Calvary Chapel University
By Codie Winslow, Director of Library and Learning Resources
Learning to use virtual resources and perform digital research takes practice. The Calvary Chapel University Library has a wealth of free online resources to support your course of study. In order to become proficient at online learning and develop research and study skills, much like learning to play an instrument or ride a bike, you’ve got to repeat it over and over – practice.
One of the resources we point to in the CCU Library is the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). As the website describes, “DPLA is an all-digital library that aggregates metadata — or information describing an item — and thumbnails for millions of photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. DPLA brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.”
Practice makes perfect, so jump into learning by embracing the scavenger hunt that is DPLA. Once you’ve perused the home page and gotten a feel for the site, you may need tips on how best to search.
The site also offers Frequently Asked Questions and Guides to help you navigate the “how” of this digital library collective. With over 22 million resources in this impressive collection, there is wealth of learning to be found. Dig in, the practice will be worth it!
1 These 5:16-18
v.16 Rejoice always, v.17 pray continually, v.18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s Will for you in Christ Jesus.
We often wonder about God’s Will for our lives. Here is the answer!
1. Rejoice…when we rejoice, dread, fear, hopelessness, despair, and worry cannot inhabit the same space. To rejoice is simply to have a thankful heart as we abide in Jesus’ love for us and trusting in His deep care for us.
2. Praying continually is the antidote to worry. Here is a simple aid; each time a worry or item you normally fret over enters your mind, simply insert the following:
“JESUS, you see what I am thinking and I ask you to please take it from me and take care of it, amen.”
3. Thankfulness! To be thankful is to be grateful, gracious and eager to lavish praise on a God who really does delight in you!
Rejoice…Pray…(don’t worry)…Be thankful…THAT is the Will of God for you and me today!
When we do this, it shows complete trust and contentment in God and that is when everything else we hope for begins to unfold.
“Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and ALL these things will be added unto you.”
Matt 6:33
I believe it was Charles Spurgeon who said, “If the Lord has called you to preach don’t stop along the way to become a king.” Ministry is certainly the most fascinating and exciting of all vocations , if for no other reason than the fact the we have the privilege and responsibility to impact lives for eternity. Once a person senses the call of God to serve in ministry, that person must now invest the time necessary to get to know the Lord and His word. We see this pattern in the lives of the 12 who spent 3 years in the school of Christ before being commissioned into the word and the same model was true for Paul who made his way to the Arabian desert to have his understanding of scripture altered and deepened. Today , a person called to ministry has a wide gamete of possibility as it relates to training.
In the fall of 1983 I was invited by a couple of friends to an outreach concert where I heard the gospel for the first time. I responded to the invitation and met Christ that day. After a short season of flailing around , I got plugged into the youth ministry at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. At that time we were in the midst of a unique work of God and ministry opportunities were abundant. Before long, I found myself leading home groups, teaching bible studies and assisting the youth pastor in a variety of roles. In 1989 I was hired on the church staff where I served for 9 years, most of the time teaching bible in the middle and high schools. Through a series of events , the Lord opened a door for me and my family to move to south Florida and invest in what is now Calvary Vero Beach. The rapid pace of ministry did not afford me the chance for formal training. Instead I learned on the job how to teach, pastor and lead. However, as time went on and the ministry has grown I felt a desire to broaden my outlook on leadership and decided to apply for the Bachelor ‘ s program at CCU. The material as well as classwork have proven to be tremendously helpful for me as the ministry continues to develop for us in south Florida.
Having not been in a classroom for more than 25 years I was a little apprehensive at first but the 8 week classes and the freedom to choose as many or as few as my schedule allowed made the task manageable. But over the course of the last year or so I was able to chip away at the task until just this week I submitted my final project of my final class en route to a bachelors degree in Christian Leadership and Biblical Studies. It has been a valuable, exciting and rewarding venture and I would encourage others to take the challenge which will , no doubt , broaden their outlook.
Jim Gallagher
CCU Class of 2018
Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Vero Beach, FL
2 Chronicles 20:14-18 New International Version (NIV)
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’”
In this passage, we are reminded to not be TERRORIZED (fearful), by the enemy. Instead, we are to walk forward in victory. Here is how:
1. Change your perspective…this battle is NOT YOURS!
2. Take up your position…prayer, read your Bible…do the basics of what God has called you to do…parent lovingly, focus back on your marriage, do your job diligently.
3. Stand still…really? Yup…God will do it all…likely not your way, not your timing, not your outcome…just better!
Lastly, when God gives you victory there will be a moment where you will be asked to “go out” and face the enemy, your giant, fear, heartache….do it…THE LORD WILL BE WITH YOU.
