Weekly Email: May 19, 2025

I hope you had a great weekend! As your schedule fills up this spring, remember to keep faithfulness, not just grades, at the forefront of your seminary journey. This week's email includes:

• A timely reminder on prioritizing faithfulness over academic pressure.

• A practical way to use our Preview Courses as discipleship tools in your local church.

Student Tip: Faithfulness over Grades

As we find ourselves starting our seventh week into the spring term, graduation parties and warmer weather are beginning to fill our schedules. For many of us, this season brings soccer games, baseball practices, summer trips, and family visits. Life is busy, and juggling seminary studies alongside these responsibilities can quickly feel overwhelming. Amid this chaos, remember the calling that brought you here: to equip yourself as faithful ministers of the gospel.

The Tension Between Calling and Busyness

You're in seminary because you've been called by God to preach, teach, or counsel, all while sharing the grace and love of Christ. It's a noble and sobering mission. But let's be honest: the daily grind of assignments, deadlines, and unexpected life events can make it feel like your education is slipping through the cracks. The pressure to perform academically can weigh heavily, especially when you're already stretched thin.

Here's a gentle reminder: God isn't looking at your transcript. He's not grading you on an A, B, or C scale. What He desires is faithfulness, faithfulness to Him, to your studies, and to the people you serve. Grades may fluctuate, but your commitment to faithfulness can remain steadfast.

Faithfulness, Not Perfection

For those of us who lean toward perfectionism, this can be a hard truth to embrace. We want to excel in every area, to drop no balls, and to prove ourselves capable. But the gospel frees us from the burden of perfection. God doesn't require flawless performance; He calls us to wholehearted devotion. Whether you earn an A or a C, what matters is your faithfulness in the process.

Consider this: some of the most effective ministers I know didn't graduate at the top of their class. What set them apart was their faithfulness and their ability to take what they learned and apply it to their ministry. They prioritized their calling over their GPA, and God is using them mightily.

Practical Steps Toward Balance

Faithfulness in seminary doesn't mean neglecting your studies. It means finding a healthy balance between academic responsibilities and other areas of life. Here are a few practical tips to stay on track:

1. Schedule Wisely: Block out dedicated study time in your calendar. Treat it as non-negotiable, just like a ministry meeting or family event.

2. Communicate Clearly: If life gets overwhelming, reach out to your professors and OTAs to develop a game plan. Our Academic Advisors (academicadvising@sbts.edu) are always ready to help.

3. Prioritize Prayer: Begin each study session with prayer, asking God for focus, wisdom, and balance.

4. Set Realistic Goals: Break large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks. Celebrate small wins along the way.

5. Guard Your Rest: Make time for rest. Burnout undermines faithfulness.

The Heart of the Matter

At the end of the day, seminary is about more than earning a degree. It’s about becoming a more effective minister of the gospel, deepening your understanding of Scripture, growing in personal holiness, and equipping yourself to serve others well. These goals matter most.

So, when the pressure mounts and the to-do list feels endless, take a deep breath. Remember that God sees your heart. He’s not measuring your success by worldly standards. He’s calling you to faithfulness, to love Him, to love others, and to steward the gifts He’s given you.

Program News: Seminary Preview Courses as Discipleship Tools

At our most recent Experiential Modular, I spoke with a current student facing a common question: "How can I discern if someone in my church is called to ministry or further responsibilities within the church, and if so, should they pursue seminary or have an appetite for it?" This prompted me to highlight an often overlooked resource, our Course Previews.

Course Previews offer prospective students a genuine glimpse into online courses at Southern Seminary, providing full access to course content, videos, syllabi, and structure, minus graded assignments. Currently, we offer previews for:

• Systematic Theology 3 with Dr. Greg Allison

• New Testament 1 with Dr. Jonathan Pennington

• Intro to Biblical Counseling with Dr. Jeremy Pierre

• Hermeneutics (coming soon) with Dr. Brian Vickers

These previews aren’t just informative; they can also serve as powerful discipleship tools. If you’re discipling someone who shows promise for ministry or greater church involvement, consider guiding them through one of these courses. Let me know if you recommend someone who signs up, and as a current student, I’ll provide you direct access links so you can easily walk alongside them in their theological education and discernment process.

Also, if you have someone in your life who might be interested in enrolling at Southern Seminary with our online program, I'd encourage you to share this link with them. It's a no-pressure way to discover what we're about here at Southern.

Link to Preview Courses

Quick Reference of Upcoming Term Dates:

• Current Week: Spring 2, Week 7 (May 19-25)

• Summer Term Begins: June 2, 2025

• Fall 1 Term Begins: August 4, 2025

• Fall 2 Term Begins: October 6, 2025

Register for Courses →
Register for Fall Experiential Modulars →

Thanks for reading! I’ll check in next Monday. You can browse past emails in thearchiveor exploreCourse Snapshotsto find textbooks, course descriptions, and details about what we offer online.