannot overlook the fact that probably no other place on the planet will be more intensive about building your life on the foundation of God’s Word. From the dorm life, to the classes, to the chapels, to the mentors and examples all around you—Bible college is completely focused on providing a solid Bible foundation for life.

Debt Free to Serve

Student loan debt can limit one’s ability to minister after Bible college. However, being free from student loans allows graduates to serve in ministry without the pressing burden of loan payments. The primary benefit of this freedom is that a graduate can choose where to serve based upon God’s leading, instead of on the size of the salary.

Since its inception, Heartland Baptist Bible College has operated under a plan by which churches provide regular financial support to the college. This enables any student, regardless of his or her family’s economic situation, to enter Heartland, prepare for ministry, graduate, and go into ministry without student debt.

Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM)

Students, and their families, benefit from the affordable education provided at Heartland as a result of the aid of many churches around the world that support the school regularly. Forty-four percent of the school’s operating costs are provided by generous support from churches, individuals, the Alumni Association, and Bookstore sales. Only 56 percent of the total cost remains for students to cover.

It is truly amazing to see how the Lord uses the TEAM principle to enable Heartland to be one of the most affordable, full-service, independent, fundamental, Baptist colleges in the country. Through the network of support mentioned above, Heartland is able to offer ministry training with a high degree of academic excellence at an extremely affordable cost. Because Heartland is training future pastors, missionaries, music ministers, youth pastors, school teachers, and church secretaries, the investment of those who support the college will pay great dividends in furthering the work of God and spreading the Gospel around the world!

An Affordable Education

National research reveals that 60 percent of bachelor’s degree graduates left college in 2019 with student loan debt averaging $29,000. To help with the high cost of education, most colleges recommend that students seek financial assistance via federal assistance programs. For example, one private evangelical college’s website stated that the annual cost to attend that college is approximately $56,000; however, students were encouraged to lower that amount to $12, 925 by taking advantage of federal grants and student loans. While the cost is reduced at the time, some of this type of financial aid must be paid back following graduation. Our desire is that each Heartland student complete their degree without being burdened with student loans.

For those who need to work their way through college, the Oklahoma City job market is very favorable for a student with a mind to work. Most students are able to get jobs and make their monthly payments without difficulty. Also, the work assistance program at Heartland provides additional work opportunities if needed.

Tips for Graduating Debt Free From Bible College

Here are some tips to help you graduate from Bible college without any debt.

Develop a Plan

It has been said that “A failure to plan means that one plans to fail.” Plan ahead and come prepared to make the full down-payment during registration. If you are able, paying for the entire semester up front is best, but if you plan to pay using the installment plan, be sure to pay on time each month.

Seek Guidance

The Business Office, Admissions Department, and Dean of Students’ Office can all help guide you regarding financial help that may be available. Heartland has over 75 scholarships, 15 grants, and a practical work-assistance program.

Be Willing To Work a Job

Oklahoma City has a strong employment base and job market. Heartland hosts a job fair at the beginning of each fall semester to familiarize students with various businesses that desire to hire students.

Start Using a Budget and Save for College

Saving as much money as possible prior to entering college will certainly help you in the long-run. Many successful students plan ahead to have at least one semester of expenses set aside prior to enrolling, and some have set aside enough to pay for the entire first year. This practice allows time for adjustments that will occur during the transition phase from working a job back home to finding a job in Oklahoma City. Keep in mind that the purpose of the job is to help pay for schooling and not to be your career. It may be wise to consider taking advantage of full-time and part-time seasonal work during winter and summer breaks. Regardless of where you work, having a budget will help you stay on track as you manage your finances to save for college and prepare for each new semester. Keep in mind that the purpose of the job is to help pay for schooling and not to be your career. A simple, easy-to-start budget system can be found at www.daveramsey.com.

Consider An Internship

Once you are in college, one of the best ways to earn money to pay for future semesters is to participate in an internship program. An internship will allow you to use what you have learned in college, enable you to gain valuable experience, and help you earn sufficient income for the next semester—all at the same time. The staff placement office at the college can help provide you with more information regarding internships.

