97th Annual Bible Lectureship
INVINCIBLE!
Courageous Faith In Troubled Times
A Study of the book of Daniel
September 27-30, 2020
It was their darkest hour. God’s covenant people were experiencing more than a crisis – it was a full-blown catastrophe. Their kingdom had been crushed by the mighty Babylonian army. Jerusalem was destroyed. Most galling of all, their holy temple, which symbolized the dwelling place of God Himself, was burned by Nebuchadnezzar. And when he took the sacred temple furnishings and triumphantly carted them off as trophies for the treasure house of his own god in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was making an arrogant boast: “My god won, and yours lost!”
That’s why, when the best and brightest of the young men of Judah were deported to far-away Babylon, it must have been spiritually disorienting. After all, they found themselves immersed in an alien culture: given Babylonian names, indoctrinated into a Babylonian worldview, expected to worship Babylonian gods. The promises of the Hebrew God suddenly seemed a distant memory, while the power of the Babylonian gods appeared overwhelming.
Yet out of that darkest of hours shines one of the brightest beams of hope – the story of Daniel and his companions provides some of the greatest examples of courageous faith in troubled times. Their steadfastness was rewarded again and again, as God rescued them from the executioner’s ax, from a fiery furnace, and from the lions’ den. Not only that, the book of Daniel goes on to reveal a breathtaking prophetic message: “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (2:44), an “eternal kingdom” (4:3, 5:34, 7:14, 7:18). The kingdoms of men rise and fall – great empires go from rule to ruin – but God’s kingdom is invincible!
God’s people today likewise live in troubled times, as we find ourselves in an increasingly alien culture. Headlines proclaim the decline of faith. Enemies of Christianity are growing more and more aggressive. Our government is unsettled, and our culture is in a downward spiral. In these darkening days we need to hear anew the message of the book of Daniel:
“There is a God in heaven” (2:28)
“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men” (4:17, 4:32, 5:21)
With the 2020 Harding Bible Lectureship we affirm that our God is still in heaven, He is still sovereign over history, and his kingdom is invincible! May that confidence enable us, like Daniel, to live faithfully in fearful times.
-Dan Williams, Lectureship Director
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Musical performances by student ensembles
Concert Choir, Chorus, Belle Canto and Harding Academy Chorus
Learn more
Fan The Flame
Hear from 2019 Lectureship guests and speakers about what this program means to them.
2020 Lectureship Sermon Challenge
2020 HARDING LECTURESHIP SERMON CHALLENGE: Harding University’s Bible Lectureship is scheduled for September 27-30, 2020 and it focuses on the book of Daniel. The theme is “INVINCIBLE! Courageous Faith In Troubled Times.”
To stimulate our appreciation of the book of Daniel, and to encourage excellence in preaching, I am issuing this challenge: craft a sermon which takes its text from any part of Chapter 3 of the book of Daniel and submit it to Dan Williams. The Church Relations office will choose the best submissions and present them anonymously to a panel of reviewers, and if your sermon is selected, you will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Harding University to speak on our lectureship program.
We will once again be accepting submissions in two categories: a “Young Ministers’ Network Series” for preachers 39 and under, and a “Master Series” for preachers 40 and up.
There is some fine print, of course – and some guidelines. You’ll find them below, and failure to comply will invalidate your entry, so read the guidelines carefully. Submissions will be accepted from January 1, 2020 through March 13, 2020. To be considered for the Sermon Challenge you must be on the subscriber list of PREACHER STUFF, so if you have not yet signed up go to the PS page elsewhere on the Church Relations website to learn how to subscribe to this free service.
GUIDELINES & RULES:
1. By submitting your sermon for consideration in the SERMON CHALLENGE you are agreeing to allow your sermon, if chosen, to be shared in a future posting of PREACHER STUFF. You are also agreeing to attend the Harding Bible Lectureship, which is scheduled for September 27-30, 2020 on the campus of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and to make a 50-minute class presentation during our Lectureship.
2. The individuals whose sermon is chosen will be provided with up to $500 in travel expenses. Any airline flights must be booked through the Church Relations Office of Harding University. In addition, they and their wife will be provided with lodging in the Heritage Inn and all meals on campus for the duration of Lectureship.
3. Submissions will be accepted through Friday, March 13, 2020. One submission per person. Sermons must be submitted in a Word document attachment – no PDF documents, audio, video, or PowerPoint entries will be accepted.
