It's All About Degrees

IT'S ABOUT DEGREES
Message welcome students to Anglia Ruskin Uni

Welcome to Chelmsford!  If you are a first year student a special welcome to our city, your new home.  If you are a returning student welcome back.  But to all of you, welcome to Life Church, your local church.

As you embark on this amazing journey at university, or maybe complete it this year, there's a few things we'd love to remind you of.

Remember who you are to become.
Some of you will have a strong career path in mind.  You've signed up for the course that you want, you got your grades to get in, and you're on the first step of the staircase to success.  Others will have arrived here by accident: you ended up through clearing or felt that you got in by the skin of your teeth.  Some of you just wanted to be in Essex because that's the only way!

However we got here one thing is going to be true for all of us.  What we build into our lives now becomes the foundation for the future.  We have to think about who we're going to become.

Paul put it this way:

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

All of us are being transformed into someone.  We all grow up and we all end up,being different to how we are now.  The choices we make right now will affect us for the rest of our lives.

Another version of the Bible says we are being transformed from 'one degree of glory to another.'   A degree is a small thing.  A small change of course now affects a huge change in destination in later years.

It's all about degrees!  Remembering who you are trying to become will help your stay on course.  The Bible says we are to become like Christ.  Now how can we become like Christ if we don't know what he is like?

Student Alpha!  You might have questions about who this Jesus is or what Christianity is about.  You might have philosophical objections to the reality of Jesus' claims.  We'd love to hear them on Student Alpha.

2. Remember what true freedom is.
Part of being at Uni is to have FUN right!  And let's face it, who doesn't like a good party, a nightclub, a fun scene all around.  Work hard and pay hard!

But don't forget that true freedom comes with boundaries.  I know that's going to sound weird but I guess as a dad with three great sons, one at Uni and one going next year, I'm kind of aware that life's not just about the text books.

I also know that to say to a bunch of students 'don't do this and don't do that' is pretty futile.
But I also know that the best freedom is had within boundaries.  As you get to know me you'll find out that there are two things I like in terms of sport - F1 and Liverpool FC.  Now I can take football or leave it, but I keep an eye on LFC.  F1, I record the races to watch later in the day because I'm usually at church when the races are on.

Now I'm now great driver but I do know that I could beat all of them - Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel - to the finishing line by taking shortcuts!  I mean who needs to stay inside the boundary lines when winning is the most important thing right?  If I were going to win I'd just cut through some of the service roads, though the crowds, just get a few laps ahead and I'm done!

The problem with this is it wouldn't work because I'd be running over people, but before I got there I'd be disqualified for breaking the rules are drinking outside the white boundary lines.

It's the same in life.  The Bible says in the previous verse:
2 Corinthians 3:17: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

This means when we give our lives to God we are actually truly, really, completely and totally free!  All other freedom is an illusion!  Don't agree?  Well come along to our student Life group or student Alpha and tell us why not!

3. Remember you have a new home here.
Being away from home can be tough.  For some your just glad to get away from where you grew up, your mum and, maybe dad, who were just on your case the whole time.  Others will be quite nervous about being away from home, everything is strange and unfamiliar.

However you feel about it, remember, you have a new home here at Life Church.  We're here to help you achieve your goals and hit your dreams.  We want you to be the best you you can be!

We want to show you that practically too. It's not just about hog roasts and food.  Although, to be honest, there's usually a lot of food around Life Church activities.

One of the things we're aware of is the after the first month or so money tends to get a bit tight as a student.  So we'd like to invite you to come to some of our cooking on a budget classes.  Now I now some of you think that cooking is pulling back a foil lid and stirring hot water onto your Bombay Bad Boy Pot Noodle!  Truth is, good nutrition will give you better results and we'd like to help you get both.

Also, you might be thinking:  "do I really want to go to this bizarre church?"  Before you make up you mind, why not join us on our Life Tracks next Sunday at 4pm.  You can do Track One: Discovering Life Church.

We talk about all sorts of things and it gives the low down on what Life Church is and who we are.  And there's free food at the end too!  You'll need to sign up so we have enough food!  So let us know t the end if you're coming!

Wrapping it up.

I hope you've enjoyed being with us.  I hope too that your time spent in this great city will be fun filled and full of excitement and success.  I hope  too that you'll consider Life Church your home church whilst you're here.

Let's have our band up again for one more song!  Tea and coffee (and left overs) are being served straight after.