"Dear Lord, please use me."

Have you ever prayed that prayer? Have you ever asked the Lord to use you?

I truly believe that this idea comes from a good heart, but sometimes I think it can develop or create a passive mindset. I think a lot of time in my own life when I have asked God to use me, I subconsciously think that He will do all the work. Yet lately, as I have been trying to listen and hear God's voice more clearly, I have heard Him say,

"Okay daughter, I've done my part. It's time for you to do yours."

During my time in Ireland and even more so after coming home, God has instilled in me the idea of partnership. I remember one day the pastor spoke on this topic and it shook me. Partnering with God has now become a new foundation for my faith, and is something I really want to grow in. The pastor mentioned that many of us have this default prayer that we often fall back on:

"Dear Lord, please use me."

Once again, I know I have prayed this prayer too many times to count. It is a prayer that says, "Father I desire to make a difference for you in this world." Which is a wonderful thing to pray, don't misunderstand. As I said before, I don't think this prayer is necessarily bad and the heart behind it is inherently good, yet, I believe there is a better prayer we can pray, one with more meaning and power.

"Dear Lord, please partner with me."

By praying for the Lord to use us, we tend to not only sell ourselves but God short. By praying for the Lord to partner with us, we open the door for God to connect with us.

Going back to the sermon I heard in Ireland, the pastor challenged us to start to think about our relationship with God in a new light. God doesn't just want to use you and then move on to the next best thing. No, He wants to partner with you in a life long journey!

You see, you are not just simply a tool that God wants to manipulate or bend to His will. You are not just a robot. You, my dear friend, are able to communicate with the Creator of the World! He did not need to create you, but He wanted to create you. He doesn't want to control you, compel you, or put a spell on you. He wants to care for you, and of course, He wants to help you, but most important He wants to do life with you. He wants to partner with you. Before sin entered the world, what did God do with Adam and Eve? He was with them in the garden. He walked and talked with them. He dwelled among them. Now, presently with the help of the Holy Spirit, He dwells not only with us but within us! All this to say and reiterate God doesn't just want to use you. He wants so much for more you.

I don't know about you, but this is so encouraging, and yet also a real challenge. Not only a challenge to my heart, but also my understanding of God. It is a call to action. I need to stop just expecting God to do everything for me. I have to do my part too. I can't just always ask him to use me. I have to begin to understand that it is a two-way street. This is the point for me when it goes beyond religion and moves into a relationship. It is a chance to grow close to my sweet Savior. I know that God has done and will do everything in his power to help me, but at a certain point a portion it's my turn.

God has already fully committed to me, the question is:

Have I fully committed to Him?

On a surface level, I would like to totally say yes, but some days I don't always feel that way. There some days where I just have to suck it up and put my faith above my feelings, and you know what? That's totally okay, God gets that. We all have our moments and our bad days, but we have the grace to fall back on. It that grace in which I have confidence in. That grace which leads me to be brave and courageous for His name. It is grace that leads me to step out in faith. If I pray for God use me, but I am not willing to step out of the boat, then how can I walk on the water? In the end, God is not going to push me out of the boat, I have to make the choice to step out the boat. Once I step out of the boat, I will not sink. I will not sink, because of my faith and because of His power. It is these two that keep on the top of the water: the partnership of faith and power that keep me afloat. Partnering with God is when things truly begin to shift.

So, this is my new prayer:

Dear Lord, please partner with me.

Molly Robinson, Student in Impact Christian Fellowship at IUPUI

In my first post that was published on March 26, I explained how making organization a priority and finding a support group will help you reach your goals in college. I’ll now describe two more habits that have helped me succeed not only in this semester but throughout my entire time in college.   

(3) Persevere through hardships

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

In the past five years or so, I’ve come to realize Romans 8 is one of the most profound chapters of the Bible. After Paul gives both a beautiful description of what will happen to the cosmos at Jesus’ second coming and an explanation of how the Spirit intercedes for us, Paul shows us that everything that happens to us, whether it’s good or bad, ultimately happens for a good reason.

            Perhaps the most difficult subject for me during my years at Ivy Tech was mathematics. Even before I entered college, I knew that subject would probably be one of the greatest academic challenges I would face. When I took my first Intermediate Algebra class, I struggled to follow my professor’s explanations of all the problems we worked on. I stayed up in the early hours of the morning every week to work on the practice problems we were given. Yet my confusion remained. Even though my professor in that course told me I was his best student, probably because I was the only one who came to class every time we met, I failed that course and decided to tackle it again sometime in the future.

