Happy Labor Day 2016! I hope you enjoy this encore performance of Career Callings Radio from October 5, 2015. I’ll be back with a brand new show next week! God bless! – Robbie

Steve Pettit became the fifth president of BJU in May of 2014. An alumnus of BJU, Pettit previously served on the Board of Trustees.

He earned a BS in business administration from The Citadel in 1978 and a MAin pastoral studies from BJU Seminary in 1980.

Following his BJU graduation, both he and his wife, Terry, saw their calling in pastoral ministry and evangelism. For five years, Pettit served as youth pastor for First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Michigan, before entering full-time evangelism.

In the following 29 years, the Pettits traveled year-round in evangelism, conducting more than 800 campaigns, crusades and camps throughout the United States and preaching in 21 countries.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• [3m 43s] Tell us how God has directed your career. (Dr. Pettit) Attended The Citadel. Got saved his freshman year. Called to ministry. Attended Bob Jones University. Went to a church in Michigan. Burden/calling into for evangelism, which did for 29 years. Ran a Christian camp in northeastern Wisconsin. Then, on to BJU as president.
• [5m 55s] Ever confused about God’s leading? (Dr. Pettit) Settling the call to the ministry was the biggest thing. Some of the answers came as a direct answer to prayer. Big question was how do I make a decision between two paths of service. Difficulty was discerning right timing and getting counsel from the right people. Key is to get counsel from godly advisors.
• [7m 12s] When people make a mistake in biblical decision making, what is the main cause for the mistake? (Dr. Pettit) Sometimes we get ahead of God’s plan. Sometimes we are not willing to follow the obvious plan. First step in good decision making is to be in a right and consistent relationship with God so we can discern His will. This includes being plugged into a godly church with accountability.
• [8m 7s] Time in your life when God showed you a path you did not want to go down? (Dr. Pettit) Everything I’ve ever done! Whenever we do God’s work/will, there must come a point of surrender to His will. Sometimes we are on the same page with God’s goals, but we don’t agree with His proposed path to get there.
• [9m 10s] How did you end up in admissions at BJU? (Abby White) Attended BJU. God opened the door to work in admissions. Has a passion for BJU. Loves the opportunity to recruit others into the Christian education atmosphere of BJU.
• [10m 4s] Why should people attend a Christian college when there are so many secular options for less cost? (Abby White) Some people think that Christian college cannot help them attain their career goal. It sure can! She reminds students that you get what you pay for. That’s why it is so important to not just go with the cheaper option. You can get so much more with a Christian education. (Dr. Pettit) Studies have shown that the first year out of high school is the most crucial year for the faith of a young person. Dr. Pettit has worked with college-age students for over 30 years and has witnessed many stumble at this age. Being in a school where your faith is integrated with your learning is crucial to maintaining your faith.

Second Segment

• [17m 36s] Best career advice for high school seniors. (Abby White) Consider your talents and passions as a clue to the career God intended for you. Consider Christian education as the way to prepare for that. (Dr. Pettit) Ask the teenager to consider if they are truly committed to God’s will. Then ask are you going to look for the easy path or for the right path. Look for the right path in your education/preparation.
• [19m 44s] Do you find a lot of people struggling with that advice because people don’t know how to trust The Lord for the next step? (Dr. Pettit) God doesn’t let us know everything. We want to know all of the steps between where we are and where we want to be, but God expects us to trust Him for the next step, even if we don’t know it. Man devises his way but The Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Not knowing the next step, but trusting God for it, is how we build our faith.
• [21m 15s] Financial aid to help fund college. (Abby White) We work a lot with our students on financial aid. Ninety-five percent of our students don’t pay a full tuition. Help them with federal, state, BJU, and private options. Recommend getting application together in Fall. Look for private scholarships in Fall and Winter. Complete FAFSA in January and look toward need-based options in the late Winter and early Spring. Resource to search for scholarships: www.schoolsoup.com.
• [24m 29s] What advice would you give to someone who feels called to a career, but it’s a career that doesn’t pay the bills? (Dr. Pettit) Have to balance between providing for family and what I think God wants me to do. May require being bi-vocational – like the Apostle Paul – until (if ever) God makes the calling provide for your family.
• [26m 23s] Is your career calling always something that “feels right” or could God call us to something that doesn’t feel right? (Dr. Pettit) (Joke:) I understand that fully; I’m the president of BJU! Sometimes won’t feel right, but you (again) need to trust God that He knows what is best.
• [27m 51s]  How do you help students uncover what their gifts are? (Abby White) Asks them what their favorite subjects in school are. Which ones they don’t like. Ask them what they like to do after school and what gifts they already see in their lives.

Resources Mentioned:

• www.schoolsoup.com

Sponsors:

• Knights of Siena Fencing Academy
• Amazon.com. Shop Amazon.com via this link and a portion of each purchase will go to support the Career Callings Radio Show.
• Samaritan Ministries If you apply, please list Robbie Romeiser as your referrer to support the Career Callings Radio Show.
• Hostgator.com
• Amazon Prime (Free Trial Offer)
• Audible.com

Killer Resources:

• Get a FREE audio book at Audible.com.
• Daily devotions from Robbie Romeiser at TodaysQuoteFromGod.com.

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Robbie Romeiser is a commercial real estate broker, real estate instructor, and author of the daily devotional Today’s Quote From God (www.TodaysQuoteFromGod.com). Desiring to help his own children follow God’s calling in their lives, Robbie founded Career Callings (www.CareerCallings.net) to help people find, prepare for, and pursue the work God has called them to do. To have Robbie speak at your church, business, professional association, or civic club, please email Robbie at robbie@careercallings.net.