Challenged to seek and surrender, California Baptist University students encountered Seek Week from Feb. 21 until Feb.25.
This semester, the theme for the week was “surrender”. Students prayerfully came to God surrendering many things that their hearts had not wanted to give up.
Seek Week incorporated CBU alumni Daniel Bishop, high school pastor at The Grove Community Church, David Torna, junior high associate director at Sandals Church and Hector Jimenez, minister of contemporary music, at Valley Baptist Church.
Jimenez, chapel praise band leader from the 2008-2009 academic year, returned to lead worship throughout the week. Bishop and Torna lead messages on Monday, Wednesday and Friday encouraging students and faculty to surrender all of their life to the Lord.
On Monday Feb. 21, Bishop and Torna preached a message together speaking on the meaning of surrender and the difference of a total surrender and a surrender done in bits and pieces.
“You want to do a 50% surrender, but God does not work that way,” Torna said.
Students were reminded that surrender is painful, but a forceful surrender hurts far worse.
“He asks for things that you hold onto, not the old T-shirt that you never wear anymore,” Bishop said.
Bishop and Torna, brothersin-law, created a lively environment when speaking, telling jokes and funny anecdotes. Bishop’s contagious laugh was a crowd pleaser.
Monday night the 9 to 9 Prayer Chain was kicked off with a Concert of Prayer at the Gazebo in Harden Square. Students were brought together to pray for topics such as surrender and salvation.
The 9 to 9 Prayer Chain was held from Monday night at 9 p.m. until Friday morning at 9 a.m. Students and faculty were able to sign up for 30 minute increments of time to be spent in the Prayer Chapel, completing 86 hours of continued prayer.
During chapel Wednesday Feb.23 Bishop preached further on the topic of surrender and Torna finished out the week on Friday Feb.25. Thursday Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. a worship night was held by Jimenez further encouraging CBU students in the theme of surrendering.
After the 11 a.m. chapel services, Bishop and Torna made themselves readily available at the Alumni Dining Commons and Brisco’s for Chapel Chat. Friday’s Chapel Chat was an athlete’s only time.
Seek Week challenged the CBU population to truly surrender. Through the story of Jonah, as preached in chapel, it is evident that God has a will for the lives of His followers, and when we do not surrender and truly give our all to the Lord, He will force us to one way or another.