When I attempted to take that course a second time, the new professor I had was so cold and unapproachable I was afraid to ask him any questions. I struggled in that course as well, and to avoid getting another poor grade, I dropped it. By this time, I was extremely depressed. I feared I would never pass my math course, despite the fact that I had prayed to God again and again to help me.

When I had a meeting with the transfer advisor at Ivy Tech, she, to my frustration, told me Intermediate Algebra was no longer required, and I had to take a course called Finite Mathematics. In that course I, again, struggled to understand the mathematical concepts I was learning. This time I knew I had to make an effort to get as much help as I could. Thus, I went to the tutoring center. But I wasn't able to get the help I needed, and I dropped that course as well.

After several semesters of taking other courses, I made one last attempt to tackle Finite Mathematics. Before I took it, I kneeled to God in prayer and begged Him to help me succeed, and He responded.

The professor I had in this course streamlined the material we were learning because, as I had discovered myself, much of what we were studying in our math textbooks wasn’t even on our tests. This made the course material much easier to grasp. In addition, one of my younger brothers, who is much better at math than I am, was also taking this course, and he acted as my tutor throughout the semester.

My struggles in my math courses were God’s way of telling me that I needed to save mathematics for a later time in my life at Ivy Tech. By postponing my math course, I was able to take it at a time when an exceptional professor was teaching it and when my mathematically inclined brother was taking the same course at the same time I was. Even though it took me several years to pass my math course, by God’s grace, and with my brother and professor’s help, I was finally able to pass it.

(4) Remain faithful to God

 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7)

In this passage, Jesus, before He suffered His crucifixion, told His apostles that if they remained in Him and let His words live in them, they would be able to ask God for anything and they will receive it. Before I entered college, I knew I had to keep God in the forefront of my life. I knew that if I abandoned Him, He would abandon me, and I wouldn’t excel in my courses.

Yet even though I prayed to God every day, my academic struggles tempted me to think that God was indifferent to me. Why is God taking me down the road I’m going? What is God trying to teach me? Is He preparing me for a mission He wants me to fulfill in the future? These are questions I’ve asked myself for years, yet I still don’t have the answers.

Nevertheless, I didn’t let my inability to understand what God is doing in my life influence me to turn my back on Him. I continued to pray to Him. I continued to show Him how thankful I am to Him for saving me from my sins by assembling with His children to worship Him every Sunday. And I continued to study His captivating word. I believe that because I remained faithful to God in these ways God blessed me with success in most of my courses.

In conclusion, only you know what path God wants you to travel in college. Yet organizing yourself, seeking help and encouragement from a support group, enduring hardships, and staying loyal to God are just a few ways that will surely help you reach your destination at the end of that path.

Jacob Stubbs, Guest Writer, Student at IUPUI

I’m almost there. Praise God, I’m almost there! After years of reading textbooks, taking tests, writing essays, listening to lectures, talking with advisors, and interacting with students from all over the world, I’ll finally be able to experience the joy of graduating from college. It’s been a long journey. I began my part-time college education at Ivy Tech in the fall semester of 2007 and then transferred to IUPUI spring 2014. Through my years of schooling, I’ve developed simple strategies that have helped me excel in college, and I want to share four of them with you. I call these ‘habits’ because they’re actions you must get used to repeating in every course. 

In this first blog post, I’ll share two of them, and in my next post, I’ll share the other two. These habits, if developed, will not only help you perform well in your courses, but will also help you fulfill Impact’s mission of spreading God’s kingdom by pursuing God, modeling his teachings, and teaching others about His glory.

Habit #1: Make Organization a Priority

Let all things be done decently and in order. (1 Corinthians 14:40)

Though the above verse from the book of Corinthians is focusing on organization in Christian assemblies, one truth about God can be gleaned from it: God values order. God never works haphazardly. Even when human free will is factored into God’s providence, everything happens according to His divine will. God is organized, and because He made us in His image, He expects us to be organized as well.

There were several ways I got and remained organized throughout my time in college. I set up a consistent time to study. I found a place, usually my room or a break room at my job site, where I could study without much distraction. I tried to get most of my assignments done as early as I could. And whenever I was overwhelmed with a large number of assignments, I made detailed lists of tasks I needed to complete and followed that list closely.

