The service begins with the readings of Isaiah 40:31 and Psalm 27:14 (00:00-00:28). No introduction is given for John Terrill Wayland, but he was Professor of Religious Education. He begins by speaking about America’s status for popularity concerning religion, questioning its legitimacy. He mentions statistics showing that more activities occur in church today than prayer, proceeding to emphasize the importance and difficulties of recovering prayer in our churches. These difficulties include one’s intellect, devotion, and, most of all, desire to be with God (00:29-06:22). Created in the image of God, we find our highest self in prayer, not merely in thinking or in struggling (06:23-08:27). Jesus’s disciples saw the effects of prayer on Him, saying to Him, “teach us to pray” (08:28-09:16). Prayer is a combination of two great truths: we must surrender our wills completely to God’s will, and we must assert ourselves to commune with God in faith (09:17-10:54). It is good to know that all that we ask will not be done by God, since God will accomplish His purposes instead of our purposes (10:55-12:10). We should pray so that we might find God and His strength for daily living as well as to see prayers answered for the good of all in God’s timing (12:11-13:54). He closes his time by reciting a poem about prayer (13:55-14:44) and praying (14:45-15:20).
The service begins with prayer (00:00-03:54). Dr. Binkley introduces the speaker, William W. Leathers, Jr., who was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Henderson, NC (03:55-06:22). His message focuses on an event in the life of David when he sought refuge with his enemy, the Philistines, due to low faith, from 1 Samuel 30:6 (06:23-10:02). He discusses three paradoxes/alternatives/dilemmas which frequently face people: the matter of faith or frustration (10:03-11:17), the matter of prayer or paralysis (11:18-13:08), and the alternative of obedience or obstinancy (13:09-15:00). He recalls the persuasive preaching of George Pruitt, in which he said, “obedience is the song for a thousand victories” (15:01-17:31). He ends his time in prayer (17:32-18:12).
Raymond Eugene Owens was Assistant Professor of Preaching. The Lord’s prayer takes place from 1:15-1:36. An introduction to the speaker is given from 1:44-2:21. Dr. Owens speaks from 2:27-21:39. His source texts were Exodus 34:1-7 and Luke 9:23-26, 57-62. He asks the chapel if they have truly counted the costs of Christian discipleship. Owens states that we are called to share in the suffering of God.
Henry Turlington was pastor of University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC. The service begins with scripture reading and music from 0:00-0:40. There is a prayer from 0:47-2:42. An introduction to the speaker is made from 2:45-3:45. Rev. Turlington preaches from 3:58-26:30. His source text was various verses in Galatians. Turlington preached on how the gospel needs to break down barriers and build bonds of love. He encourages the students to preach the real, true gospel message.
After reading Lamentations 3:40, Psalm 145:8, and Matthew 18:3, and a prayer (start-3:45), Dr. Edwin Luther Copeland, Professor of Missions, shares the second of three lectures on the theme of Worship and the Church of God. For this message he focused on “Worship and the Church’s Work” and preached from Hebrews 13:15-16.
R. Paul Kercher, a graduate student at SEBTS, re-shares one of his professor’s lectures entitled, “The Greatest Need in the Christian Church is Ecstasy.”