Prioritize Your Education

Plan ahead to keep your education the priority. Give intentional effort to keep your attention on your education, rather than becoming so focused on your job that your academic performance suffers. Remember, churches and individuals are sacrificially giving to cover a significant portion of your education cost. If for no other reason than gratitude, you should attend and treat your classes with a high level of attentiveness.

Pray for God’s Provision

Each Christian has been called to serve the Lord in some way. As part of that calling you have a responsibility to prepare. A crucial part of the preparation process for the Lord’s work is prayer. In the secular world, education is simply equipping one’s self for a career. However, in ministry, education is preparing one’s self for service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that God will provide financially for you as you prepare for a lifetime of service to Him.

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Oh That Men Would Praise the Lord!

We find a wonderful song of thanksgiving in Psalm 107. In this passage, the Psalmist recounts the many reasons we all have to praise the Lord. In verse 8 this repeated refrain appears for the first time, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” It is most reasonable to expect that those who have received His mercies would express gratitude by giving praise in return.

The Congregational Song Service

In 2001, I came to Oklahoma City to begin my ministry training at Heartland Baptist Bible College. What began that fall was the re-shaping of my vision for the congregational song service. To watch God’s people, gather together and lift their voices in a sincere and heartfelt way, being led by one who himself was stirred by God and was transparent enough to show that, would forever change my view of what we were there to do for the first portion of every church service. Now all these years later we are striving to carry on what “those who have gone before” have handed us. This baton though, is much more than a method or tradition. It is a conviction that God is still interested in hearing His people lift their voices in a fitting response for the eternity-altering redemption He has given to each of them.

Whether taught in so many words or merely displayed and lived out on a weekly basis, there are a few guiding principles which have been handed down to this generation, that we are trying to give to each young person who comes through the halls at Heartland Baptist Bible College and serves at Southwest Baptist Church. These principles are not an innovative new perspective but quite the opposite, they are quite ancient. May the Lord help us to pass along this same heart: “Oh that men would praise the Lord,” to the next generation.

God is Our Primary Audience

If you are like I am, you can find yourself reading quickly over this with merely a mental understanding that never quite affects behavior beyond simple knowledge. There is sufficient biblical precedent to show us He is looking for, and interested in, the praise of His people. If He is indeed the audience observing us, in the moment we pick up our hymnals and open our mouths, why are we so apt to be distracted? Four times in this Psalm we are given the refrain pleading for us to praise His name. Over and over throughout the Scripture we are reminded that when we sing, we are to sing “to the Lord.” This causes me to pause and consider, “Why am I so slow to respond in this way? Why must I be continually stirred and reminded before I produce it?”

The Song Service is Not a Time-Filler

If we never truly understand who our real audience is, then we will be hard pressed to look at this part of a service as anything more than merely an on-ramp to the real destination. Far too often we find ourselves at the conclusion of a hymn and realize we do not even remember the words we sang during the previous five minutes. You may be familiar with that wonderful text in 2 Chronicles 5 where we see the dedication of the temple, but while it may be a familiar passage, I am encouraged and convicted every time I read the account. The song service that is preserved for us in that text shows the incredible possibility of the music of God’s people. God is so interested in the praise of His people that He can be moved by it. What an overwhelming thought! I must wonder how many times we have missed that opportunity because of our casual approach to this portion of our church service.

Full Participation is a Reasonable Expectation

What an opportunity! No matter your title, responsibility, age, or level of musical ability you can contribute to this part of the service. Who of His people does not have a reason to sing His praise? We should rejoice in the Lord always because it is a command for His people. It truly comes down to a matter of obedience, not preference. If we praise the Lord because He is worthy of our praise, then let me pose the question, “When is He ever not worthy?” It is not unreasonable, it is very reasonable, to expect that His children would participate in lifting their voices and praising Him for Who He is and what He has done.

Singing from the Heart is the Goal

Our goal is passionate and heartfelt congregational singing that is born out of a love and gratitude for our Savior rather than just a response to external stimulus. If we are not careful, we can become too clever for our own good when trying to stimulate the congregation to sing. To be clear, this is not to say we should not give creative effort to this part of the service. In fact, I think we can give more deliberate effort to being purposeful in this part of the service than we often do, but we must strive to keep the right balance. I do not believe we have any indication in the account found in Acts 16 that Paul and Silas (while imprisoned) were praising the Lord in song because of a well-crafted service order that created that outburst of praise. It is possible our singing may be more of a reflection of our spiritual state than we would care to admit. How can we expect the world to be drawn to a Savior Who has changed our lives and Who we claim to love when we have less passion and heart in our music than the world has for their music?