4. Submit your sermon to Lectureship@harding.edu. Place “Lectureship Sermon Challenge” in the subject line.
5. Your name, church, city and state must be IN the sermon document itself, so that I can keep track of the submissions. (All identifying material will be removed from your sermon before it is reviewed by our anonymous panel.)
6. You must indicate which category you are entering by placing the words “Young Ministers’ Network Series” or “Master Series” in the upper right-hand corner of the front page of the sermon document. You are eligible to enter the Young Ministers’ Network Series if you will be 39 or younger on Friday, March 13, 2020. You are eligible to enter the Master Series if you will be 40 or older on that same day.
7. The sermon must be based on a specific Biblical text from Daniel Chapter 3 and it should communicate what you consider to be the most important aspect of that passage. Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of how well they reflect and communicate the significance of the passage in the context of the book of Daniel, with special attention given to clarity of thought and faithfulness to the text chosen.
8. The material in the sermon must be substantially your own work. You may use illustrations or quotations of others, but when doing so, you must provide proper attribution for your sources.
9. We will acknowledge receipt of your submission when it arrives, but you will not be contacted again unless you are a winner.
10. We reserve the right to suspend competition in any category which fails to receive a minimum number (3) of submissions.
11. You must be an active member of a Church of Christ that would be compatible with the spiritual vision of Harding University, as described on our website: http://www.harding.edu/about/spiritualvision. In addition, you must be on the PREACHER STUFF mailing list as of March 13, 2020.
12. Employees of Harding University, members of the Lectureship Committee, previous Sermon Challenge winners, and individuals who have already been invited to speak on the 2020 fall program are not eligible for consideration.
2020 Keynote Speakers
The Office of Church Relations and the Lectureship Committee are working diligently to create another great program for the 97th Annual Bible Lectureship for 2020. Please keep checking back for updates.
Young Minister Network
The Office of Church Relations and the Lectureship Committee are working diligently to create another great program for the 97th Annual Bible Lectureship for 2020. Please keep checking back for updates. In the meantime, you can see what was said about the program this past Lectureship.
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"I pray that the young ministers network grows in future years. I really enjoyed this and it was very helpful for me."
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"The Young Minister's Network is such a great idea."
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"I loved the Young Minister's Network"
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"I enjoyed the Young MInister's Network lectures/events."
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"The Young Ministers Network was exactly what I needed."
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"I really appreciated the Young Ministers' Track. Please make this an annual track."
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Shepherding Workshop
The Office of Church Relations and the Lectureship Committee are working diligently to create another great program for the 97th Annual Bible Lectureship for 2020. Please keep checking back for updates.
Youth and Family Track
The Office of Church Relations and the Lectureship Committee are working diligently to create another great program for the 97th Annual Bible Lectureship for 2020. Please keep checking back for updates.
Women's Ministry
The Office of Church Relations and the Lectureship Committee are working diligently to create another great program for the 97th Annual Bible Lectureship for 2020. Please keep checking back for updates.
2020 Registration
Pre-registration for the 2020 Lectureship will open up in January.
Bring Your Children to Lectureship
"We were so thankful for the childcare program, and our four children enjoyed their time there. We were pleased that our kids participated in Bible time, outdoor play, and indoor activities. The regular text message updates from childcare providers helped with our peace of mind, and we were pleasantly surprised that they were already equipped to accommodate our daughter's dietary restrictions. We had a very positive experience with the childcare and are planning to use their services again." -Christopher and Ashley Wiles (Central Church of Christ, Sparta, Tennessee)
We offer childcare for preschool and young school-aged children at Lectureship. No pre-registration is required and there is no fee. Snacks, activities and dinner are provided.
Childcare is offered at the College Church of Christ, located conveniently across Race Avenue from the Heritage Inn, a short walking distance from the Lectureship venues.
Operational Hours:
Sunday evening: 6pm - 8:30pm
Monday - Wednesday: 8am - noon, 1:30pm - 8:30pm
What People Are Saying About the 2019 Lectureship...
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“Congratulations on a fantastic and convicting start to this year’s lectureship. I am a freshman and must say I was blown away.” – College Student
...
“Please continue the childcare! It was such a blessing.” – Stay at home mom
...
