by Andy Shin

Many say that your college years are some of the best years of your life. Of course, we’re still very young and do not have much to compare, so I would agree. My college years were fun and memorable. But more importantly, these have been by far the most significant times of my life. This is when and where God saved me. To be more specific, sophomore year was the time and LBC was the place. Nathaniel Kwak, who I had already known from back home, invited me out to LBC when we were freshmen. I still remember bits and pieces of that day. It’s probably what all collegians will tell you when they first visit: the service was at the break of dawn, the message was painfully long, the pastor was intense, and an ancient hymn was sung. I quickly fled and didn’t return until sophomore year. During that summer, I noticed how much Nathan had grown over the past year. On the other hand, I looked at my life and saw how things were the same or worse. Something was wrong. But to be honest, I think I was even more envious of the many Christian friends Nathan had made and showed off on his Xanga page during that time. Regardless, God in his sovereign plan brought me back to LBC and kept me here ever since. Though I grew up in the Christian church, it was in college and at LBC where I truly repented of my sins and submitted my life to Christ. That was when I was challenged to defend my faith, break the sinful patterns of my life, pursue holiness, love people, and share the good news.

The popular question for graduating seniors is, “What are you doing after college?” A couple years ago, I would have eagerly chosen to go back home in Orange County. The logical choice would be to go back and live with my parents, find a job, spend little, and save a lot. However, things have changed. More importantly, the things I value most are not the same.

There are two aspects of this church that I really appreciate and would look for in any church I go to. First, it is the high view of God’s Word. The Bible’s inerrancy, consistency, and relevance in all cultures and times are all taught and held onto. This high view not only affects the teaching but how the church is led. I think this past year really revealed that to me. When it came time to make decisions, no matter how drained and discouraged they may have been, the elders were confident in their actions. Through much prayer, study of the scriptures, and Biblical counsel from other pastors, they were able to make their decisions with courage. This confidence came from knowing that their decisions were consistent with the Bible so that they might be God-glorifying. This confidence did not come from themselves but from God who graciously provided the wisdom through the word. I would always want to be at a church that demonstrated not only this kind of high view of the Bible but also that kind of love for Christ and the church.

The other aspect that I love about the church is the discipleship environment you get as older Christians reach out and invest in the lives of younger Christians. As a recent convert, it’s a blessing to have older men at the church who show signs of faithfulness in ministry, wisdom, and love for Christ. It’s one thing to read and hear about godly men and it’s another to see them live it out, personally challenge you, and lead by example.

The crazy thing is that I have nothing to say for all the things God has blessed me with through this church but that it was only by His sovereign grace. We don’t deserve it, can’t earn it, and don’t seek it, but God knows that we need it and He is good. Always good.

Favorite place in SD: I’m a homebody so it’d be my apartment.
Song that will define the era in 10 years: The earliest LBC sermon I can recall, and actually remember the content from, was titled “Stained Glass Masquerade.” That was when I was introduced to Casting Crowns and that album. Unfortunately, in terms of secular music, this era hasn’t been able to produce a classic that we could look back and still be respected for loving. Maybe Kelly Clarkson.
Favorite verse: Ephesians 2:4-5. The Gospel message.
Memory that stands out the most: Boys’ Appreciation during our sophomore year. Our class sisters cooked for us, made us shirts, and took us to a Padres game. Couple weeks later, we made them hotdogs and played games.
Advice for collegians: Love God, love others, get committed to a church, be a member, find an older married man, get discipled by him, learn a lot, and do it all soon. Do it now!

by Alice Ting

As I reflect on these past four years of college, I can’t even begin to put into words just how faithful God has been to me in constantly demonstrating His goodness and His grace in my life. Leaving the comfortable surroundings of my Ohio hometown behind, I arrived at UCSD a quiet and timid young freshman fearing that I’d be like a fish out of water and wondering why again it was that I had decided to come all the way out here. God was quick to comfort me though as I soon discovered He had brought me to a place where there was an abundance of good churches and fellowships to choose from. Not only that, He provided a group of fellow brothers and sisters who I quickly bonded with as we searched together for where it was that God was calling us to. I’m still constantly amazed and thankful when I think about the people that God sovereignly brought into my life, many of whom have become some of my closest friends and biggest encouragements these past few years, challenging me to grow and pointing me to Christ.

