First Semester of Seminary School

Recap. Review. Reflect.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5

And just like that, my first semester of seminary school is complete!🥳

 I had been considering seminary school for about a year before applying. I officially applied for school in October 2024 and began my first semester in January 2025. The process was bad for those who were inquiring. I did have to fill out an application, submit transcripts, pay a small application fee, submit three character references, and a church reference.

I’ve always loved learning about God, whether it’s studying scripture, digging deeper into His truths, or finding ways to share His Word with others. Over time, that love turned into a deeper desire to grow not just personally, but also in a way that would help me teach, write, and lead with more clarity and confidence. That’s what led me to seminary school. I didn’t just want more knowledge; I wanted to be transformed. I wanted to sit with God’s Word in a new way and let it shape how I show up in ministry, in writing, and in my personal life.

When I enrolled in seminary school, I really didn’t know what to expect and was a bit anxious about it, but I was 100% sure that I was about to embrace a new chapter and an invitation to go further with God. I was following the nudge that was tugging at my heart. This first semester was inspiring, challenging, and perspective-shifting.

The exact program I enrolled in is Master of Theology. The program consists of 120 credit hours that are broken down into a four-year curriculum that includes biblical exposition, languages, systematic theology, and more. I have not decided on a specific emphasis yet, but I am praying that God will lead me there as time progresses.

The first class that I took this semester was Bible Study Methods and Hermeneutics. For this class, we talked in depth about the steps of Bible study, including observation, interpretation, application, and correlation. We spent time discussing how history, culture, and grammar can be considered when doing effective Bible study.  For the assignments in this course, we practiced drawing observation from scripture that may normally be overlooked, creating a synthetic chart, and doing in-depth word studies. We also focused on researching the background and setting of a particular book of the Bible to gain a better understanding of its context. We were able to use what we learned to look at parables and poetry to get a better picture of the author’s intended message.

This class was set up in an online-live format for me📝. I enjoyed our class discussion reflecting on how God used many literary concepts and genres to relay his message to humanity. This class is foundational for all Bible Exposition classes at the university, and I would also recommend it for any student of God’s word to fully grasp the message.

The second class I took first semester was titled Christian Life and Witness. (The professor also referred to this class as “The Quest for a Life that is Spiritual”. This class was very insightful and life-changing. The workload of this course was pretty heavy and required a great deal of time and thought. We had lectures, small group meetings, and weekly collab group meetings to discuss weekly material. We read several books, but I really enjoyed “The Reason for God” by Timothy Keller, “Dwell” by Barry Jones, and “Desiring the Kingdom” by James Smith.

This class began with an overview of the Story of the Bible and how it connects from beginning to end. We broke down the Bible into episodes, all pointing to God’s intended purpose for humans to display His Kingdom on earth. Each time we chose rebellion, God gave us another chance. Our greatest longing is for the day Jesus returns to make all things new. We discussed the following topics in detail: God’s holiness, being image-bearers, rebellion and sin, flesh, grace, faith, legalism, and spiritual disciplines.  We wrote spiritual papers that helped expound on topics we discussed in class. One particular paper that stood out to me was to explain God’s holiness to a 10-year-old. Such a simple topic was harder to explain than one would think because it’s hard to relate God’s holiness to anything in this world.  We also wrote a paper about our own gospel story and how we can use it to present the Gospel to unbelievers. Some things that stuck with me throughout this class include:

1.        Flesh is drawn to self-preservation, but the Spirit draws us to self-sacrifice.

2.        Faith is not anti-knowledge, it’s anti-sight. I can’t see with physical sight but with spiritual sight. The components of faith are knowledge, assent, and commitment.

3.        Faith doesn’t save us, grace does. God uses faith in the process.

4.        God doesn’t send people to hell; it’s a choice they make. When they choose rebellion, they are choosing their destiny.

5.        Everything in culture is fighting for our affections, our spiritual disciplines help steer our affections towards Christ.

With this being my first semester of seminary school, it was also a learning curve for me. It has been a while since I have taken courses at a university and at this level. Although I earned a bachelor’s degree before, it was years ago. With this being a master’s program, there was much more reading and writing involved. The biggest challenge I had was coming to understand the Turabian writing style required for papers. Although I love to write, my professor said that “I tend to write creatively instead of academically”, hence why I love to blog🤷🏽‍♀️. So, I struggled with the formality a bit. I took several trips to the writing lab to assist with this. I’m hoping to get better as time goes on and with more experience.  Another adjustment that is good to note is time management. Being able to make intentional time for class, assignments, and also reflection is important. To fully grasp the material, you cannot brush through it, but must sit with it.

I’m excited for this journey ahead as I continue to pursue this degree. I am happy with my decision to attend seminary school and pray that God keeps me and helps me along the way, as I know it will have its share of ups and downs, easy days, and hard days. I’m not sure how long it will take me to complete the degree requirements, but I will trust God’s timing and plan all the way to the finish line!🤓

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

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