Throughout our study of the book of Acts we saw countless examples of God using some very unique individuals to further His Kingdom. Through these stories it is easy to see God carries out his plan in such a different way. Unlike other areas in our life God does not wait for us to decide we are ready or that we have enough time to take on something else. See God has His own perfect plan, and I am reminded daily that his plan is far better than anything I could assemble on my own.  

Now this lesson is something much easier said than done, and I am as guilty of this as anyone. We constantly make excuses and find reasons to overlook some of the opportunities God is presenting to us. We let selfishness and pride get in the way and become our own biggest obstacle to spiritual growth. However the feeling that in my opinion is the biggest obstacle to growth is FEAR.

Over this past summer I had time to do some reflection and truly decide what goals I wanted to set for myself for my last year in college and determine what was truly going to be the most important to me. During my first three years I had become involved in more campus organizations and events than just about anyone. I was very proud of some of the things I have been able to accomplish, but I could not help to feel a little guilty. While there was great value and benefit from all the activities I had been involved in, I did not feel any of them were helping further God's Kingdom.

This feeling along with the fact my younger sister, Alexa, was getting ready to start at IUPUI in the fall started a fire within myself to lead a Bible Study to help freshmen with their spiritual transition in college. Prior to this point I had never led a Bible Study and had absolutely zero qualifications to lead a group. The great thing about our God though is He does not call us to be qualified, he simply calls us to trust in His plan. 

I learned a lot in my first time leading a Life Group. Something that was very uncomfortable for me at the beginning of the semester, slowly became something I feel is going to be an important part of my life for years to come. It was truly an escape from the craziness of the rest of my semester and a happy place I would not have wanted to go through the semester without. What I was most surprised by in leading a small group is that in leading a group you grow even more than those you are leading. During the semester I was able to strengthen my relationship with my sister and help her make God a part of her college experience. I was able to become the man I wanted to be, which helped me build a relationship with a girl who loved her savior even more than I did. Most of all this group helped to humble me and really keep my focus on God during my last year of college, and for that I am incredible grateful I was given this opportunity. 

In closing, do not ever let the fear of failure or lack of preparedness ever stop you from doing something to further God's Kingdom. I assure God will give you everything you need if you make yourself available to him. So whatever the next step is for you, I encourage you to do whatever it takes to go forward and to not look back. The reward will be far greater than that initial risk you are afraid of.

Zach Treon, VP of Fellowship

It is human nature to always be concerned with what the future is going to bring. Constantly we plan things out in our head, and often times we think we know exactly what is going to happen. However, the thing we tend to forget is that God already knows exactly what his plan is for us.

I remember going to bed as a child and not being able to sleep at night. This was because in my simple mind, life was nothing but a giant dollhouse where after some time we would be thrown aside and that would be it.

 As a young child my family did not regularly attend church. Even though I was not attending church, God was working on me through two people. One of these was my grandmother and the other my babysitter, Janet. Now just to give you the proper image, Janet was a sweet grey-haired lady who stood no taller than 4’8. I went to her house every day while my parents were at work, and because she did not have any grandchildren yet, she treated me like her first. 

To this day I can remember her pushing me on the swing set she bought for me and singing songs like ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children’. Because of her influence and the few times I had gone with my grandmother to church, at age seven I went to my parents and told them we needed to go to church. 

Looking back on it now it is amazing how God used me as a seven year old to get my family to attend church. So I started attending church regularly, and quickly the void that had used to keep me up at night was filled. I attended all throughout school and later became a leader within our youth group.

Many of the friends I made in high school were through this group. Having a strong support system was always extremely helpful, but upon graduation we all went off to different schools. While we still kept in contact the daily and weekly support was no longer there. It was time for me to start over and really define myself.

Freshman year I made the mistake of trying to do everything by myself (and of course I failed). I went back home after my freshman year and started going to church again, because without a car I did not have any luck finding a church as a freshman. Sophomore year had its own struggles, but by the end I had really began to build my relationship with God again. However, again without a support group and a home church, when the busy summer came I began to fade again. 

As junior year came my faith had fallen out of routine. I began to realize this and decided that I needed to find an on campus group, but I was not sure what group that was going to be. Knowing that I was not going to be able to do it on my own, I simply prayed about it.

I had every expectation God was going to answer my prayer and give me the support group I needed, however I never could have imagined the way in which he did it. This is when Janet came back into the picture.  Her health had been declining since I left for college, and at the beginning of the fall semester things started to take a turn for the worst. 

I went to visit her in the nursing home, and at this time she was not responding to anyone. I sat by her bedside and told her how much she meant to me and that I hoped I had made her proud of the man I had become.  During this time I saw her smile, something her daughter said she had not done in days.

A short time later she went home to her Creator and we gathered at her funeral. It was a hard day, but God’s was right there. After we put her to rest, I sat with my family and ate dinner at the church. While we were eating, the pastor came over and sat with us. Interestingly enough, he too had attended the Kelley School of Business. After this connection he realized he had an introduction he needed to make.

At this time I met Andrew Hodges, who told me that he led a student fellowship group at IUPUI. Now if there is any doubt this was God, let me tell you that there were no more than 30 people at this dinner, and the overwhelming majority was family. I got Andrew’s contact information, and two weeks later I joined Impact at IUPUI and started regularly attending one of their life groups.

Since joining Impact at IUPUI I have found a life group that I attend weekly, which is exactly the support group I had been looking for. Also this semester I shared my testimony at our night of fellowship, and I have begun to think about what I want to do for the group I will lead next semester. Through this group I met several people who led a college bible study on Sundays at a church close to my apartment, so now I also have the home church I have been wanting. I can now feel God at work in my life.

So do not get discouraged when things do not go as you had planned. God is there in those times, and believe it or not he knows exactly what he is doing. The best part about it is that he will do it in the most unimaginable ways. Ways that will cause you to look back and smile, because he was there even in the times you doubted.

Zach Treon, Student in Impact at IUPUI