Jul 26
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events
Since my “big announcement” yesterday, the No. 1 question I’ve been asked is “What’s next?”. To be completely honest, 99 percent of what is to come remains unknown to me. I’m okay with that. Two weeks ago it would have driven me completely insane because I have always been the type of person who maps out his life’s goals and wants to know exactly when and where this “road map” will take me. Part of my surrender was to agree to let God be 100 percent in control of where I go from here and what I do.
There are some things that I know. For instance, I know that this coming Sunday night, August 1, at 6 p.m. I will deliver my “first sermon” at the First Baptist Church of Magnolia. I am very excited, but if I told you that I’m not nervous, you could brand me as the biggest liar in the world! I am extremely nervous about it, but I keep telling myself that it will all be okay. God is in control.
Another thing I know is that I plan to pursue a seminary degree. After talking with my pastor and our youth pastor, this seems to be the best option for someone setting out on this journey. I feel like God is leading me to the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. I plan to start the application process immediately (why wait?), and I hope to begin classes in January. Which degree I’ll pursue is still up in the air.
All of this doesn’t mean that I’ll be making a speedy departure from Magnolia or my current job at Southern Arkansas University. The BMATS has programs for correspondence work and intensive seminar classes where you go to the Jacksonville campus for one week per course and complete the coursework at home. This looks like my best option. I still have to eat and pay the bills while I’m working on what will be my third degree, right?
Departure from my current career will come some day. I don’t know when, but I do know that God has called me to full-time ministry of some fashion.
I hope you enjoy this ride as much as I will. Speaking of rides, I guess I’d better get to moving. I have a previously planned appointment near the central part of our great state today. I’m ready to go back to work tomorrow. More than one week off on “vacation” has been nice, but I need to get back to a routine!
Until next time . . .
Jul 25
Jeremy LangleyCurrent Events Church Camp, First Baptist Church, God, Preaching, Surrendering
My future looks nothing like I had imagined it would. Over the last few weeks, I have been making plans for what I will do when I finish my master’s degree in December. Law school was one thought. A doctorate was another. I even applied for a job as a Special Agent with the FBI and was scheduled to begin Phase I testing soon (effective today, I have withdrawn that application).
God had different plans for my life, and I’ve been running from those plans for quite a while now. This morning, I publicly surrendered my life to preach the gospel. You can’t believe the overwhelming peace and joy that I’m feeling. I still don’t know what the future has in store, but I have complete peace that God is in control and that He will lead me each step of the way.
Here’s the way it went down: I spent this last week as the bus driver and a sponsor for our group at Daniel Springs Baptist Camp in Gary, Texas. We had an amazing week. Late in the week, the camp evangelist used an illustration of Peter jumping out of the boat to be with Jesus (John 21). He said that some of us needed to “jump out of the boat” and follow the path that God would have for our lives. It hit me hard. Really hard. I knew God was using the evangelist to talk to me.
I spent a lot of time in prayer from that point until we got home. When Saturday rolled around, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer, so I spent about an hour in the living room of Dustin Wisely, our youth pastor. After I finished talking to Dustin, I knew there was only one option for me – total surrender to the will of God.
This morning during Sunday School time, I spent time talking with Bro. David Watkins, our pastor, and when the invitation was given at the close of the service, I made it official. It felt great!
I was also excited that Zach Phillips, a young man who had also served as a church camp sponsor from our church, surrendered this morning as well! God is good!
I don’t know all of the details of the future, but I do know that I won’t be quitting my job any time soon. At the encouragement of Bro. David and Dustin, I will be looking into a seminary degree. There are options that will allow me to remain in Magnolia for the time being and take the classes through a combination of intensive one-week studies and online work. I will also be preaching my first sermon soon. I’ll keep you updated on that.
God is in control! I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.
Stay tuned . . .
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