If they have a good work ethic, most people possess the ability and intelligence to learn. The opportunity to listen and learn fromminds that have been sharpened through years of training will accelerate critical thinking skills and general knowledge. 1000 Days spent in dedicated study allows for the development of a well-rounded individual. Cedarville adds a unique twist on training the mind because we pursue truth. Truth comes fromGod’s revealed Word. Jesus states as much when He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Secular universities may accumulate knowledge while improving thinking and debating skills, but the sandy beaches of secular humanismwill never form a foundation strong enough to withstand the waves of life. Knowledge perceived apart from the foundation of Scripture will never be viewed with an appropriate lens to achieve the goal of loving the Lord with all our minds. What is it worth to fulfill the greatest commandment and hear “Well done, good and faithful servant”? A FAITHFUL STEWARD God has given us many talents. We must seek to use these for His glory and our joy. College should be the place where a student discovers their God-given passions, aligns those passions with their God-given gifts, and then refines their talents to serve God with excellence. A student gifted in math may learn at a level not generally available in society and use those gifts for human flourishing. A student gifted with words or speech will practice and refine those gifts through interacting with wordsmiths, developing into a polished communicator. Some intelligent people grow up around slang or improper subject/verb agreement, which prevents their ideas from being well received by society at large. Education is a necessity for maximum impact in these situations. Students with a passion for healthcare, computers, or teaching can learn how to serve God, their nation, and one another with excellence. Learning the details of a discipline, developing proper bedside manner, and grasping a broad understanding of a subject occurs so much faster during the focused period of study we call college. This allows us to discover our vocational calling fromGod and to recognize that calling as a platform for the Gospel. Each individual learns to consider their vocation as ministry and a service to the Lord. By serving others with passion and excellence, we embrace the opportunity to speak into their lives and to share the life-changing good news of the Gospel. College should prepare you for a career. At Cedarville, 98.7% of 2023 graduates were in either graduate school or a vocation within six months of graduation. That’s well above the national average. In addition, statistics show that a college graduate earns much more than the average non-college graduate over the course of his or her lifetime. Running the basic metrics on earning demonstrates a good return on the investment. But this is not why we do what we do at Cedarville. We encourage you to use your gifts for God’s glory. You have one life. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Don’t waste your life. Maximize your impact for Christ. One day we will all give an account for howwe used our gifts. Will we be the faithful steward who doubled the gifts that the Lord gave us? Or will we be the unfaithful steward who dug a hole in the ground and waited for a master whom he did not know to return? SPIRITUAL GROWTH God has no spiritual grandchildren. When children leave the protection of a Christian home, they must own their faith in a way like never before. Mom and Dad are no longer close by, watching every move and speaking words of wisdom into their children’s thought processes. Do you want the next generation to have those words of a loving parent replaced by those of instructors convinced of secular humanism, evolution, and a godless society? There will always be those Daniels who stand strong in the face of opposition, but statistics show that we lose most young adults from the church by their sophomore year of college. Imagine with me … a place that encourages authentic Christian community; a place where the first night back on campus, thousands voluntarily gather to worship God through music rather than participate in alcohol-infested parties; a place where a biblical worldview comes through in every classroom; a place where every undergraduate student receives a minor in Bible; a place where Scripture is taught daily in chapel; a place where discipleship, prayer meetings, and honest conversations occur in the residence halls; a place that stands for theWord of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ … that place is worth the investment. And that place exists in the cornfields of southwest Ohio. I know that this investment is worth every penny because I am a father of a daughter in college. 3 John 4 states, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” And not just walking in the truth, but developing 4
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