Faith Meets Academia
Welcome to Faith Meets Academia!
Struggling to connect your faith with everyday life, career ambitions, or academic pursuits? Hosted by a university professor and ordained minister, Dr. Adrian Reynolds, this podcast will help you translate your faith-based values into personal growth, professional development, and academic success. Faith Meets Academia emphasizes that faith and work can forge a mutually sustaining partnership.
Each episode breaks down complex academic concepts into everyday language and connects them with timeless spiritual principles for transformational learning and development. By the end of each episode, you will be equipped with practical tools to set the tone for a purposeful, productive week.
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Your host, Adrian Reynolds (Ph.D.), is an ordained minister, learning coach, and assistant professor of medical education at an R1 university. He is on a mission to merge educational innovation with biblical wisdom. Dr. Reynolds brings over two decades of teaching experience across the educational continuum: from working with underserved, high school students as a state-certified instructor of Spanish to coaching students in graduate and professional degree programs in evidence-based teaching skills and the science of learning.
Dr. Reynolds’ work is located within the rapidly growing field of applied learning sciences and is driven by both socio-cognitive and sociocultural approaches to learning and teaching. His preventive model of academic coaching has been published in journals such as Medical Teacher and Clinical Teacher. He has held over 1,000 (one-on-one) academic coaching sessions with medical students, residents, fellows, and pre-med students. Dr. Reynolds has developed numerous peer-teaching programs for medical students in addition to courses in the science of learning for residents, pre-med and high school students.
Dr. Reynolds has been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for over 10 years both nationally and internationally. He has long been recognized to seamlessly intertwine academic concepts with biblical principles: His approach to preaching and teaching the word of God is centered around growth mindset (Philippians 4:13), transformational learning (Romans 12:2), and reflective, mindful practice (Philippians 4:8, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:97).
As a missionary ambassador, Dr. Reynolds has embarked on transformative journeys that bridge cultures and continents, bringing tangible support and hope to those in need. Most recently, in the fall of 2023, his dedication to humanitarian causes led him to Mozambique: From the bustling streets of Maputo to the serene countryside of Inharrime, through the unwavering support and sponsorship from faith-based leaders and communities, Dr. Reynolds has played a pivotal role in the allocation of humanitarian aid and educational resources, providing essential support to elevate community wellbeing.
Earlier that year, he engaged in a mission focused on cultural exchange and relationship-building in the Maputo province to better understand and address local challenges. Through these missions, Dr. Reynolds exemplifies the true essence of a missionary ambassador, integrating service, education, and faith into impactful action.
Faith Meets Academia
Episode 47 - They'll Come Along Later: Your Vision Isn't for Everyone Right Now
God gives visions to specific individuals for a reason, and not everyone will immediately understand or support your calling. The diffusion of innovations theory explains why some people embrace new ideas early while others need more time and evidence before coming on board.
• Your vision isn't for everyone right now: It was entrusted specifically to you.
• Some people can only see where you are, not where you're going.
• Many supporters would rather join you at your destination than accompany you on the journey.
• The innovation adoption curve divides people into five categories: innovators (2.5%); early adopters (13.5%); early majority (34%); late majority (34%); and laggards (16%).
• Biblical examples perfectly illustrate this theory—Noah as an innovator, the first disciples as early adopters.
• Delay in support doesn't mean denial of your purpose.
• A vision from God is first a divine assignment, not something requiring immediate mass approval.
• Real supporters stick with you through the small, sometimes painful beginnings.
Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement to stay committed to their vision, even when others don't see its value yet. You can find Faith Meets Academia anywhere you listen to podcasts. Leave a rating, comment, or send me a secure direct message using the "send us a text" link below the episode.
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DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely my own and do not reflect or represent the positions, policies, or opinions of my employer, any organization or academic institution with which I am affiliated. This podcast is a personal initiative, and is not connected to my official/ formal duties and responsibilities as a university professor.
They'll come along later. Your vision isn't for everyone right now. Let me repeat that, in case you didn't catch it They'll come along later. Your vision isn't for everyone right now. I really believe that someone needed to hear that today. Yes, this episode is for you. Just say that to yourself. Say this one is for me. Welcome to episode 47. It's going to be great. It's going to be great. I can feel it in my bones.
