Seats were scarce in Chase Gymnasium on Wednesday morning as Biola students swarmed the room for the first session of the 73rd annual Torrey Memorial Bible Conference. This year’s conference is entitled Sex and the Soul.
The conference began at 9 a.m. with a word from President Corey, who introduced Dallas Willard, a philosophy professor at the University of Southern California. Willard spoke on how to overcome desires by changing one’s focus. Once he finished his talk, he participated in a half-hour question-and-answer time in which Biola students could ask questions pertaining to the subject he had broached.
Becky Tirabassi, founder of Burning Hearts, Inc. and author of several books, spoke in the 11 a.m. session, sharing her personal testimony. She encouraged students to stay pure, confess previous sins and be humble before the Lord.
After a break for lunch, students returned to the conference to hear from Dave White, who spoke on the topic of “sexology,” referring back to the beginning of time with Adam and Eve. He explained that God created to sex to be great and it should still be that way as long as it is within the confines of marriage.
The final speaker of the day was Mike Haley, a man who lived as a homosexual for 12 years, returned to Christ and is now working for Focus on the Family as a youth and gender analyst. Haley shared his journey with the crowd in Chase Gymnasium, asking the audience to focus on the power of a God who can pull someone through such a hard situation.
Haley also hosted a question-and-answer session at the end of his talk, addressing students’ questions about how to deal with their friends and family members who are struggling with the issue of homosexuality.
Although overflow seating was available in Crowell Hall and Sutherland Auditorium, the gym was still stuffed with students, faculty and guests. The temperature reached a blazing 99 degrees in La Mirada, according to AccuWeather.com, causing the gym to reach unusually high levels of heat and stuffiness, especially in the late morning and afternoon sessions.
Sessions continue tomorrow, Oct. 23, in Chase Gymnasium. To view the full conference schedule, please visit the Biola home page.
