How to Keep the Faith in College - Part 4

God first program to encourage you to put God first viewing life through the window of the Bible in honor of the one and only true God, the God of Isaac, and Jacob.

Please join us for the day greetings in the name of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. My name is Brian Thomas and as always it is a joy on to join you each week. I want to thank you for tuning in last week we were so blessed and honored to have with us twin sisters from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. We had Rayna Harper and Ray Lynn Harper as they were continuing with us our series on how to keep the faith in college. We were just so blessed by them. So if you missed last week's episode you listen to it by visiting our website God 1st.award this GLD number one ST.org and if you missed it. I encourage you to go and listen because again we were so blessed all the wonderful things that these young ladies had to share with us so they are back with us once again this week to continue our discussions, I want once again welcome Rayna and Rachel into the program so where we left off last week I had asked the question to Rayna concerning how should Christian college students decide on a Bible study or a church to attend. Went too far away from their home church so railing would you share with us your thoughts concerning how Christian students should approach this matter that Marco don't bet a lot of people are or have no good church that will recommend you go and fight. We have one in our area by the a lot of people don't like that that all found the doctor lately let you know they stand for someone to read Scripture taken out of context and try to clean it here at 4 o'clock..3, and often get the final, but the environment every day, defeating man dictating the wrong thing.

You don't want to hurt the one I have found that treatment straight from the Bible, not thinking anything out of context and truly understanding what God thinks and depending on what I would be feeding our. The right way and did not think the false doctrine, because you know in the last day, but that the W laptop doctrine on the part and some chemical organization that I know they will talk about the thing they believe in God but they don't really do what the Christian be doing for the go out during the party and engage in fornication and homosexuality.

And I don't really know the true gospel but we have to be mindful about and all the important for all the work for yourself, you know, we can always on the creature could do it part of the law. That is their job to do it. We also like to know what parts of the outside of you going to church on Sunday, you have to spend time if you don't have time on Thursday and we didn't go on Sunday. We could be spending time really get to go and learn from God and for heartfelt and I feel like I'm a believer… Go home and study the work of art so that we could be able to teach other people about it because while they may not have certain around. We can still be standing in the gap and felt be able to share the gospel with other people are and how often they aren't the people online right Rayna that before that you want that some televangelist baby are a little bit skeptical and you have to go out well find that truly freak the sound doctrine and did not work for yourself and see how it aligned and make sure that there really applying it to their life and taking it from the word of God and thankful for what ministry you know being under their feet really felt. And while it is uncomfortable at times because someone that you know, get under your skin or something that you know I hate calling me out about something that you go home and your friends aren't, you really understand that the Holy Spirit and thinking and sometimes we need them because that's where our circle broke on the party not want to gird that are all about touting the works of those awful want to go where we are learning learning and growing and really correction that we can grow in our everyday life because I believe we are works in progress, but everything to get better and better and know were not perfect, but that's what worked for the site you reference. Second Timothy chapter 4 verse three.

Because yes, there are a lot of churches out there that are simply trying to please you to use that assumption of the Bible warns us about them and that's why we need discernment, just as you said because there is false doctrine. The Bible says that would be the case in the last days, so you don't want to go somewhere for entertainment you want to go somewhere with you can learn you want to go somewhere you going to get correction so that is why do we need discernment and need to look at the right things when searching for a church home.

When away from home so thank you so much for that Celexa want to go to Rayna concerning school workload in church how to balance those.