This was just one of the many times throughout college that God used to teach me that I needed to trust in Him. I’ve learned that, as Philippians 4:6-7 constantly reminded me, I have no need to worry or be anxious. He is faithful and sovereign in His plans and, though it definitely took me a while to learn this, God was patient with me. I was always one who liked things planned out and found comfort in knowing what was ahead, so dealing with uncertainty was tough. Again and again, God brought me through different trials and struggles, teaching me to rely solely on Him and not myself. As I grew, I was able to find comfort and peace in Him through prayer and His Word in a way that I wasn’t able to before.

God has been faithful in growing me in many other ways as well. In both revealing more of His character, holiness and righteousness as well as the depth of my sinfulness, I see more each day just how much I need God. Though I entered college thinking I had a good understanding of the gospel, I grew to have a deeper appreciation as I began to better grasp its meaning and significance in my life. I learned that the gospel was not just for those who weren’t saved, but it was just as important for me now – a sinner still just as much in need of God’s grace. I needed to constantly go back to the gospel, reminding myself every time I failed and fell short that it is by Christ living the perfect life and dying for my sins that I am forgiven and can come before a holy God. It is in knowing this that I can rejoice and praise God, that as I recognize more of just how sinful I am, I see all the more how amazing His grace is.

In God’s grace and sovereignty, He led me to Lighthouse just this past year. Though I haven’t been here long, I have felt so blessed and encouraged by the strong teaching of God’s Word and especially by the many faithful men and women who, through their actions and their lives, I can see are truly living for God’s glory in every way. I have been so challenged to not only know God’s Word better, but to live in a manner that seeks to honor and glorify God in all that I do. As each week passes, I’ve come to appreciate God more and more for bringing me to Lighthouse and I look forward to running the race towards Christ alongside my fellow brothers and sisters.

Favorite place in SD: The cliffs-I can’t help but marvel at God’s majesty and beautiful creation every time I’m there.
Favorite Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 and Ephesians 2:8-9
Memory that stands out the most: Having really good long talks with friends. I think the record was 8 hours. That was definitely freshman year when we were crazy and didn’t sleep much.
Advice for collegians: Really appreciate a good solid church like Lighthouse

by Alex Fok

If you would’ve asked me 4 years ago what I imagined my college experience to be like, it would’ve been pretty much the complete opposite of what has taken place these past 4 years—and I owe all my praise and thanks to God for that. Before coming to college I considered myself a Christian because I believed that there was a god, but I didn’t understand what being a Christian was. Hearing and understanding the gospel for the first time my freshmen year initiated a gradual process in which I began to build my relationship with God. The spiritual growth that I experienced during the critical times of my relationship was developed primarily by the teaching at Lighthouse which always taught me to point my eyes towards Christ. One of the hardest challenges being in college was applying this towards studying, and how I could study to the glory of God, and even to this day it is a still a struggle but as I’ve learned living the Christian life will always be a difficult path to walk. However, I’ve also learned from Lighthouse that you are not alone in this war; that you have a church filled with individuals that are willing to encourage you and keep you focused on Christ, which I am truly thankful for. I am thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing church that has allowed me to take my Christian walk seriously.

As I leave Lighthouse I’m saddened that I have to leave the church that has given me an abundance of teaching throughout my Christian walk, yet I’m also excited to apply these things that I’ve learned throughout my 4 years here and use this knowledge to help encourage others at the church that I will be attending back at home. Hopefully I can obtain the teaching, fellowship, and encouragement that I have received at Lighthouse and continue growing in my relationship with the Lord. As I prepare for graduation, I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t worry about what happens in my life but rather put my trust in the Lord and His sovereign plan that He has laid out for me. Hopefully, His plan will lead me back to Lighthouse, but as for now I know that I will be heading back home and that is about it.

Favorite place in SD: Geisel – that place is awesome
Song that will define the era in 10 years: How Deep the Fathers Love For Us
Favorite verse: Matthew 6:25-34
Memory that stands out the most: It went by too fast, it all seems like a blur but we’ll start with being EV’d to by Bach
Advice for collegians: Don’t break your leg your senior year, definitely not as a fun as it looks

by Misun Kim

All throughout college, I hated church. I complained about the long sermons, old praise and hymn singing, the church building/lights, activities, fellowship, and soon even the pastoral staff and leadership. Yet it was so ironic that I was dating a pastor at that time and that I was still attending Lighthouse. I still went out to LBC because I had conviction that God wanted me at this church.

I needed to learn obedience, submission and humility. Submission to God involves humility; it is acknowledging that I am neither qualified nor able to do what I ought to do. I thought my will needed to be strengthened, but strangely, I only became stronger only when I surrendered (2 Corinthians 12:10).

