Highest Potential with Steve Pettit

In 1981, Cochran began his career as a firefighter with the Shreveport Fire Department in Louisiana. After multiple promotions, he was appointed fire chief in 1999.

In 2008, he was appointed fire chief of the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department. The following year, President Barack Obama appointed him United States Fire Administrator. Cochran was re-appointed by Mayor Kasim Reed as Fire Chief of the City of Atlanta in 2010. He later served for five years as Chief Operating Officer of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.

In his personal capacity, Cochran wrote a book for a men’s Bible study at his church which referenced traditional marriage. A lawsuit was brought against him and he was fired from his role as Atlanta fire chief even though an investigation revealed no evidence of discrimination. ADF represented Chief Cochran in a suit filed against the city in federal court to protect his rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and protest his unjust termination. In October 2018, the city of Atlanta agreed to pay Cochran $1.2 million in the wake of a federal court ruling in his favor.

Pastor Tim Richmond is passionate about urban ministry and evangelism. He is the senior pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Queens New York, which he helped plant. Recently he came to speak to our students about the glorious opportunity all believers have through the call of the great commission. 

In this week's episode, Dr. Pettit is joined by Dr. Alan Benson and Dr. Kevin Oberlin as they give an update on what is happening at the School of Religion and BJU Seminary! 

This week's episode is an interview that took place back when Stu Epperson Jr. came to visit campus. Stu Epperson is the founder and president of The Truth Network, with radio stations across North Carolina, Virginia, central Iowa, and Salt Lake City. Truth Network also develops and syndicates programs on over 300 affiliates nationwide. It was an honor to have him with us on campus to record the first-ever Highest Potential episode in the Dining Common!

The Russian-Ukraine war has caused heartbreak and confusion to spread across the globe. In the heart of the darkness, many Ukrainian pastors and Christian leaders are trying to serve their communities in the face of danger. Sergey Minka is the pastor of Word of Life Slavic Baptist church here in SC. He started the Ukraine Relief fund with his church to help enable brothers and sisters in Ukraine to continue being lights in their communities. Here at BJU, We have partnered with Word of Life to help them reach their goal of $25,000.

For more information or if you wish to give, please visit the following link: https://give.bju.edu/ukraine

In this week's episode, we were thrilled to have one of our own back in Greenville. Pastor Jason was a professor in the Seminary and School of Religion here at BJU for a number of years. Since his time at BJU, he has gone back to pastor in the heart of Minneapolis. We were thrilled not only to be able to invite him back for Bible Conference but also to support him through this year's Bible Conference Offering, the Jerimiah 29:7 project. 

On this week's episode, Dr. Pettit has a conversation with Noah Jackson and Jonny Pierre. They are the President and Vice President of one of our student organizations, METES. Listen in as they tell about the Mission of METES and how they are reaching out into the community to serve.

Today, Dr. Pettit is joined by Dr. Bernard Kadio to discuss everyone's favorite topic, COVID-19. Dr. Kadio is an expert in global health and is a faculty member at Bob Jones University. In this episode, we will take a quick look at the current state of the global health community to see what the future might hold for all of us. 

On this week's episode — Dr. Pettit is joined by Neal Ring to talk about how the Bruins have grown over the last 10 years.

In the wake of recent events, the issue of abortion has become more pressing than ever. In this week's episode, Dr. Marc Chetta joins Dr. Pettit in a conversation about the Sanctity of Life.

In this week's episode, Dr. Pettit speaks with Emilee Nelson about her grandfather, Ed Nelson, and his recently published biography.

Below is the description of this wonderful book that Emilee co-authored with her grandfather:

"A Sinner Saved By Grace is not your typical autobiography, especially about a preacher. In a most unexpected way, you will find yourself wanting to read “just one more chapter” as you are led page by page through the exciting life of Ed Nelson. You will laugh as you read of some embarrassing moments and family stories. You will cry as you feel his heartbreak through some of the most difficult situations in his life. You will be challenged to have faith that God can and does work the miraculous. You will see determination, leadership, strength, and humility. You will see foolish mistakes, sinful actions, hurt, and regret. But you will be encouraged to simply believe God, not because of who Ed Nelson is, but because of the God he serves. Ed Nelson is simply a sinner, saved by the grace of God." – Emilee Nelson

Today Dr. Pettit has a conversation with Dr. Renton Rathbun about the recent opening and the need for the Center for Biblical Worldview. The Center for Biblical Worldview will help faculty members and students integrate a biblical worldview into every aspect of campus life. Dr. Renton Rathbun, a professor in the School of Religion, is the newly appointed director of this center. 

