First Study in the Books!

So tonight Eric and I had our first study! It was awesome! We had about 10 guys show up, even with a couple that were sick or couldn't make it.

These guys are one step ahead of where I was at that point in my beginning to life here at UCSB. They're getting involved or at least checking out a community that is centered around Jesus. What's even better, is there is a good few of people from their dorm that also share the same interest, so they are striking up Godly relationships with other men. I sure wish I had that my first quarter here.

It is totally different being on the other side of the spectrum getting to plan the study. I'm stoked to learn more about God's character and love for us in this new perspective.

Tonight we talked about how to walk assured in our relationship with God; that he loves us unconditionally and we are saved by grace.

We used two passages: Luke 15:11-31 and 1 John 11-15.

The passage in Luke concerns Jesus teaching through the parable of the lost son. In the parable, the younger of two sons asked for the inheritance of his father to go out and party. He was living the life til he ran out of money, and then realized he was living in a lie. He went back to his father, who ran out to him in open arms and welcomed him back as his son. The father than had a huge party in the honor of his son, and gave him a nice robe and a ring. The older son, the more faithful of the two, viewed this situation with contempt and was jealous of his brother's reception. The older son pointed out his faithfulness was deserving of more than his undeserving brother. The father responds that all his possessions are his (the older son's) but his other son was lost and now found--which merits celebration.

I loved using this parable because of its applicable nature to us as human beings. Often times, we're looking for own way and for an immediate reward (parallel to the younger son wanting the inheritance before his father's death) to satisfy our own desires. I've been fueled by my own self-absorbed nature and going for what I want. Then all of a sudden in a whirlwind, I realize that I've fallen from walking with God, and then I am compelled to admit my sin and ask forgiveness. Funny thing is, I have the propensity to think that God knows that I was living in sin, when in fact he not only knows it, but he was right there next to me hoping that I would turn to him instead. Like the prodigal son, I've been lost, but thanks to his unconditional love, I am found :) Being saved by grace means so much more than being saved by works. Thank goodness for that!

The second part of the parable I can also relate to (sadly). Often times I'm all on board like, 'yeah let's preach the good news to our friends' but under closer examination, I don't really want them to share in my inheritance. I mean, I've been a Christ-follower for as long as I remember, why should someone who just now started their walk with Christ gain the same benefits as me? This is my fleshly nature talking, and it is difficult to combat against. I'm humbled to know that my judgment means absolutely nothing from an eternal perspective. I'm also reminded that I cannot cast any stones because I myself have sinned many times.

In 1 John 5:11-15, we read that Jesus Christ is life and if we have him, we have life. However, John mentions that if we do not have Christ, we do not have life. In verse 13, John says he writes so that we may "know that [we] have eternal life." The cool thing about this verse is that it is so unambiguous. It is clear: we can be assured of eternal life. The passage doesn't say that "maybe" we have eternal life, or we "could" have eternal life... it says we "know" we have it as long as we accept the Son.

These two passages next to each other in the same study definitely did a lot of good things in my heart, it was a comfortable reminder that His love for me is never ending, and that I can know I'm saved and that I am assured of eternal life.

Cool stuff, I'm excited for this opportunity to grow in my faith this year. It's gonna be a challenge once the reality of classes hit in, but God is bigger than all that :)