As I surrendered my will to God, the Holy Spirit began to resolve these conflicts within my heart. As I committed myself before God to understanding and loving the church, God showed me His truth as a standard for making choices. He taught me a single-mindedness that I never knew before. And after a while, I began to realize that what God requires of me is really what I want to do. As long as I was walking daily with the Lord, I can be sure that the decisions I make are in His will.

I’ve had many meaningful conversations with the people at this church. As I got to hear their stories, I was less tempted to judge others and had more understanding as I became acquainted with the wickedness of my own heart. One of the people who had made an influence is Mrs. Grace Lee. I remember coming to her with feelings of guilt towards the church and serving. I was doubtful whether guilt was an acceptable motivation to change my heart and attitude because guilt was not God’s means of discipline since it’s contrary to the cross. God didn’t want me to live with guilt, but He showed me grace and love, which was His way of motivating me to live righteously. God’s grace is not given as a ticket for me to keep complaining, but rather it motivates me to submit myself willingly, joyfully, and obediently to Christ who loves me so deeply.

With the prayers of Grace and couple of other sisters, God changed my heart. As God takes me far beyond Lighthouse, His light will shine on me, alerting me to share my story with those who struggle with their faith and church. I will take a piece of Lighthouse that will glow in my heart, so I may shine the light of Jesus.

Favorite food: Korean
Favorite verse: Philippians 1:6
Favorite artists: Mariah Carey, Neyo, Justin Timberlake, Fergie, Beyonce, Beachboys, David Crowder
Things I want to do before I die: Sky diving, scuba diving, pet a shark, fly a jet, rock climbing, backpack in Europe

by Keziah Kim

The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Looking back on four years, I praise God for His great wisdom and sovereignty in bringing me to San Diego. In His steadfast love, He knew, always knew and will always know, what is best for me. I came into college thinking that I knew what church was all about and that I had this Christian life down. I grew up in the church and I was a P.K. I read the Bible and earnestly desired to live it out. In the face of trials, I trusted God. I grew up going to AWANA and knew all the songs and memory verses. I did all the good little things a good little girl was supposed to do. Pretty good, wouldn’t you say? Sadly, I was so deceived for I lacked an understanding of the one truth that mattered: the Gospel message. Little did I know that I stood a guilty sinner before a holy and wrathful God. I failed to recognize that the bitterness, hatred, and wickedness stored up in my heart were a direct offense against Him. Yet, He is so gentle and ever so kind. In His great mercy, He saw me, a very lost sheep, and directed me to San Diego. Though it was my last choice, I was just glad to get away from the debilitating heat and boringness of Gilbert, Arizona, the hypocrisy and drama within the church, the broken family on the verge of another split, the crushed relationships, all of it. Then He brought along Jenie, a warm-hearted senior who invited me out to Lighthouse Bible Church. I never knew that such churches existed! The pastor taught the Word of God fiercely and boldly, and the church actually acted like a loving family. Somewhere along my first couple of quarters here, the pieces of the Good News slowly came together in my heart. I recognized the greatness of our God, the ugliness of my heart, the hope of Christ, and my need to repent. God saved a wretch like me!

God has made it clear to me that He is ever faithful and true. Especially in the beginning of college, He placed many trials in my way to test my faith. There were financial burdens that created uncertainty of staying in San Diego to finish school. There were family problems back at home. A close family member passed away. There was the uncertainty and confusion of reconciling with long lost family. Yet, God faithfully provided the hope of His Word and a loving church family that supported, encouraged, and walked alongside me during those times. He taught me not to be anxious, but to be prayerful in all things and to trust wholly in Him. I have learned so much through the teaching and guidance found through Lighthouse, and I praise God! Though I have a long way to go, by His grace, my love for Christ has grown tremendously and I hope to continue to say at the end of each and every day, “If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.”

My prayer for the future is to have a teachable, moldable heart. I pray that I will be willing to be used in the way that seems best to Him to spread His glory. I pray to be a beautiful vessel until the day I die, for His name and His name alone.

