Skip navigation
Regent University Newsletter in Virginia Beach, VA 23464

Embracing an Eternal Perspective at University Chapel

An honest reminder for the honest worshiper was met with amens and affirmation as the Dr. Rev. Kirk T. Houston guided students through the 73rd psalm. He challenged them to reconcile truth with their experiences by taking refuge in the Lord, seeing life from His perspective. This refuge, according to the pastor, Norfolk public schools chair, ministry founder, and father is found in a personal relationship with God.

In the psalm, the author is frustrated, because although God is good to those who are pure in heart, the psalmist sees the wicked prosper. He’s honest with his frustration toward the Lord and although he feels guilty, he admits that he nearly lost his foothold, his faith.

Houston said that he and his congregation often wrestle with being the worshipers they want to be and the worshipers they truly are. Wednesday he reminded chapel-goers that it’s best to be honest with the Lord about personal struggles and draw close to Him through worship, prayer and reading of the Word with fellow believers.

“We don’t have an eternal perspective, we have an earthly perspective,” said Houston, “But in the sanctuary, when the Word of God is being read and preached in the sanctuary, when the praises of God go up in the sanctuary, where God’s holy presence fills the place, we can get fresh revelation and a discovery for some of the matters that are playing in our faith. That renews our faith and restores our belief in God Almighty.”

Houston has a well-established relationship with Regent University. When he’s not pastoring the Gethsemane Community Fellowship Baptist Church or volunteering with the ministry he founded, the Garden of Hope Community Development Corporation, Houston enjoys taking a break from the busyness of life on Regent’s campus.

Houston is passionate about personal and spiritual development. He uses his Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio and Master of Divinity degree from the Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond to often lecture on leadership development. He has a heart for jail ministry, offender rehabilitation, and ex-offender reentry and authored the book The Church’s Return Policy: Equipping the Church to Minister to Ex-offenders which deals with the church’s vital role in the restoration and redemption of ex-offenders.

Learn more about Campus Ministries.