To ignite something is to set it on fire.
Louie Giglio, pastor at Passion City Church in Atlanta, came to the Auburn Arena Tuesday, Nov. 4, along with the Auburn University Gospel Choir and the Highlands Worship Team.
Ignite Auburn started five years ago when Student Government Association President Kurt Sasser approached Chette Williams, director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes and chaplain for the football team, about creating an event to spark revival on campus.
Bo Bradford, senior in mechanical engineering and student chair for the event this year, said he has been attending Ignite Auburn since it started.
"It completely changed my outlook on college," Bradford said. "I remember specifically leaving that event viewing college as a place that I could grow spiritually and not a place where I put my religious beliefs aside for four years and just kind of do what I want."
Bradford said the goal is to have an event that ignites the student body with the love of Christ.
"We want to see lives changed for Jesus," Bradford said.
The coordinators of the event said they incorporated Auburn leaders to show this is an event unique to the campus.
Jay Jacobs, director of athletics, gave the welcome before the Auburn University Gospel Choir and the Highlands Worship Team led worship in front of students, faculty and members of the Auburn community.
Jonathan Wallace, senior in physical education and Auburn football player, gave his testimony at the beginning of the event.
Giglio was the main speaker for the evening. He started by presenting students with "the big idea."
"Jesus is God," Giglio said. "He is good. He is glorious both now and forevermore."
Giglio said this big idea should change lives. He compared living a life centered on "me" to being a fan of Georgia Tech's football team as he recounted going to their games as a child.
Giglio said living a life centered on Christ is like becoming a fan of Auburn's football team and a complete upgrade in comparison to Georgia Tech's smaller program.
"When God gets glory, we always get the best thing," Giglio said.
Giglio ended his talk with a challenge for students to break through religiosity and encouraged a spirit of freedom through Christ.
"Here at Auburn, you get a great education, great environment, great culture and a great football program," Giglio said. "We want all of that to lean together, so that when Auburn University comes up, people say, 'Have you heard? The King of Glory came in, and the whole place is ablaze with the name of Jesus.'"
Students had the opportunity to come forward and commit their lives to Christ at the end of the event.
Approximately 75 counselors, who went through a training process on sharing the Gospel and followed up with people who committed their lives to Christ, were available at the conclusion of the event.
Logan Click, senior in organismal biology, was a counselor this year.
According to Click, Ignite is a great outreach on campus because it is not exclusive to Christians.
Bradford said they are putting a bigger emphasis on follow-up this year.
"It's one thing to have an emotional high, but if they don't know what to do with it, what's the point?" Bradford said.
Along with talking to counselors at the event, students could also text 970-00 with the word "commit" or "recommit" in order to connect with a counselor who could talk to them about committing their lives to God and what that looks like after the event.
Committing yourself to God is choosing to live a life glorifying to him rather than yourself.
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