by Josh Smith
When I first went off to college, one of the things I was worried about was how I was going to grow spiritually. For most of high school I had been in a Bible study with my friend’s dad. He was the one who really guided me through those years and helped me grow in appreciation of Truth and how to seek for it. I was afraid that in coming down to San Diego for school I might not be able to find a similar community to be a part of. Initially, my fears weren’t unfounded. As I visited church after church in San Diego, I became disheartened in searching for a place where I could really grow in all aspects of my walk. Either the church was too geared for the “college crowd,” too big, or had teaching that wasn’t challenging enough. After a couple years, I started to get disheartened.
Around that time, Ryan McAdams told me about Lighthouse and invited me to visit. Initially, I couldn’t distinguish any big differences between Lighthouse and any other church. But after attending Sunday Service for a couple months, I started to notice that Lighthouse wasn’t like the other churches in the area. Besides being a lot smaller, I found a community with a strong appreciation for God’s Word. With this strong emphasis on truth the community also had a genuine love for others; something that almost seemed mutually exclusive in other communities.
Coupled with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Lighthouse has really helped mature me and given me strength throughout my college years. Though I became a member much later in my college career than I should have, the church has been a big part of my four years in San Diego. The attitude of what it means to live a Christian life is something that I will always carry with me. This year, I was finally able to give back some of the teaching I received by leading a Bible study in the book of Hebrews.
After college, I plan to put my English/ Management Science major to good use and work on a ranch for a few months building a greenhouse. I don’t know my specific plans after that, but more than likely I will be moving back down to San Diego.
Favorite Food: Pizza, as I am still in 6th grade.
Favorite Bible Character: Peter; not many guys have walked on water, or written a book of the Bible for that matter.
Most Memorable College Moment: Tough to say. There are a few.
Miss Most About College: Easy social life
Look Forward to in Graduate Life: Being able to sleep; no midterms.