Speaker 1:Whether you're a student, educator, faith-based leader, business owner, retiree, I mean you name it one for most, if not my entire listening audience. I know at this point you're probably thinking sounds interesting, but what's really in it for me? After listening to this episode, you should be able to answer these three questions. Number one why do you think in so many cases, right, people don't immediately support your vision or your calling, even when you feel within your spirit that it's God given, that it's meant for you, it's meant to happen. Number two, how can you discern or figure out who's really on your team, especially in the early stages of your journey? And finally, what biblical, sociological or psychological principles or illustrations can we weave together to help you stay encouraged, stay motivated when it comes to living out the vision that God has given you. When others don't see the value in your work just yet, oh yeah, you're going to need that encouragement. When God gives you a big, bold vision, you're going to need some encouragement, some motivation. You're going to need a cheerleading team to see you through it. All right. So let's jump right in.
Speaker 1:A few months ago, I took a trip overseas with my son. It was quite a memorable experience that made our bond, our relationship, even stronger. It was quite exciting. I'll never forget it. So, anyway, on our way back, while waiting in line at the airport, my son and I, we started talking about my work as a university professor and some of the responsibilities that come along with that. Well, it turns out someone was listening. As soon as we got on the plane, the guy sitting right behind me. He leaned forward and he was like so I heard you say you're a professor. I was like yeah, I'm a medical education professor at so-and-so university. Of course, I'm intentionally not saying the name, no free advertisement.
Speaker 1:So it turns out he wanted to know more about the nature of my work and some of the projects I was working on, and I explained how, you know, I'm integrating AI artificial intelligence, into into the realm of academic coaching and I also shared with him that, along with another colleague, I was able to secure a $30,000 grant small grant, but hey, I mean you got to start somewhere, right. A $30,000 grant to study this area a little bit more deeply. And then his face just lit up. He's like perfect, I'm hosting a conference on AI. He's like perfect, I'm hosting a conference on AI, I'm looking for presenters and collaborators. But I noticed that, as I kept sharing the scope of my work and you know the phase or stage I was in his that's interesting. And then he goes ah, so I guess in a few years you'll be, you know, at an advanced stage with AI. In other words, if you read between the lines, you'll be advanced enough to present your work at my conference. Yeah, I just smiled. I said yeah, I mean I assume in a few years I'll be much more advanced than I am now, because I'll still be learning and growing and the research project that I'm doing, I'm sure it's going to provide a lot of insights. Now, what he didn't know is that less than a month later, I was invited to apply for a $1 million grant to study the role of artificial intelligence in facilitating adaptive learning in medical education. I won't get into the details of the study here, because that's not the point of this. For this specific grant opportunity, I know that this larger project that I'm working on with my colleagues will be implemented through some means or other. We're determined to make it happen. Friends, let me tell you, it is this very encounter that led me to produce this episode. Yes, they'll come along later.
Speaker 1:Your vision isn't for everyone right now, and at this point you probably already get through that story that I just told. You probably already got the essence of what I'm saying here. You see, some people can only see where you are, but they don't always see where you're going. Let me say that again. You need to write that down. Some people can only see where you are right now, they can only see your now, but they can't always see your future. And when I say see your future, see where you're going, I'm not talking about being a fortune teller. I'm just talking about having force or the capacity to anticipate a future outcome. And you know what? Maybe it's not even for them to see, because that's why God gave you that vision. That's why God gave you that idea and not someone else.
Speaker 1:Yes, this encounter revealed something larger at play here. There are people, and you're probably surrounded by many of them. There are people who, they would rather join you at your destination. Join you at your destination, yes, after you've signed that book deal, after the business starts making a big profit. Yeah, after that YouTube channel hits a hundred thousand subscribers. After the conferences is standing room only only want to meet you at your destination. But they don't really care too much about joining your journey. As you make your way through the small, sometimes hard, painful, slow beginnings, are you with me? This morning, I've realized that too often many of us, we celebrate outcomes and not process, and we're going to get even deeper into this. Who are you willing to join on their journey? It's not always going to look smooth in the beginning, but your real friends, your real supporters, will stick with you even when the journey feels long and slow and might not even make sense.