We should all continue to work at encouraging those we interact with to remember the example given us in Scripture, and the example of those saints who have gone on before us. If we have been redeemed and rescued from the miry pit, let that affect how we sing to Him this Sunday. You may not have the influence or platform to affect multitudes of people as some others may have, but multitudes of people aren’t the real audience anyway. Lift up your voice to the Lord; He is watching and is ready to receive our praise. Oh that men would praise the Lord!

Aaron Mast | Music Department Chairman | Heartland Baptist Bible College.

Why have Room Meetings?

The Need for Room Meetings

Why does Heartland have residence hall “room meetings”? One resident likes the lights on, but another wants to have the curtains drawn to keep the room as dark as possible. People may be early risers or “night owls.” Some students use earbuds, while others prefer speakers. One student’s desk is cluttered, but their roommate must keep things organized. This young lady orders a Coke, but that one asks for soda. Oklahomans bunk alongside Texans. Loud chewers snack, while their friends try to concentrate and study. The list could go on indefinitely. None of us is “perfect.” With all these differences, the potential for conflict within the residence halls is always present.

This is why we have room meetings that are distinct to Heartland. Room meetings were designed to help students grow in biblical unity and practice God’s design for resolving conflict. Time is set aside throughout the semester for each room to sit down and purposefully share blessings, address problems, and pray together.

Unity Requires Effort

God created us in His image, and yet each person is unique. Our uniqueness, combined with our sin nature, can lead us to erroneously believe that spiritual unity is unattainable. We can also mistakenly believe unity is something that “just happens”, requiring minimal effort.

However, God’s Word tells us differently: Psalm 133:1 declares, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Romans 12:18 states, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” Unity is possible, but it takes work.

Clear Biblical Direction

Our human nature generally wants to avoid conflict and confrontation; however, God gave believers the ministry of reconciliation. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Jesus Christ reconciled us to God. He then gave us the responsibility to model that attribute in our daily lives (2 Corinthians 5:18). Sticking our head in the sand and avoiding all conflict would be disobedient to God’s command. When there is an offense, we have clear, biblical direction on how to bring restoration to a relationship (Matthew 18:15).

Students lead busy lives. Sometimes, because of contrasting schedules, they do not see their roommates regularly. Room meetings provide an opportunity for roommates to connect and share what God is doing in their lives, reach out for accountability, and draw closer together in the Spirit. Reading Scripture and praying together facilitates a spiritual “greenhouse” for unity.

Without room meetings, roommates can sometimes become disjointed with a selfish focus. Also, when structured time is not set aside for room meetings, care for each other can be disregarded.

Looking back on my time, living in the residence hall as a student, the benefits of room meetings in my own life astound me. I love each of my former roommates, but I have a special connection with some of them. Room meetings were especially important to developing that connection. We shared what was on our hearts, prayed for each other, and “sharpened” each other (Proverbs 27:17). The result was life-long friendships built on a solid foundation.

Kari Quinlan, Dean of Women

Making Godly Friendships

Take a look at our third installment of The Benefits of Bible College, taken from Ryan Rench’s book, A Case for Bible College.

Looking Back

Parents, have you ever thought back to your college days? Remember all the friends and all the fun you had?

Most people have fond memories of college. They have stories that make them cry, blush, or laugh; and, for the most part, all these stories involved others.

I look back on my photo albums from college and think of all the crazy things we did. The night before my friend’s wedding we bought wax strips and tried pinning him down. No such luck. The best we could do was slap one strip on his chest and rip it off. Have a happy marriage!

Dorm life was always interesting. Once, I walked into our hall only to be welcomed with a shout, a WHIZZ past my face, and a stinging sensation in my leg. I looked down to see what I had been hit with—a bite sized snickers. A few guys had raided the VBS candy stash, found a box of snickers, scrounged up a 4-man water balloon launcher and they were hurdling handfuls of these snickers at all who entered.

