Testimony Tuesday: Following where Jesus calls

By Megan Deets

Although Dr. Greg Couser, Senior Professor of Bible and Greek at Cedarville University, grew up just twenty minutes away from Cedarville, he had barely heard of the school before he applied for a job as a professor. 

Couser’s résumé was initially turned down because there were already too many candidates. However, a personal recommendation from Floyd Elmore, a Cedarville Bible faculty member who had been part of Couser’s pastoral ordination council, convinced Cedarville to interview Couser.

Couser was offered the position, and now he has been teaching at Cedarville for 32 years. 

Throughout Couser’s life, God has demonstrated His faithfulness to open doors at just the right times so that Couser might step forward in faith. 

Couser grew up in what he describes as a “blue-collar home” with two parents who grew up in Appalachia and never attended college. 

As a young child, Couser’s parents were not strong believers, even though they grew up in the church. However, their faith became the focus of their lives by the time that Couser was in upper elementary school.

“By the time I became aware of the spiritual state of my mom and dad, my dad had really come alive in Christ,” Couser said. 

Couser’s parents had an amazing influence on him. They were both actively involved in their church, and his mom would often fill their vehicle full of kids to take to church with them. Couser also remembers his dad sharing the gospel with men in a barber shop.  

“There wasn’t a tension between their faith and the way that they lived at home,” Couser said. 

When he was seven years old, Couser accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior . He was sitting in a service at his church, and the pastor was preaching about heaven and hell. 

“I turned to my dad, and I said, ‘I need to make a decision,’” Couser said.

That same morning, he walked up the aisle, and a deacon led him in a prayer for salvation. 

Though Couser was saved that day, he didn’t become firm in his faith for a few more years. In junior high and early high school, Couser focused on sports and friends. 

“I was incognito for Jesus,” he said. “I wasn’t open about my faith and about who I was.”

One day in the football locker room, one of Couser’s teammates commented that he thought Couser went to church. 

“I spoke up, and I denied I went to church,” Couser said. “And I remember walking home, saying hello to my mom and dad, and then going into my room and weeping.”

After that day, Couser knew that something in his relationship with the Lord needed to change. God again provided a way to make that happen. 

When tornadoes greatly damaged the public school that Couser was attending, he began attending Dayton Christian School. There, he found an environment that pushed him to grow in his faith. 

“That turned out to be God’s provision as I met a number of people that started to really ignite my desire to follow Jesus fully,” Couser said. 

God also used a speech teacher that Couser had in high school to develop the skills he would need in his vocation, even though he didn’t know he would use them at the time. 

Couser’s original plan after high school was to become a forest ranger. 

“The reason why I [thought] a forest ranger was because I love the outdoors, but also there were no people because I was kind of introverted-ish,” Couser said. 

He hated public speaking, but his speech teacher required him to speak in front of the class every school day. 

“God used him to give me a voice,” Couser said. 

Suddenly, Couser realized public speaking wasn’t so bad and began exploring different career options. He still wasn’t sure what path to take at first, so he took a gap year at Word of Life Institute. 

Next, Couser continued his education at Liberty University where he felt a call to vocational ministry. 

However, after several professors noticed a gift for teaching in Couser, he decided to become a Bible professor. Without their timely influence on his life, Couser may not have chosen this path. 

“I thought the only two options to serve the Lord were to be a pastor or a missionary,” Couser said. 

He went on to the University of Aberdeen in Scotland to get his Ph.D in four years before beginning his teaching career with God guiding him every step of the way. 

Couser’s life verse is 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, which says, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” 

Couser resonates with Paul’s focus on living for Christ in this passage. 

“It’s a passage [in] which Paul talks about God leading him so that wherever he goes, his life is the aroma of Christ,” Couser said. 

This is the kind of life that Couser desires to live: one that follows the Lord’s calling.

“The Christian life is about Jesus,” he said. “We don’t follow a set of rules. It’s not a tradition. It’s a life of worship of the one who, in God’s gracious plan, has accomplished everything necessary for us to be delivered from the consequences of our sin and brought to life.”

Megan Deets is a sophomore Professional Writing and Information Design student. She loves to listen to music, go on walks and spend time with her friends and family.