Why are standards and convictions so important for believers today? Listen in as Dr. Pettit and Dr. Ollila discuss how God uses these in the lives of believers. 

How should we view the "other side"? Dr. Mark Ward and Dr. Steve Pettit engage in a lighthearted discussion about how you can choose to love your neighbor — even the one you disagree with. 

It’s difficult to believe that we’ve come to the end of another school year and have said goodbye to another class of seniors. This class has persevered through an unusual and difficult year, and now we’re excited to see how the Lord uses them in the future.

Today, I talk with two members of the 2021 Bob Jones University Senior Class – Sarah Rumpf and Nathan Swaim. They share with us how God has used BJU to shape them and prepare them for their future.

Enjoy our conversations!

Over the years, we have been blessed to have many alumni who have taken what they’ve learned from Bob Jones University and gone on to do great things. I really enjoy this podcast because it gives me an avenue to talk to some of those people and share their stories with you.

Today, I had the opportunity to talk to Asa Hutchinson – a 1972 BJU grad and the current Governor of Arkansas.

Governor Hutchinson has served as the Governor of Arkansas since 2015. In 1982, at the age of 31, he was appointed by Ronald Reagan as the U.S. Attorney for the United States Western District of Arkansas. He later served in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed as the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and led the Boarder and Transportation Security Division for the Department of Homeland Security.

I’m thankful for Governor Hutchinson’s testimony and I’m grateful that he took the time to join me for this episode. Please enjoy our conversation.

Soon, the U.S. Senate will begin debating a bill that would have far reaching consequences for Bob Jones University and other religious institutions. That bill – known as the Equality Act – forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and contains no exemptions for religious organizations to exercise their beliefs.

To better grasp the impact the Equality Act could have on BJU, I talked with Greg Baylor of Alliance Defending Freedom where he serves as the director of the Center for Religious Schools and Senior Counsel for Government Affairs.

Greg provides us with great information on the basics of the Equality Act, how it will affect the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and what we can do to prevent this danger piece of legislation from becoming law.

November 3rd, 2020 is a big day in the United States as Americans will vote to elect the next president of the United States. To say that this is an anxious time for America would be an understatement. It’s also a very conflicting time for Christians because we’re living with a variety of emotions and thoughts about the future.

Friends, God is in control and we can trust that whatever happens, He will accomplish His will.

Today, I wanted to talk about the role of a Christian in our republic and how Christians can best communicate truth while discussing politics with others.

I first talk to Linda Abrams who is a history and political science professor here at Bob Jones University. Her expertise is in how conservative Christianity and the American political system interact. I then talk to Randy Page who serves as the director of public relations at BJU.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks here on the campus of Bob Jones University!

As most of you know, this September 11th was the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that forever changed our country. That day, 2,977 people lost their lives. To commemorate this somber anniversary, BJU set up several memorials to honor and remember the victims of the attack.

In addition to those memorials, BJU hosted an ROTC contracting ceremony where several of our Army and Air Force cadets signed their contracts to serve those branches when they graduate from the program. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to catch up with Joshua Bakr who became the first commissioned officer to graduate from BJU’s ROTC program.

Take a listen!

One of my favorite aspects of this podcast is the opportunity to get to know the students who helps me host the show.

In this short bonus episode, I’m happy to introduce you to our new host for this year—Sarah Rumpf, a senior communications major from Massachusetts.

Be sure to stay tuned to this podcast feed to get Sarah’s perspective on the important topics we discuss!

Dr. Steve Pettit welcomes to his office Dr. Neal Ring – the Bruins Athletic Director – to discuss the news that the BJU Bruins have been approved for provisional NCAA Division III membership.

What does this news mean and what will change within the Bruins athletic department? Dr. Pettit and Dr. Ring answer those questions and share some history of athletics at BJU.

