Faith On Campus

Why join Christian Union? In the next few weeks, thousands of uni students all around Australia will be heading back to university as semester gets under way. In this episode we ask the question: why get connected to the Christian group on your campus?

This episode is a recording of a talk I gave last week at Kickstart, a 3-day orientation camp for incoming first year university students. We had about 150 students with us, and it was a great time to help incoming students get to know what uni will be like, make some friends that will be on their campus, and think about the difference that Jesus makes during uni life.

This talk was part of the final session, where I encouraged students to think about why they should join Christian Union – even if they’re not actually sure about Christianity to begin with.

If you know someone who is heading to uni this year, I’d love you to consider sharing it with them and chatting with them about how they might get serious about Jesus while at uni!

Are you heading to uni? The Heading To Uni website (https://www.headingtouni.info/) is a great place for resources and tips, and you can even search your university to find out about the Christian group at your campus.

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first three seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post Summer Special – Why Join Christian Union? appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this final episode of Season 3, we hear from a student as he reflects on the question, “Why am I still a Christian?”

Recently at UWA we had a blokes night, where students came along to hang out and spend time together, and three students shared a short reflection on why they are still a Christian. Today’s episode is a recording of one of those students, who we won’t name due to the sensitive nature of what he was willing to share with us.

He begins, “Why am I still a Christian? That’s a good question. In case you didn’t know, the world is messed up. Global disasters happen, relationships break down, people get sick and die… life often feels like it’s out of control. Another thing that is true is that God is sovereign, which means that God is in control of everything. He moves all the pieces on the board. If there is anyone who can do something about the state of the world, it is God. So when bad things happen, I find myself blaming God.”

For this student, this isn’t just an intellectual question. Two years ago a friend of his died unexpectedly. And then over the next two years, he has faced tragedy after tragedy. At one point he remarks, “It seems not a month has gone by since the death of my friend two years ago that some new drama or calamity befalls me.”

So through all of this, why is he still a Christian? Have a listen and find out.

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E10 – Why Am I Still A Christian? appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is an interview with Jeremy Wright, a student who is considering cross-cultural mission. Jeremy studies Maths & Physics at the University of Western Australia, and has just been elected as the President of Christian Union for 2021.

In our churches we often get to hear from missionaries who are already out there in the field about why they are engaged in cross-cultural mission. I always find this really helpful, but it can sometimes feel far removed from our everyday lives, because these missionaries have often been in through years of training and preparation by the team we hear from them.

In my experience, we don’t often get to hear from those who are much earlier in the process, still considering cross-cultural mission work as a possibility, but not yet decided whether they’ll go or not.

That’s why I’ve been really keen to have Jeremy on the podcast. I found it really helpful to hear from Jeremy about some of the influences that led him to consider cross-cultural mission in the first place, some of the factors he’s weighing up, and some concrete steps he’s taking to help him move towards a decision.

A particular highlight for me was how Jeremy compared following Jesus to Chewbacca – great analogy for any Star Wars fans like myself!

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E9 – Considering Cross Cultural Mission (Jeremy Wright) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the final talk in a sermon series looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 23, “Leaving Home, Finding Home.”

Over the past 50 years, our society has become increasingly mobile. Many of us know what it feels like to leave home and to live somewhere where we don’t fit in, where we feel like a foreigner and a stranger. Moving away from one’s home country is much more common today than it used to be, and for Abraham and Sarah 4,000 years ago, there was no Facetime or flights for a quick home visit.

As we come to the end of Abraham and Sarah’s life in Genesis 23, we have a lot to learn from them about what it means to live as God’s people as foreigners and strangers here in this world.

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E8 – Homeward Bound (Gen 23) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

Would you sacrifice your child? In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. It’s a pretty well-known passage, but when you stop and think about it, it raises some pretty big questions.

What kind of God would ask someone to do this?
What kind of father would obey?

Christopher Hitchens saw this incident between God and Abraham as one big example of how religion is toxic. On the one hand, it is problematic that God would ask something like this in the first place. But on another level, Hitchens points out how problematic it seems that Abraham was willing to obey. What kind of loving parent would do that?

This passage raises some big questions!

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E7 – Would You Sacrifice Your Child? (Gen 22) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Howard Spencer, who has been serving with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students (AFES) for 24 years. Now, at the age of 66, he’s at a point in life when many people would be thinking about slowing down and enjoying retirement. But not Howard! Instead, he and his wife are in the midst of preparations to head to Belgium to serve the cause of the gospel there.

When I asked Howard why they’re planning such a big move at this stage of their life, this was his response:
“In our culture there’s this mentality of, ‘You’ve done your bit, it’s time to put your feet up and enjoy your retirement.’ But that is a very materialistic, selfish mindset. Because God’s kingdom is growing, and he needs workers to expand that kingdom, and if people are just gonna sit there with their comfortable evangelical churches and lifestyle, the gospel’s not gonna go out into the world… and there are nations of the world that are struggling.”

