How does Jesus define friendship, and what is the difference between a “friend” and a “servant”? Which do I relate to more?

A servant does not know what His master is doing and must blindly obey. God does not want us as minions to do His bidding – He has revealed a lot to us if we would but pause to spend time with Him, as we do with any other friend, in prayer and reading His Word, His precious journal for us. Sometimes, when I don’t understand His will, I fell more like a servant, but I don’t ask God to explain or for insight. When I feel like doing DT is a task or loving others is a burden, I must remember that Jesus sees His disciples as His friends, and He is willing to talk about what is going on. Many times, we simply close ourselves off at that point, and we choose to entertain concepts of God as a distant, oppressive killjoy in our refusal to confront the state of our hearts. But He is always open to talk with us about how we are doing. Though we are slow to communicate, Jesus already knows what we are thinking and how we feel, and He will meet us where we are.
Jesus defines friendship as those who know and understand Him and His Father’s heart. When I think about my close friends, I know their likes and dislikes, what their reactions to situations would be, their dreams for life, etc. Jesus also says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” He did exactly that. Not only does He know everything about me, He willingly died for me when I was yet a rebellious sinner. How merciful and wondrous is our God for stooping down to pick us up and call us “friend” while we were still His enemies! Jesus is the best friend I have and could ever have. But am I His? I hesitate to call myself Jesus’ friend because it seems so unworthy. What can I possibly offer Him? The least I can do is whatever He asks of me – to obey His commandments to love others, just as He loved me. The least I can do is everything.

John 14:5-7

“Jesus’ reply is the ultimate foundation for a satisfactory philosophy of life. First, it is personal. He did not claim merely to know the way, the truth, and the life as a formula he could impart to the ignorant; but he actually claimed to be the answer to human problems. Jesus’ solution to perplexity is not a recipe; it is a relationship with him[…] He is the truth because he has the perfect power of making life one coherent experience irrespective of its ups and downs. He is the life because he was not subject to death but made it subject to him. He did not live with death as the ultimate end of his life; he died to demonstrate the power and continuity of his life.”

Reflect on v. 6.  In what ways has Jesus been the way, the truth and the life for me?

There are many ways to follow and many ways to live one’s life, and I have tried out many. I tried the ways of selfishness, watching out for my own back, being as comfortable as possible, and serving myself as much as possible with indulgences and entertainment. I have tried the ways of promoting my reputation trying to gain the praise of man, which often involved wearing masks, lying, and hypocrisy. These all left me feeling empty. These ways from the world all promised maximum happiness, and pleasure, but in reality they all resulted in isolation and numbness. These ways all lead to death. The promises of the world are all lies. Only Jesus leads to true life. Indeed Jesus is THE way, the only way to actually live, and it is the Truth. When I follow Jesus’ way of sacrificial love, humbleness, and servitude, I experience true life. I love being a part of His good work, and I love being able to be useful for God. I love forgetting about myself and losing myself for the sake of others. This was how God designed us to live, and it was the way that He had marked out for us. I had lost my way at a very young age, but now I know THE way: Jesus Christ.

John 13:6-9

What may have been going on in Peter’s mind as he refused Jesus’ offer to wash his feet?

Peter was probably overcome with a mix of emotions—confused that the Son of God would want to perform such a menial task by washing his feet, embarrassed that the Son of God was kneeling down at his feet, and maybe even angered that Jesus, the King of kings, would be humiliated in this way. The root of all of Peter’s mixed responses, though, was the sense of unworthiness that he felt at have Jesus washing his feet and an understanding of who Jesus actually is.

 What are some ways in which people respond to Jesus like Peter did?

People often respond to Jesus with confusion, embarrassment, or even anger because they do not understand Jesus’ act of sacrifice on the Cross and instead see it through the world’s eyes—a humiliating act. Because the world has no standard to comprehend and interpret such an act of sacrifice, people simply respond with a mix of emotions and feel uncomfortable. They are confused. After all, no where in the world do you see someone of great stature and power embracing a lowly and even humiliating life. Rather, when a famous and powerful celebrity or politician performs such an act, it is not a genuine act of embracing a servant-like mentality, but rather a “publicity stunt” with ulterior motives. The lowly life is something to be intentionally avoided. Therefore, instead of viewing what Jesus did as a beautiful thing, it is interpreted as a humiliating and unwanted act, not something to be accepted and embraced.

