Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary

Dr. Jim Tillotson continues the dating series with a practical, pastor-hearted session focused on two questions: who should I date, and when should I date? Drawing from 2 Corinthians 6, Proverbs, and eighteen years of pastoral counseling, he presents a detailed checklist for evaluating a potential dating partner and a set of guiding principles for when and how to begin dating.Scripture Texts2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Proverbs 22:24-25; Proverbs 25:19; Proverbs 13:20; 1 Timothy 5:8; Romans 13:14Main Points or IdeasWho should I date? Only a true born-again believer - The Bible is clear: do not be unequally yoked. Evangelistic dating — pursuing someone with the hope of leading them to Christ — is the exception, not the rule, and almost always ends with the Christian being pulled away rather than the unbeliever being drawn in. Tillotson reinforces this with pastoral experience: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Someone who drinks, looks at pornography, hates church, or has a bad temper while dating on their best behavior is unlikely to change after the wedding.Ten questions to ask when dating - Tillotson presents a practical screening checklist: Are they active in church — and do they serve, not just sit? Do they respect God's Word and respond to it? Are they honest — because if they lie to others, they'll lie to you? Do they control their temper? Are they lazy? Do you respect their character? What is their attitude toward authority? How do they treat their parents? Will you have to constantly apologize for them? And what are their moral standards — are they pushing the physical relationship forward?The progression chart and physical purity - Tillotson presents a chart showing that physical intimacy follows a natural God-designed progression: holding hands → hugging → kissing → long kissing → petting → sex. This progression typically unfolds within six months to a year. Starting it too early in relationship to a marriage timeline creates enormous pressure toward sexual sin. The solution is to build the relationship spiritually and emotionally first, to set personal dating standards in writing before entering a relationship, to agree with the person you're dating on those standards early, and to have accountability in place — someone you would hate to have to tell if you go too far.When should I date, and the ABCs of love - There is no magical age, but the highest prerequisites are God's approval, parental approval, and personal readiness — meaning you have developed your own dating standards and understand both the benefits and dangers of the process. Tillotson encourages students to date while in Christian community, to date long and engage short, and to look for someone who embodies the ABCs: Accepts you as you are, Believes you are valuable, Cares when you're hurt, Desires the best for you, and Erases all offenses.ConclusionDr. Jim closes by reminding students that no one gets married wishing they had gone further physically before the wedding — and that the point of all this is not restriction but preparation for a lifelong marriage that honors God. Make no provision for the flesh, set a curfew, write out your standards, and trust God to bring the right person in his timing.

Dr. Marty Herron opens with Robert Fulghum's bestselling book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and the simple rules from the sandbox — play fair, don't hit, share, say sorry. He then pivots to Romans 12 and argues that Paul covers the same ground in a far more binding and inspired way: every believer should live harmoniously with all people, if possible.Scripture TextRomans 12:17-21Main Points or IdeasDon't retaliate (v. 17a) - "Recompense to no man evil for evil" is an absolute — never, not most of the time. Revenge is not the same as justice. Justice says, "This must be made right." Revenge says, "I'll make you hurt." Hollywood did not invent revenge — it found an audience for something already living in the human heart. The text, the social media reply typed to sting — that is retaliation. Herron reminds students that Paul told the Romans God himself is the avenger (v. 19) and that the government holds the sword for civil justice (Romans 13). Personal revenge is never the believer's role.Think ahead and do right (v. 17b) - "Provide things honest in the sight of all men" is literally a command to think beforehand — to be proactive rather than reactive. People are watching how believers respond when they are wronged. Responding is what you choose; reacting is what happens to you. Booker T. Washington put it well: "I will not let any man make me lower myself by hating him."Pursue peace persistently (v. 18) - "If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men." The two qualifiers Paul himself included — "if possible" and "as much as lies in you" — acknowledge two realities: it is not always possible, and it does not always depend on you. Repentance and forgiveness are one-way streets you control; restoration is a two-way street that requires the other person. Herron illustrates the difference through David and Saul: David could not make Saul peaceful, but he could govern his own response. He refused to throw the spear back. You cannot control the spear someone throws — you can decide whether to throw one back.ConclusionDr. Herron closes by contrasting two scenes: the David-in-the-cave moment of remarkable restraint, and a kindergarten graduation in Toledo, Ohio where a twenty-six-year-old woman slammed another woman's head against a seat in a dispute over seating — with the children waiting in the back in their graduation gowns. The adults had forgotten what the kindergartners were there to celebrate. His closing challenge is simple: grow up, move out of the kindergarten days of the old self, and let the sandbox rules — now grounded in Romans 12 — shape the culture of this campus.

