Hendrickson asks: Who are you pouring into, helping to understand?

“I’m convinced that everything God pours into us he desires to pour out through us. Jesus poured his life out for us so surely we should do the same… The kingdom of God was never designed to stop with us,” Meghan Hendrickson, director of the Dallas Baptist University Baptist Student Ministry (DBU BSM), shared with attendees of the Monday morning worship session. 

The worship session was held in conjunction with the first business session of the 2024 Texas Baptists Annual Meeting. Guardian Financial Group sponsored the session and Lampsato Worship Band from East Texas Baptist University led worship. Hendrickson took to the stage to speak from Matthew 13:1-23 about the Parable of the Sower.

“On the day of our salvation, we were marked by good soil,” Hendrickson said, referencing the seeds that were cast on rough or good soil in the parable. “But my concern is that somewhere along the way, as we get older and busier, the soil of our souls has become shallow, rocky and surrounded by thorns as the worries and cares of this life are crowding out  our greatest love and truest purpose.”

Hendrickson encouraged attendees to spend regular time with the Lord, reminding them that without him, they cannot effectively disciple others. She told the story of a class she struggled with in seminary. When she was able to spend some set apart time with her teacher, she understood the concepts quickly and was able to excel. Similarly, without concentrated time with the Lord, we are unable to produce meaningful discipleship.

“Apart from him, we can do nothing, and yet sometimes we think we can produce something even though we’re disconnected from the vine,” she said.

When you are walking actively with the Lord, you should engage others, Hendrickson said. Hendrickson encouraged those in attendance to reflect on who they disciple. She spoke of the ministry at DBU BSM, where individual and small group discipleship is turning people to the Lord. She also warned against being tempted to expedite discipleship by simply proclaiming it broadly to the masses. Though culture lauds widespread, broad efforts to share information, it does not bring about change.

“If we want to see the reign of Christ on college campuses and beyond, we have to be willing to go small to grow big. Some of Jesus’ more memorable moments are times with individuals that others did not have time for. A small seed grows into a big plant,” she said.

She also shared the amazing work already happening on campuses across the nation. Students are open and hungry to learn more, she said. She then shared a story of a recent Go Now Missions trip that the DBU BSM took to Provo, Utah. Go Now Missions sends Texas college students to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ across Texas, the nation and the world. In Provo, the students shared the gospel with college students in the community. She shared miraculous testimonies of how college students are coming to know Jesus in Utah Valley.

“God is at work among this generation of college students, and he’s going to do it whether we join him or not. But don’t we want to join a God like that?” Hendrickson asked the audience. “All of us have been assigned a field by God that he expects, invites and equips us to go out into and sow gospel seeds. Are we joining him in the harvest?”

Following her message, Texas Baptists Executive Director Julio Guarneri led the crowd in a time of prayer for the 137 campuses with a BSM presence, Texas Baptists schools and campuses across the country. Attendees prayed that God’s kingdom would come through college campuses.