Collins challenges students to turn the world upside down
At 9:00 on Monday, August 10th—the first day of the 2016-2017 academic school year—President Dean Collins turned over an hour glass and asked the students, “What are you going to do with the time you have been given this year?”
Convocation, held at Spring Road Christian Church, kicked off the start of the academic year with Wye Huxford, Vice President of Spiritual Formation, introducing the spiritual formation theme for the year: “Unleashed: Turning the World Upside Down” based on the Acts 17:6, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also.” Over 800 students, faculty and staff were led in worship by students Garret Motes, Eric Hindman, Tyrell Askew, Dylan Moore and Mercedes Elston. Simone Cox and Julius Dixon led the opening and closing benedictions.
President Collins then preached a sermon challenging students to be instruments of peace and love in a chaotic world, to turn the world upside down just like Christ has turned their life upside down. He reminded students that this world was not always chaotic; God designed creation to be in perfect harmony with Him. Yet man chose to rebel and to sin against Him, and since that moment, each person is born with an hour glass counting down their days. There has been no lasting peace; nations have crumbled, national disasters have wreaked havoc, and wars have devastated people. Yet God was so loving as to send His Son to change the pattern of destruction—to turn the world upside down.
Christ’s transformative power is still at work today in each of his followers. Collins reminded students that as disciples of Christ, we are equipped with the same power of Christ to turn the lives of others upside down. God has given us each gifts and passions that can be used to transform our family, our communities and the world.
He reminded students that it starts on the campus of Point University. He called students to begin day one of their school year, as soon as they exited the doors of Spring Road Christian Church, living a life of restoration and redemption. As students exited, they received a small hour glass as a reminder to make the most of their time on earth and to use it for the glory of God to impact culture for Christ.