What did I do after I got hit?

I said, “OW!… Cool! Hey, I want to try!” And I joined in the fun. Only one guy got stiches that day. College memories with friends are such fun memories!

Godly Friendships Share a Common Direction

Not all my friendships are based on the fun we had together, though. In fact, I would consider plenty of people friends whom I never spent any time “hanging out” with. These friends are not based on shared experiences but on a shared spirit.

I have scores of friends who are going the same direction that I am going in life. They have the same dreams and goals for their lives. They have similar jobs and lifestyles. They have a spirit to serve others and a heart for God. That is what binds so many friendships… a common direction.

I lived across the hall from a man who is now a missionary in Venezuela. I graduated with several men who are now serving all over America as youth directors, doing the same thing that I am doing. I looked up to several upperclassmen in my dorm who are now church planters, pastors and missionaries. I consider them all my friends.

My friends helped me as much as my teachers helped me. Older students who were passionate about the Lord took me “under their wing” and taught me how to be a godly young man. I learned from fellow students—not the preachers—how to love preaching. I learned from fellow students—not always from the teachers—how to be a young man who loved the timeless Word. I saw great examples all around me, and I was able to live with men whom I consider my friends.

Where else but Bible college will you combine hundreds of people who are generally in the same walk of life, with the same goals? Bible college is a wonderful place to make lasting, godly friendships.

Godly Friendships Last.

Because we are human, not all Bible college students are perfect, nor are they all attending for the right reasons. As a general rule, however, scorners are the exception and not the rule. Scorners always find scorners, anyway, so people who desire to do right will still have plenty of friends.

You might think, “Sure, I’ve heard that before. BFF! Best friends forever! College friendships won’t last.”

I know the feeling. I’ve read the high school yearbooks too. “I’ll never forget you. I’ll think about you every day. You were the greatest friend to me…” You might think that with the passing of time, friendships kind of disappear.

Obviously, life goes on and people take separate paths of life. Obviously, life changes things. Day-to-day friendships change because these friendships are no longer “day-to-day” when friends move away from one another.

Although lifestyles change, a friendship that is based on common biblical values will last as long as both friends remain true to those values. When both people are committed to the Bible, a decade can go by and it can seem like no time at all when they meet face to face again.

Godly Friendships are Bible Based

My parents have been in the ministry since graduating Bible college in the 1970’s. I grew up meeting my dad’s friends in the ministry. Many of the people that we as kids visited on trips, sat next to in restaurants, saw at conferences and had in our home were his old college buddies. I remember thinking that my dad must have been quite the “social butterfly” to have so many friends. Really, he probably did not “hang out” with these men every day. Rather, they were (and are still today) friends based on the Bible. Those types of friendships last a long time.

Friendships last a long time when they are based on the Bible, but they also form quickly when they are based on the Bible. Have you ever met someone you immediately knew you liked? You know what I am talking about—someone who seems to have a similar spirit and similar goals in life.

We have missionaries come through our church all the time and it seems like every one of them are our immediate friends. Why? How? Is it that our personalities mesh? Is it because we have similar hobbies or that we’ve had all these fun memories together?

No. Immediate friendships can go very deep not because they are based on shared experiences. They are based on truth. They are based on God’s Word. They are based on the same goal and direction of life.

Bible college, more than any other place in the world, is a place that aligns hundreds of individuals around a common goal. What better place to make lasting friendships?

About the Author

Ryan Rench serves at Calvary Baptist Church in Temecula, CA. He earned his Master’s Degree in Ministry from Heartland Baptist Bible College in 2010. Ryan Rench married his wife, Jamie, in 2008, and they have three children: Abe, Charlotte, and Gwen. Ryan blogs at RyanRench.com and has published several books, including A Case For Bible College and One Youth Pastor’s Toolbox, available from Heartland Baptist Bookstore.

Bible College Is a Safe Environment

Another good reason to consider Bible college is that you will be immersed in a safe environment.

When I think of safe environments, I think of clean-rooms where everything is white and germ-free. Or, I think of an overprotective mom who has wrapped her child in bubble wrap so he won’t get any bumps or bruises.

No, Bible college is not exactly that… but it’s close.

