“I know God is for me. He’s for you. I know that somewhere in the world today and this first month of the year, God is doing miracles for somebody. Somebody’s getting their long-awaited breakthrough. So, I just think, why not you? Why not here? Why not now?”
With that welcome, Gregg Chenoweth, Ph.D., president of Olivet Nazarene University, opened chapel and greeted students at the start of a new semester.
Chenoweth acknowledged that January often brings resolutions and fresh starts. For some, that may involve physical health, social goals or academic focus. But he encouraged students to think more deeply about the kind of reset that shapes character and purpose.
“This is a time for resets, for resolutions and new starts,” Chenoweth said.
Building on the chapel theme Wake Up, introduced earlier in the week by University Chaplain Ryan Green, Chenoweth turned to Ephesians 4:1–2. In the passage, the Apostle Paul urges believers to live lives worthy of the calling they have received.
“Don’t ask the wrong question,” Chenoweth said. “A career question: What is my dream? Ask the calling question: What is God’s dream for me?”
He explained that Scripture points to two kinds of calling. The first is a shared calling for all believers — to live in right relationship with God. The second involves the specific ways individuals are gifted and sent to serve others.
“Your calling is not some abstraction that you chase your whole life,” he said. “It’s the one that you received.”
Chenoweth encouraged students to pay attention to how calling becomes clearer over time. He described it as something that often comes with a sense of responsibility, purpose and service beyond personal success. Calling, he said, is not about private gain but public good, and it often feels larger than what someone can accomplish on their own.
To illustrate that commitment, Chenoweth shared a personal story about a pair of cuff links he wears on special occasions. Crafted in Jerusalem, they bear the words of Ephesians 4:1 in Hebrew — a reminder to him to live with courage and faithfulness.
“Following Jesus might require more of you than you initially thought,” he said. “But Jesus will supply you more than you could ever imagine for that calling.”
Chenoweth emphasized that living out a calling requires more than conviction. How believers live matters just as much as what they do. Turning to Ephesians 4:2, he highlighted Paul’s call to humility, gentleness, patience and love.
“Audacious action in the name of God is a great thing,” he said. “But it’s only work halfway done.”
He explained that faithfulness requires both courage and care — strong convictions paired with a posture shaped by the Holy Spirit. That balance, Chenoweth noted, is especially important in moments of disagreement and conflict.
He spoke about the challenges of division in modern culture, including the way social media can distance people from one another. In those moments, he reminded students that believers are not left to navigate conflict alone.
“Aren’t you so glad because of God, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us,” he said.
Chenoweth also reflected on the University’s commitment to fostering a sense of belonging on campus. He shared that progress in student retention and community health points to the importance of relational care.
Those efforts, he said, are not ideological but moral, rooted in the belief that every person has inherent worth because they are created by God.
As chapel ended, Chenoweth returned to the theme of Wake Up, encouraging students to reflect on how God may be inviting them to grow this semester — either by stepping more fully into their calling or by adjusting how they live it out.
“It’s never only about your position,” he said. “It also includes your posture.”
Chenoweth ended chapel with a prayer of blessing over the Olivet community, asking God to shape students into people of faith, courage and love.
“May this be the greatest year of their life in you. In Christ’s name, amen.”
To watch the full message, click here.