Jeff Musgrave, who works in evangelism and discipleship training, opens by arguing that the gospel is not the exclusive domain of gifted communicators and platform speakers — it is for ordinary people.Drawing from 1 Corinthians 1:17–2:5, he walks through what the gospel is not, what it is, why God chose to work through weak people to proclaim it, and what that looks like practically in the local church.Scripture Texts1 Corinthians 1:17–2:5; 1 Corinthians 9:22; 2 Corinthians 2:14Main Points or IdeasWhat the gospel is not (1 Corinthians 1:17-20) - Six negatives: the gospel is not human engineered (Christ sent Paul — man never could have conceived of such a remedy); not mere religious activity (inviting people to church is nice, but proclaiming the gospel is the call); not a negative message (it is literally "one who shares good news"); not human logic or persuasion (smooth presentations are not what saves people — the message itself does); not a crossless message (apart from the substitutionary death of Christ, there is no gospel and no forgiveness); and not empty hope (the gospel genuinely transforms those who believe it, unlike the hollow words spoken at a deathbed).What the gospel is (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) - Six positives: the message of the cross (displaying God's holiness, justice, love, and grace simultaneously); foolishness to those who are perishing (rejection can be expected, but some will respond); the power of God (God is still in the saving business right now, and if you give the gospel to enough people, some will be saved); the wisdom of God (no human mind could have conceived of the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection as the solution to sin); the person and work of Jesus Christ (the power and wisdom of God personified, now dwelling within every believer); and the exceeding excellence of God (the foolishness of God is wiser than men — illustrated by Voltaire's printing press and house being used to print and store Bibles after his death).Why God chose ordinary people (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) - Not many wise, powerful, or noble were called. God deliberately chose the foolish, the weak, the lowly — so that no human being might boast. The source of every believer's adequacy is verse thirty: because of God, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to you wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The only boast is in the Lord.What this looks like in the local church (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) - Paul models it through four qualities: God's fixed strategy (depending only on the testimony of God, not superior speech); Paul's focus (knowing nothing except Christ crucified — not political opinions or cultural commentary); Paul's frailty (coming in weakness, fear, and trembling — the normal experience of effective gospel witnesses); and Paul's fragrance (the Holy Spirit creates an invisible aura around Spirit-filled believers that impacts people whether they want to be impacted or not). The goal is faith, not convinced brains. The method is sharing the gospel. The confidence is the power of God.ConclusionMusgrave closes with three summary statements: faith is our goal (we are speaking to hearts, not just minds); sharing the gospel is our method; and the power of God is our confidence. God wants ordinary people to carry the most powerful message in the world — and because it is his power and not ours, we can count on it to do its work.

