Fall Semester 2008
Chapel Series
August 21, 2008 | August 28, 2008 | September 4, 2008 | September 11, 2008 | September 18, 2008 |September 23-25, 2008 | October 2, 2008 | October 16, 2008 | October 23, 2008 | October 28, 2008 | November 6, 2008 | November 13, 2008 | November 20, 2008 | December 4, 2008 |
Chapel Services
The Chapel Services are recorded live on Thursday mornings and made available online the following day. We have made the audio portion available to download via MP3 format or to stream online via WMA format. You will need Windows Media Player to listen to the streaming format, or if you prefer, your own MP3 player to download and listen offline on your I-Pod or MP3 player.
The first chapel service of the 2008-2009 academic year at Truett-McConnell College featured the college’s newly-named president, Dr. Emir Caner, as speaker. Dr. Caner used as his text a passage from Acts 26:24-29 and preached from the story of Paul’s witness to Festus and Agrippa. His topic was the confrontation between Paul, a believer, and the cynics Festus and Agrippa. He challenged students, as well as faculty and staff and a number of community residents who attended, to be believers like Paul instead of cynics like Festus and Agrippa.
To Listen click on one of the links below:
The Uganda Children’s Choir performed a program of Christian music for the Truett-McConnell College family, singing some pieces in English and some in their native language. Energetic, talented, and very pleasant, the children’s huge smiles, pleasant personalities and rhythmic movements in time to the beat of their drums captured the hearts of the audience.
Each year the Uganda Children’s Choir tours in the southeastern United States to raise funds for the care of the large number of orphans in Uganda who lost their parents in the civil strife that has gone on for years in the African nation approximately the size of the state of Georgia. Almost $2,000 was raised as a result of the chapel service at Truett-McConnell.
The entire college audience responded to the Children’s Choir with enthusiasm and excitement. 
To Listen click on one of the links below:
September 4, 2008
The chapel speaker was Rev. David Kirkland, Truett-McConnell College’s campus minister, who used 2 Corinthians 5:20 as his text: We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. He presented the idea that all Christians are ambassadors of Christ and the kingdom of God and should, therefore, make certain that their walk matches their talk. Christians must be keenly aware that their lives, actions and speech are open to observation by other Christians and those who do not know Christ. Therefore, it is incumbent upon Christians to live lives of integrity, honor, and sincere devotion to God and his kingdom.
September 11, 2008
In commemoration of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the speaker for chapel was Col. Paul Wingo, recently retired after 30 years in the United States Army. A color guard from the ROTC program at North Georgia College and State University presented and retrieved colors, and TMC music student Ivey Norton gave a stirring a cappella rendition of the National Anthem.
Col. Wingo spoke on the topic of freedom: both the freedom that we enjoy as Americans and the freedom in Christ that we enjoy as Christians. He reminisced about some of his personal experiences during his many years as an Army officer. He is the father of a current Truett-McConnell student, Christina Wingo.
September 18, 2008
Mrs. Gloria Sutton, a special friend of Jareda, spoke about her love and concern for Jareda and challenged the students to be concerned and care for each other.
TMC president Dr. Emir Caner concluded the service with a stirring message from 1 Corinthians 15 entitled “The Day Death Died.” He spoke about the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ means that death no longer has a hold on the believer.
The chapel service was a memorial to TMC student Jareda Boddie, who passed away from medical causes on the campus on Tuesday, September 16. The Vision Gospel Choir, of which the deceased student was a member, sang two pieces in memory of Jareda.
Mrs. Gloria Sutton, a special friend of Jareda, spoke about her love and concern for Jareda and challenged the students to be concerned and care for each other.
TMC president Dr. Emir Caner concluded the service with a stirring message from 1 Corinthians 15 entitled “The Day Death Died.” He spoke about the fact that the resurrection of Jesus Christ means that death no longer has a hold on the believer.
September 23-25, 2008
Guest worship leader for the series of services was James Dollar, worship pastor of Concord Baptist Church, Clermont, GA. Special music was furnished each service by a group of TMC student musicians.
Rev. LaBorg used as his Scripture text on Tuesday a passage from the Gospel of John and emphasized the need for revival on the campus and the necessity for Christians to show Christ in their lives by their actions and words. On Wednesday his Scripture text was from II Samuel; his sermon theme was the remnant of the faithful in Israel and how that theme applies today to faithful Christians. On Thursday his Scripture text was from Isaiah, and his message revolved around the need for the revival kindled this week on the campus to continue. He emphasized again that the actions, manner of dress and conduct of daily lives of Christians should set an example for non-believers.
Spiritual Emphasis Week 2008 featured sermons on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings by guest preacher Rev. Jeff LaBorg, senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA.
Guest worship leader for the series of services was James Dollar, worship pastor of Concord Baptist Church, Clermont, GA. Special music was furnished each service by a group of TMC student musicians.
