Christian leaders inspire Liberty students at Leadership in Action event at Museum of the Bible

About 150 Liberty University students participated in the Standing for Freedom Center’s Leadership in Action symposium on Friday at Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., where they gleaned from some of our nation’s leading Christian and conservative voices.

Speakers included Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton, who addressed the dangerous influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); Joseph Kennedy, who was fired from his high school football coaching job in Washington state for praying after each game (the Supreme Court ruled he had the right to pray); Tim Ballard, a former Department of Homeland Security special agent, the subject of the Angel Studios movie “Sound of Freedom,” and founder of the anti-sex trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad; Texas Congressman Chip Roy; President of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins; President of Concerned Women for America and Liberty Board of Trustees member Penny Nance; Detroit-based Pastor Lorenzo Sewell; and former NFL player Jack Brewer, who participated in a panel on building biblical men in a culture that touts the alleged dangers of “toxic masculinity.”

Students learned about the Bible’s profound influence on America, including how it shaped laws surrounding religious liberty, the abolition of slavery, ideas about democracy, and more.

“The speakers were very inspiring and really spoke on great topics I didn’t know about,” said senior history and public health student Lauren Sherlin. “Sen. Cotton was very inspirational in his talk. Speaking on some of the struggles of being a believer while in a political position was encouraging. He talked on how we must step up and do what we know is right as Christians. Coach Kennedy’s story was also a great testimony of standing your ground even when you face hate and persecution for what you believe. He was fired, but God ultimately brought justice after a long while.”

In the afternoon, students explored several Museum of the Bible exhibits, which included immersive, interactive displays and walkthroughs, giving students a broader picture of the life of Jesus and how the Bible has influenced America and the world. A new exhibit features a special section on Christian author C.S. Lewis and includes first-edition copies of the acclaimed “Chronicles of Narnia” series and the “Space Trilogy.”

“My thoughts on this event exceeded my expectations, as each speaker was able to convey their personal love and devotion for God and connect that to their career,” said senior secondary education student Felicity Surprenant. “The museum was out of this world. My favorite part was the interactive Old Testament section which brought the Old Testament story alive in a high-tech way.”

All attendees received a free copy of Sen. Cotton’s new book, “Seven Things You Can’t Say About China,” which uncovers the massive influence the communist governing authority has over America’s media and entertainment institutions, how it is altering the Bible to align with its communist grip on power, and how it unjustly and heavily regulates churches and church attendees.

“Xi Jinping and the Chinese communists oppress and persecute Christians because their power and control are directly threatened by the presence of Christianity and its followers,” Cotton said. “So, there’s no question that China is, in fact, an evil empire. And the evil at the heart of the Chinese Communist Party reveals its motives for what they would do to not only their own people but to the rest of the world.”

Cotton encouraged students to vote for people who share Christian principles, to avoid Chinese products by buying American-made goods, and most importantly, to talk with God daily.

“The single most powerful thing you can do is to pray,” Cotton said in his closing remarks. “Add to your prayers, first, for the Chinese people. Remember, the Chinese people are the first and the worst victims of communism going back 100 years. … The Chinese Communist Party has been oppressing, torturing, and killing its own people for 100 years, and we should pray for them that, one day, they can enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy here in the United States.”

Ballard introduced the never-before-seen trailer of Angel Studios’ upcoming crime documentary, “Hidden War,” that follows Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad as they catch sex traffickers and rescue victims. The movie will be released later this year.

Ballard’s inspirational charge to students preceded a time of prayer, where students huddled around him to pray for continued strength as he leads rescue efforts.

“Children are the closest thing to the image of God on this earth,” Ballard said. “Jesus left no doubt for us about where he stands on protecting children. … And we all need to do it. We all need to stand up. We all need to take everything from American history and biblical history and take that tradition as a mandate from God and stand to protect His children. Stand between evil and out children, no matter the cost, even if you have to die.”

During Kennedy’s allotted time, the former high school football coach said he never encouraged anyone to join him for prayer at the 50-yard line; athletes from his team participated voluntarily. Yet, he was fired anyway. Kennedy lost seven court cases in a row, but he eventually won at the Supreme Court.

“They could’ve fired me for a million things, but praying should not have been one of them,” Kennedy said. “But I continued on doing it because it came down to the point of when I was a marine, I stood for something, and that was the constitution. And now they’re telling me the Constitution doesn’t apply to me. And it was only a 15-second prayer. And they said, ‘Well, you need to choose between your faith and your job.’ And I had a real hard time with that. That’s where I really drew the line.”

Many of the students on the trip are members of the Freedom Center Society, where they have opportunities to dive deeper into their faith and live out biblical principles in every aspect of life. Members have access to exclusive events, speakers, books, merchandise, and a variety of other resources like notifications on future events.

“It feels great to know that Liberty provides these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, going out of their way for the students to get experience and market themselves in the real world,” Sherlin said. “It’s great that Liberty offers these trips to all students and not just those in certain groups or disciplines. This creates opportunities of exploration for students into areas they may not have considered.”