Todd Sorrell is an adjunct professor of biblical counseling at The Master’s University and author of “The College Choice: A Biblical Guide for Students and Parents.” In addition to practicing law, Sorrell has earned an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from TMU and is an ACBC-certified biblical counselor.
We recently sat down with him to discuss the story behind his book and his advice for the parents of prospective college students.
The book arose directly from my time at TMU while I was studying biblical counseling. One of the things about biblical counseling is the idea that the Bible has all we need to live a godly life. It doesn’t talk about everything, like how to change the spark plug in a car, or how to fix a broken bone. But it certainly has what we need to live a godly life. Because it’s that practical, during my studies I would deal with issues that came up in class and in my personal life and write on them.
When I got toward the end, I wrote a thesis on college because my kids were coming up on college. And that’s what turned into this book. The premise of it is from 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Do all things to the glory of God.” Because it says “all things,” there’s no decision or activity that we’re supposed to engage in that’s not to the glory of God. Therefore, choosing a college is supposed to be done for the glory of God.
Life is about influence. We’re going to either influence or be influenced. And college is about influence. When people go to college, they’re going to be influenced — by peers, by textbooks, by professors, by extracurricular activities. When you think about that from the Christian perspective, you have to think about which place overall would be the best environment for God’s grace to grow. Parents have to think about stewarding the child God gave them, and students need to think about stewarding the mind God gave them.
There are exceptions to my overall rule, but I think that most students should end up at a genuinely Christian college if they claim Christ.
There’s a checklist of questions and answers included in my book. For example, does the college encourage students to move toward God? But you want to be even more specific than that: Does the school believe in six-day creation? The sovereignty of God? That Scripture is inspired, sufficient, infallible, and authoritative? What kind of fellowship is there? Is the school teaching students to engage in righteous speech and conduct? What is the faculty required to teach and affirm there? Does the school equip students to live in and influence the world for Christ through excellent skills and character?
Ultimately, they have to consider the glory of God. Can you choose whatever university you’re looking at to the glory of God?
I have traveled and worked with various institutions and high-level people, and there is nothing that compares to what I get, and the refreshment that I get, when I go to a school like Master’s and just spend time there.
Also, I am currently pursuing a Ph.D. in applied theology with an emphasis in biblical counseling at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This course of study is a direct result of my studies at TMU, which prompted me to want to learn more and apply God’s Word more in daily life.
“The College Choice” is available for purchase on Amazon.
