September 29, 2025

Weekly Email

Sep 29

In this week’s post:

Student Tip: Mind Shifts Matter
Program News: XXX

Student Tip: Mind Shifts Matter

Over the years I have noticed something in myself and in the students I work with. When the way you see yourself shifts, progress begins to stick. It is rarely dramatic, but over time it compounds.

I learned this when I picked up photography. For several years I took photographs but never really called myself a photographer. I was just a guy taking pictures. After reading Atomic Habits by James Clear, I started paying attention to the stories I told myself. He argued that identity shapes habits, and habits shape growth. So I began to say, “I am a photographer.” That small change gave me permission to grow. My skills improved, my confidence deepened, and eventually I found myself producing work that felt creative and alive.

Students face this same choice. Over the years I have heard versions of the same identity statements: I’m not a good writer. I’m not a good student. I’ll never be organized. Those labels do more damage than the assignments themselves. They quietly reinforce the very struggle you want to escape.

A mind shift will not turn you into an expert overnight, but it will put you on a healthier path. Try reframing:

Instead of I’m not a good writer → I am a student developing as a writer, and each assignment is progress.
Instead of I’m not a good reader; I never retain anything → I am a reader learning strategies to read and remember more effectively.
Instead of I’m not organized → I am becoming an organized person, taking small steps to manage my commitments better.

This is the difference between a fixed identity and a growth identity. You are not frozen in place. You are learning, progressing, and moving forward. That is part of what it means to be a student. You are not only absorbing content like theology, exegesis, and biblical counseling. You are also learning how to be a better writer, reader, and thinker. So as you move through your seminary studies, do not focus only on the content. Pay attention to the skills that are forming in the process.

In the same way I grew as a photographer once I began calling myself one, you will grow as a student when you see yourself as more than someone completing assignments. You are becoming a writer, a reader, a thinker, and a minister in training. That identity shapes the habits you build, and over time those habits will shape who you become.

Program News: Pastoral Counseling Workshop

The Pastoral Counseling Workshop (October 27–29, 2025) is a unique event specifically designed for men serving in counseling ministries. Attendees will learn directly from esteemed Southern Seminary faculty, including Dr. Jeremy Pierre, Dr. Robert Jones, Dr. Colin McCulloch, and Dr. Matthew Haste.

Participants will experience ministry-focused lectures and interactive discussions, structured within a refreshing retreat atmosphere. Attendees will enjoy shared meals featuring mentoring sessions and extensive networking opportunities with fellow ministry leaders and faculty.

The workshop fee ($700) covers complimentary lodging and all meals. Current master’s students can earn 3 hours of course credit (35077 Studies in Biblical Counseling) by attending and completing additional assignments, along with three nights of provided lodging.

Spaces are limited, so register early to secure a spot. Registration ends October 10.

If you think your pastor or someone in your church would benefit from this workshop, please pass along this information to them personally.

Learn more here: https://www.sbts.edu/counseling-workshop

If you’d like to attend the workshop and take the associated course (35077 – Studies in Biblical Counseling) for credit, note that regular tuition applies in addition to the workshop fee. A limited number of scholarships are available for master’s-level students on a first-come, first-served basis.