Advice for College Students Part 1

I recently asked Blake Hudson, a former member at Grace Church and FSU master's student, to share some of the things that he learned during his time in college about how to grow in the "college season" of life. I thought he had some good thoughts so I asked him to type them out. Over the next few posts I will share one or two of thoughts. I think you will find them helpful for you and/or friends.


1. Read a significant portion of the Bible every day. 
    Commit to read several chapters in a purposeful fashion just like you commit to eat in a purposeful fashion (so that you won't die). While God ultimately gives us spiritual life and sustains us by His Spirit even when we don't read every day, we are instructed to read the Word and grow into maturity. The spiritual anemia that results from a lack of reading, studying, and meditating (three different processes!) on Scripture will exponentially reduce your growth and your joy in Christ.

2. Join a healthy church, and go as often as possible.
     Research several churches in the area. Visit at least two or three of them ASAP. Evaluate the healthiness of each church and join the healthiest one. There may be a time later in life when you join a church that is just starting or that is experiencing some major crises to help it grow. This would ideally occur when you are a more mature believer, quite possibly when you have a family, as well.  But your time in college is brief and your wisdom and humility are significantly less-developed than they will be later on in life, so for now you need older men and women to guide you and to keep you accountable as you balance ministry and schoolwork. The most effective ministry you can have is to go to church regularly. This seems backwards, but your ministry is anchored by your presence within the four walls of the church. Once you have established yourself as a member of the church, reaching out to other Christians and to nonbelievers and inviting them to come is much easier and is less awkward for them. When you invite someone to a church in which you are not a member, the likelihood that other people in the church will recognize that you have brought a friend and will reach out to them is significantly decreased because they won't know you that well, either.