 What can I learn about what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus from this passage?

This amazing image of Jesus really overtook me this time reading this passage. As I have come to know Jesus more, and the infinite ways in which He knows my life and thoughts more than I could ever fathom or plan out, I can only stand in awe of the Author and Creator of life. The extent to which He knows me nothing in this world, no human or thing, could even come close to matching. His act of sacrifice to wash the feet of the disciples is paralleled by His sacrifice on the Cross. I am unworthy, yet the King of kings humbled Himself in the ultimate act of love and sacrifice. The very fact that He would offer Himself to me in a servant-like manner like He did to Peter is completely amazing.

To have a personal relationship with Jesus means accepting this gift of sacrifice. Ironically, it means that the most unworthy person, who has no entitlement to pride, must let go of her own pride in feeling unworthy of such a gift. It means following Christ out of obedience (“Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”), regardless of your own sense of worthiness of the gift or whether you believe the gift should have been given at all.

What is the fundamental difference between Mary and Judas as revealed by his objection to what she did?

Mary had her life savings in the form of this expensive perfume poured over Jesus’ feet. This act of utmost humility and reverence for Jesus was objected by Judas, however. The difference between Mary and Judas is that Mary was God-centered while Judas was self-centered. Her bottle of expensive perfume equaled to that of a year’s worth salary, and through Judas’ eyes, it was a waste to pour it over a person’s feet, instead of selling it in exchange for money. From John, we see that even though Judas spoke of giving the money to the poor, in truth, he was a thief who often stole some money for himself, which warns me to not say things in order to look like a “good” Christian in front of people when in fact those statements are being said to cover up a sin that I am ashamed of. Also, Judas’ thoughts parallel with those of today’s world’s; through the eyes of the world, Mary’s dramatic gesture would be seen as costly and wasteful. Perhaps, any act of devotion for God seen as radical would be seen this way, if it means giving up something that would be good for oneself, such as passing up a good job or school, to obey and follow Him.

However, through Mary’s act of pouring her perfume, and washing of Jesus’ feet with her hair, I can see her heart for Jesus. Oftentimes, when my schedule is wrapped heavily around school, I can feel myself drifting apart, and the potential for me to be self-centered increases. But reading about Mary’s love for Jesus reminds me of what love for Jesus should be like. Things that may seem foolish to the world, may actually be treasures; Mary knew that Jesus was worth more than a bottle of perfume, as it is with so many things in my life that I try to grasp onto. Knowing that compared to having Jesus in my life and obeying Him, it is worth it because He is worthy.

By Lizzie Hui, InterHigh Mentor, Sophomore @ UC Berkeley

John 12:20-28

How does the Christian understanding of glory differ from the world’s defintion?

To Christians, it is considered “glorious” to be immune to the world’s voice, to be able to die to earthly desires and place God at the very center of your life, and to carry out his kingdom work by reaching out to others and bringing them into the light.  This definition of “glory” is drastically different from the the world’s.  As a non-Christian growing up, I believed that living a “glorious” life meant earning career success, fame, and admiration from others.  I later realized this essentially meant living a highly individualistic life of never bothering anyone and of constantly conforming to society’s arbitrary standards and expectations in order to gain respect.  Even if I did achieve the world’s version of “glory”, what would I lose in the process?  More importantly, what would I ever GAIN the promised contentment or be forever hungry for even more recognition?  What kind of empty, self-centered person would I ultimately become?  It is still so tempting to succumb to the world’s definition of “glory”, but when I really force myself to pause and step back, I see how destructive it is to fool myself into striving for society’s approval. And when I do set my mind upon becoming more other-centered, taking baby steps towards the kind of glory God wants for me, I find this incredible joy in knowing I am carrying out his will for me.

In what ways have I embraced the life of becoming a kernel that falls and dies?