Speaker 1:So sociologists and psychologists have studied for a long time why some people support new ideas early while others sort of lag behind. It's called the diffusion of innovations theory by this gentleman called Everett Rogers. It's also known as the innovation adoption curve, everett Rogers. It's also known as the innovation adoption curve right. And here's how that breaks down.
Speaker 1:When it comes to adopting, embracing new ideas, innovations, there are five groups of people. You have your innovators, your early adopters, early majority, late majority, early majority, late majority and laggards. Your innovators make up 2.5% of the population. These are your brave risk takers, the very first people to embrace new visions, new ideas, new innovation. Then your early adopters make up 13.5% of the population. These are the visionaries who recognize potential very early on. And then our early majority makes up 34% of the population. These are folks who want to really embrace the vision, but they want to see some initial success. In other words, they want to see some initial success. In other words, they want to see some evidence that this thing is going to actually work only when the majority has. So, in other words, once most people have accepted the innovation, have used it, has seen its success, then I'll join right. And then the laggards are your final 16% of the population who are highly resistant to change. They're the last to embrace or accept the innovation right. So they either join in ultimately or not at all.
Speaker 1:Let me make this even more real for you. Think about when the iPhone came out in 2007, june 29th 2007, to be exact, the first iPhone was released During that period. Would you classify yourself as being among the innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority or laggards? Yeah, that feels like a long time ago for me. I know by 2007, I did have a smartphone. I think the first one I had was 2004, but it wasn't even a touchscreen, it wasn't that smart, but it wasn't an iPhone, obviously, because those came out a few years later.
Speaker 1:And when it comes to the iPhones, I would probably put myself in either the innovators or early adopters category, and just keep in mind the term innovators in this context. It doesn't mean that you created the product or the innovation, it's just the term that's used to describe those who are the first to embrace the new innovation. You could also apply this to large language models, whether it's Chat, chat, gpt, gemini, et cetera. Where would you place yourself? Would you put yourself in the innovators category the 2.5%. The early adopters 13.5%. The early majority 34%, late majority 34% or laggards 16%? Well, this one's easy for me. I'm definitely the innovators category with that.
Speaker 1:I remember, in November of 2022, when chat GPT was released to the general public, I downloaded the app and started playing around with it and had gpt write a lovely, breathtaking poem for my wife. I went in the room and I read it to her and she's like, hmm, I don't know you to be a poet, like, how'd you come up with this? I said, babe, the world has changed. The world has changed. She's like, what are you talking about? And then I started telling her about chat gbt and how I used it to create this poem.
Speaker 1:I want you to understand this isn't just theory. We see this diffusion of innovations concept playing out in real everyday life. So your innovators start a YouTube channel or ministry before anyone thinks it's a good idea. Your early adopters subscribe and share, even when it only has a handful of followers the folks in the early majority category. They join once there's some buzz around the innovation, once it becomes a hit in other words, late majority joins when the crowd makes it popular and the laggards dismiss it until it's just undeniable or just end up never embracing the innovation at all. Now hear this it gets better.
Speaker 1:There are some biblical narratives that reflect this diffusion of innovations theory. Are you ready? Built the ark. Decades of ridicule and no sign of rain Genesis 6.22. Thus Noah did according to all that God commanded him. So he did. Noah trusted God's instruction before anyone else could even imagine why it was necessary to build this ark Hebrews 11.7. So Noah would be in the innovators category.
Speaker 1:Let's look at an example of early adopters. The first disciples, peter, andrew, james and John, left their fishing business immediately to follow Jesus. They didn't ask to see a sign, they didn't ask to see a miracle Right Matthew 4, 19 and 20. Then he, jesus, said to them follow me and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. They were moved by the call, not the crowds. Let me say that again they were moved by the call, not the crowds. What's motivating you? Well, how about the early majority? Well, let's look at a great example of that in the scriptures.
Speaker 1:The people in Galilee and Jerusalem believed in Jesus only after seeing or witnessing some of the miracles that he had performed early in his ministry, such as turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee and, of course, healing the sick. So they needed to see some sort of evidence before they could believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, the light of the world, who came declaring that all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. That's Matthew 28, 18. Yes, reference is made to the early majority, early majority in John 2, 23 and that says now. When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did.