Favorite place in SD: I used to love journaling, thinking, reading, etc. on warm spring days, with the sun rays piercing through the Eucalyptus branches at a place I would call “city on a hill” (aka the top of Peterson Hill). Hahaha.
Song that will define the era in 10 years: Great is Thy Faithfulness, My Jesus I Love Thee
Favorite verse: Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19
Memory that stands out the most: The times spent laughing and or crying with our class
Advice for collegians: Your relationship with Christ must always be a priority. There are no excuses, for one makes time for the things that he/she values.

by Nate Kwak

It’s definitely been the best 4 years of my life. I became a Christian shortly before entering college, and had no idea what to expect. I had never moved away from the same home in Orange County since the day of my birth, and moving just 2 hours south to San Diego was a huge step for me.

Freshman year, God gifted me with a room meant to be a double that I had all to myself because my roommate-to-be decided to not attend UCSD at the last moment. Then God, a month and a half later, gifted me as I was eating spaghetti and studying my Math 20C book, in Canyon Vista. Paul Molina enthusiastically approached me and said, “Hi, Nathaniel? I’m Paul. I’m going to be your new roommate!” That year, I discovered the joy of drinking the pure spiritual milk of the Word, growing tremendously in knowledge, not to mention excitement, in regards to the character of God. With the consistent phone calls from Juim on Saturday nights and her ever faithful minivan, I immediately committed to Lighthouse from week one.

By Sophomore year, God challenged me to practically live out all the things I was learning. This was extremely difficult as He revealed to me more and more of my depravity and sinfulness, especially in light of slowly being given more ministry responsibility and also in living with an apartment full of Christians in Warren (Chris, Ben, Paul). It was tremendous fun partaking in fellowship with brothers and really struggling in figuring out whether or not playing Super Smash Brothers and toying with Zippo lighters really counted as fellowship.

By Junior year, God was slowly developing me to really see that life really wasn’t about me. I had heard about it time and time again from Pastor John. “IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU,” he would scream… lovingly. Man, three years in and still going strong, that guy. But God continued to patiently reveal to me that though I knew this concept, denying self, taking up the cross, and following Christ really meant giving it all up. Back when I accepted Christ, God bought my life with a price and I was freed from the world, joyously made a doulos to Him! This realization was extremely sobering, but extremely refreshing.

Senior year, this year, has definitely been a time of solidifying. God has been teaching me to bear down and understand that it really isn’t about how I feel or about the circumstances that I am thrust into. There have been many moments where I question God, many moments where I don’t feel like pursuing holiness. But God always gently reminds me that He is unchanging and faithful. What can I do but drop to my knees and praise Him with all that I do? What less can I give to Him than my all? The truth has never been more engrained in me than now. Neither has sleep… every year my bedtime has moved closer and closer to the “PM” side of my bedside clock.

Lighthouse has been such an encouraging church body through it all. It was at this church, through all its struggles and joys, that I was given a foundation of truth. It was its members who held me accountable to staying on the straight and narrow path. God used the leadership of Lighthouse to work his process of sanctification in me. It was a place where I saw a family of believers really encourage one another and love one another in a genuine manner. From Flocks to Affinity groups, from Scripps Ranch to Sorrento Valley, from 100 members to 250 members, the four years I’ve enjoyed here in San Diego as a part of Lighthouse has been one of the prevalent blessings of my life. To the glory of God the Father.

Favorite place in SD: Hands down, the Cliffs. With a guitar and a Bible, I can spend countless hours there
Favorite verse: Philippians 2:5-11
Advice for collegians:Talk to everyone you can. Wherever you are, just talk to people. Encourage Christians, evangelize to non-Christians. For the guys, talk to the older guys at church, don’t spend all your conversation on video games and sports, talk about God…and don’t make it a weird thing to pray with others. Pray honestly. Pray genuinely.

by Melanie Chen

As I look back, it seems as if it were only yesterday that I was in high school. I am blown away that 4 years of college have come and gone, and that I am about to enter the working world. My college experience has been different from that of most other LBC collegians, but I see how God has grown me throughout my college career through it. I attended San Diego State University as a commuter student. Being a commuter made it difficult to get plugged into a fellowship, so during my first year, I struggled with consistently attending a church. With my lack of accountability I knew I wasn’t being challenged to grow so I began visiting churches. By the grace of God I somehow got in contact with one of my past youth counselors. This lovely lady happened to have just started attending Lighthouse Bible Church and invited me out to (what was back then) Flocks. Chi Flock is what initially captivated me and gave me a desire to continue attending LBC. My heart was touched at how seriously the Word of God was taken through the in-depth study and Biblical teaching. I also saw this in other aspects of LBC, such as its structure, leadership, and fellowship.