Striving to become a kernel that falls, dies, and thus “produces many seeds” really challenged me to venture outside my comfort zone by opening up to people and getting to know them on a deeper level and becoming more other-centered, even if I’d had a bad day or wasn’t feeling particularly social.  I’m the type of person who tries to avoid confrontation and potential awkwardness at any cost, and I really had to work on overcoming the desire to just “leave people the way they were” or settle for only knowing their major and number of siblings.  A lot of it required me to also share my own feelings and experiences, something I was also hesitant to do, in order for them to become more comfortable and open.  I was also challenged to close myself off from secular influences, especially the media.  I realized the extent that television and the Internet contributed to a state of idleness and isolation, and made me more concerned about not
conforming to the world’s standards.  Doing these things really motivated me to die to my own desires and really be more other-centered.

When I think about how Mary & Martha must have felt not being able to do anything about their brothers death as they watched him suffer, I’m reminded of myself standing by my father’s hospital bed fifteen years ago as he was dying of cancer. I remember the countless nights asking God why he let such a thing happen to my dad. Mary & Martha’s cries to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” are so similar to my cries to Jesus as a child. After Lazarus’ death, Jesus did not impede on Mary & Martha’s grief and tell them to stop crying, but rather, he grieved with them because he loved them and understood their pain. Looking at the big picture, my Lord walked with me and guided me my entire life knowing my pain and grief. As I grew up, God was able to use me to speak to people whether in the mission field or at school. One verse in particular comforted me growing up, Psalm 68:5 says that “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Even when I’ve been the least faithful, He remained faithful in times of grief & suffering so that I could glorify Him and encourage & bless others so that they may see God’s glory in my own life.

In present days, when I face many different hopeless situations like falling to addictions or failing to love others, God knows my pain when I do what I don’t want to do. A recent example of seemingly hopeless situations for me includes choosing to spend time on the internet and consuming media, even though I’ve made commitments to reduce my time on such distractions in order to spend more time with people. I know I’ve had problems spending too much time on the computer in the past, and finding myself lacking self-control and breaking my commitments just seems devastating. However, rather than feel depressed or self-pitiful, I know I need to humble myself and repent for my selfishness and entitlement to time. Because of grace, Jesus is willing to take me back in, even though I stray from him. With accountability and confession, by faith, and by the Spirit, I am able to overcome addictions and temptations one step at a time. If I pray and have faith in him and take the proper steps to repentance, God is able to use every victory for his glory.

Just as sheep “follow [the shepherd] because they know his voice,” have I learned to recognize Jesus’ voice?

In the past couple of years, a major part of growing in my relationship with Jesus has been learning to recognize his voice and then following it. It’s been learning to recognize whether my thoughts, desires, or actions are in line with what Jesus desires from my life. It’s been tough, because it’s never easy when you realize the way you’ve been living and the way you view the world are not in line with what Jesus teaches. In those moments, you are compelled to change; though it may be painful, I know that in those moments, when I had to make the choice to follow Jesus’  voice rather than my own, I have grown closer to God. Also, I must remember that I can’t follow Jesus’ voice unless I can recognize his voice, which means I have to study the Bible and know what it is that Jesus desires from his followers. One of the ways I know I’ve been able to grow was to take each devotional personally and to listen to each sermon or bible study with the mindset that it directly applies to me. How can I follow the shepherd, if I do not know what his voice sounds like?

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

There are so many voices that scream at me to listen every day. They can come from so many sources: friends, family, media, music, desires, etc. Currently, I think my own personal desires most often muffles Jesus’ voice in my life. My personal desires can range from the temptations I feel and my impulse to satisfy these or from my desire to live a comfortable life, both on a day-to-day basis and for the long term. These desires make me lukewarm, afraid and unwilling to follow Jesus’ radical call. It causes me to lose sight of Jesus who wants to lead me to a fulfilling life. My personal desires call out to me, claiming that only through fulfilling these desires will I be happy. But I want to practice self-control. I want to practice delayed gratification. I have to constantly remind myself that I must seek to follow Jesus’ voice, and this means drowning out the other voices which cause me to miss what Jesus is trying to tell me.

By Paul Lee, InterHigh Staff

John 10:3-5

Are there other voices that I heed that have muffled Jesus’ voice in my life?

