Dr. Gyertson exhorts Institute Students to embrace Jesus everyday
This past Wednesday, our students were given the honor of hearing from Dr. David Gyertson during their weekly chapel service.
Dr. David Gyertson has a laundry list of accolades and ministerial positions that he’s held over the years. He has degrees from Michigan State and Spring Arbor University. He’s been Professor of Leadership Formation and Renewal at Regent University (which he founded with two others), served as Senior Fellow for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He’s written or edited over 300 journal and professional articles, consulted with over twenty organizations, and coached leadership-development to no less than a dozen CEOs of faith-based organizations. He worked for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in the production of teaching segments for multiple on-air programs, including the 700 Club. Currently, he serves as an executive coach to CEOs and Boards of faith-based nonprofits (as such, Dr. Gryertson has served as an executive coach for The Institute for GOD board of directors). If I included all of Dr. Gyertson’s accomplishments, I would far exceed my word-count max for this blog. Let me just sum it up by saying, God has used his life tremendously over several decades of ministry.
Dr. Gyertson has led The Institute for GOD Board of Directors through the ABHE’s “Excellence in Board Governance” training. His insight and wisdom has been such a blessing from God!
As an Institute, we’ve had the privilege of gleaning wisdom from Dr. Gyertson, as he is serving as coach to our board of directors while they progress through ABHE board governance training. His assistance has been a immense blessing to our leadership.
His message to our students on Wednesday was clear: ‘God knows what each generation needs, and he has chosen and prepared each of YOU to be his response to those needs. He has called you, and he’s promised to equip you.’ Dr. Gyertson led our students on an insightful and emotional journey through Psalm 27. Connecting the Psalm to King David’s story, Dr. Gyertson humanized and brought to life this beautiful piece of Hebrew poetry. He drew valuable lessons from the text, while sharing his personal testimony of God’s faithfulness in his own life.
As a young person, Dr. Gyertson was faced with challenges that would have left most people devastated and without hope. But God, in his providence, had different plans for David. Through the love of a certain husband and wife who invested in him when he was a teenager suffering from the hostility of a broken world, God changed the trajectory of his life and set him on a course that would result in countless people being blessed over the years.
Dr. Gryertson spoke during our weekly chapel event where students gather for prayer, worship and the Word followed by service projects around Nashville.
“God knows what he’s doing. He knows what each particular generation needs. God knows what this age needs is you. ”
Our students were deeply moved by the challenge of Dr. Gyertson’s words. They were encouraged to consider the two “Greats” of God’s word: The Great Commission and the Great Command. How do we achieve these ‘Greats’? What does it take to make a difference in the world for God and his kingdom? According to Dr. Gyertson, the answer is simpler than we often try to make it: Seek the Lord’s face. Draw near to him. Make his presence in your life your number one priority each and every day. Start every day by consciously embracing your identity in Jesus. Challenges will come, just as they did for King David and many other biblical characters. But when we prioritize intimacy with Jesus as our number one pursuit, God will use our lives to effect real change in the world.
We are very thankful for our accrediting association, The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), who regularly puts us in contact with godly men and women who invest in our leaders, and in doing so, our college at large.
