R.C. Sproul: A Life

Coming up next on a special edition of Renewing Your Mind, the much-anticipated release of the biography of Dr. RC scroll every Christian is a story of God's grace.

If you are in Christ the Lord is at work in your life and through your life for your good and ultimately for his glory. Welcome to Renewing Your Mind the web and I'm pleased to be joined here in the studio by our president and CEO Chris Larson and are going to be hearing from Reformation Bible College president Dr. Steven Nichols, along with a very special guest in that we won't tell you. That is until a midpoint alignment Christian our 50th year of ministry we continue to celebrate the life Dr. RC scroll been more than three years since he went home to be with the Lord and we are excited today to let our listeners know about a very special book that's just been released. That's right.

We are so pleased to have this milestone moment where Dr. Steven Nichols, who had been working with Dr. scroll for many years in the studio, interviewing him sitting down with him in his home, talking with Mrs. Brolin the rest of the staff and even people who used to work at the ministry years ago and pulling all of these strands together to now produce RC scroll a life it's about a 300 page biography and for the first time pulls together all of the threads that you really need to begin to understand the life and ministry of RC scroll, and he was a trophy of God's grace and he be the first one to point to the work of Christ in his life and it was RC's passion to promote the character of God. The glory of God above all else, and I think that's one of the things that comes through in this new book is Dr. Nichols really striving to point to what God was doing in RC's life as a boy through his family as he went through high school as he invested accorded eventually were married the early years of his ministry and family life and the formation of this rather maverick group of Christians there in Western PA to begin something called the look in her Valley study center and then the rest as they say, is history. And I cannot wait for our listeners to get a copy of this and read your home and your copy of it here.

The title is RC scroll of life and the author is Dr. Steven Nichols. I do hope that you are. Listeners are able to obtain a copy. I'll let you know how you can do that later in the program. Earlier I mentioned that we have a special guest in your about to hear her now in a conversation she had with Dr. Nichols. She is the cofounder of Wagoner ministries Vesta scroll Solis listen to a portion of that conversation now will hello Vesta mining is so nice to spend this time with you, you know, as I was working on the biography.

We spent quite a bit of time together and just presenting material to you and you sharing stories with me and I've got to say writing the biography was just such a joy for me. My thinking. I certainly have enjoyed our time together working on it. Yours and mine at least privilege for me so this very kind of you.

I'm actually sad that I'm not writing it anymore. I sort of miss it. It was so fun being in Dr. scroll's life at that level. Well, let's go back to that very beginning moment with you and Dr. scroll now he's told the story, often.

He was in the first grade you were in the second grade and this is in this delightful little community of Pleasant Hills just outside of Pittsburgh and that was the first time you met well, that's his remembrance of it that we were running in opposite directions. I believe around building and we ran into each other that may be true. Well, it probably is true. I can remember at that way. I remember him in about fourth or fifth grade.

That's when I first became aware of him and he to Swiss find a nice and good at sports and I enjoyed him and when he was in the seventh grade I was in the eighth. He invited me to our annual picnic data out of Kennywood Park right in Pittsburgh at amusement park and he asked me two or three months before the thing was to happen and I said sure I count that I really never expected to because it in that HSS relationships don't last too long but it came around and we went together and we had a great time and it wasn't too long after that we decided when we were getting married but we can become really serious till we were 13 or 14 now it now and he tells the story. I think he says that when he met you way back in that first grade 2nd grade, moment he knew at that moment that you were the girl he was going to marry. Isn't that sweet is that that well regardless it's what turned out and you know you've told me this story before and friends you have that there children thought that RC's name was RC investor. Yes, we get Friends like that always hurt their parents speak of RC investor. This RC invest so that that was RC's name because we did so much together people combined our names as I was getting into the biography and course folks know this. Just because how the two of you have worked so closely together and been together prior to licking your course and then throughout the decades of looking here, but it was so impressed upon me as I was working through the story that it in one sense, the story of Dr. scroll's life is a love story between you and Dr. scroll answer yes it is. In the end, you can deftly see it.

Well you both dated through high school and then through college. Now I have been around here. Yes please do what we called it backonce we were going steady and I have to say that I went more steady than he. I was going steady with him. He said he was going steady with me that this man who knew from the day Sunday that he was going to marry me wasn't quite acting like it well. In fact, a recent weight and not until I went to college. He was back in high school he was sort of hairy high school and I was Carol college and then I started dating that sure straighten him up quickly. He realized I was at stake.

Hello yes, definitely. So I think I remember when we had some sessions together decide about Dr. scroll.

I think he called you every night that first year of college. He called me every night through my college career. Yes, he can't. He was in pursuit yes what you all ended up you graduated. Of course, the year before him, and then you got married that summer before his senior year and his mother and my parents were very nicely done together. 7 1/2 or eight years and I think they just thought that's enough. They need to Married so they really were planning to wait another year. They suggested we might like to get married that year and let's go back to the engagement sit around Christmas Eve. Is that right now. Now it was, I believe his freshman year of college in the fall, and he could become a Christian and he came to my college campus. We went to different colleges. He came to my college campus with an engagement ring and gave it to me and it was a surprise to me and being not the most mature people I kept saying to them, can we go back to the dorm so I can show my friends Ray and he's trying to be romantic about.