… Another voice I have thought a lot about last few months is the voice of the world’s philosophy. Romans 12:2 says, “do not confirm any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Practically speaking, it is the voice of social norms. The voice that speaks “truths” found in social norms in order to get me to focus on what I desire. It is good to pursue the best job. It is good to pursue marriage. It is good to have personal time to relax or rejuvenate. True statements. Yes. But when such things become idols or become an excuse to indulge myself with what I desire – it is not. No one in the world would argue with such statements, but the reason no one would argue with that is because that is the pattern we find in the world. I am called not to follow these patterns but to have a biblical perspective. God clearly says to seek his kingdom first. Matthew 6:33 says “but seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all things will be given to you as well”. God says very clearly that my first and foremost priority should be to seek his kingdom or in other words, to love and serve God and others. To live a life focused on others in this way is not something that comes naturally for me. As a sinner, I am always inclined to think of my own desires first. For me to be renewed in my mind from these patterns, I need to be able to let even these good things become a secondary issue in my life and not let these social norms dictate everything I do simply because they have been built into me. I need to be rooted in my daily DTs to properly align my mind with what God desires on a daily basis. I also need to be constantly alert and practically find ways to give up the things I desire for the sake of others.

What about the cross (where Jesus was “lifted up”) causes people to know that Jesus indeed is the one that he claimed to be?  Is it possible to know who Jesus is apart from the cross?  How often do I meditate on Jesus and his death on the cross?

The cross causes people to know that Jesus is indeed the one that he claimed to be, because through it he accomplished what he claimed he came to do, to forgive our sins and bring restoration and life between us and God which we could never hope to do on our own.  The cross is the ultimate symbol of the great paradoxes that Jesus exemplified from his birth.  He was born in a lowly manger, lived a humble life, cared for the downtrodden and outcasts of society, and embraced suffering.  It goes against the world’s definition of power and glory… yet he turned the shameful cross into a symbol of true power and glory, because he has broken the chains of sin that we simply could not free ourselves of.  When we really realize our sinful condition, we cannot help but look at the cross and know that he was who he claimed to be, because it is where he took our place to die the death we deserve, so that we may have life.

It is impossible to know Jesus apart from the cross because the very reason he came to this earth was to go to the cross.  Our relationship is centered around the fact that we are redeemed sinners, and a full relationship with him entails a deep gratitude of the great reversals accomplished through the cross: from death to life, shame to glory, just punishment to undeserved mercy.

If a relationship with Jesus is centered around the cross, then I do not meditate on Jesus and his death enough.  Especially if things are going well in my life, then it is uncomfortable to think about the cross and why that is so central to my life.  This is why it is so important to come to the cross each day, to daily engage in confession of the truth of who I am as a sinner, and thank God for my salvation accomplished through the cross.

What did Apostle Paul consider in making his future plans? What are some experiences of God at work in my life that I need to consider in making my plans?

Apostle Paul made the work that the Lord gave him as the most important factor in making his future plans. Paul left no room in his plans for his own personal agendas, prioritizing first and foremost the work to which God has called him to. From the way he wrote to the Corinthian church, we can see how much he loved this church, and in v.7 we see of his hopes and longing to come and stay with them. Yet he qualifies his statement with “if the Lord permits,” and the final word on what he chose to do rested on his mission to spread the gospel to the Gentiles.  He delayed his visit to Corinth to minister in Ephesus, in obedience to what God had called him to do.

As a Christian, I am to follow in the footsteps of Paul in centering my plans around the gospel. whether we’re talking about long-term plans – like where I’m going to go after college, or how I will spend my winter break this year, to my weekend plans and my everyday plans and agendas – the driving force behind the things that I do should be to glorify God through obedience. One very practical way I can do this is by living out and sharing the gospel that’s been entrusted to me in my day-to-day life. In the past couple of years, I’ve received apologetics training, a better understanding of the gospel, and older, more mature Christians to look up to as examples – like my pastor and leaders. All these are resources that’s been entrusted to me to share with others. This should lead me to be more deliberate in what I do and what I talk about with people in my sphere of influence, from my family and friends to my classmates. I should plan my days in such a way to take every opportunity to use these resources to sow the gospel in people’s hearts & further God’s kingdom, as opposed to just keeping these things to myself.

By Daniel So, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

What kind of relational responsibility is Apostle Paul trying to teach the Corinthians through this collection for the Jerusalem church?