I'm sure you have moments which you are faced with the question I have a lot of schoolwork to do. Should I attend church or should I study so share with us how you balance that school workload with church and Bible study right well thing that really come to mind when I think about answering the question is that I often hear on the radio and eating habit in my favorite followed by Jonathan McReynolds called me from and tingling to get them to file it how he talked about moving his itinerary over and moving on candle moving it over with and that's really a picture making room for God college in the super overwhelming when you're trying to balance your social life and your extracurricular and your prayer life in your academic all that can be extremely extremely double because the main find yourself falling behind in certain areas, everyone for allowing you might become really struck out three nursing major workload is extremely happy and I have definitely had to try that I met balance between how many hours things like you, Frank Bailey finished ideas in the Bible and one thing I always try to member is the one that gave you the real power to do what you're able to give the guy who gave you the brain that being able to complete your work to do the things that you're able to do we always Think about how I have given all the thing we can do all think about all that we have to make time and give it back to him everything he can happen. Encourage them get back back him because he everything that we do and knowing that I try to find their way back and prioritize time for him anytime during the day. Obviously, everyday pain might have some danger you're up early, early in the morning and up really late at night and have to find a way. We've been there have but you have to do it. Forget reading your wording to forget that you were trying to push it off to a different day event like that I can get in the thinking plan a wound church activity in your Bible study print everything around that you know that you have to go to church on Sunday. You know that you might have Bible study on Thursday night, so plan your spending routine around that. Don't we all. We and the like more. I'm betting on Thursday. Start on Monday or Tuesday. Dark setting-that and even each day.

You should always start your morning out with prayer started out with the Bible. Even if you have to. Thank you for your class.

Or, if it work better for you do it right before bed, but always start your morning out there and make time go by because been spending a week and the very that we can do God's 1.1 of our time during one day of the week whenever we need to import you're not going to be able to make every church event every church their vehicle routing@because I, church, and affect true but not you to not go we find ourselves making it well or well met with defined point you avoid church you check your heart and you know then well I need to change what I'm doing is note to make church because now you get in potentially avoiding God. The one thing I know it is a mining company will make time to do it.

Dale clear their schedule built please. It here and there throughout the day. Even if you happen Frank everything before every class. Make time God because he Everything can't put Jesus on layaway have to make time for him every day because he everything we do strength diligent and direct to do everything that were able to such great advice that we make room for God because as you said a crisis made a way for us we we make time for him. If you really want to be with him you want to make time with him is what you do.

Yes, you plan around church or Bible study and that's why we hear we say God first you put God first. When you live in a weekly schedule church doesn't come upon you by surprise. You know already that is coming so you plan around that and so that is so sound advice and I love the fight would usually start your morning with prayer.

We really need that and and I think about how you said when it comes to Sunday morning when it comes to a weeknight Bible study people to complain about giving God just an hour to an and I hear people complaining because of church runs longer than I would have the rope sitting there complaining the griping with all the time that God gives us throughout the week and yet so many get upset about giving him just a few hours on Sunday morning were on a Wednesday evening or on a Thursday night and so you say to the social will is so beautifully sought out encourage college students out there to take these things to heart what she said. So I want to go next to real in your answer to the same question about how do you handle school workload with church life, everything, where I will talk about your time effectively. All about and I know a lot of people aren't good with time, but really something that you can't make about it. You have to pray about things but asked God what my PalmPilot better. I can fit everything I need in my day making sure I'm getting the right about then write about that and even though you have that talent though not our relationship with Christ is the most important quality planting three main priorities. The first being my client. Then my for work and then you know your asked your freak on your fear of your bike, your family, your friend David when everything else done and a lot of the fine art of making it for a while.

In the time of God, but we did go to dysfunction. Why would we fall into spiritual apathy that we have to learn that we can't become apathetic to the spirit because you know that we have to be our earlier have to be did not recommend every day were feeding our national man, we have to do part spiritual man and I know that he could be.

During that time my maker. It can pile up very fast is a lot of work. Our meeting meeting time and they can interfere with our Bible study.

Can somebody do have to admit people because their mandatory meeting that we might need to make.

But the thing find if you can check that and I get a little bit despite ago on the any other not even pretty throughout your day. When I went for a quick prayer to God throughout the day wire born in between five something Mark going to keep your spiritual man going to provide each and every day, everything.

Although we don't have time to talk to God.

Know what that something awful about bike if he wasn't so merciful and so grateful to give up, find out the date and our problems and looking for fair enough that we should be thinking of you because you make when we try to solve our problem and with what we have to say info is all about good time management.

