By Message Staff
PINEVILLE – A movement by the Holy Spirit prompted 50 Louisiana College students to come to the altar and make life-changing decisions for Jesus during the opening day of the fall campus revival Tuesday, Sept. 17.
In his message based on 1 Peter 1, Don Wilton, revival evangelist and pastor of the First Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina, told the students to obey God’s call on their lives.
“Today I invite you to just settle the ‘who are you’ part of your life,” Wilton said. “Just nail down that today.
“You want to know what to do?” he continued. “All I can tell you is what Jesus tells us to do. Just lay it down, settle who you are before Him. If you don’t know Jesus Christ, come today. Give your life to Christ.”
Wilton told the students God values all of them, and encouraged them to keep him first during their life as a college student and afterwards.
“I want to thank God because He’s given you, through the new birth, a living hope,” he said. “You are not hopeless. You have a reason to live. You’ve got a purpose. You’re not a nobody. You’re somebody in and through the Lord Jesus.”
He reminded those who have placed their faith in Christ that they are not residents of earth, but strangers because their final destination is heaven.
“You don’t fit in,” Wilton said. “You’re different. If in fact you are who you say you are, you’re a stranger. We don’t march according to the norm. Let’s just let God be God.”
LC President Rick Brewer said the college staff and local pastors have prayed countless times throughout the summer God would stir in the students’ hearts. Since classes began in August, an additional 50 students have surrendered their lives to Christ, including 25 who turned to Jesus during a session on personal evangelism in late August.
“As we launch our year-long emphasis on the study of 1 Peter, I can’t think of a better person to start us off than Don Wilton,” Brewer said of his long-time friend. “The awakening has just begun. We can sense what God is doing here. We’re excited and are anticipating a mighty movement of the Holy Spirit.”
Each student who made a decision received the discipleship book “Joy Through Suffering” which was written by LC leaders. Members of the LC staff and local pastors will follow up with each individual who made decisions Tuesday to determine how many decisions were for salvation or for rededication.
The year-long study features all chapel sermons to be based on the book of 1 Peter. Additionally, every Baptist Collegiate Ministries meeting will expound further on each chapel sermon, and students will gather in 35 small discipleship groups weekly to study the book more in-depth.
The revival service, which took place in Guinn Auditorium, continues Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Wilton will continue his messages on 1 Peter 1, and worship will be led by the LC chapel praise band. The public is invited to attend.