I remember him saying you here he'd given you the ring and then he was sort of cast aside is all about the ring and your friends for a while last funny thing that happened. His father was dead by that time he hadn't told his mother he had bought the ring, but RC talked to our pastor about should he get the ring. The pastor said oh I think it'll be just fine and I think nobody will mind when he told his mother she minded she said lucky just a freshman in college, I think that ring needs to go in my safe deposit box is a break that I wanted to show everyone. I have a couple weeks when in her safety deposit box until I don't know his sophomore, junior year, and out it came in so I was engaged twice to the same. Yes, exactly. And then you spent that first year there on the campus of Westminster College weekend we lived in apartment the top floor house built before the Civil War, and if you stood at the front door and put a marble on the floor it would roll through the living room through the dining room into the kitchen. Because of this, the floors were glad we didn't mind we were just happy to be together. I worked for a while and the switchboard at the college and then of course he was going to class and it was wonderful.

We were able to have friends, burdens, lunches and dinners. Then I left the students that were there.

It was wonderfully and you carry that same thing when you went on to seminary I member you talking about playing bridge with some of RC's classmates and their spouses. Well, you know, he states that seminary were difficult days. It was very liberal, seminary, and he is much more conservative in Bible believing in someone with a difficult time for him.

However, it was also a positive time that all the liberal things that he was being taught he would go in and look up men research and someone the right answer to the questions that these people were being taught, so he really did double duty. It was like he was going to to seminaries instead of one, and so professors get some ugly things and even students get ugly things there, but in any case, his mentor, as they are not was wonderful for him and, of course, this is Dr. John Kershner were talking exactly that we were in apartment building again but it was all seminary students and so it was like being in a dorm again as I'm a little fed up a social person so I love that and we used to have French games and so on.

Even with his double load of that conservative and liberal still Sunday's he still found some time for some socialize now absolutely doing life let's move ahead a little bit to the link in your years and I've seen many pictures and I've gone on a few study tours with both you and Dr. scroll before he passed away see many pictures they just seem like really good times that you two had together and with folks defining special memories from those times of the looking here tours in the study tours. Particularly, we enjoyed the ones in your because that we were able to go to places that were historical places where Martin Luther had been workout often been where John Hoss had been. It was just wonderful to be immersed in that kind of culture and so on. This lesson study tour, but he taught both in Czechoslovakia or check as it's now called and also in Romania and it was wonderful because it was just as the Iron Curtain had been lifted, and these people under communism, for all this time, but they knew they knew what was wrong and what they were learning in an what they weren't allowed to hear, and so on. So was particularly a wonderful time for us there must've just been such a hunger of the status for the teaching yes them were pastors who had some freedom before everything came down so they had an inkling that they just didn't know how to respond to that bad things that they were being sure made to say that one unit at various points over Dr. scroll's ministry. There were times of controversy and conflict as happens in the church and these controversies arise, you right there alongside of him as he just tried to bring clarity and conviction to the church in these times of controversy. Many of these moments. These were controversies with some long time and close friends. Just wondering if you could just comment just from being there and being alongside of him.

The impact that had on him at the time and and even after the fact. While I appreciate that you said. His desire was to bring clarity because he's he couldn't one argue with people. I mean he was not one of those people looking for a fight. He just felt like when he heard wrong theology that world needed to know what God's truth really is so was much impacted by the times that he was in controversies and people he had to split up or there became a split hated necessarily split between him and some of his friends and it was costly to and it hurt him and stayed with them way longer than he wanted to he used to pray that God would take away his feelings toward a particular person, but he wouldn't have it any other way because he didn't want to bring God's truth. So he had to do it and sometimes I remember thinking oh no, not another controversy, but I also wanted him to do what was right and he had the ability to show things well to people so that's what he did and I think it was a great appreciation for many people, for the fact that he did take a stand and that's what you need is one person to take a stand and then others will come along and back but you need the bravery of one person that make the stand.

First, you know, II really is you say you appreciate that stand that he took. I really appreciate a number of things you brought out there. I think one is you sort of see it as you mentioned back to seminary. He saw what bad theology the impact it could have on the church and on people in the churches and he was very concerned for the people in the pew exactly they knew the truth. The truth was defunded.

I think we also see in their Dr. scroll's kindness and even in times of controversy just cared about about people and you could see it throughout his ministry.

I have to say that most lectures or sermons that he gave his first question to me after we were out away from the crowd was was I kind enough, it wasn't that he was looking for people's favor wanted them to not feel ill used by him or humiliated or anything like that. He wanted to convince them of what the truth was, and so he knew that you were coming people more point to listen in his heart was just towards us at that sort out certainly was, and you talk about how going through this controversy and conflict not something he sought out, not something he enjoyed by any stretch.

