4. *Spiritual- you can go thru 4 years and never think about this
I wanted to give you 3 myths or 3 lies regarding your spiritual life
1.Myth #1- I’ll do that later on when I settle down, when I’m out of school, or when I have more time
Reality is life gets more and more complicated every year
It’s hard to believe this now, but it will never be easier to make your spiritual life a priority than now, never’
Why?
Habits: JC Ryle ‘peoples hearts are seldom changed if they are not changed when they’re young.’
Ex: Habits are like trees, sapling & 100 grown men
Ex: Patrick, I’ll get to that later on when I settle down
*star this thought in your mind: “the way we live spiritually in college is most likely the way you will live spiritually the rest of your life.”
Ex: Show picture, their response today is the same as it was 7 or 8 years ago, nothing has changed
Apply: this myth brings to light the question, which of these 4 areas of you life is out of balance: the social, the physical, the intellectual, or the spiritual?
2. Myth #2- The stuff I do in college won’t affect me later in life, I’m just having fun now
Here’s a few other ways to state the myth:
-Live it up now, you’re only in college once
Ex: sitting on back porch of my house in Savannah
-I just need to get this out of me
Ex: concrete by the Ferg, you’re not getting anything out of you but putting things into you
The reality is what we do now will have far reaching consequences, scars that will stay with you for your whole life
JC Ryle says ‘You and your sin will meet again’
Ex: Delayed fuse
What’s true is little things over time, become big things.
Ex: Bradley
Apply: You’re at an incredible University, you’re a pledge at an incredible fraternity. But lay a foundation that you can build on that will stand the test of time.
3.Myth #3- What’s most important is the external not the internal
Your appearance, what your resume says, who your friends are, how hot your girlfriend is, these are all things that tend to take precedence over your relationship with God
The reality is over the course of your life your character will not only be revealed but will cause you to withstand the storms of life. Who you are now, will eventually be known to the outside
Bill Bright says “The fear of men is a powerful force”
Groupthink: The idea that we do what others around us do.
Remember: There are only 2 things that will last in life: God’s Word & men’s souls.
Now is the time to make the habit of orienting your life around Christ
Apply: What does that look like?
1. You’ve got great brothers here like Will that want to help you grow spiritually
2. Come get involved in Cru or another Christian ministry
3. Meet with one of us to talk more about what this looks like
Close with this thought:
Sow a thought
Reap an act
Sow an act
Reap a habit
Sow a habit
Reap a character
Sow a character
Reap a destiny
*In some sense, right now counts for forever.
Apply: I want to challenge you guys to leave a legacy here. Make your life count for something significant.
Ex: Composite pics: dead, rehab, divorced
Right now I know you guys feel indestructible and bullet proof. I know I did as a pledge.
We’re not asking you to become a hipster, get all weird on us, and wear some skinny jeans which is what I thought Christianity was
We’re challenging youtonightto take a hard look at your spiritual life and remember that it’s never too early to begin to walk with God, and we don’t ever want it to be too late.
