As students search for truth in a hostile world filled with temptation, a wave of baptisms revealed the power of planting seeds in fertile, eternal soil.
by Cullen Johnson
“He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” — Matthew 9:37-38
The last place I ever thought I’d end up was back in high school. It was August 2017—just two months after graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in business administration—and there I was, walking the halls of my old school again, this time as a teacher. I had attended Young Americans Christian School in Conyers and graduated with the Class of 2013. As a recent college grad, returning to high school wasn’t exactly part of my plan. However, God has a funny way of opening doors that lead to something far greater than anything we could dream up ourselves.
At Young Americans, every student is required to take Bible classes and attend weekly chapel. My job was to teach those classes and help lead those services. The first few months were tough. I was wrestling with my purpose and questioning why God had placed me there, especially in a role I never asked for. Even in my confusion, God was working behind the scenes.
“I’ve often prayed for God’s will to be done in my life, but when He begins to move, I don’t always understand it right away.”
Cullen Johnson
One day, as I was teaching my sixth-grade Bible class, a quiet girl in the back raised her hand and asked, “What is baptism?” I could sense that this was a divine moment. I explained, as clearly as I could, what baptism means and what it represents. Then I asked her, “Do you want to be baptized?” She said, “Yes.” Feeling led, I turned to the rest of the class and asked, “Does anyone else want to be baptized?” To my surprise, hands shot up all over the room. It was in that moment I realized exactly why God had placed me there.
During my first year of teaching, I had the opportunity to baptize around 30 of my students. Over time, even more made that same decision—through chapels, retreats and everyday classroom conversations. I’ve often prayed for God’s will to be done in my life, but when He begins to move, I don’t always understand it right away. Looking back, I see now that He was teaching me what it truly means to “go and make disciples of all nations.”
The harvest is still great, and the workers are still few. Students today are searching for truth more than ever before. In a world that tells them to “try this, smoke this, drink this,” we need more workers—people willing to till the soil, plant the seed, nurture the crop and gather the harvest God has prepared. Too often, students are pushed to chase careers that store up earthly rewards. What we need are workers who will inspire them to pursue lives that store up eternal ones, encouraging them not to become who the world wants them to be but who God created them to be.
Cullen Johnson serves as the youth pastor and worship leader at Dovestone Church. For information, visit dovestonechurch.com.
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