As I did all of this, I balanced my part-time college life with a full-time evening job at the Eli Lilly Technology Center. I did this by choosing classes that took place in the mornings. To complete my assignments on time, I would devote at least three hours on days that I didn’t have class to completing the assignments I had to complete each week. On the weekends, I devoted Saturday mornings, sometimes Saturday evenings, and Sunday evenings to completing assignments. By organizing my life this way for the many years I’ve been in college, I’ve been able to excel in nearly all of my courses.

Habit #2: Find a support group

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

This passage shows us the importance of having companions to help us through the difficulties of life. I can’t begin to explain the importance of having a support group in college. It’s nearly impossible to go through something as challenging as college alone. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit never accomplish anything on their own, so too will you never accomplish anything in college on your own. We have families, friends, and churches who can provide us with encouragement and advice. If, God forbid, we don’t have any of these, we have an entire campus of men and women who are eager to encourage, advise, and befriend us. Impact itself serves this purpose.

During my years in college, my family has served as my primary support group. Yet among all of my family members, my mother has been my greatest source of encouragement. From helping me realize that I shouldn’t compare myself to other students to simply listening to me talk about what goes on in my classes, she’s helped me remain optimistic through the most difficult courses I’ve had in college.

By making organization a priority, you will reflect God’s own orderliness and show your classmates that you value the education with which God is blessing you. By finding and interacting with a support group, especially one like Impact, you’ll reflect God’s triune character by reaching your goals not on your own but within a community. The light of Christ that you shine through your orderliness and through the strong friendships you have with your family, friends, church, or those on campus can be attractive to those who don’t share your faith. You can use the light they see in you to attract them to Christ.  

In my next post, I’ll discuss how persevering through hardships and remaining faithful to God are two other ways you can excel in college.

Jacob Stubbs, Guest Writer, IUPUI Student

Life at times can make you feel as if you’re drowning.  As if you’re all by yourself, alone.  Especially at the beginning of a new school semester.  You walk into your new classes with the potential of not knowing another human being there.  You’ve got the chance to get some whack professor that drives you nuts. Both human nature and society tell us that we have to fight the loneliness on our own.  It’s a dog eat dog world out there and from birth we are trained to fight to get to the top, no matter what it costs our relationships. 

            But what if I told you all of this was completely untrue.  Completely unbiblical.  The opposite of the Kingdom Mindset.

            Everything we know about fighting alone is wrong.

            Surprise, sorry to break the news to you, but c’mon someone had to.  No where ever in the Bible does it say to walk alone.  Not one place does it talk about fighting your demons by yourself. 

SO WHAT BETTER TIME TO LEARN TO LIVE IN COMMUNITY THEN THE BEGINNING OF A NEW SEMESTER?

The author of Hebrews says in chapter ten verse 24-25, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do, but spurring each other on especially as we see the big Day approaching.”

HMMMM.

So we aren’t supposed to hide and do our own things.  You’re telling me we need to be creative in finding ways to love others?  We are supposed to gather and worship together?  That seems counter cultural.  I wont lie, I will be the first to tell you that a bunch of gatherings and weird get togethers seem pretty dorky.  I want no part of that. 

But here I see in the Bible that togetherness is so important for preparing for the coming of Jesus. 

In Psalm 133:1 David says, “How wonderful, how beautiful, when brothers and sisters get along!’

What if I told you that we are looking to create a space where friendship between believers comes alive?  A space where a community thrived on being creative.  A place where Christ is at the center of all friendship and community that transpires.  What if there was a place where you were accepted for who you are, but challenged to be who God created you to be.  What if there was a place so attractive that others knew there was something different about those participating?

What if that place existed now?

Welcome to Impact at IUPUI.

We exist to pursue Jesus.  Model His actions.  And teach others.

But we also exist to be a community of believers that supports one another in whatever adventures college life throws at us.  We exist to create life long friendships between believers.  We are here to change the look of the campus of IUPUI.  We exist to change the landscape of Indianapolis.  We are present to transform lives.

All we need now is you. 

Connor LaGrange, Impact at IUPUI Vice President of Fellowship

Our mission, as stated on our website, is as follows: We exist to pursue, model and teach intimacy with God at IUPUI, in Christian community. Let’s break this down.

