Last week Joe Ball, director for discipleship and ministry in the office of university ministries, led the annual Faith in Practice three-day chapel series designed to teach students about discipleship.
This year, Ball’s message focused on the goodness and the trustworthiness of God.
The key verse in Wednesday’s service was Mark 1:14-20, and the message focused on Jesus’ call for us to drop everything and follow after Him. Like the disciples of Jesus, we have a calling to an eternal purpose. Ball discussed God’s call on our lives to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow after Jesus. Because God is good and trustworthy, we can follow Him. Then, as a follower of Jesus, you have a part to play in the kingdom of God.
“Jesus has a much higher view of what we can become as His follower than we could ever dream about ourselves,” said Ball.
On Thursday, Ball dove into the stories of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11 and Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. These stories force us to confront ourselves, both as the accusers and the accused. As the crowd surrounded the adulterous woman, each with a stone in their hand, we likewise prepare to cast judgment and condemnation upon others. Ball reminded students that they are not called to be the judge of others. Rather, Jesus stands as advocate, defending the broken and forgiving the sinner. Just as Jesus invited Himself into Zacchaeus’ home, He invites Himself into our lives to forgive and redeem.
“He gives the woman a place to belong before she believes,” said Ball. “No matter who you want to condemn today, God is good and He is trustworthy. Drop your stones.”
Olivia Vermilye, a sophomore forensic science major, attended the Faith in Practice chapel on Thursday. Hearing the correlation between the stories of the adulterous woman and Zacchaeus, Vermilye loved the message of viewing everyone in the light of grace and treating others equally.
“God died for all of us and all of our sins. Knowing that He will bring justice and having trust in God to do that, it takes a weight off and allows you to be more humble in how you treat people around you,” said Vermilye.
In the concluding message on Friday, Ball spoke on the parables found in Luke 15 of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the prodigal son. Jesus used these three parables to teach about the value of even just one sinner coming to know the Lord. While the Pharisees of the day judged Jesus for His acceptance of the tax collectors and the sinners, Jesus loved them and delighted in their repentance.
Ball spent significant time focusing on the parable of the prodigal son and our calling as Christians to run after lost and broken people. The younger brother demanded his inheritance and left his father’s house. When he finally came home, the older brother, who had remained with the father, refused to celebrate his brother’s return. As believers who have a role in God’s kingdom, we are called not to act like the older brother but rather to chase after the younger brother and bring him home.
In light of this, Ball reminded the students that Jesus is good, and He is trustworthy. He is the good and true older brother who came after His people. Likewise, believers are called to stand up for the lost and broken by first getting to know others, hearing their struggles and walking alongside them as they return to their Father’s house.
“Be willing to have conversations, get to know people’s names and their stories. Jesus identified people and their struggles fairly quickly it seems. But, Jesus took time to get to know them, hear their story and share with them. I think we can do that here,” said Ball.
If you were not able to hear Ball’s message in person or want to catch up on a day you missed, every chapel service is recorded and posted in a live stream format. The Faith in Practice services as well as all past chapels are available at https://livestream.com/uu/chapel or this link.