Most Bible college students are entering college right out of high school. It is their first time away from home. It is their first taste of “freedom.”

For a parent, giving a child any freedom is terrifying. “What will my child do? Will he make the right choice? Will she follow what we taught her to do?”

Scary thought.

Now, imagine if she was in a situation where everything she had been taught her whole life was being turned on its head. Imagine, for instance, that your child goes to a secular university as a biology major. All her life, all she has known is the Bible and creation. Now, she is immersed in a hostile, Bible-hating environment. She is taught every day and by everyone that creation is a myth and evolution is true science. In essence, she is taught that everything she has ever known is wrong. Her whole world is intensely attacked. From the classroom to the dorm room, from the textbook to the internet chatter—everything is against her.

Safe environment? Hardly. No matter how strong she is, she has to be at least a little bit affected by it all, right?

Now imagine a boy who has been taught that the Bible is God’s Word and that it is absolute truth. Perhaps he does not know all the depths of theology or perhaps he is not able to defend every point of Christianity, but he has a solid grasp of basic Bible doctrines. He has always been taught to use the King James Bible and serve in a local, Independent Baptist church. While he may not completely understand all the reasons, he knows that is what he believes. Imagine, now, that he goes to Bible college. At Bible college, instead of everything he has ever believed being turned on its head, it is reinforced! Rather than hearing all the objections to his core beliefs, he is receiving systematic reasons as to why, in fact, he should believe that way.

Bible college reinforces

Bible college is a safe environment because it reinforces rather than breaks down everything a child has learned in a godly home and in church. At a good Bible college (one recommended by your pastor), the student receives encouragement to follow the Bible. Any prospective student should be wary of any institution that will cause doubts about whether the Bible is God’s Word.

Will a child fail at life if he does not attend Bible college? Of course not. But Bible college can only help reinforce what has always been taught at home and in the home church.

Bible college in general is safer

Not only is Bible college a safe place for a person’s beliefs, but life in general is safer. I do not necessarily mean that driving conditions are safer or the weather is milder; rather, I mean that living in a structured environment with rules similar to home will help in this transition time of life.

For many students, their first time away from home is when they attend college. Should we automatically assume that they are grown up and can make godly decisions all the time? I don’t even assume that about myself now!

Bible college is regulated, scheduled, strict, and clean

Bible college provides a safe environment because it is regulated, scheduled, strict, and clean. Students are required to sign in and out rather than just given complete freedom to come and go as they please. Having a curfew and lights out rather than allowing an open free-for-all until late into the night. Students are monitored on their ministry involvement, class attendance, workload, academic excellence, church attendance, chapel attendance, and more.

“That’s so strict!” you might think.

Safety always has boundaries and limits. Freedom is never the absence of limitations. Rather, it is an understanding and compliance to those boundaries.

A Bible college student will have much more freedom than he had in high school, no doubt; especially if he is away from home for the first time. However, without unlimited freedom, Bible college is a safer environment than almost any other environment in the world.

Bible college provides a safe environment for all areas of life

Parents, are you worried about what will happen to your child after graduation? Are you battling the internal conflict of wanting them to grow up… but not wanting them to grow up? Are you concerned that no place will be as safe as home? Are you worried they will not be taught well? Or that they will not find good friends? Or that everything they have ever known will be undermined?

Bible college is the safest place you could put them, most likely. As much as humanly possible, Bible college provides a safe environment for teaching, for socializing, and for all areas of life.

About the Author

Ryan Rench serves as the youth director and associate pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Temecula, CA, under his father’s leadership, Pastor W. M. Rench. Ryan’s family moved to Temecula in 1987 to plant the church where Ryan was reared and is now on staff. He earned his Master’s Degree in Ministry from Heartland Baptist Bible College in 2010. Ryan Rench married his wife, Jamie, in 2008, and they have three children: Abe, Charlotte, and Gwen. Ryan blogs at RyanRench.com and has published several books, including, A Case For Bible College and One Youth Pastor’s Toolbox, available from Calvary Baptist Publications.

