Courtesy Photos / OBU
Dr. David Gambo and Dean Inserra joined students in Potter Auditorium for a series on Focus.
Naaman Henager
Faith Editor
Every year OBU hosts Focus Week. This week is designed to encourage students to focus on Christ while also emphasizing discipleship.
This semester students joined Dean Inserra, Pastor of City Church in Tallahassee Florida, and assistant professor of Christian ministry Dr. David Gambo to discuss the importance of focusing on Christ.
Monday, Feb. 10, Inserra kicked off the week by speaking from 1 Corinthians 3-4. He separated people into three categories: the unbeliever, the spiritual person and the fleshly believer.
“The spiritual person, so we are told, welcomes the things of God. The unbeliever does not welcome the things of God. This per- son [fleshly believer] at some point has welcomed the things of God but now is functionally rejecting them,” Inserra said.
He continued to speak on the fact that many Christians find them- selves in the fleshy believer’s “spot” – where they are professing Christ, but they look like the world.
He said that Christians are being con- fronted with the world’s message which is: “you just do you, follow your heart, do what makes you happy,” Inserra said.
Inserra concluded his message on Monday by challenging the students to look inside themselves and see if they truly have the faith, as well as to see what needs to change internally.
Wednesday, Feb. 12, Inserra continued Focus Week by discussing the topic of cultural Christianity and the fact that being born into a Christian home does not save someone.
He proclaimed a number of times that being born in the church or growing up in the church does not save you. It is a relationship with Jesus Christ that saves a person.
His message came from Matthew 7:21-23.
He told the students he would be discussing “the mission field of un- saved Christians.”
When discussing the topic of the unsaved Christian Inserra said, “I believe what we are talking about is the largest mission field in America today.”
“Don’t let belief be the barrier, something as precious and beautiful be the barrier to actually knowing the good news of Jesus Christ,” Inserra said.
Inserra challenged the students to look at the people around them and said those that claim to be Christian, might just be the ones they need to be evangelizing to.
“What if more than trying to make people feel like they are assured of their salvation, we actually make sure they had it in the first place,” Inserra said.
Friday, Feb. 14, Gambo spoke on the topic of knowing God.
During his sermon, Gambo discussed the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God, i.e. tasting Him.
He spoke from John 17:3: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Gambo began his message by tying the life of William Borden, a famous missionary, to the focus students need to have on eternity.
Borden left his life of wealth and comfort to move to China to minister to Muslims. However, before traveling to China Borden lived in Egypt for four months to learn Arabic. There he died of cerebral meningitis at the age of twenty-five.
Gambo used Borden’s life story to challenge the students to keep their focus on eternity.
“Those whose are focused on eternity, will make a difference for eternity,” Gambo said.
After discussing the first question of what it means to have eternal life, Gambo continues by answering the question of how one obtains eternal life.
He said that it is not through a theological knowledge of God, but a personal one.
“The most important thing about knowing God is not having an intellectual knowledge about God but having a personal intimate relationship. That’s what it means to know God,” Gambo said.
Gambo concluded his message by changeling the students to share their testimony with their neighbors.
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