Pursue. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Model. 1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Teach. Jesus said in Matthew 28, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Impact Christian Ministries began as Harvest Campus Ministries in the 90’s, made a name change to Impact Ministries International in 1999, and in 2010, a distinct organization called Impact Christian Ministries as we know it was formed to focus exclusively on college campus ministry in the United States. The motto exists now as “Impact the U, Impact the World.”

So… Why IUPUI?

We have diversity all around us. The graduating class of 2016 represented more countries than it did states. We’re in the heart of one of the top 15 largest cities in America. We have access to so many people who we can reveal God’s love and wisdom to. Who’s to say a small group of light-bearing students can’t have a huge impact in the surrounding community, and consequently, the world?

How do we do this?

There are two phases - input and output. An effective ministry begins with well-equipped members. If we are to accomplish our mission statement, we need to start from the foundation, as all projects begin. The foundational layer of Impact includes our life groups and worship nights. These are times when we can learn more about God’s Word, and we can be with Him in the midst of each other. Our foundation becomes stronger and stronger as we gather more information, see from different perspectives, address any questions we have, worship the Lord, and participate in discussion. Just as we need food and water as physical input for our bodies, we need scripture as spiritual input to keep us active in our faith.

Then comes output. We take what we learn about God and apply it to our surroundings. Our goal is to demonstrate the essence of Christianity in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Through Impact, we accomplish this through fellowship events and service projects. We go forth and show the same love for others as God has always shown to us. We form real bonds with each other. Pursue, model, and teach.

A little bit on why I came to Impact and stayed with it -

Impact was attractive to me because of the people. Everyone showed everyone love, care, encouragement, and support. I often thought to myself, “there’s really something special here.” It was and is intimate. It was and is intentional. It was and is focused on its mission. It has changed my faith for the better, and because of this, I want it to have the same effect on other students. Impact is not perfect, but that’s not the point. God isn’t here waiting for us to correct ourselves and then come to Him, like a child in time-out; he is always waiting for each of his children to run to him as admittedly broken souls in need of a Father.

I came into college already worn out by transitioning to the next chapter of my life. I went to Involvement Expos just because my friends were going. Some of you know the story of how I met Andrew at the Impact booth simply because I recognized him from a middle school retreat. I started going to a life group after some much-needed poking and prodding, and the reawakening began as I saw what God could do on a huge college campus.

Impact exists to give students purpose and direction in such a demanding phase of their lives. Impact exists to unite the weary and heavy-laden and put all of us back on our feet. Impact is a distinct part of the body of Christ with unique messages to deliver and acts of love to bestow.

As stated in Ecclesiastes 4:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

We cannot be Christians alone, and that is why Impact exists at IUPUI. By pursuing God, modeling his teachings, and teaching others about His glory, we can further bring His kingdom to our community with the spiritual gifts He has blessed each of us with.

Haley Welch, Student President of Impact Christian Fellowship at IUPUI

It’s summer. For me, that means no more classes. And no more group projects, no more last minute papers! I was so busy this past school year that it was hard for me to spend time reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, and listening to God. It had to be a priority; I had to make it a priority this past year to focus on God. And it was hard. So ideally, with summer, I should have way more time to focus on God, right? It should be easier now that I am not so busy. However, I’ve found that summer makes me really lazy. I’m finally able to relax after the previous school year and instead of spending time with God, a million other things call my attention like Netflix, reading other books, video games, spending time with friends who are home for the summer… the list is endless. All of this commands my attention, until I realize that, wait, I am completely pushing God aside. I am putting other things first; I am making other things my priorities.

Sometimes I think that spending time with God will just come naturally and automatically in my life. Like I don’t have to put in much effort. However, if there is one thing I’ve learned this past year, it’s that God doesn’t become a priority in my life unless I make Him my priority. A priority is something that is viewed (and treated) as more important than all other things; something that comes before all other things. God wants to be the center of our lives. He designed us for this; for us to worship and praise Him. The first two commandments tell us this. Exodus 20:3-4 states “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on earth or in the sea.” God doesn’t want us to put anything else before Him. Nothing else will satisfy us the way that God satisfies us. In fact, God says that when we put Him first, all of our needs will be provided for us. Matthew 6:33 says “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” It’s pretty cool that we serve a God who loves us and wants to take care of us. Putting Him first is the BEST decision we can make. This is all great to think about, and talk about; but it is way easier to talk or think about putting God first rather than actually doing it. I often place other things before God without even realizing it.

