York Shares on Overcoming Key Life Issues During Chapel Message March 4

March 5, 2020

Dr. Hershael York, dean of the school of theology and Victor and Louise Lester Professor of Christian Preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, delivered OBU’s chapel message March 4 in Raley Chapel’s Potter Auditorium on OBU’s campus in Shawnee.

York preached from Hebrews 11. He talked about Moses and his ability to overcome four key life issues.

“Moses was able to overcome identity,” he said. “There are many things that people find their identity in these days, but as Christians, our identity should be in our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Moses understood that his identity was with God and not the Egyptians.”

York also talked about Moses’ ability to overcome the issues of responsibility, priority and difficulty. Moses did these things because of his love and devotion to the Lord. Ultimately, these things were achieved because he heard God’s call and was able to answer it.

“Moses considered the treatment of Israel instead of all of the riches of Egypt that he ever could have wanted,” he said. “Most of us value ourselves over others, but Moses was not like this. He considered others before himself. He decided to place the people of God above himself.”

York has served as the 11th dean of Southern Seminary’s School of Theology since 2018, and as the Victor and Louise Lester Professor of Christian Preaching since 1999. Since coming to Southern in 1997, he has authored two books on speaking and preaching and has written dozens of articles in journals and online publications. His preaching has been featured in Preaching Today as among the best in North America, and he has twice preached at the International Congress on preaching in Cambridge, England.

York earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Kentucky. He then earned his M.Div. and Ph.D. at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.

He currently serves as the senior pastor of Buck Run Baptist Church in Frankfort, Kentucky. York frequently ministers internationally, especially in Brazil, where his father was a missionary. Before joining the faculty of Southern Seminary, he pastored the Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington and the First Baptist Church of Marion, Arkansas.