Godly Words of Encouragement

 (This message was edited by pinoy_celt on 12-24-03 @ 4:26 am EST)

In this last post regarding the spiritual aspects of college, I’m simply going to present an outline to you of what you need to do, even right now, to not only prepare, but to also succeed both personally and spiritually during your college years:

1. Pray:
         a. About which college, major, etc. God wants you to be in.
         b. That God would send godly friends your way as soon as you get there.
                   i. A good set of friends is probably the single most factor in making or breaking your                    college experience.
                   ii. The less sure of yourself and your faith in God and your purpose in college, the                    more likely that you’ll fall into the wrong crowd. Because believe me, there are always a                    lot of unsure freshmen every semester who end up getting lost in the shuffle.
         c. That when you get there, the LORD would show you which on-campus and/or off-campus          ministry He wants you in. Not all Christian fellowships are on fire for Christ.
                   i. There can be one or maybe several on-campus ministries that could simply be not                    much more than a social club.
                   ii. Honestly, there might not be much spiritual difference between some ministries                              and a fraternity that may be notorious for wild parties and immoral behavior.

2. Develop a regular weekly schedule for study and so on, when you know what your classes are, that maximizes your time for God and that is constructive and fun---and stick to it.
         a. Having a regular schedule at college will help you stay out of trouble by being not as                    tempted to make unwise decisions with your free time.
         b. It makes studying for tests and finals MUCH easier.
         c. Get involved in activities that appeal to you, whether it’s church, intramural sports,                    academic clubs, etc., but don’t overextend yourself, especially freshman year.

3. Be VERY careful about guys or girls you’re interested in as a boyfriend or girlfriend, respectively. One bad relationship decision can hurt your ministry and suck out all the zeal you have for Christ---just ask Samson or Solomon.

4. Develop a close relationship with and be submitted to your college pastor, elders and other spiritual authorities at college early on, not just when you get home for break. For more details on the importance of this, go to "Submission to spiritual authorities"  .

5. Learn how to communicate the Gospel in different ways to different people, since more than likely you’ll run into all sorts of different cultures and personalities at college.

6. College goes by a lot faster than you think, so make the most of every opportunity, especially when it comes to the Gospel.

7. God bless you