by Paul Molina

As a freshman, I had many selfish goals when I came into college. I wanted to meet girls and fill my 250gb hard drive with illegally downloaded movies and mp3s. But thankfully, God changed the direction of my life. He strategically gave me a Christian roommate named Nathaniel Kwak and allowed me to live with two more Christians (Ben Lee and Chris Katsura) during my sophomore year. All three of them were part of Crossroads Campus Ministries, so I decided to check it out. I can still remember being amazed at the praise that people sang and how the pastors taught directly from the bible during their sermons. One pastor in particular, Eric Chabaneix, gave a sermon about the gospel and explained how Christ was the Lamb of God who died for the sins that I had committed. This was one of the first times that the gospel was explained so clearly to me. I also began to attend LBC and was further blown away by the people that did not just attend church but were a part of the church body. I noticed that there were people that wanted to serve the church by handing out bulletins, setting up chairs, serving food, and managing the sound equipment. Also, Pastor John’s scripture based preaching was tremendously encouraging and challenging.

God used these various people and events to plant His word in my heart and give me faith in Him. I was baptized on November 6, 2005 and became a member of LBC a year later. I was extremely blessed to be a part of Theta Flock where I was put in a small group with Min Kim, Kevin Tse, Thomas Fong, Steve Lee, and Silas Chiu and I was able to meet other Christians that encouraged me on my spiritual walk. The bible was no longer a book that collected dust on my shelf, but it became an essential source of spiritual food and guidance. No longer do I look for satisfaction in living a self-centered life, but I strive to live my life in a God-centered way. I have learned that I am no longer the master of my own life, but I have a Lord whom I joyfully serve and submit my life to.

After graduation, I am planning on applying to Pharmacy school and during my year off I plan on taking community college classes. I can now look forward to a future of service to the Lord and joyful hope in the salvation that I have in Christ. I am not sure exactly where I will end up in the future (whether I’ll be back home, in San Diego, out of state, or abroad), but I trust that God will guide me according to His good and sovereign will. I am forever grateful for the pastors that God has placed over me who continue to lead me to a greater understanding of God and His word. I am also thankful for all of the brothers and sisters that have encouraged me in my faith and have shown me Christ-like compassion and love. God is definitely good.

Favorite place in SD: The cliffs
Song that will define the era in 10 years: “When I Think About the Lord” by Shane & Shane
Favorite verse: Matthew 22:37-40
Memory that stands out the most: Lighting stuff on fire and breaking Andy Shin’s nose
Advice for collegians: Love God and love others! (and don’t light stuff on fire)