Liberty University students participated in Gospelology Convocation Wednesday, Feb. 4 and heard from author and Liberty alumnus Zach Clinton Friday, Feb. 6. Each Convocation included messages centered on faith, perseverance and flourishing in every season.
Gospelology, held annually each spring semester, offers students a time of worship accompanied by short-form devotionals. The worship set included songs such as “Just Another Day,” “I Will Bless the Lord,” “That’s My King” and “Break Every Chain.” After worship, Robert Smith Jr., a distinguished professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity School, spoke on Acts 12, emphasizing the concept of “living beyond the minor chord.”
Smith explained that minor chords evoke feelings of doom, gloom and despair, while major chords convey hope, happiness and harmony. He noted that compositions containing each chord reflect both struggle and redemption, something that is evident in Scripture.
He shared examples of Genesis 50:20 and Psalm 30:5 that illustrate the contrast between sorrow and joy. “Weeping may endure for a night” represents the minor chord, while “joy comes in the morning” exemplifies the major chord.
“In all that great text in Romans 6:23, it starts off in a minor chord — doom, gloom and despair. The wages of sin is death,” Smith said. “But thanks be to God, there’s a major chord there. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Smith also reflected on Peter’s experience awaiting death, drawing parallels to faith and trust.
“Peter went to sleep knowing that if he was killed, he’d wake up in the arms of Jesus,” Smith said. “And if he was not killed, the Lord will still sustain him and see him through.”
He reminded students that God’s presence is continuous, quoting lyrics to highlight reliance on him.
“I sing because I am happy. I sing because I am free. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me,” Smith said.
Smith encouraged perseverance and trust in God’s timing, comparing a difficult season between Friday, when Jesus was crucified, and Sunday when he was resurrected.
“It’s Friday in your life, it’s Friday in your ministry, it’s Friday in your experience,” Smith said. “But if you would just hold out till tomorrow, if you would just keep faith through the night, if you just wait until Sunday morning, everything will be all right.”
He encouraged students to trust in God’s power and faithfulness, reminding them to remember the importance of persistence in prayer and reliance on him.
“God specializes in things that seem to be impossible, and he will do what no other power can do,” Smith said.
Smith concluded by pointing to the ultimate hope for believers, assuring students that God’s promise of renewal will prevail over life’s hardships.
“One of these days, there will no longer be minor chords, for the Lord has said that ‘I make all things new,’” Smith said. “The minor chord will be over, but I’m so glad the major chord will be the order of the day.”
Through his talk, Smith encouraged students to see that life’s struggles are temporary and that through faith, they can experience joy, hope and the sustaining power of God in every season.
Clinton, who serves as vice president of the American Association of Christian Counselors, spoke during Friday’s Convocation. Clinton emphasized the importance of faith as it relates to supporting mental health and personal growth, noting that Christ often draws attention through questions. He also shared various statistics highlighting what he described as a “mental health disaster,” underscoring the importance of turning to God.
“We need God now more than ever in this mental health space,” Clinton said.
Clinton cited John 10:10, illustrating that flourishing comes through Christ. He shared that mankind can skew the perception of what God calls good.
Citing Romans 8:29, Clinton shared that anything we experience conforms us to the image of Christ.
“It’s through our faith that we can flourish,” Clinton said.
Clinton outlined practical steps for developing a flourishing faith rather than a fear-filled faith. The first step is removing distractions and thinking about what needs to be let go of.
“Sometimes we have to remove the distractions, or we have to remove the noise, lessen the volume, so that way we can enhance the volume of God in our lives,” Clinton said.
He emphasized that when facing challenges, one cannot simply run away from something but must run toward God, turning to him for guidance and support.
“You can’t just run from something, you have to run toward something,” Clinton said.
Clinton encouraged students to redirect both their attention and affection, explaining that perspective shapes actions and determines potential.
“Our perspective, I believe, steers our potential in this life,” Clinton said.
He reminded students to hold on to God’s promises, recognizing that what he has done before, he will do again.
“You can’t lose hope, because you can’t lose something that God gave you,” Clinton said.
Clinton also stressed the importance of rooting oneself in healthy relationships, noting that loneliness is a silent epidemic and that God did not intend for people to live in isolation.
“We were not created to live our lives alone,” Clinton said.
He referenced Genesis 2:18, showing that we need people who will sharpen, encourage and hold us accountable daily.
Lastly, Clinton highlighted the necessity of remaining faithful, explaining that any life of true value comes with a cost and that periods of challenge or wilderness are opportunities for growth.
Through these principles, Clinton illustrated that a flourishing life is intentional, grounded in faith and not exempt from difficulty.
This week’s Convocations reminded students that life’s struggles are only temporary but that faith, perseverance and reliance on God lead to hope and flourishing. Both Smith and Clinton emphasized that trusting God and remaining faithful allows individuals to navigate life’s challenges with purpose in every season of life.
Clardy is the off-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.