Initially, when I began attending Lighthouse, I definitely felt like a spiritual baby compared to the rest of the church body. God did place in my heart a desire to grow and be fed the pure milk of God’s word. Through attending Lighthouse, I have truly been blessed by the example of older women who have counseled and nurtured me to become more of a woman of God everyday. I have been so encouraged by my brothers and sisters and their willing hearts to serve one another, becoming slaves and submitting to the Word of God. Through their examples, I have learned about the severity of my sin and how much more I need to submit to God’s will. I thank my brothers and sisters for you all have been such an example and encouragement in my life.

I wouldn’t really say that I have a favorite restaurant, rather, I enjoy fellowshipping over the excitement of trying new foods all around San Diego. Some of my favorite places to go are Hash House A-Go-Go, Extraordinary Desserts, WhiskNLadle, Nordstroms Café, Lorna’s Kitchen, Champagne Bakery and Itrulli’s. I enjoy being anywhere as long as I’m in the presence of fellow brothers and sisters. A song that reflects these past four years for me is Michelle Tumes – Heaven’s Heart. Her music reminds me of the beauty of God and all that He has created for us. One verse that has particularly challenged me throughout college is Philippians 4:6. It is so easy to get caught up in college life with studying, exams, stress, and desiring to achieve high worldly goals. As it is easy to become consumed with stress, this verse is a reminder for me to keep my focus on Him and to trust in the Lord. It is always a challenge for me to consistently strive to do all things for the Lord, while having the right heart and mindset each and everyday.

To leave off on an encouraging note for those future collegians, I’d like to encourage you all to get plugged into a church early on. It is important to have the accountability to grow and keep your heart right throughout college. Being in a slightly different situation than other collegians, a commuter and attending SDSU, I challenge you to still take advantage of the fellowship time you have with other collegians. Despite the miner differences, we are all still a part of one body and are brothers and sisters in Christ. May I remind you to not look towards yourself, but to continue striving to glorify God and seek for opportunities to serve one another.

by Terence Kim

Wow, what a ride it’s been! God has shown me and grown me in ways I did not foresee. My eyes have been opened to new things that were unimaginable to me. But out of my whole college career, the thing that most compels me to give praise to God is my salvation!

I remember being so hungry for God’s presence prior to college. I remember playing for the praise band, asking God to help me believe the words that I am singing, to help me believe that He is real. Life’s questions left me baffled; nothing made sense without God. Yet, God did not make sense to me either. I lacked faith and I thought I had all the facts I needed to assess the existence of God. “He does not exist, and even if He did, He has not done a very good job in helping me get to know Him.”

I came to college ready to party hardy. If God doesn’t exist and this life is the only one I’ve got, then I might as well live it up, right? It was when I got to the lowest point in my life, in which the world had laid bare to me what it had to offer, that, by God’s sovereign grace, I began to see the vanity of it all. I truly felt as if I was “striving after the wind.” With God’s perfect timing, He introduced friends to me who had a high view of the Word. During intimate conversations, I would bring up the deep questions to life that I felt no one had the answers to. Expecting an awkward silence or a reply of defeat, I was surprised to hear answers straight from scripture. Never had I felt so ashamed. I’ve gone to church all my life. How come I don’t know as much scripture than these people? On top of that, their answers were so adequate that I was left speechless. They had revealed to me the authority of the Word. Why hadn’t I thought of looking there for answers in the first place? I wanted to find a church that would help me learn the truths found in scripture and learn them fast. Ben Lee directed me to Lighthouse and I went.

I thank God for LBC. Through it, I’ve gotten to know God, which is something I previously dismissed as impossible! I’ve come to believe in Christ’s work on the cross and how it saves me. I’ve also learned what I’ve been saved from, though the acknowledgment in my heart of its truth has plenty of room to grow. Just experiencing God’s promises and His plan for me has changed the very core of my life, my philosophy, and my perception. I tell you the truth, the contrast is as stark as day and night! God has also added a new dimension to relationships, bonds that only Christians can enjoy. God has provided me with loving friends, respectable role models, and zealous pastors at this church.

I’m excited to see where God takes me and how He will use me and stretch me. My plans are to stay down here in SD and work directly under John Yi at Staccato Communications. So I’ll see y’all around! Be encouraged!

