My name is Umas and I am a Christian. Though I’ve been through so many adversities, such as self-doubt, the loss of my father, and financial issues, I am still having peace in my heart. What is real to me in Christian faith is the peace from God. It keeps me persevering in hardship and strengthens my mind. I wrote a poem to better describe how real I feel: 我的名字是Umas，是基督徒。即便我經歷過許多困難，像是自我懷疑，喪父之痛，及財務困難，我心仍存有平安。從上帝來的平安對我來說是真實的。祂能使我堅忍難處和增強心智。我寫了以下詩來表達這分真實感： Thought I was far from grace For those battles I had to fight alone Tried hard to hide my face Filled with regrets and no solace Sailing through thousand storms Wishing to reach the shore But the waves were too strong Ship about to w
“I’m not a Christian because I need a bigger purpose for a life that otherwise is a rat race of chasing dreams, or a coping mechanism to deal with the anxiety of a fraught and fractured world. I’m a Christian because I was convinced by the historical evidence of the life, death and resurrection of the real man Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is a figure that you can’t escape. His legacy pervades the pages of history, his image captured in the brush strokes of our art, his name woven into the lyrics of our music and his words imbued through our culture’s literature and law. So, I thought it was important to work out who this man really was. One eyewitness account tracks through the life of Jesus so
LOVE! God’s love for us is amazing. He loves us so much that he allowed his only son to die, so that in him we may have eternal life. The bible says that God stands at the door to our hearts and knocks, longing to be invited in. He wants to be in a relationship with us. How crazy is that?! The one who hung the stars, made the earth and everything in it, still cares so deeply for me and you! And He wants to be a part of our lives! I’ve been through times where God doesn’t seem to be close. He doesn’t seem to be a loving gracious God. But it’s at those points where He is passionately pursuing us. Searching for us when we get lost. Even when we go our own way, and forget all about him, He still
I always thought that because I was brought up going to church with my parents I was a ‘normal’ Christian, that there was nothing particularly special about my faith. But the truth is Jesus met me personally where I was at, I discovered that Jesus is real to me and he transformed my life. He changed my view of going to church, from being a place where I felt apathetic and went just to see my friends to being a place where I looked forward to going to worship Him and learn more about Him. Since that point of my heart transformation, I have tried to live my life glorifying His name, trusting in Him even when the going gets tough and I know for sure that there is no such thing as a ‘normal’ Chr
I’ve called myself a Christian my whole life, but I never fully understood the implications of my faith until losing my dad in December 2016 really brought the claims of Christianity into focus. It’s become clearer to me who Jesus is. In becoming fully human, I believe in a God who walks alongside us and can empathise with our pain. In fact, one of the names of Jesus in the Bible is ‘Immanuel’, which means ‘God with us’. This means that God is always present in our lives and that we are never isolated in our times of distress. Throughout the past two years, I’ve felt this closeness in a way that I never experienced before. I’m grieving because I loved my dad a lot, and I still miss him. In t
I think in Jesus I can find real hope. Hope that is certain and sure, and I know will be fulfilled. Jesus tells us that this life will never be easy, and that we will face trials and suffering. But he also tells us that he has overcome the world. Even in the darkest times, we will always have hope in what Jesus promises, and hope that we will one day be with him. My family and I have had many issues with mental health over the past few years, and I’ve had times when it seems that all is lost and that there is no hope. But Jesus is greater than that - he reminds me that I have him in my life, and his power is far greater than any struggle I go through. He won’t let me go through anything I ca
HOPE. Is life after death just a myth to give people hope? Some have suggested that’s the reason for religion, to give people hope and to take their eyes off of the harsh reality that death is certain. The Bible speaks about death for everyone as a foregone conclusion, but that is not the end: “…it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement…” (Heb 9:27) Sadly, in the world’s rebellion (that is, everyone) against God, He will judge us for our rejecting of Him – that is, Him who created us and gave us our being: the Creator God. So, there is no hope for anyone after death because of all of our rejecting of God, there is only judgement after death. In steps Jesus. He lives
As a kid I’d always been taught about God and how He loved me but it wasn’t until I was much older that I really understood this and knew it to be true. When I was about 16 I visited my cousin’s church and whilst we were thanking God for all He had done for us, I had an overwhelming sense of love that filled my whole body. I spent about an hour crying because it was then that I realised that God really existed and that He truly loved me. Since that day I have learnt to put my trust in God meaning that I no longer feel as stressed about things because I know that God will help me in all situations. I’m so thankful for all God has done for me and the people He has put around me. I know that it
Is God’s faithfulness real? That’s the big question that stuck out in my mind when I first started following Jesus as a teenager, and one I began to question even more since leaving home and coming to university. Whilst Exeter has absolutely been one of the greatest blessings of my life, my first year was always painted with a tinge of sadness. My mental health had taken a turn for the worse, and I’d gone through some rough patches that had taken a toll on my faith in God. I’d started to doubt that He really cared about me or what I was going through, that my problems were just not worth His time. I felt abandoned by a God who was supposed to be my rock. I prayed that my second year would he
JOY. I think I spend a lot of my life being joyful, even when it's maybe kind of obnoxious and it seems like I have no reason to be. But there is so much joy to be had in unchanging truths. These truths are the unwavering love that Jesus has for me and his absolute promise that he is moving and working things together for my good. That doesn't mean things are fab all the time, the world is broken and there are still really rubbish parts. But it does mean that the God who made the universe has experienced, knows, and loves me in the brokenness, and has promised to make all things new. He promises to wipe every tear and heal every hurt. He has overcome the world of sin and shame and loves us w
The most real thing to me is Jesus. I know that may sound like the classic answer, especially coming from a Christian, but it’s the truth. When reading the Gospels, Jesus sticks out so clearly. Everything about him and his life here on Earth is vividly real. The way he served and loved people so humbly and selflessly marks him out from everyone else. Being nailed to a cross despite living an innocent and perfect life, simply to save us from our guilt and imperfections, is as raw as it gets. And to come back to life three days later, leaving behind a tomb that was doubtlessly empty, reinforced what he taught and displayed throughout his life: that he is God, and that he loves us. The most ama