Worship and the Ear of God

Worship is one of the most abused and misunderstood aspects of Christianity. Dr. Dave Hardy’s book, Worship and the Ear of God, cuts through the noise and confusion surrounding the subject of worship. In chapter two of his book, Dr. Hardy illustrates through the life of Abraham, that worship is predicated on a personal relationship with the Father.

Worship and the Ear of God

The following is an excerpt taken from chapter two of Worship and the Ear of God, Dave Hardy, The Global Baptist Times.

Right up front, I have to concede that I am convinced that biblical worship strengthens and deepens our relationship with the Father. This is not to discount the benefits of prayer, praise, or other acts of love, which are many. Like any good father, our Heavenly Father wants to hear from His children. I am always glad to hear from my son. He may ask me if I can help him with a project or if he can borrow a tool. He may call just to ask my thoughts on a particular situation. There have been many of those occasions, and I was always happy to be involved.

In addition to that, however, I highly treasure the many notes he has written. Some were on Father’s Day, often in the flyleaf of a book. At other times, it was a letter for no particular occasion. The notes were about what I had meant to him as a dad. I am aware that I fell short many times, but he always had something to say about a benefit that was his because of me. I still have those notes, many written years ago.

My point is this: all of God’s sons and daughters have needs, and He is very accommodating. He is the one and only Father who has it all. But shouldn’t there be a special time when we honor Him for Who He is? We cannot buy Him a book or send Him a letter, but is there something He would treasure that we can give? There is. We can pray to Him, and we can praise Him, but we will never be closer than when we worship Him. When we kneel before Him, it is a one-on-one time with everything and everyone else closed out. We can gain God’s attention in effectual prayer and praise, but if you want that special closeness, choose worship. You may find that you have His ear more than ever before.

Abraham’s example of worship

Abraham had that special relationship with God. He is the first person to whom the word worship is ascribed. What we learn from him—as a person, from his family, and from his dealings with God—is of immeasurable value. I never tire of reading about his pilgrimage and the myriad lessons to be learned from him. Abraham certainly had the ear of God, and part of that may be because God had Abraham’s ear. When God spoke to him in Genesis 12 about leaving all that he had known, Abraham was listening.

God did not always respond to Abraham within a moment’s notice. However, He always did respond, and His response was never too late to serve the better purpose. Isaac may have been a long time in coming, but he came, nonetheless. Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He spoke to Abraham about it, and Abraham interceded for the people living there. Abraham asked God if He would spare the city if fifty righteous people could be found. God listened and honored that request. Unfortunately (you know the rest of the story), fifty righteous people could not be found! A lengthy exchange ensued between Abraham and God as the number was reduced, little by little, all the way down to ten. Abraham had God’s ear at every step, and God responded positively to every request.

Abraham’s relationship with God

If you are familiar with the biblical account of Abraham and his conversations with God, you know there was something special in their relationship. In spite of this, the biblical account makes it plain that Abraham had a number of failures in his life as well. I simply mention this to remind us that God did not require perfection of him. But a cursory reading of Genesis 12 and other sections of Scripture reveals that Abraham was committed to building altars to meet with God (Gen. 12:7, 8; 13:4; 22:9). Altars are for sacrifice and worship.

It was Abraham’s relationship with God that gained him a hearing—not his much speaking, like that of the heathen as recorded in Matthew 6:7. That passage is reminiscent of I Kings 18:21—40 with its account of the standoff between Elijah and the prophets of Baal. They cried unto Baal all morning with no response. At noon Elijah mocked them and their god. They continued their antics until the time of the evening sacrifice, yet it gained them nothing. Then Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord—a place for sacrifice and worship. Following that, he spoke for approximately thirty seconds, and the fire fell and consumed the sacrifice.

One of the most amazing statements about Abraham is found in James 2:23. The Bible says, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

Are you God’s friend?

I am thankful that I have many friends. Some are as close as family to me. However, I cannot bring myself to claim to be known as the friend of God. I would like this to be said of me, but only He can give that distinction. On the other hand, He has certainly been a Friend to me.

One major characteristic of friendship is communication. Each has the other’s ear. Abraham’s faith is well noted and certainly holds a place in his relationship with God and having God’s ear. However, do not miss the fact that Abraham’s faith required an object. That object was God. God was his substance of things hoped for when there was no visible evidence. Let’s say it this way: Who God was and What God was were enough for Abraham. We all face times in life when God is the only One who can help us. What is the ear of God worth then?

