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The summer: quite arguably the best time of the year for a college student. No classes or team meetings. No homework or projects. No real responsibilities (save, perhaps, a job). Although it may seem that the summer can be a major source of relief, it can also be a faith-killer to many unsuspecting Christians. It is so easy to fall away when you have no commitments and no accountability. That weekly bible study you have been attending? Or perhaps that large group worship/fellowship meeting? They have ended for the summer recess. This is a scary time.

There is a simple yet profound command in the Bible which, in my opinion, we as Christians take far too lightly: ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44,1 Pet. 1:16). Christian, you are to be holy because your God is holy. What is holiness? God has holiness and we potentially have holiness; ours comes from God and His standards. “Holiness is the image of God put in moral terms. Holiness is not one quality God has among others, rather it defines His character as a whole” (Daniel Heimbach).

“Hang out with non-Christians, hang out with non-Christians, hang out with non-Christians!” encouraged departing senior Dan Nordyke at one Christian student organization’s senior farewell barbeque in the spring of 2006.  As a first-year student listening to the parting remarks of seniors, well seasoned in campus ministry, I did not fully understand the profound wisdom Dan had purposed to impart to future “generations” of Christ-following students.

My first memorable encounter with someone who was passionate about Christ at college was while I was sitting in the ‘Being a Christian on Campus’ orientation session. At the time I was there because I was following the advice of good friend of mine who, after hours of interrogation, only told me that an important aspect of my Christianity in college was to get involved immediately. I figured I should take him up on it, and found myself in the front row of the room.

To understand the good news about salvation through Jesus Christ, we must first understand some things about who God is, and who we are.  First, God created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:6-7).  This means that we exist to show His greatness in all we do by joyfully preferring and depending on His ways instead of our own.  Since we were created to glorify God, it is our responsibility as creatures to do so (I Corinthians 10:31). 

Exams are approaching. Projects need to be finished. Team members are relying on you. You don't know your summer job situation. You're already broke. Your car just broke down. You've been ill for days. The snow won't go away. Sometimes life can just be too overwhelming. However, it should not be for Christians. Worrying for Christians ultimately boils down to a lack of trust in God.

Basketball is a passion of mine.  I have loved playing it ever since I can remember.  However, once I reached the college level, it got a lot more serious.  I started to dedicate quite a bit more time to it than I did in high school.  Pretty soon I found myself putting the game before everything else, including my faith.  My priorities were definitely out of line.  Instead of fitting my schedule around God, I tried finding time to fit God into my busy schedule.  Not only that, but I let basketball determine my attitude.  My demeanor was based on the outcome of our games or how I played at practices.  This went on for almost a year. Then, with a few seconds left during the first game of my sophomore year, I tore my ACL and lateral meniscus in my right knee.  My season was over.  At first I thought, “Why me?” I was angry and frustrated at myself and God.

God's word should be the foundation of our lives as Christians: it should shape, build, and determine what we believe, think, and do. After a start like that I want to make it clear what you are reading. This is not a defense of the Bible. It is not a study of what the Bible says about its authority, and it's not about the inerrancy of scripture. I am assuming that you either agree with those points, or that you will look to a more complete source than a newspaper article to discover the truth (like the Bible).

When the devil tempted Jesus to turn rocks into bread, our Savior responded with “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4). Therefore, we must live by every word of God. But, in order to do this, we must have every word of God. How do we know that we have every word of God today? We know this because God has promised to preserve them for us.

First, remember that the Word of God was inspired directly by God.