If you’re a Christian college student and young adult (or you know one), this episode especially is for you! I want to share my advice for Christian college students based on what I did well in college and what I wish I did better, and my perspective as a current campus minister. Whether you are a Freshman or you’ve already got some years of college under your belt, I want to give you three tips to help you put the most into and get the most out of your time in college as a follower of Jesus, both spiritually and practically. Here’s what I would have told my younger self and what I counsel the students I mentor to do.
See below for episode outline, key takeaways, and Bible passages.
**Here are My Christian Podcast Recommendations for Christian College Students! (Blog Post)
1. Bring God into your academic life.
Don’t put pressure on yourself to be perfect. None of us is perfect. But in God’s strength, take this season of learning seriously, pursue excellence as best you can, and try to enjoy the journey. Make sure you evaluate what you learn and the ideas you’re exposed to against Scripture so instead of being led astray by ideas that are contrary to the ways of God, you can instead be discerning and stay faithful to the ways of God.
God cares about you and everything you go through in life, big or small, good or bad, and He wants to help. And your life and work as a college student, and when you step into a career one day, are included in that. As Christians, whatever we work at, we get to approach it as an act of worship to God and do it for His glory, and we get to entrust our work to God and ask Him to help us with it. And He really will help us if we ask.
- Colossians 2:6-8
- Romans 12:2
- 2 Timothy 3
- Colossians 3:23
- Psalm 37:5
2. Don’t neglect your relationship with Jesus or with Christian community.
Find the gaps of free time in your schedule and put personal time alone with Jesus (in Bible reading and prayer) in the gaps. If your college has campus ministries or even local churches nearby, find one and get connected. Once you find your community, prioritize it. That doesn’t mean you can never miss a meeting; things happen and that’s okay. But treat weekend church service and/or the weekly campus ministry gathering like a real commitment in your schedule, just like classes or studying. This is weekly time you’re committing to spend with God amongst other believers.
- Matthew 6:6
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Acts 2:42-47
- Hebrews 10:24-25
3. Find wise ways to build relationships with people who aren’t Christians.
This is something I wish I would’ve done better. I was involved in a lot of impactful campus evangelism events and I had a few close friends outside my Christian campus community that I hung out with regularly just for fun and we had some good conversations about Jesus too. But in my college years, I wish I would’ve been less fearful that branching out into more friendships with people who were not yet believers would hinder my personal faith.
Never participate in sinful activities or violate your personal convictions on topics of Christian freedom, just to get to know people. But within those boundaries, get to know people who live in your dorm. Join clubs and organizations, whether interest or career based, and get to know people there, etc. Don’t make friends just to convert them; be sincere. Live your life, make genuine friends, and then love them like Jesus, and share Jesus with them as He opens up the conversations. There’s nuance to this and it requires discernment and spiritual maturity.
As you’re building friendships with people outside your faith, keep your Christian community a priority so you have encouragement, support, and accountability. You want to be careful that you’re being a positive influence on others towards Jesus and they’re not being a negative influence on you away from Jesus.Talk to God, as well as trusted, mature Christian friends, mentors, and pastors in your life because they can help you make those wise choices about how and when to hang out with different people and environments or when not to do it.
Be a person who points others to Jesus and prays for your campus during your time as a college student.
- 1 Peter 3:15-16
- Colossians 4:4-6
Resources On How to Pray:
- Does Prayer Really Change Things?
- How to Pray the Bible
- How to Make a Prayer List
- How to Get Better At Prayer
- How to Pray the New Testament Prayers PDF download (I designed this resource under my old blog name. I’ll make a new one soon and update this link, but the content is still relevant.)
Resources on College Campus Revival & Awakening:
- My blog: How I’m Responding to the Asbury University Revival
- Ministries I’m Involved with: RIF CAMPUS | Collegiate Day of Prayer
- Books: Fireseeds of Spiritual Awakening by Dan Hayes // God On Campus by Trent Sheppard // The Asbury Revival by Wayne Atcheson // Pray In the Spirit by Arthur Wallis // Intercessory Worship by DIck Eastman
LET’S TALK! If you are a college student, tell me what your experience has been like so far and how I and others who see this podcast can be praying for you. If you are a Christian who has graduated college, share an encouragement or a prayer for college students in the comments. Discuss this episode in the comments below.
Personally believe, A Christian Son or Daughter is person who has surrender his or her to Jesus Christ. Someone who has a Personal convicted that Jesus Christ owns everything about him or her.
A Christian is someone who lost his or her control to or for Jesus Christ. As this person walk in journey of life, he counts his or her step as Jesus steps.