 So, the question is this: how do we put God at the center of our lives this summer with all of these distractions? For me, making God a priority involves deliberately setting a time each day to spend with God; kind of like making spending time with God a habit. Now, I don’t mean a rigid, ritualistic schedule; but rather intentionally spending time in God’s Word, prayer, and worship each day. When I make the habit of spending time every day with God, He becomes more and more the center of my life. When I make seeking God a habit, my first instinct becomes turning to Him in every situation. He becomes my number one priority; the thing I entrust my heart and soul to. The thing I place my hope and trust in.

I can’t place God at the center of my life by myself. There will always be something else that distracts me. Something else I desire to place before God. But by intentionally seeking Him, I trust that God can do the rest and transform my heart to love and serve Him. God promises and proves to us that He can be trusted; that He will be by our side always.

Isaiah 41:10 says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Making God a priority definitely requires effort and desire on our part, but it also requires trust in God that He will do the real transformation of our hearts. 

Meaghan Couch, Student Leader in Impact Christian Fellowship at IUPUI

How easy is it for us to want to plan our lives? Whether you are a person who neatly organizes every part of their life (like me), or someone who wakes up every morning with no clue what they are doing that day, there is some part of all of us that has an idea of how things should be. Even though we are college students and you could say that you have no idea what you’re doing with your life, I would argue that you probably have a lot more planned than you realize. There is no shame in it. It’s part of being human to want life to go a certain way.

But what happens when the plan falls away? What happens when your entire focus becomes switched? I’m not talking about your lunch plans changing at the last second, or the cashier accidentally giving you the wrong amount of change at the checkout. I’m talking about when your world gets so shaken up that each step into the future is blurry and misguided; when you have no sense of direction.

Maybe your car gets totaled and you now have no way to get yourself to school or work. Maybe after paying for a year or two of school, you realize that you have no idea what you want to do anymore, and every major feels like the wrong one. Maybe that two year relationship just ended, throwing us into a tailspin when our future plans of happiness crash and burn. Maybe there’s a sickness or death of a loved one, and now you’re wrestling with a burden that you weren’t ready to carry. From the lowest to the highest end of the spectrum, it’s happened to all of us. However, what we choose to do and who we choose to be in this chaos and fallout defines who we are in Christ.

When the world seems blurry, Jesus remains as clear as ever if you choose to search for him. Lately, God has been consistently reminding me of this fact through a passage that I heard over and over again when I went to Zambia on a mission trip last summer:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I think this passage relates so well to where we are right now as college students, and more specifically, where we are in this summer. Many of us are working full time, volunteering, participating in internships and research, studying abroad, traveling, and so much more. Even more of us have just come out of a crazy spring semester that we didn’t think we would get out of alive, either for academic reasons, personal reasons, or a mix of both. The summer that we thought was going to be a relaxing break is becoming more hectic than we realized. The passage above begs us to look for Jesus in the chaos. It doesn’t tell us to find a solution all by ourselves. It doesn’t say to work ourselves to death trying to figure it all out. It tells us to be patient and be faithful in our unstoppable God.

When life becomes too crazy and hectic to handle, we can do one of three things. We can find more strength to carry it, we can find someone to help us carry it, or we can let it crush us. If we need more strength, God asks us to pray and read his word (consistently). If we need help with what life has thrown at us, God gives us fellowship in the form of Bible studies, life groups, and churches. We aren’t alone, and we never were.

Something that I strive for, and that I hope all of you strive for this summer is to bring Jesus back into focus, in whatever form that may take. This summer is the time to either reclaim your faith or to make it stronger than it ever was. For me, I have a long road back to where I was at the start of this school year. Luckily, I have a church and friends that love me, and I have God’s Word that continues to teach me every day. All we have to do is set our hearts on things above. In a blurry world, Jesus can make things clearer than we ever thought possible.

Brad Loeffler, Member of Impact Christian Fellowship at IUPUI

How many times have you been told to do the right thing? I think I can safely say that, for most of us, this was something that was engrained into our heads at an early age. Consciously and unconsciously, it has been one of the driving factors behind most of the decisions we’ve made in our lives.

I am a doer. I like to be constantly busy completing some kind of project or task, and I don’t sit still well. I never have. In accordance with my personality, I’ve always found ways to keep myself occupied with, what I considered to be, meaningful activities. Coming to college, I was floored by the number of service organizations and campus ministries, and I continued to do what I have always done—I dove in headfirst. (Admittedly, I am one of those people who is on just about every listserv on campus.) It was fun the first year when my classes were a bit less challenging, but this past school year, all of the good stuff that I was doing quickly became draining. I thought I was doing the right thing, and I just couldn’t understand why I was feeling so overwhelmed.

