Students filled half of Auburn Arena even to the upper decks in anticipation for IGNITE at Auburn on Monday, Oct. 29. Participants in IGNITE T-shirts ushered students in, Bibles in hand and smiles on their faces.
IGNITE began and ended with worship sessions. Students and attendees raised their hands, voices rising in the arena together.
Chette Williams, Auburn University Fellowship of Christian Athletes campus director, began the event with an opening prayer.
Darell Williams and Deshaun Davis, Auburn student athletes, took the stage to encourage students with words on faith and prayer.
Davis shared stories that led him to stronger faith in God. In high school, Davis tore his ACL and wasn’t able to play football his senior year. He said this was a tough time as he wasn’t sure any colleges would still take him.
He said he felt like everything was against him.
“Even when you’re praying, even when things seem like they’re at their worst and you say, ‘God, why are you not answering my prayers?'" Davis said. “God hears you. He hears you.”
Williams shared stories from his high school days as well. Every morning before he left for school, Williams' mother would recite Ephesians 16 over him and his sister, and he said she believed in the power of prayer.
“Do you really know who you are talking to,” Williams said. “Do you really know who this man is? He’s the king of kings and Lord of Lords.”
As the student athletes wrapped up, Dane Block, Student Government Association president was welcomed to the stage.
“I see thousands of people from the community, from the student body, faculty, administration," Block said. "All of you who are here are here for one reason, and that’s to uplift Jesus Christ’s name and nothing else.”
Miles Fidell, lead pastor of Auburn Community Church, split his time on stage with Sadie Robertson, star from the hit reality show "Duck Dynasty."
Fidell moved to Auburn four and a half years ago and every Sunday night would pray for God’s will for something special to happen in the community.
“It’s humbling to be a part of a moment that you prayed for,” Fidell said.
Fidell and Robertson both had messages that Jesus wins, and Fidell read from John 6.
“The reason why my wife and I have been so excited for this night is less about igniting a new fire and more about uniting fires that already exist,” Fidell said.
With a complaint that Auburn doesn't have a Chili’s as well as a few Backstreet Boys references, Fidell spoke about how contemporary Christians can seem odd to outsiders.
“We’re weird,” Fidell said. “College Christians in the room, we’re weird. We’re like, ‘I love Jesus, I love Jesus culture, I love denim, I love coffee houses, I love trendy glasses, I love industrial lighting, I love.’ I mean it’s like we are so predictable.”
Fidell and Robertson shared why they are passionate about Christianity and why they think this passion may seem odd to others.
Fidell had five main points in his speech that related back to Jesus Christ: real satisfaction, unconditional love, supernatural purpose, surpassing peace and eternal security.
Robertson added onto Fidell’s speech by talking about why Jesus wins.
“Jesus, not only does he win, he’s already won," Robertson said. "He’s always winning, and for me, I remember a time in my life where I didn’t know that, and I remember sitting and not understanding why everybody was jumping around.”
Robertson shared from her own testimony and how she has grown confident in God.
“I remember at that time, I felt this pressure of this fame or whatever, and I remember it — praying out loud and I'd say, ‘God, I think that you missed it,’” Robertson said. “‘I literally think that you chose the wrong person, and I feel like such a hypocrite. I don’t feel worthy to be able to speak your name because I’m so insecure, because I’m so afraid, because I don’t know what I’m doing at all.’”
Robertson said God would not call her or anyone else to something that is too impossible.
“He’s going to give you an opportunity to see that really and truly he is the victory of all things, and there is nothing that you can walk in with Him that you could possibly fail,” Robertson said.
Fidell said that IGNITE was powerful from his point of view on stage, looking out at the students and attendees.
“People were just so gleaned in with expectation of what God was going to do,” Fidell said. “It was the most fun I’ve had preaching and crazy how many people came out.”
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