Pastor Jason Strand, a member of the teaching pastor team at Eaglebrook Church in St. Paul, Minn., speaks to students on learning to exalt God in this podcast of daily chapel at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. 

He challenges his listeners to consider why people so badly want to glorify other people. He thinks it comes from our root desire to ourselves be complimented and glorified. We want to be admired. We want to be looked up to. There’s something inside every one of us that wants other people to recognize and exalt us. 

In contrast, Christ says in Luke 14:11 that if we are focused on exalting ourselves, we will be humbled. If we humble ourselves, only then will we be exalted.

“The purpose for my life, the purpose for your life is not that you would be exalted and recognized by other people. If I spend my life hoping to be great….my life is going to feel like a roller coaster.”

It’s going to feel like a roller coaster because that’s not what we were created to do. 

We were created to bring glory and honor to God. All things were created by him and for him. We were created for him. Our lives aren’t about us. We were created so that in everything we might exalt God.

Jason challenged students to it a primary goal to exalt God with their lives. He gives three ways for us to point people to Jesus with our lives instead of ourselves.

1. Live for the Cross and not the crowd

2. See yourself as an ambassador for Christ

3. Really get to know Jesus Christ

Key Scriptures: Luke 14:11, 2 Corinthians 5:20

Chapel at Northwestern with Pastor Jason Strand

The University of Northwestern is a Christ-centered liberal arts university, founded in 1902, and located in St. Paul, Minn. that works closely with Northwestern Media.