Rand Hummel closes his three-session series with a message on dating, reading a series of love notes he has collected from campers over the years to capture the reality of how teenagers and young adults approach romance — and then turning to Genesis 24 as a model for what God-honoring pursuit of a life partner actually looks like.Scripture TextGenesis 24:1-27Main Points or IdeasQuestions to settle before you pursue anyone - Using Abraham's charge to his servant as the framework, Hummel raises four foundational questions. When can you start? Not at a set age, but when you are genuinely aware of both the benefits and the dangers of the process. What part do parents play? They don't choose for you as in Bible times, but honor them by keeping them involved — they love you and want God's best. Does your future partner need to be saved? Absolutely — the pattern is clear that an unbelieving spouse will pull your heart away from God. Should you pray about this? Yes, and not just vague prayers — pray daily for your future spouse's purity, walk with God, and protection right now.What you can do to attract the right partner - Rebekah's character in Genesis 24 provides two simple principles. Stay sharp physically — take care of yourself so that your countenance reflects what is inside. Stay strong spiritually — let the fruit of the Spirit overflow into unselfishness. Hummel illustrates this with Rebekah's willingness to water ten camels (an estimated three hundred to five hundred gallons), then warns students to avoid selfish partners: ask a guy what God taught him in his devotions this week and you will know a great deal about him.Guard your virginity and purity - Hummel applies 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 directly: your body belongs to God, not to you, and every act of sexual sin is a sin against your own body. He gives practical handles — avoid situations that make purity hard, learn to say no, refuse to make out, and flee youthful lusts. He illustrates the cost of premarital sex through the story of a young woman who must confess her past to a man who has stayed pure for her, and through the grief of a father receiving news of an unplanned pregnancy. The consequences of sexual sin — broken trust, intensified struggle, STDs, pregnancy, and lifelong regret — cannot be chosen away.ConclusionRand Hummel closes with the ultimate goal: please God with patience and purity, and it leads to a love that lasts a lifetime. Keep your heart for God — don't let anything steal it away — and trust him to provide the right partner in his time and in his way.

In his second of three chapel sessions this week, Rand Hummel opens by stating his theme plainly: "You talk about what you think about, and you think about what you really love."Using medieval castle warfare as his organizing framework, he argues that the thought life is a constant spiritual battle requiring the same strategic preparation a castle garrison would apply against an approaching enemy.Scripture TextsProverbs 5:22; 2 Peter 2:14; Psalm 101:3; Psalm 119:11; Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8Main Points or IdeasKeep committed to pleasing your Lord and King - Like a medieval knight pledging his life and loyalty to the king, the believer's thought life must be ordered around the Shema — God first, others second. Hummel argues that when believers are actively focused outward (serving at camp, pouring into others), they are too busy and purposeful to fall into the trap of self-centered thinking. The problem begins when the order inverts: me first, others second, God last.Keep a proper view of the enemy - The enemy is not just temptation but sin itself, which must be hated — not merely avoided. Romans 12:9 calls believers to abhor evil. The pattern of Proverbs 5:22 is sobering: a man's own iniquity takes him captive and holds him with the cords of his sin. Hummel leads a live group meditation exercise on this verse and on 2 Peter 2:14 to illustrate what it looks like to slowly and carefully engage the mind with a passage — sitting with the personal pronouns, the military language of capture and chains, and the word picture of eyes full of adultery — rather than simply reading past it. The take-home: most people fall into habitual sin because they have never learned to truly hate what God hates.Keep the enemy as far away as possible - The castle's defenses — the hilltop position, the cleared approach, the moat, the drawbridge (which could only be opened from the inside), the thick walls, and the inner keep — all illustrate one principle: make it hard to sin. Nobody can make you lower your own drawbridge. No one can force a choice. Psalm 101:3 ("I will set no wicked thing before my eyes") is not only a prohibition but a promise — it will not cling to me, it will not become habitual to me. The believers who struggle most are often those who have never made Job's covenant with their eyes and never learned to simply refuse to go near the door.Keep constantly prepared — through the Word - The weapon for the battle of the mind is Scripture hidden in the heart (Psalm 119:11). Hummel encourages students not to think of this as memorization but as saturation — reading a passage five times a night for two months rather than drilling it. The result, as Romans 12:2 promises, is transformation by the renewing of the mind: not conformed to the world's mold but proved to know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.ConclusionHe closes by urging students to meditate — in groups of four or five over coffee, or alone in their rooms — and to keep their hearts for God. The battle of the mind is won or lost not in a single dramatic moment but in the daily discipline of filling the mind with what is true, honest, just, and pure.