Starting this Monday 7:15pm -- Guys' Small Group Bible Study

Hey Guys,
I pray that your first day of classes today will be blessed and will go well for you, that you'll have no trouble finding any of your classrooms, and that you will not be too nervous but will feel good about the upcoming semester.

I'm writing this post to guys only to invite you to Christ's Church at VT campus ministry's (CCVT's) Guys' Small Group Bible Study.

I know you are very busy with classes and other things, and especially if this is your first year at VT you are probably feeling very nervous about whether or not you are going to be able to get all your work done on time and do well. Under those circumstances many a college student has decided he doesn't have time for a Bible Study on top of going to church on Sundays. But Jesus issued a grave warning about that line of thinking. In Matthew 13:3-8 and 18-23 he said, "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.... Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Did you catch that? Jesus said that "the worries of this life" often choke a person's faith, "making it unfruitful." I see Christian college students' worries about their busy schedules choke out their faith all the time. And the thing is, none of them made a conscious decision one day to let that happen. It just happens by default when one day at a time they make little decisions to put worldly things higher on their priority list than the things of God, and pretty soon God has been nudged almost completely out of that student's life -- one small decision at a time.

But some of you are thinking, "Hey, my parents are shelling out thousands of dollars for this education and my future depends on it. I can't afford to blow this." To you I would say, don't forget, God knows what you need. He'll take care of you. You just need to trust him to do that. But don't expect him to do that for you if you are stiffing him. Or to put it in Jesus' words: "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:31-33).

So don't think that you are doing yourself any favors by putting God on the bottom of your priority list. If you make God your top priority, he will make sure you have what you need. He can do that, you know. After all, he is the Master of the entire universe! Trust him.

I believe that if you make time in your schedule to join us on Monday nights for this Bible study, God will bless you for it, and you will be glad you did.

But why come to this Bible Study and not just spend the time reading your Bible on your own or something? Here's why:

"Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!...

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10, 12).

In other words, we need each other. God knows that we need each other. That's why he invented the Church! Because we are not designed to do this on our own! We need the support of fellow believers to live lives that glorify God. And that is at the heart and soul of CCVT's small group Bible study program. Our goal is not only to teach you more information about the Bible. We place equal emphasis on being a support to one another in living out what we already know. (What's the use of learning more if we aren't applying what we already know?) So we take the time to really get to know one another, and pray for each other, and support each other, and ya, we end up having a lot of fun and laughing a lot and hanging out and just being good friends for each other, too. I think that's what God always wanted his Church to be like -- a source of support and genuine friendship, in addition to being a source of learning God's word.

So does this sound like something you want to be a part of? Good. I look forward to seeing you tonight at 7:15pm at CCVT's campus house. It's only one block from Lee Hall. For a map and clear directions, just look on the top right side of your screen. Of course you can always call us at 540-552-8292, too.

As always, feel free to bring a friend. Just remember this one is for guys only. The girls will be starting their own in a few days.

Hope to see you soon.
Steve