In the story of Mary and Martha, I have always empathized with Martha. A lot of my own qualities are very Martha-esque, so I understand her thoughts and can imagine her feelings.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Picturing myself in Martha’s position, my jaw would just about be hitting the floor. I am doing the right thing. What do you mean that Mary’s choice was better? Lord, all of these things that I am busy doing are for you. Aren’t they?

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered…I feel like He has answered me this same way time and time again. And time and time again, as the stubborn human that I am, I have tried to justify that these were the right things to do. In reality though, I was busy getting the house ready, just like Martha.

I 100% believe that we are called to do the right thing and be of service to others, but I also believe that, beyond the volunteering and giving of ourselves, sometimes God just wants to be with us—wholly and entirely (without our minds racing about the million and one other things that we need to get done that day).

I call myself a Christian (Christ-like), which is a really bold statement. In doing so, shouldn’t it be obvious that I would be spending as much time as possible learning and being with the One whom I am claiming to be like? The more time I spend meditating on His word, the more unbelievable I find it that our awesome God chooses to use me to do His work here on earth. I cannot begin to fathom the wisdom of the Lord. So when I try to do the right thing, my actions align with the limits of my own good judgment. Spending more time with Jesus though allows me to discover that there is something better than simply doing the right thing. In my futile attempts to be a good person, I am often bogged down by the accompanying worry and anxiety of earthly works. But, when we take Christ’s yoke upon us, our burdens become light. (That’s because He has already done all of the heavy lifting.) 

No matter the pace of my life, when I stop to take enough time to listen to God’s word and to realize its implications in my life, the activities that I am engaging in take on a new meaning. For me, it’s about never forgetting the who behind what I do.

Johnna Belkiewitz, Member of Impact Christian Fellowship

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

'Twas the week before finals, and all throughout campus,

Not a student was sleeping, not even a nap.

The coffee was brewed before studying with care,

In hopes that hard efforts would cause grades to repair.

All throughout the semester, we’ve been learning that big things happen in the midst of turmoil.  An egotistic King was struck down; the church grew.  A man named Barnabas went against the norm and traveled to a foreign land to spread the grace of God; the church grew.  A man named Saul, who was comfortably celebrated by Jews, went outside of his comfort zone, even in the midst of death threats, to share what he believed; still, the church grew.

Who’s to say you can’t do the same?

On first glance, this task may seem impossible, especially at this point in the semester.  It’s finals week.  How in the world am I supposed to shake my surroundings when my surroundings are shaking me?  Contrary to popular belief, these kinds of times are when you can make the most difference.

We learned during the semester that there are countless people in the Bible that were chosen, despite how unprepared they felt, to go forth and share the love of God with those who really didn’t want anything to do with it – but this proved to be the best strategy in terms of expansion of the church.

If you couldn’t make our last Night of Worship on Tuesday, you missed a powerful message by Keith Comp (Pastor at White River Christian Church).  After some good laughs and tips for finals week, he touched on a very important issue about the perception of Christianity today.  He reflected that if some people were to walk by the room we were worshipping in and find out the reason for the event, they would think to themselves, “All of these people hate me.”

Ridiculous, right?  But sadly, true.  Hearing that statement woke me up.  There are some twisted views of a belief system that is intended to bring light to the world, not take it away.  Every single person can sway the way another person views Christianity.  And that’s why it’s so important to take action.

During a week that so many people are being pushed to their limits, what better time to model God’s unconditional love to those you’re surrounded with?  As college students, all of us are out of time and resources, but God will provide when you least expect it.  Buy someone a snack.  Bring dinner to a study group.  Compliment a stranger on their smile.  Offer to run errands for a roommate.  Write a short, encouraging note to a worker at Starbucks.  Wouldn’t you be so happy if someone did the same for you?  A small gesture showing basic kindness in the midst of such a stressful week will strike curiosity in the minds of those you act upon.  The real meaning of Christianity can be revealed to more people.  And slowly but surely, we can expand the church by reminding ourselves and others to accomplish one of the most life-giving commands – love one another as the Lord has loved you.

Haley Welch, Impact Christian Fellowship at IUPUI President