Knowing what I have to do what I have to do if I would Bible study tonight and I have an exam tomorrow… But study for that exam so I can find time to study and go to Bible study after info even on your big if they did try to fit that and like Reina said try to fix something that's going to be a man because you know the day, nothing else mattered but your relationship with God. And even though he didn't want to excel in school. The power to do all that we all we have to do it right there that were prayerful because people help us build a house because school can get hard. For example, programs that were trying to get in that it takes a lot of their government does, but off the pump a lot of prayer because it will get tiring. We will get burnt out will get frustrated. But as long as we keep our eye on the part remember what's important and I will help with time management is so important and that is why you need to prioritize.

Just as you said you prioritize your relationship with Jesus Christ and I've noticed a recurring theme because each of you have continuously repeatedly stated how important it is to feed your spiritual man and I love that because the Bible says that we should not live by bread alone. Jesus Christ said that the man shall not live by bread alone is so your your stressing that it is so important because people tend to ignore the thing go to church once a week with some people.

Every other week or once a month and that there want to be okay spiritually but no, we need more than that. Just like we feed our physical bodies.

We need to feed the spiritual body so that his soul so beautifully stated. So I want to thank you both for coming on and and just to give a blessing us because just as so many wonderful things were to mighty warriors for the Lord. I'm just so impressed by your level of maturity and how you are walking with Jesus Christ. Even during this time and I know the college students out there. Be blessed by this. I have been blessed and I think a lot of others who are not is not a college but who have long gone from college and graduated many years in the past there want to be blessed as will buy the things that you're sleeping so I want to thank you both for coming on taking time from your schedule to join us and I pray that God will bless you mightily as you continue into the school year and we also thank you once again for coming on to join us time a romance against two great wonderful twin sisters Reina and Ray Lynn Harper so we are folks just so wonderful. Wonderfully glad adware will receive from these college students these last four weeks. They have just really blessed us again. We had in week one, we had Charis Williams from the University of East Carolina or East Carolina University or should say she was join in the same episode by Caleb Owens who attends Campbell University. The next week we had Angel Hunter from North Carolina Central University joined by Jonathan Geiger of North Carolina ENT University and again this past two weeks we've had the Harper twins and so I just want to thank each and every one of you is so encouraging to see the things that these young people are speaking the bill your living for Christ young warriors for Jesus Christ Bigbee example to all of us again full for the for those of us at any age. We can learn a lot from these young people also want to acknowledge as we are wrapping up the series, guilder James Friesen and his lovely wife Dee as they have been so instrumental in bringing this together. This decision reason in getting these college students to come want to speak with us. I want to think the parents of the students because parents have done such a fine job obviously raising them, pointing them to Jesus Christ. Last but not least, Bishop Patrick wooden as he is the bishop and pastor of these young students and again you can just see the teaching is very evident that they been taught will over the years by their church leadership. So again I want to thank all of them for the fine job they have done and were going to now take a short break, but don't go away going to come back on the other side some final thoughts about our college students and in things that are going on in the world today because there's so much that is happening.

We as believers in Jesus Christ need to continually look to our Lord's noble way back with more on the other side would soon ensue. God first program you are listening to God for believing what we stand for God first Bible Fellowship, would you consider partner with us God for this program is based on Matthew 633 but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added on to what was going to visual $6.33 per month you can help us share the message of God's commands when viewing the issues of our culture, please visit our website God, the Lord God first Bible Fellowship, PO Box 266, Niceville, NC 27545 for more information let's return to the conclusion of the program back to the program and it is Brian Thomas, and I want to thank you again for joining us for the last four weeks for this great series. Again, I am just so encouraging, so impressed by his college students, all from the open room Church of God in Christ. They have blessed us so mightily will folks, we see that although there is a lot of darkness in the world today that God still has a remnant, Jesus Christ said that he is going to build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it seems sometimes that evil is winning and is going to win if if you're not careful you would lose hope we don't lose hope because the Bible said that this is what would happen before the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the things that we see going on in the world today and I don't make predictions. I never make predictions because no one knows when I will Lord will return. But Jesus said that we can know the season of his return. And as I look around in the world and I see things are happening on so many fronts. There's just so many different things every day there's something new that is why again the church needs to be on guard. We need to be watchful, just as the Hebrews tells us that we are to not feel to a symbol as we see the day approaching and the troubles me when I see so many churches that have been shut down during the pandemic. Some steel shut down a year and 1/2 later, still not assembling how lawyer says as you see the day approaching. Do not feel to assemble, but to encourage and exhort one another, that is to encourage one another as we see the day approaching.