Favorite place in SD: Lighthouse Bible Church, duh
Song that will define the era in 10 years: “Harder Better Faster Song” by Daft Punk
Favorite Verse: 1 John 4:19. So much truth drips from these words. Drips.
Memory that stands out the most: The time I pulled two all-nighters in a row and began to hear things, hallucinate, and lose control of bodily functions.
Advice for collegians: Live with urgency. The relationships you build in college are only temporary, the church you may go to may only be temporary, your life is temporary! Don’t waste any of it.

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)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The 2007-2008 school year is finally winding down and it is an exciting time as the graduating seniors prepare to finish their undergraduate studies in order to enter the working world. For some, it may be the first “full-time” experience they will ever have since being a student was hardly full-time! For others, this transition may be delayed as they apply and pursue graduate degrees and thus more school. Whatever the case, the month of June marks a major milestone in the lives of our graduates. While there should be a sense of pride in their accomplishment, there is also a bit of trepidation because of the sad reality that many collegians when transitioning to working life abandon the things of faith altogether and turn their backs on the Lord.

Certainly one of the deterrents to this spiritual trend is to be established in a good local church. One particular characteristic of a good local church, of course, is that it is committed to the consistent sound teaching of the Word of God. But the graduates are also going to need older godly men and women who are willing and available to invest in them in order to hold them accountable to their profession of faith in Christ. In order for the transition from college to single life to be smooth, they are going to need the influence of others who have been there and experienced the same struggles that come with the transition to watch over them.

This is one of the vital aspects of discipleship ministry that student parachurch organizations cannot replace. Campus Bible studies and Christian student organizations can provide wonderful teaching, fellowship, accountability, prayer, and opportunities for evangelism, but these ministries were not designed for continued discipleship beyond graduation. This is why so many students who only invest themselves in parachurch ministry find the transition after college to be extremely difficult spiritually because their network of Christian fellowship has been removed and their primary source of accountability is gone. The church is intended to provide that spiritual support for these students, but if they are not engaged in the life of the church, they will lose out on this vital support.

However, the biggest reason for this post-graduate struggle is not circumstantial or experiential. In the end, it boils down to the sin in a person’s heart. Even as Christians, we often forget the comprehensive impact and influence sin has on our lives. Sin affects our actions and speech, but we neglect how it can affect our motives, desires, and will. Because of our sin, we do not respond rightly to difficult circumstances. But in the same way, because of our sin, we do not always respond rightly even to blessings. Sin affects our thoughts (Jer. 17:9-10; Rom. 1:21-22) and it affects our motives (James 4:3). Even when a person might feel like his life is characterized by good behavior, the Lord sees past outward actions to the heart (Prov. 16:2; Heb. 4:12).

Since sin is the problem, Christ can be the only real solution. If students do not have Christ as their chief affection, it is no wonder that the riches of the world or selfish ambition might rule their hearts after graduation. The prospect of a full-time salary might become too alluring. For many, it will be more money than they have ever seen. For others, the struggle might be with prestige. The fight to move up the corporate ladder or accomplish personal goals might consume them. When Christ is not central to their thinking and if motives are not filtered through principles of His Word, it is no surprise that so many students fall by the wayside after graduation.

This has been a difficult year for College Life because there have been many students who have struggled with their faith in significant ways. Some have walked away from the things of the Lord entirely and we grieve for them. Others were tempted to, but are hanging on by a thread. Still others are constantly working through doubts and struggles that attack their assurance and cause them to question the sincerity of their faith. Sin has always been the chief problem and so Christ is always going to be the solution. He is our Redeemer. He is the one who breaks the power of sin and sets the prisoner free. It is only through Christ that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2), and it is only through Christ that we can receive the Spirit of God in order to think His thoughts (1 Cor. 2:16).

I want to encourage all of our graduates to take some time to consider who Christ is and what He has accomplished on the cross. On our best day we deserve no better than hell. This is because of our sin-sickness. Our hearts are prone to rebel against our Creator and Lord and because of our sin we deserve eternal judgment. Without Christ, we are self-proclaimed enemies of God and His wrath is directed at us. But it is God in the richness of His mercy and love who redeemed us, changed us, and freed us from the slavery of sin. It is only through Christ’s work on the cross that sin’s penalty is paid for us because He took the full force of the wrath of God for our sins. It is only through Him that our lives could be changed. Do you want to avoid spiritual decline after graduation? The solution is the same as it always has been. Fix your eyes on your glorious Savior who bore your sins on the cross that you might be credited with His righteousness. Without this, all the accountability in the world will not help you. Christ must be all in all (cf. Phil. 3:8; 1 Cor. 8:5-6; 2 Cor. 5:15).