“Lectureship was a needed, refreshing experience for my wife and I. The Young Minister's Networking classes were excellent. It is always refreshing to sit back at the feet of professors that I hold in such high respect.” – Preacher
...
“It was one of the most meaningful, hopeful, and spiritually filling lectureships we have attended in the past 10 years. I was not going to attend the LGBTQ presentations, but as a shepherd I felt called to be there. It was a challenging presentation, but very well handled and scripturally sound.” –Elder
...
“Lectureship was uplifting, encouraging, and informative with knowledgeable presenters who were able to connect with their topics and listeners. The keynote on Monday morning with Scott Adair was incredible. He is always able to present basic information from a different perspective, and he provided useful tools to carry home. The Preacher's Workshop was also very valuable; it was organized well, and the speaker also provided valuable tools and insightful wisdom into the presentation of the book of Acts.” – Young Church Member
...
“The Young Minister’s Network is such a great idea. Thank you for creating it!” – Minister’s wife
“The Lectureship was a very positive experience and was a refreshing time for my spiritual health. I attended with two ministers from my local church, neither one of us had previously attended at Harding University.” –Shepherd
...
“The Lectureship was exciting and showed a great effort to diversify in terms of the speakers. The spirit was excellent.” – Elder
...
“I was refreshed and filled by the atmosphere in the whole event.” –Preacher
“Absolutely amazing! The Young Minister’s Network was exactly what I needed.” – Minister
...
“It is a solid lectureship that does not veer to extremes” – Church member
...
“It's not only become a family tradition, but a way of nourishing my soul each year and enlightening me on how to deal with sensitive issues in the church.” – Elder
...
“The Lectureship was helpful, motivational, and practical. I really appreciated the Young Ministers' Track. Please make this an annual track.” – Minister
...
“Keep Dr. Dan Williams as Lectureship Director! He was on top of things and took time more than once to warmly interact with us, in spite of demands.” – Christian lady
...
“I pray that the Young Ministers Network grows in future years. I really enjoyed this and it was very helpful for me. Maybe the Young Ministers Network could be partnered with Harding throughout the year, as well as at lectureship. I think a Facebook page could be one simple way to keep an active lifeline between all the young ministers.” – Minister
...
“My experience was informative and encouraging. I enjoyed the Young Minister’s Network lectures/events. Continue, in some form, the YMN through lectures or other events.” – Minister
“Congratulations on a fantastic and convicting start to this year’s lectureship. I am a freshman and must say I was blown away.” – College Student
...
“Please continue the childcare! It was such a blessing.” – Stay at home mom
...
“Lectureship was a needed, refreshing experience for my wife and I. The Young Minister's Networking classes were excellent. It is always refreshing to sit back at the feet of professors that I hold in such high respect.” – Preacher
...
“It was one of the most meaningful, hopeful, and spiritually filling lectureships we have attended in the past 10 years. I was not going to attend the LGBTQ presentations, but as a shepherd I felt called to be there. It was a challenging presentation, but very well handled and scripturally sound.” –Elder
...
“Lectureship was uplifting, encouraging, and informative with knowledgeable presenters who were able to connect with their topics and listeners. The keynote on Monday morning with Scott Adair was incredible. He is always able to present basic information from a different perspective, and he provided useful tools to carry home. The Preacher's Workshop was also very valuable; it was organized well, and the speaker also provided valuable tools and insightful wisdom into the presentation of the book of Acts.” – Young Church Member
...
“The Young Minister’s Network is such a great idea. Thank you for creating it!” – Minister’s wife
“The Lectureship was a very positive experience and was a refreshing time for my spiritual health. I attended with two ministers from my local church, neither one of us had previously attended at Harding University.” –Shepherd
...
“The Lectureship was exciting and showed a great effort to diversify in terms of the speakers. The spirit was excellent.” – Elder
...
“I was refreshed and filled by the atmosphere in the whole event.” –Preacher
“Absolutely amazing! The Young Minister’s Network was exactly what I needed.” – Minister
...
“It is a solid lectureship that does not veer to extremes” – Church member
...
“It's not only become a family tradition, but a way of nourishing my soul each year and enlightening me on how to deal with sensitive issues in the church.” – Elder
...
“The Lectureship was helpful, motivational, and practical. I really appreciated the Young Ministers' Track. Please make this an annual track.” – Minister
...
“Keep Dr. Dan Williams as Lectureship Director! He was on top of things and took time more than once to warmly interact with us, in spite of demands.” – Christian lady
...
