School Days, School Days

The fall semester starts a week from Monday, my second at SBTS. It has become clear in recent days that this semester will be very different than planned, but I am very much looking forward to it nonetheless. New students (of both the undergraduate and graduate varieties) are arriving daily. I've seen the undergraduates around campus the last two days with a blue and red folder tucked under every arm and a look that betrays both excitement and uncertainty pasted on every face and I have thought more than once of the Autumn of 1998. . .

I will be taking four classes: Greek Syntax & Exegesis, Systematic Theology III, Church History II, and Personal Evangelism. I'm looking forward to continuing my Greek studies and learning to use the little Greek I know to help me handle the Scriptures more accurately. I signed up for Systematic Theology III for two reasons: Dr. Ware is teaching it, and I want to get a better grasp of where I stand on eschatology sooner rather than later (I've already decided this will be the topic of my term paper in this class). I've already read Sinclair Ferguson's book on the Holy Spirit for this class and it was excellent and stirring. I'm very much looking forward to studying the Protestant Reformation in Church History II. In that class we'll be reading Here I Stand, a biography of Martin Luther, Theology of the Reformers by Timothy George and Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen, plus two other books. Personal Evangelism will no doubt be very helpful as well. I've had many opportunities to share the gospel at work, but I find I'm very poor at sustaining a conversation about the gospel. I didn't know what to say recently when one co-worker said, "I think it's unjust for God to impute Adam's sin to everyone who came after him." I need more training in this area in order to witness for Christ more consistently and faithfully.

Please feel free to pray for me (that I will be very diligent and learn a lot) should the notion strike you.