Now, but was important and not enough I'm sure the story was who are not best of it. I member talking to a pastor who came up through no denominational churches, and in those early days, it was difficult for conservatives and she said never forget. She said I heard Dr. scroll put steel in my spine and this gentleman went on to have a decade of a faithful confessional, convictional ministry.

After standing for the truth of God's word and proclaiming it, and I do think that while those controversies were difficult.

Nobody would wish them upon anyone right did use the and use them in the church he did indeed well. RRC always loved music, yes, and towards the end of his life very much threw himself into the to him projects. So do many special memories of just being there alongside of him as that was unfolding. Remember if that was just unbelievable because he loved music so much my special memory is how he was so looking forward to that very first glory to the holy one concert the night before was a full dress rehearsal and it was to a closed audience and apart from the musicians. The sound technicians and video technicians. I think there were maybe four people in that large St. Andrews nave and to them. Of course, were you and Dr. scroll and I was sitting a few pews behind you, and during the whole concert. Dr. scroll had his arm around you and the thought crossed my mind that he did this entire him project just to take you out on a date for a private concert I would've gone with them and they didn't have to go through all that well while we're on the subject of music. I just have one last question for you.

Yes, ballroom dancing, yes RC was teaching and reform seminary in Jackson Mississippi and we would go there for three months and he would teach one day he said so and had a set ballroom dancing. Let's try that and there were I don't now five lessons for $10 or something. Well, that of course was the hook and we get the five and he wanted to keep doing the dance lessons and that I just think this is but a story when they told us what the cost of the course was going to pay RC said why so much money and the lady said well sir, this is a genuine Arthur Murray dance official dance school and he said for that amount of money. I want Arthur Murray teaching, but anyhow we did continue dictate that we went several years to Jackson Mississippi for him to teach down there and every year we got take dance ballroom dancing lessons and at the time we were living and near Lake near Pennsylvania and we loved it so much.

We added a room to our house that was just for dancing for us to practice our ballroom dancing and within three months.

We found ever having built.

We at the board and Marseilles decided we were moving down to Orlando Orlando so we can get a whole lot of use out of it, but that's how much we enjoyed that we build a room especially for well this is really been a true treat for us to spend time in here. Some of the special memory stuck scroll such a gift to the church and a gift to so many people and the gift to you and for you to just take the time here and ensure that with this just really means a lot truly grateful for. You think it's my favorite subject lower. Please be joined by Dr. Nichols here in the studio. Steve, thank you for that conversation. It was wonderful to listens about.

And thank you for this biography is so well-written. What are your hopes in terms of what you want to see accomplished by will think you leave no writing this really was one of the singular joys of my life and as I think about what I hope this biography accomplishes one is I just I hope it encourages folks to be faithful no Vesta herself was asked this question and that was her answer that this encourages people this this life that they live together and life of ministry of Dr. scroll where he was just faithful and set out to build some grand global ministry. He just was faithful that stuff that was in front of them and then he took the next step and there were challenges, but there were also those moments of God's blessings think the other thing that we think about is ultimately Dr. scroll would want us to not be talking about him.

He would want us to be talking about God in this book ultimately points us to who God is holy God, our sovereign God, our God who is full of grace and mercy of the ungodly, there's a prayer by Archie Parra. She was a longtime friend of the ministry, stretching back to the 1970s, and here's what he has to say we live in desperate times we need a fresh outpouring of your Holy Spirit in awakening. Use this biography as a tool for that, for Christ sake, and ultimately that would be our hope for this biography. I want to add my thanks to you for your work on this biography.

I believe that this will be a help to Christians around the world as they seek to make a stand for the truth in the way that RC did there was a kindness about him.

But there was backbone and that is something that we need Christians with conviction today, and I think a biography like this can encourage a new generation of Christians just says Christian biographies have been used for decades and centuries to stimulate greater love for the Lord.

Encourage in carrying out the great commission. So thank you again for your work. We would love to send you a copy of Dr. Nichols biography of Dr. scroll again. It's titled RC Sproul, a wife and for your donation of any amount in support of the global ministry. Dr. scroll felted 50 years ago.

We will send it your way. This biography details Dr. scroll childhood informative education is marriage in partnership with his cherished wife Vesta's friendships with key Christian figures and the enduring impact of his teaching on the global church and we open serves as Steve and Chris are both mentioned as an encouragement to you. Contact us today with your donation of any amount there. We will send you RC Sproul, the life our web address is Renewing Your Mind.org and her phone number is 800-435-4343. I do hope you'll be with us throughout this week is will be featuring messages from various decades of Dr. scroll's ministry beginning tomorrow with a familiar theme, but finding ways that you might not have heard before.

His early message delivered in 1979. There were all began in her belly study center the holiness of God