“I pray that the Young Ministers Network grows in future years. I really enjoyed this and it was very helpful for me. Maybe the Young Ministers Network could be partnered with Harding throughout the year, as well as at lectureship. I think a Facebook page could be one simple way to keep an active lifeline between all the young ministers.” – Minister
...
“My experience was informative and encouraging. I enjoyed the Young Minister’s Network lectures/events. Continue, in some form, the YMN through lectures or other events.” – Minister
Note from Dan Williams, Lectureship Director: Having overflowing classrooms is a good problem, but we recognize it IS a problem. We are hard at work on next year’s schedule in order to address this challenge.
Exhibitor / Vendor Information
Reservations for Lectureship 2020 exhibit areas
2020 Exhibitor Slide Information:
For those exhibitors who are eligible to have a slide shown during Lectureship 2020, your slide is due September 1st. The slide should be in a 16:9 PowerPoint format. For any questions, please contact our office at lectureship@harding.edu.
On Wednesday, September 30th, we will begin accepting exhibit reservations for Lectureship 2021 (September 26 - September 29, 2021). Please complete the form below and submit with payment on or after September 30, 2020 to secure your exhibit reservation for next year. Payment methods accepted include a check or credit card. (Registration must be completed below, but payment by credit card is also accepted by phone at 501-279-4449.) Exhibit areas will fill up quickly so early application is encouraged.
Exhibit fees for 2020:
$150 per exhibit table in the McInteer Rotunda and Student Center
$75 per exhibit table in the Benson Lobby.
$20 for ad in advertisement slide (Optional add on)
NOTE: There is a max limit of two tables
Please check out Exhibitor Instructions for additional information.
Exhibitor Information and Registration Form - 2020
Recordings
2019 LECTURESHIP PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE. VISIT SCHOLARWORKS.HARDING.EDU/LECTURESHIP TO DOWNLOAD THOSE RECORDINGS.
CD's and books are no longer produced for our Lectureship events.
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Free Downloads!
We are working with the Brackett Library to create a more functional and user-friendly archiving platform for Lectureship program information and recordings. Visit the library site to see all of the features and information that is available. scholarworks.harding.edu/lectureship. The recordings from 2014 - 2019 are available on that site.
Several previous years are also available at
iTunesU Instructions for Use:
- Click the link above. If you already have iTunes software on your computer, click the grey "I Have iTunes" button. If you do not have iTunes, click the blue "Free Download" button.
- Once iTunes is installed, you will see a list of the recordings for Lectureship 2016. Hover your mouse over the number for the session you'd like to hear and click on the play button (a triangle inside a circle). Make sure your speakers are on and enjoy the recording.
Note: Lectureship recordings can be heard on your smartphone. Use the iTunes app and search for "Harding University Lectureship".
Past Lectures
If you would like to hear recordings from past Lectureships, use the search bar in the top right corner of your screen to search for "Harding University Lectureship". There are several years of lectures available for free download. To see a full list of recordings for each Lectureship, click "SUBSCRIBE" on the left.
To order previous or current Lectureship DVDs of limited presentations, contact Harding's VideoWorks at
Harding University
VideoWorks
Box 10853
Searcy, AR 72149-5615
501-279-4105
mprior@harding.edu
Order Forms
2014 Lectureship CD/DVD Order Form pdf
2012 Lectureship CD Order Form pdf
2011 Lectureship CD Order Form pdf
2010 Lectureship CD Order Form pdf
2009 Lectureship Video Order Form pdf
Donate to Kerrusso and/or Bible Scholarships
We are working to offer on-line donations for our Kerusso and Bible Scholarships. Please keep checking back to take advantage of this opportunity when it is made available.
Kerusso is a program many churches send their young men who are in ninth through twelfth grades to partake in the opportunity to learn about preaching and sharing God's Word. It also provides experiences and encouragement to grow in confidence of their abilities to share God's Word.
Bible Scholarships are open to any full-time (12 hours) major in the College of Bible and Ministry: Bible and Ministry, Bible and Family Ministry, Bible and Missions, Bible and Preaching.
Donations are considered tax-deductible. Our students appreciate any financial assistance you can provide. They also appreciate your prayers on their behalf.
Contact Us
Mailing address:
Harding University
Lectureship
Box 12280
Searcy, AR 72149-5615