And so I stayed a study heavily on the topic of Bible prophecy eschatology is a see things that are taking place and I see everything coming together in accordance to God's plan and I I just want to share that to encourage those who may look like it may look like when we look around in the world that all hope is gone that there is no known reason for us to have joy but but we are to be joyous as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus is coming soon. One of the things that has troubled me, and I'm sure is trouble you so much as what we see going on in Afghanistan. You just tears my heart apart when I see the desperation of so many people there and then reports that there are the Taliban that they are going around door to door looking for Christians to to kill them so folks, this is a dire situation and in their American citizens that are still there hoping to get out there Afghan Afghanistan to Afghanistan humans who were desperately wanting to to get out of the country because they know what their fate is the Taliban in charge and so I want to just close out the program bye-bye just praying for all of those people who are affected by the situation and even love ones were here in our nation who are heartbroken and just so worried about their love ones were still back there. We just want to pray that those people can can get out of harms way you can make it safely out of the nation of Afghanistan, so I want you to touch in agreement with me. We cannot touch physically on the radio course. But let's touch for touching agreement spiritually with one another so heavenly father we come to you to the today Lord giving you things, first floor. We give you honor we give you glory. We give you praise for the mighty God that you are Lord we are not going to be discouraged. We are not going to lose hope because of the things that are taking place because you are God. This is how you look slow, all things are under your control, and as I look at Afghanistan and as I look at places in the world in which there are those who are against your people who are against you. I asked Lord that you remind them to not fear man who you sitting your word can destroy the body, but to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul and so we asked Lord that for any who is not yet receive you as Lord and Savior that they will turn to you during this dire time they would know that in you is salvation in you is eternal life regardless of what happens on this earth that we can rest in your presence for all of eternity.

So what I just pray right now that you will bring people out safely from Afghanistan. Those who are there those who are being persecuted the women in this this to the terrible way in which they are being persecuted and tormented.

I just asked Lord you would be with him, Lord, give them strength.

Give them encouragement during this time that if they would just turn to you and reach out to you.

You said I would never leave you nor forsake you know Lord Jesus, the power that you have. You came out of a perfect heaven and you came to this earth and you didn't Lord you suggested in our place because of your love.

You came so that we can have eternal life. You died on the cross, will you show that the grave could not hold you is rose from the grave on the third day with all power. You came out of the grace showing that you have power over Siena. You have all power over death. So Lord we just asked right now that you would just be with the people in Afghanistan, Lord.

Those who were calling out to you. It is for those who are not calling out to you a disaster you would use this as a time Lord to draw them to you prick the horse and let them know that they need you as Lord and Savior in order to receive eternal life. So we just thank you and we just pray that what is going on right now that it would be used for your honor and for your glory. Though there will be those who come out. I can give a testimony of how you brought them out hello, we just pray for the wisdom of our nation's leaders, whether they would use wisdom.

Godly wisdom that only you can bring in making decisions that are for the benefit of the people and again will we just list all these things up to you. We pray for forgiveness for the transgressions of our nation and again Lord on this day, which is all you we glorify you we praise your holy name in your name Jesus we pray all these things a man will close. I want to thank you and less again. Let's not forget our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan there going through some very, very tough times keep them continually listed in prayer and it just reminds us of how blessed we are that we are not having to face the we should not get too comfortable, because the same thing could happen to our countries where we could be facing the same thing so should be continually grateful continually looking 12 Lord and always pray for our brothers and our sisters. So I want to thank you for tuning in with me. We are all out of time to please come back next week as we continue to encourage you to put God first, while viewing life through the window of the Bible. Until then, remember to pray for the peace of delusional less God's great nation of Israel to the only wise God be glory through Jesus Christ, forever.

Amen.

Thank you for tuning into the God first in his neck as we continue to encourage you to put God first window of the Bible. Until next time, let God great nation of Israel