And one of those nations that is struggling is Belgium. Belgium is about half the size of Australia (11.5 million people to our 25 million), but while Australia has 260 staff workers proclaiming the gospel on university campuses, Belgium has just 1! Howard says,
“This man there has been trying for the last 5 years to penetrate the mindset of the Belgian students with the gospel, and he’s making some progress, but he’s exhausted. He’s just one person trying to do all of this and he needs help!”

I was so encouraged by Howard’s example of seeking to use his life well to serve Jesus, even past retirement age. This was a great reminder:
“We’ve gotta have that mindset to be seeing God’s kingdom grow…. He’s the one we’re all gonna stand before, and he’s gonna say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” You know, he’s not gonna say, “Did you enjoy your cruise around the Mediterranean in your retirement?” He’s gonna be looking at whether we leave the fruit behind of lives that have grown in Christ.”

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E6 – No Retirement For This Man! (Howard Spencer) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

In this episode of Faith On Campus we hear from Gad Rasmussen, a student studying Primary Education at Edith Cowan University in Perth, WA. Gad is president of the Christian group at his campus, called the Gospel Stand.

At the start of 2020, Gad was on a mission trip in a remote community when he got injured through a horrible accident. He describes lying on the ground in pain & shock without knowing what had happened, when he suddenly heard some of the girls around him saying, “He’s lost his eye! He’s lost his eye!” That’s when he realised it was bad.

Gad was flown back to Perth by the Royal Flying Doctors for surgery, but unfortunately the damage was permanent, and he now only has sight out of one eye. For any young person with their life ahead of them, this would be a big blow. A lot of people have asked him, “How could God let something like this happen to you? How could he be good and loving if he would let this happen?”

But for Gad, he’s seen God at work in a lot of awesome ways through this challenging time, and it has really strengthened his faith in Jesus. As he sums it up at one point:
“I see God better with one eye than I ever did with two. After this accident I saw more clearly than ever before that this life is short, that the things of this world will pass away. I can’t guarantee my physical health, but the one thing that won’t pass away is Jesus, and my hope in him.”

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E5 – I See God Better With One Eye (Gad Rasmussen) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the fourth talk in a sermon series looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 16-17, “When God’s Promises Seem Slow.”

In Genesis 12, God makes some pretty huge promises to Abraham and Sarah, including a promise that they’ll have many descendants who will become a great nation. But by the time we get to Genesis 16, ten years have past, and they still don’t have a single child! By this point Abraham is 85 and Sarah is 75, and God’s promises are looking less and less likely.

So what do Abraham and Sarah do? They decide to take things into their own hands. They say “Yes” to God’s promises, but they try to do it in their own timing, and their own way, rather than trusting in His. And it doesn’t go well!

This passage has a lot to teach us as followers of Jesus today, especially when God’s promises seem slow.

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E4 – When God’s Promises Seem Slow (Gen 16-17) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

This week’s episode of Faith On Campus is the third instalment in a series of Bible talks in Genesis, looking at the life of Abraham. In this episode we look at Genesis 15 and ask the question, ‘how can bad people please a good God?’

I meet a lot of people on campus who say that even if there is a God, they’re not too worried about it, because they’re pretty confident they’ll get into heaven anyway. What’s the basis for their confidence? Well, they’re confident because they’re a decent person. They haven’t killed anybody, they try to be nice to others.

So why should God care what they believe?

It’s a common sentiment. How might we as Christians respond? Well, check out this episode from Genesis 15, which will hopefully give you a clear idea of how the Bible addresses this question and some ways we might respond when the conversation comes up.

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E3 – How Can Bad People Please A Good God? (Gen 15) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.

I chat to a lot of non-religious students on campus who think there probably is some kind of God, but even if there was, it wouldn’t make any difference to this life now. Is that true? If the Christian God is real, does that have an impact on life now? Or is it all just ‘pie in the sky when you die’?

In this episode of Faith On Campus, I give a talk from Genesis 13-14, which helps us to address this question. It’s the second instalment in our series of public Bible talks that we’re hosting on campus in one of the lecture theatres, looking at the life of Abraham.

If you’re listening in, we’d love you to join us in praying that the gospel would continue go out on campus even during these difficult times. Pray that God will continue to change lives by His Spirit for the glory of his son Jesus!

(If you’re enjoying this podcast or finding it helpful, help us reach more people by giving a rating on Apple Podcasts, liking our Facebook page. Or you can even support us on Patreon! Did you know you can subscribe and get these episodes delivered straight to your phone? Find us on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or your favourite Android podcast app)

Have you listened to the first two seasons of Faith On Campus yet? If not, you can find us on all major podcast platforms, or see some of the episodes from earlier seasons here!

The post S3E2 – Pie In The Sky When You Die? (Gen 13-14) appeared first on The Ben Smart Blog.