My friend and original Meet The Prof cohost, Spence Hackney, joins me again to share what God’s been doing in his life. After selling the business he led for about 25 years, Spence found himself asking some honest questions about his identity and whether God still had work for him to do. We talk about waiting on the Lord and following the Holy Spirit.

Spence also shares about the AWE Conference in Wilmington on October 10, where listeners can hear from Christian leaders serving in places where following Jesus is costly. Spence explains supporting his wife Tara’s writing ministry and we finish with some encouragement for Christian professors and students.

Learn more about the AWE Conference: https://awecon.org/

Tara Hackney’s website: https://jesusloves.org/ — her writing, books, and ministry resources.

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV
• EveryStudent.com – https://www.everystudent.com/

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

From New Atheism to a New Openness to God

For years, Professor Doug Allen and other Christian faculty members at Simon Fraser University struggled to generate meaningful spiritual interest on their campus. At the height of new atheism, they bought potato chips and invited students to ask questions about the Bible. They discovered that the students were more interested in challenging whether God existed at all.

But over time, Doug began noticing a change. The aggressive skepticism that had once characterized many students was giving way to a new spiritual openness. Students were no longer necessarily rejecting the possibility of God; many were searching for something deeper and trying to understand what they were missing.

Jason Huang is a living example of that changing spiritual environment. When Jason arrived in Canada, he knew almost nothing about Christianity. A vivid dream prompted him to begin searching, and a Billy Graham message helped him recognize the emptiness of pursuing the things in the world without Christ. After discovering the faculty-and-student organization called God and Reason, Jason found Christian professors who welcomed his questions, connected him with a church, and helped him grow in his new faith. He was baptized and eventually became one of the group’s primary student leaders.

In this episode, Doug and Jason share how Christian professors and students can recognize spiritual hunger, create welcoming places for honest questions, and work together to help a new generation encounter Jesus. Their story is a hopeful reminder that God is already at work changing the spiritual climate of university campuses, and He invites both professors and students to join Him.

To learn more about their ministry, check out their official Website: https://www.godandreason.com/ and their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/godandreason

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV
• EveryStudent.com – https://www.everystudent.com/

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

I was inspired by my interview with Lane Weaver, a faculty member in Utah State University’s music department and director of its marching band. He discusses how professors can build spiritually meaningful relationships with students, how Cru and apologetics strengthened his faith during college, how he recently discipled a new Iranian believer, and how he opens his office for prayer with students! He encourages professors to be intentionally available, create safe places for honest questions, and remember that they are teaching people—not merely subjects.

Read more about Lane Weaver online:
https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/lane-weaver/

Book reference: The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How it Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between
by Gregory Koukl

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV
• EveryStudent.com – https://www.everystudent.com/

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