Speaker 1:Now there are others and we could call them the late majority, yeah, the 34%, who only believed after Jesus' resurrection or only believed after hearing others confirming or testifying of his works, of the miracles, the signs and wonders. Look at what Jesus said to Thomas in John 20, 29. Jesus said to him Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. So these are the folks who needed irrefutable, undeniable evidence before they became believers.
Speaker 1:Right now let's see who in the scriptures could be identified as the laggards. You know that 16% category and, by the way, I probably should have said this much earlier. But I'm not a big fan of the term laggards, the term in itself. As used in this theoretical framework, it has somewhat of a pejorative connotation. To me, at least, that's just sort of how it sounds. But hey, maybe that's just me. But just for the sake of consistency, I'm using that term as used by the researcher who came up with the diffusion of innovations theory.
Speaker 1:Most of the folks who fit into this category were religious leaders of the day the pharisees, the sadducees, the scribes, the chief priests. Even after repeated signs and miracles, many of them just they just didn't buy into it. They didn't believe in matthew 12 24, after jesus healed a man who was possessed with demons. Here's what the pharisees said this fellow does not cast out demons except by beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. In essence, they're accusing jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan. Right, so seeing the miracle happen alive and living color still wasn't enough. John 11, 47-53. Go ahead, read it. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests and the Pharisees they didn't celebrate that, they didn't rejoice. They still didn't believe in him. What did they do? They made a plot to kill him. So there you have it.
Speaker 1:The diffusion of innovations theory by Everett Rogers is not just a sociological theoretical framework. Guess what Are you ready? It's biblical. Numerous scriptures illustrate this theory in action. That's why this podcast is called Faith Means Academia.
Speaker 1:Key goal here is to take theories, concepts, principles, out of the halls of academia, of the university, research setting out of the academic journals, and bring them to you in a way that you can understand, in a way that's relatable, and see how the scriptures connect with these concepts, so that you can see the power of the word of God in your everyday life, your everyday struggles, your trials and your triumphs, your ups and your downs. Learning comes through association, through forming connections, and so, in order for the word of God to bring about lasting change in my life, in my life, I need to hook it up to real life circumstances. What's the hook? It could be a concept, a theoretical framework, it could be an analogy, it could be a story, past experience, etc. And really this is what Jesus did. He was the storyteller in chief. Jesus did, he was the storyteller in chief. I mean he used true to life stories, parables the scripture calls them to connect with his audience and those who would later become believers, including disciples and apostles.
Speaker 1:All right, so just to wrap this up, let me make a few few key points. Your vision, your innovation, your idea was given to you not for immediate mass approval, but it's first a divine assignment. See it first as a divine assignment. And so not everyone will understand or is even supposed to understand or affirm your vision at the very start, because it wasn't entrusted to them. It was entrusted to you.
Speaker 1:Secondly, I like to say that a delay in support doesn't necessarily mean a denial of your purpose, mean a denial of your purpose. So just because people aren't on board yet, it doesn't mean that your calling is now invalid or worthless. Timing and recognition or validation aren't always aligned. They don't always happen at the same time, and that's okay. Finally, let's be clear the blueprint that God has mapped out for your life Just a blank page. A blank page to those who were not called or appointed to build with you, to grow with you from the start. Think about one small beginning in your life's journey that others didn't really value or maybe still don't pray about it. Keep nurturing it, keep building it, because this is where your faith kicks in. Trust that in due season, in time, at right time, the right people will support it. Eventually they'll come along.
Speaker 1:Thank you for spending this time with me. Keep standing in faith, keep growing in wisdom and walking in your purpose. Remember, if this episode has been a blessing to you and I am sure that it has. Share it with a family member, share it with a friend, a colleague. Just as it's blessed you, I'm sure it'll be a blessing to them. You can find Faith Meets Academia anywhere you listen to your podcast. Leave a rating, a comment or feel free to send me a secure direct message. Right below the episode title you'll see a link that says send us a text. Click that. Write your message, hit send, done. Have a blessed day.