--- id: ff16_dts_bramer_liberty_graduate title: FLYINGFREE - DTS, Bramer, Liberty Graduate category: Biblical Life Counsel predicted_narrative_arc: rusty-student-to-right-field sentiment: Encouraging emotions: - Determined - Grateful - Practical keypoints: - Entered DTS on weekends; study disciplines out of practice - Prayed for aptitude; B and A grades unlocked more courses - Christmas–New Year intensive with Dr. Stephen Bramer; Gospels came alive - Dorm students assumed he was dropping off a child — age fueled determination - Changed schools for church work; MRS from Liberty; right field confirmed summary: > Dean’s seminary path: rusty DTS weekends, prayed-for grades, Bramer intensive, age comments at the dorm, then Liberty MRS graduation and confirmed calling. tags: - flying-free - chapter-16 - seminary - dts - liberty - study - age - dean-rush - book-excerpt - ministry sycophancy: 0 truth_score: 9 entropy: 2 sample: false consent: owner_approved agent: flyingfree created: '2010-01-01' updated: '2026-09-09T00:00:00Z' vault_stage: 07_CODEX headwaters: FLYINGFREE prefix: FLYINGFREE enrich_status: ok enrich_blockers: [] enrich_method: manual pipeline_filename: FLYINGFREE_16_dts-bramer-liberty-graduate.md source_kind: book_excerpt proposed_topic: FlyingFree lane: FlyingFree voice: desk active_voice: desk voices: - desk routing_source: carbon corpus_topic: FlyingFree content_status: active date: '2010-01-01' share_url: https://deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md source_url: https://deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md site_category: Flying Free book_title: Flying Free book_chapter: 16 book_chapter_title: Use Time as Your Friend – Determine Your Goal and Work Toward It source_file: flyingfree/flying-free-16-use-time-as-your-friend.md description: > Chapter 16 — DTS weekends, Bramer intensive, age at dorm, Liberty MRS; God encourages the chosen path. --- # DTS, Bramer, Liberty Graduate **Author:** Dean Rush **Book:** *Flying Free* · **Chapter 16:** Use Time as Your Friend – Determine Your Goal and Work Toward It **Full book:** [deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md](https://deanrush.net/downloads/flyingfreebook.md) ## Context for the Reader After the decision to study, Dean narrates the path: Dallas Theological Seminary weekends, prayed-for first grades, a dreaded-then-wonderful Bramer intensive, age surprise at the dorm, school change for church availability, and Liberty University Seminary graduation. Encouragement confirmed he was in the right field. > Voice note: Everything under **Dean's excerpt** is Dean's original prose (lightly cleaned only). Sections marked **Biblical foundations**, **Scholar sidebar**, **Takeaways**, and **First-time learner** are enrichment for Asker / first readers — not Dean speaking. --- ## Biblical foundations (preface) Dean’s student story is prayer, perseverance, and confirmation. Scripture supports asking for wisdom, not despising youth-or-age stereotypes, and recognizing God’s encouragement along a hard path. | Dean's claim | Scriptural undercarriage | | --- | --- | | Prayed diligently for aptitude; God rewarded effort | If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God (James 1:5); commit your work to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3) | | Study became routine through prayer and courses | Meditate on the word day and night (Psalm 1:2); let the word dwell richly (Colossians 3:16) | | Dreaded intensive became wonderful experience | Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8); rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) | | Age comments increased determination | Gray hair is a crown of glory (Proverbs 16:31); do not let anyone despise you (1 Timothy 4:12 — reverse age bias still yields resolve) | | God encourages us in the life He has chosen | He who calls you is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24); being confident that He who began a good work will complete it (Philippians 1:6) | --- ## Dean's excerpt ### From rusty weekends to graduate In the fall of that year I entered Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) on weekends and found myself way out of practice on my study disciplines. I prayed diligently for the aptitude to pass those first courses and God rewarded me with a B and A. Those grades gave me the incentive to try another course and then another. After a few courses and a lot of prayer, study became more routine. To complete the degree with DTS I was required to attend a couple of classes on campus in addition to the extension courses I attended in my hometown. I chose an intensive course on campus the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I lived on campus and attended classes a full eight hours each day during the week. The professor, Dr. Stephen Bramer, made the Gospels come alive and what I had dreaded became a great week and a wonderful experience. One indication to me that I was not the normal student occurred as I was carrying my suitcases into the dorm for the week. I had two students stop me to ask if I was bringing one of my children in for the classes. They were a bit surprised when I told them the student I was bringing to class was me. The comments about my age only served to make me more determined than ever to complete the necessary courses. Although I had to change schools in order to be available for my work at the church, I eventually did graduate with a Masters in Religious Studies from Liberty University Seminary. I found the work in seminary fascinating and fulfilling. With each successive course it became more apparent that I was in the right field and needed to continue. God has a way of encouraging us in the life He has chosen for us. That makes flying free even more rewarding. > **Scholar sidebar — Confirmation along the path** > James 1:5 and Proverbs 16:3 frame the prayed-for grades without turning marks into idols. Philippians 1:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:24 underwrite “God has a way of encouraging us in the life He has chosen.” Age surprise becomes fuel, not shame — keep Dean’s determination intact. --- ## Takeaways 1. **Rusty is normal.** Weekend DTS found study disciplines out of practice. 2. **Pray and continue.** B and A after diligent prayer unlocked the next courses. 3. **Bramer intensive.** Dreaded week became Gospels alive and wonderful. 4. **Age as fuel.** Dorm mistake (“your child?”) increased determination. 5. **Liberty finish; right field.** Church availability forced a school change; graduation and successive courses confirmed calling. --- ## First-time learner ### What is Dean saying in one sentence? He rebuilt study habits at DTS with prayer and grades, loved a Bramer intensive despite age comments, then graduated MRS from Liberty and knew he was in the right field. ### Why keep school names and the dorm story? They are Dean’s concrete evidence — not generic “go back to school” advice. ### Key verses to read with this lesson - **James 1:5** — Ask for wisdom. - **Proverbs 16:3** — Commit work to the Lord. - **Psalm 1:2** — Delight and meditate on the word. - **Philippians 1:6** — He will complete the good work. - **1 Thessalonians 5:24** — Faithful caller. - **Proverbs 16:31** — Gray hair as crown. ### A simple practice If you are a rusty learner, schedule one study block and one specific prayer for aptitude — then one small graded or accountable task. ### How this feeds Ask Dean Seed material for: *Where did Dean go to seminary? Who was Dr. Bramer? Why did he change schools? What degree did he finish?*