Spiritual Deepening Week: A conversation with guest speaker Christian Carson

What are a few of the most significant challenges college students often face in their spiritual journeys, and how can they overcome them?

In my opinion, the most significant challenge students face in their spiritual journey during college is the search for identity. It is a transformative, developmental season of life where young adults are forced out of the bubble that their families, hometowns and friend groups have comfortably curated for them. It is where they'll intersect with different cultures, belief systems, backgrounds and paradigms at high speeds. It is where independence is heightened, influence is levied, insecurity is exposed, income is almost nonexistent and information is infinite. When I look at the foremost strategic attack of the enemy at the beginning of both testaments in the Bible, he seems to attack identity first. He ran the same play on the second Adam that he ran on the first Adam. He attacked identity. In Genesis 3 his proposal was that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would "be like God." Of course, we understand that they were already "like God" being made in his image. In Matthew 4, his proposal to Jesus was: "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Of course, we understand that just one chapter prior, God had already affirmed Jesus when he was baptized, saying "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Much like college, both of these settings were inundated with attacks on identity in the midst of temptation to fulfill physical lusts, selfish ambitions and prideful idolatry.

The only way we overcome these temptations is the way Jesus overcame them. Each time he was tempted he responded with "It is written!" Constant washing and conditioning from the Word of God is what will ground your identity in an ever-evolving and goalpost-moving world. This is how we fix our eyes on Jesus. To be even more specific, what was extremely transformational for my relationship with God was literally getting acquainted with the historical narrative and context of the Bible. Not just reading it as a moral standard, but a constitution of a Kingdom; an actual historical document that requires research and context. I would encourage students to learn the cultural context it was written in, learn the historical timelines, learn the chronological order of the books, follow the journey of the Jewish people throughout the Old Testament and the consistency of their shortcomings as a historian. We often limit scriptures that reference the "knowledge of Christ" to salvation, however getting to really know Christ, his country, his people and his ancestry really helped to ground me in his message, as well as my identity within it.

What themes or topics are you addressing during Spiritual Deepening Week, and why do you feel they are particularly relevant right now?

When I was informed that the theme for this year's Spiritual Deepening Week centered around fixing our eyes on Jesus, I immediately became excited and expectant, because Christ-centered messages are essential for the production of faith and the impartation of truth. And truth makes us free. However, the enemy is far more familiar with this revelation, and has seen it play out generation after generation through the annals of history. Ephesians 6 references the "wiles of the devil." These are basically strategies, gimmicks and deceptions he employs to keep us blind. My intent is to uncover five of those wiles that prevent us from fixing our eyes on Jesus, based on biblical narratives of real people in practical situations. This is relevant right now because the present age has grown far more liberal and open to syncretism, which doesn't throw out the tenants of Christian faith completely, but does dilute the centrality of the person of Jesus Christ.

What role do community and fellowship play in a student's spiritual development, and how can Trevecca cultivate a stronger sense of these elements?

I truly believe that community and fellowship are essential to spiritual development. Why? Because I think the Bible makes it clear! After the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, we see the inauguration of the first church in Acts 2:42-4. This church was largely built around fellowship and community. The Bible says that the believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." These devotions produced real, tangible spiritual formation in the people who attended. The Bible describes an increase in reverence for God, generosity among believers and corporate worship that caused the church to grow. So not only was it spiritually beneficial to those in the community; it was attractive to those outside the community - making it their most effective evangelism tool. The Bible says "the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." But it was all rooted in the community: "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts."

To foster this sense of community, Trevecca should just keep doing what it has been doing! Continue to prioritize spiritual formation in community and provide outlets for students to seek God authentically, be open to collaboration and thought-partnership with believers from different backgrounds, denominations, expressions and cultures. And think outside the box to brainstorm new, inventive strategies to enhance cultural relevance of the strategic vision for discipleship without compromising or diluting the gospel and the University's values. Marry everything you knew to everything that's NEW.

Christian Carson, college pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Nashville, has a diverse background in ministry and leadership. Originally from Washington, D.C., he has worked in ministry for a number of years. Carson's hands-on experience and impactful leadership at Mt. Zion, renowned for its college ministry, underscores his qualifications and dedication to spiritual development. He brings a compelling blend of faith and resilience to Trevecca's Spiritual Deepening Week.