Rev. LaBorg used as his Scripture text on Tuesday a passage from the Gospel of John and emphasized the need for revival on the campus and the necessity for Christians to show Christ in their lives by their actions and words. On Wednesday his Scripture text was from II Samuel; his sermon theme was the remnant of the faithful in Israel and how that theme applies today to faithful Christians. On Thursday his Scripture text was from Isaiah, and his message revolved around the need for the revival kindled this week on the campus to continue. He emphasized again that the actions, manner of dress and conduct of daily lives of Christians should set an example for non-believers.
To Listen click on one of the links below:
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| James Dollar and Rev. Jeff LaBorg |
The weekly chapel service featured three TMC students—Samuel Dingler of Hiram, GA; Bianca Leon of Duluth, GA; and Sarah Rogers of Warner Robins, GA. Each student spoke briefly about how God is working in his/her life right now and especially about the blessings and encouragement gained from last week’s Spiritual Emphasis Week.
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| Bianca Leon, Sarah Rogers and Samuel Dingler |
October 16, 2008
The chapel speaker was Ryan A. Bowman, a TMC graduate in the class of 1994. He has worked with Chick-fil-A for the past 18 years, currently serving as a senior leadership consultant. He began his talk with a brief history of Chick-fil-A, especially the fact that it was begun by Truett Cathy and his brother as a tiny restaurant in Hapeville, GA, and has grown until today there are 1,400 Chick-fil-A stores in the United States, and annual sales are approaching $3 billion.
He issued a challenge to Truett-McConnell students to strive for excellence, keeping in mind that success means measuring oneself against someone else, while excellence means measuring oneself against his/her own potential. He talked about the three truths which guide him in his own personal striving for excellence:
- Each of us was made with precision by God.
- Each of us was bought with a price—the life of Jesus Christ, God’s own Son.
- Each of us was destined for a purpose in our lives.
He commented on the core values that shape his own decision-making.
- Devotion to God.
- Dedication to his family.
- Dedication to helping others reach their God-given potential.
Truett-McConnell College students welcomed back Scott Kindig, the Student Consultant with the GBC and Director of Super WOW. The Tim Johnson Band led in a wonderful worship service before Scott brought a messages to the student body.
Scott spoke about how Christians allow the distractions of this world take their attention away from focusing on God and His Word, making it difficult for them to hear from God. He encouraged the student body to read in God’s Word daily because God delights in revealing Himself and making His will known to His children.
The scripture text for the message was from the first chapter of Ephesians. The theme of the message was that Jesus wants His children to be in Him because He has everything that we need. God created us to so that He may inhabit us and glorify Him and take that message of hope in Christ to a fallen world. He went on to explain that we need to be changed from the inside out and used the example of a piece of popcorn that changes from a kernel to a fluffy ball of popcorn from the inside out. We should be like the kernels of popcorn and attract people to Christ by the sweet aroma of our lives submitted to Christ.
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| David Kirkland and Scott Kindig |
The weekly chapel service was held on Tuesday this week instead of the usual Thursday to accommodate the schedule of the guest performers, the Sons of Jubal.
The Sons of Jubal is a men’s chorus sponsored by the Georgia Baptist Convention Worship and Music Ministry and directed by Dr. Jon Duncan, GBC Worship and Music Specialist. It is a group of 60-90 men, active in Georgia Baptist churches, who comprise the chorus, the team of handbell ringers and the orchestra that accompanies the group.
Their music was uplifting and inspiring and exceedingly well received by all those in attendance. In addition to students, faculty and staff of the college, a considerable number of community residents attended the concert as well.
Three TMC staff members, as well as about a dozen TMC alumni, are members of the Sons of Jubal.
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| Sons of Jubal |
The chapel speaker was Kevin (Chappie) Hynes, chaplain to the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team and campus minister for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at UGA. His nickname of Chappie was given to him by the players on the UGA football team.
His theme was “People forget what you’ve done, but they never forget how you treat them.” He stated that he loves the student-athletes as they are, using these guidelines found in James 1:19:
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| Kevin “Chappie” Hynes |
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| TMC Praise Band |
Listen
Offer
Value
Encourage
The chapel speaker was Dr. Larry Grays, senior pastor of The Midtown Bridge Church in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Grays used as his text the passage from John 11 in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave.
His sermon centered around the emphases that God works through a faith that obeys and that no problem is too big for God.
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| Dr. Larry Grays |
The chapel speaker was Dr. Daniel Moosbrugger, Truett-McConnell’s Vice President for Administrative Services. He brought a message from 1 Samuel 16:6-12 on Samuel’ choice of one of the sons of Jesse to be king of Israel.
The theme of his message was “Breaking the Mold of Mediocrity.” Dr. Moosbrugger explained that to be mediocre is to be ordinary or adequate and not live up to our full potential. We are all created unique and have a God-given purpose in the body of Christ, just like Jesse’ son, David, who was a shepherd. God does not look at our outward appearance nor our circumstances nor upbringing but looks at our hearts. He spoke on these three points of mediocrity:
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| Dr. Daniel Moosbrugger |
1. The Disguise of Mediocrity.
2. The Measure of Mediocrity.
3. The Defeat of Mediocrity.