The act of worship demonstrates worth

Another account of worship and someone having access to the ear of God is found in Matthew 15:21-28. When Jesus entered the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, a woman approached Him concerning her daughter who was “…grievously vexed with a devil.” In verses 23 and 24, she was unable to get a hearing from Jesus or His disciples. In verse 25, she “worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.” Still her request was unanswered, but she had gained a hearing. Jesus then explained to her that He was sent primarily to the Jews and that it wasn’t right for Him to deviate from that work.

The example He used was that of a man taking food from his kids and feeding the dogs. It was a picture of the household pet hanging around for scraps. She agreed but reminded Him that the dogs got the leftover crumbs that fell from the table. Here, then, was a great revelation of her evaluation of the Lord. The act of worship had already illustrated His worth to her, but another dimension was added when she basically said, “You are so powerful that I do no need much. Just a crumb from You would be more than enough to meet my daughter’s need.”

When a leper threw himself at Jesus’ feet and worshipped Him, He responded by healing the man immediately (Matt. 8:2,3). Jairus, a synagogue official, worshipped the Lord, and He raised his daughter from the dead (Matt. 9:18-25). Jesus readily received worship and responded to it.

God seeks people to worship Him

As in the story of Abraham, what the Lord could and would do was premised on who and what He was. He commended the aforementioned woman for her great faith, but that great faith could only be possible when based on a great God. Keep in mind that people respond to, and are drawn to, things or people whom they like and whom they desire. God seeks people to worship Him (John 4:23).

The Global Baptist Times

Worship and the Ear of God is published by Global Baptist Times. Click here for more information on the Global Baptist Times or to check out their other resources.

God Has Changed My Point of View

My Life

I was saved at the age of eight and was raised in a Christian home. When every kid is little, they don’t know what they are going to do. Of course, they have ideas; they want to be a firefighter, or they want to be an astronaut. Although, I wasn’t completely sure what I was going to do, I was certain that I was not going to be a pastor. And, I knew for a fact that I wasn’t going to be in the ministry. Four years later, I surrendered my life to Christ and to whatever He wanted me to do. As I got into my teen years, I kind of set that aside inwardly, because I didn’t really want to acknowledge it.

My Plans

I had some plans that I thought I would follow. I enjoy music and politics. So I thought that maybe I would go into politics; you know, those are very similar. But, I knew for sure that I wasn’t going to be in the ministry. I knew, inwardly, that God was calling me to be in the ministry, and over the next three to four years I thought it over for quite some time.

In the summer of 2016, Bro. Park Sutton was preaching at Indian Creek Baptist Camp in Indiana. It was there when I finally surrendered to be in full time ministry. I finally gave it over to God and decided to follow His will. I prayed some more, and I realized that God would have me to come to Heartland Baptist Bible College. After I surrendered, God gave me peace and contentment because I was following His will. Although I had visited the college before, I felt something different this time because I knew that I was in the middle of God’s will.

My Experience at Heartland

God has used Heartland’s structure that is geared towards spiritual growth. The RA’s, have been in my life to teach and instruct me spiritually. And I can’t forget the teachers and chapel preachers that give their time and effort week in and week out here at the college.

While at Heartland, God has blessed me with opportunities to serve at Southwest Baptist Church. Through the different ministries there, through the choir here at college, and through the visitation ministry and outreach, there has been a blessing far more than I could ever comprehend. God has taken what seemed at one point an inconvenience in my life and a departure from what I wanted to do, and He has blessed me and has used it in a way that I could have never imagined.

My New Home

By following His will, God has changed my point of view. I didn’t see Heartland Baptist Bible College here on 4700 Northwest 10 Street as just a college campus anymore; I see it as a home. I don’t see the training and the classes as just school anymore; I see it as preparation for a future ministry. Finally, I don’t look at Heartland Baptist Bible College as just a group of college students or as a program that I can be a part of; I see it as God’s perfect will for my life.

Through my time so far at Heartland Baptist Bible College, God has shown me that following His will is always the best way. I would like to finish with these very familiar verses, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct they paths.”