Kristen Ivy and Megan Marshman apply biblical truths

Kristen Ivy spoke to students in the Vines Center during Convocation on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Ivy is the president at Orange and Parent Cue and the co-founder of The Phase Project.  After graduating with her master’s degree from Mercer University, Ivy taught in the public school system, giving her the passion and vision for Orange. She helped develop elementary, middle and high school curriculums strategically designed to help students build their faith, and has coauthored 24 books, including the “Phase Guide” series.

During her presentation, Ivy focused on the security students can find in Christ by exposing the uncertainty of the world.    

“In a world with terrible and wonderful tomorrows, we gravitate toward certainty,” Ivy said.  

She challenged students to consider Peter’s example as the most certain person in the Bible based on his statement in Matthew 26:33.

“There will come a time when something about your faith isn’t working the way you imagined,” Ivy said.

She encouraged students to turn to Christ when the world is uncertain.

Megan Fate Marshman spoke to current and prospective students during Friday’s Convocation, Feb. 23. Marshman referred to herself as an author, speaker and pastor who is passionate about compelling others to the gospel.

Marshman opened by sharing her “life analogy” as a drinking glass. She explained how before Christ, she searched for fulfillment and meaning from others. It was not until coming to Christ and seeing the love he has already poured out for sinners that she felt fully known. It was then that she was able to stop searching for love and satisfaction superficially and look to Christ, the author and perfecter of faith.

“And he doesn’t just want to fill you for you,” Marshman said. “As Paul prayed, (he wants to) fill you to the measure of all the fullness of God that you literally might overflow (with) love.”

Marshman urged students to tip their cups upward to receive love from the Lord rather than from others.

According to Marshman, one way we can show love to people is by engaging in divine appointments. Divine appointments are unexpected meetings with individuals throughout the day that lead to ministry conversations. Marshman delved into this concept by noting that sometimes following Jesus means having to do things unconventionally.

One example Marshman gave from Jesus’ time on earth was that he traveled through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee. Most Jewish men would purposefully travel around Samaria because of tension between people groups. In taking the unconventional route, Jesus met the woman at the well and got to pour into her cup, transforming her life.

While writing her talking points for the presentation at Liberty University in a coffee shop, Marshman admitted that she disregarded an appointment God had given her. She described her conversation with a girl who asked for help with her computer. Marshman responded to this call from the Lord the second time, leading to a gospel-centered conversation.

Marshman closed her talk with a personal story about a close friend’s son, Clayton McDonald. McDonald was battling cancer for the fourth time when hit with the unexpected news that he would have three months left to live.

Despite his health situation, McDonald used the time he had left to share the gospel and urge audiences not to waste their time. Marshman described his speech as a call to love freely from the love we are given from Christ.

Written by the Liberty Champion staff