Learn more about the announcement here >> https://bit.ly/BruinsDIII

Dr. Kevin Oberlin – Associate Dean of The School of Religion at BJU – joins me in my office to discuss how churches and pastors are continuing to shepherd their congregations even though many are unable to meet together. Dr. Oberlin also shares a ministry that he leads called the "Pastor's Prayer Huddle."

I hope this conversation encourages you to pray for your church's leadership as they make important decisions on when to return to in-person services and how to keep congregants connected to the Church Body during the coronavirus pandemic.

We named this podcast Highest Potential because we wanted to share stories of how BJU helps students reach their highest potential for God’s glory.

In this episode, we’ll be talking with someone who has dedicated much of his life to helping his constituents reach their highest potential. Having served in the United States Senate since 2013, Senator Tim Scott has focused his energy on unleashing the positive impact that happens when hard work meets opportunity.

His positive influence and strong Christian testimony led BJU to award Senator Scott with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2018.

Senator Scott recently released a book entitled, Opportunity Knocks: How Hard Work, Community, and Business Can Improve Lives and End Poverty. In my conversation with him today, we discuss his new book, his life story and his faith.

As the school year winds down, I wanted to feature several students from Bob Jones University's 2020 senior class. I'm very proud of these students and their fellow seniors. They've overcome many obstacles this semester – including the coronavirus, remote classes and a postponed commencement.

I'm looking forward to seeing how God uses these young men and women for His glory. Let's pray for these soon-to-be college grads and congratulate them on their great accomplishments!

Easter 2020 marks my 45th spiritual birthday. I wanted to take this opportunity to share my testimony of how God saved me from my sins. We serve a great God!

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to alter every aspect of our world, it's fair to wonder what the future of higher education will look like.

Dr. Steve Pettit talks with Dr. Gary Weier and Dr. Beverly Cormican about how Bob Jones University is adapting to the new reality that coronavirus has presented and how BJU is preparing for the different future of education.

Two weeks ago, I welcomed Dr. Amy Hicks and Dr. Bernard Kadio to my office and the podcast. They provided an excellent explanation of coronavirus and how it could alter our world.

Unfortunately, the situation in the United States has only gotten worse during the past couple of weeks. On this episode, Dr. Hicks and Dr. Kadio give us an update on how bad coronavirus could get in the United States and how Christians should respond to the rapidly evolving situation.

COVID-19 – also known as coronavirus – has disrupted our world in unprecedented ways. Though Bob Jones University has no diagnosed cases, the virus has still changed the course of this semester as students will finish their academic responsibilities through online means.

In this time of fear and misunderstanding, I thought it would be valuable to hear expert opinions from two professors from BJU’s School of Health Professions who have expertise in community and global health.

I want to thank Dr. Amy Hicks and Dr. Bernard Kadio for coming to my office and providing a thorough, thoughtful and balanced explanation of the threat that coronavirus poses to our world. I believe you’ll find this conversation not only informative, but also encouraging.

I also want to encourage you to remember that God is in control and will use this situation for His glory. Let us honor Him in our actions and responses during this unusual time.

To learn more about Bob Jones University’s response to the coronavirus, please visit bju.edu/coronavirus.

Bob Jones University has raised over $194,000 to purchase a Save the Storks bus for the Carolina Pregnancy Center to use in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This mobile medical unit encourages women who are considering abortion to instead choose life for their unborn baby – and it also provides the opportunity to share the Gospel with those who are lost. 

On this episode, Dr. Steve Pettit welcomes Paul Isaacs, the President of Save the Storks, to his office to share how BJU has impacted his life and prepared him for his current position. 

Dr. Pettit also talks with Alexia Newman, the Director of the Carolina Pregnancy Center, to discuss how the CPC plans to use this amazing bus!

In this episode, Dr. Steve Pettit welcomes to his office Dr. Bob Jones III to discuss his journey to remarriage. 

Dr. Bob will marry Dr. Karen Rowe in March and he shares how God directed him to this decision. Dr. Bob also answers some of the questions everyone has about the exciting news!

Carol Anne Clemons suddenly lost her husband, Matt, after only two years of marriage. Finding herself as a new single mother in the wake of this tragedy, Carol Anne learned to rely on God's presence, wisdom and comfort.

Carol Anne joins Dr. Steve Pettit in his office to share her story.