Paul was trying to teach the Corinthian church the important responsibility of giving thanks to whom it is rightfully owed.
The saving gospel of Christ that changed the Corinthians came through the witness of the saints of Jerusalem. Recognizing that this blessing came as a result of their obedience to God calls for their gratefulness. If the Corinthian church did not give thanks, in this case through the collection which would be used to help the church in Jerusalem, it would have been a maladjustment to the reality that they had received something that changed the entire course of their lives.

Why did Apostle Paul instruct them to set aside money each week and save it up in advance for this gift to the Jerusalem church? What is the spiritual benefit of building this practice into their lives?

The reason why Apostle Paul instructed them to set aside money each week and save it up in advance is that the act requires a frequent remembering and mindfulness. Every week, they would have to be mindful to the fact that they have to set money aside and save it ahead of time for the gift, which would in turn make them remember the reason why they are preparing this gift and along with it, the gratefulness. Without the constant remembrance of the this, even if the gift were to be prepared for the Jerusalem at some point in time, it would not be the same since people are prone to forget their indebtedness and the Corinthian church would lose sight of why they are making the gift which would cause them to even become bitter and discontent toward the Jerusalem church. This would have caused disunity among the church.
But through this practice of frequently remembering, they were able to remember the reason for giving and out of the gratitude they have, they would have even given the gifts out of joy in their hearts.

To whom am I indebted for the spiritual blessings that I have received? What habits of love can I build into my life to express my gratitude in concrete ways?

As the Corinthians were indebted to the Church of Jerusalem for the gospel they received from them, I am indebted to the various leaders throughout my life that passed on the gospel to me, in one form or another. I am especially indebted to my leaders at this church because their passing on of the gospel to me led to my accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior and i am continually indebted by the spiritual blessings of this community and the discipleship I receive from older brothers in Christ. I have received something precious and it is right for me to express my gratitude in concrete ways. There are some ways like giving them a gift of appreciation or even cooking for them. But most fundamentally, I need to cultivate the habit of expressing verbally my gratitude toward them instead of just being thankful on the inside. I have personally received thanks and I know how good and right it feels when something you have given is recognized by the giver. Then how much more should I express my gratitude for the people who have given me this precious gospel.

What is the test of genuine faith based on these verses?

Based on the verses, the test of genuine faith is if one perseveres in the Christian faith. Christian life is not an easy one; there are many difficulties one must face. For example, at school it is very difficult for many Christian teenagers to live out their faith. They don’t want to be known as a Christian because being a Christian means you are weird. They don’t want people to see them as a weirdo who doesn’t listen to the same music as everyone else, and who doesn’t date like everyone else. Sometimes being a Christian means even losing your friends. But Apostle Paul is saying it is times like these – when our own friends reject us, or when they call us names – that our faith is being tested and it determines whether or not our faith is genuine.

What does it mean to “take your stand” and “hold firmly” to the gospel?

When Paul says to “take your stand”, he is saying that Christians need to be bold about their faith. We can’t be lukewarm Christians, sometimes gossiping with our friends, but then praying to God as soon as they all turn away. We need to choose one life or the other, so Paul tells us to be bold and stand out as Christians, to not be ashamed of our Christian identity. Because the Christian life is hard, he tells us to “hold firmly” to the gospel. Holding firmly to the gospel helps me persevere through the struggles I face because I know that through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, I can live the rest of eternity in heaven. This promise of heaven gives me the strength to face difficult situations, and it helps me persevere.

According to vv.54-55, what makes my Christian life ultimately triumphant regardless of struggles and setbacks that I experience?

Regardless of the struggles and setbacks I experience, what makes my Christian life ultimately triumphant is that I will be in heaven with God after I die. Because Jesus was able to defeat death by coming to life on the third day after he died, that means that death will not be the end for me – I will be with God in heaven for the rest of eternity. That makes all the struggles I face easier to go through, because I know that at the end of life, at the end of all my struggling, I have heaven to look forward to. When I think about how I will be in heaven with God for the rest of eternity, it gives me strength to persevere through this difficult life.

By Kevin Li, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

According to vv.54-55, what makes my Christian life ultimately triumphant regardless of struggles and setbacks that I experience?

In verse 54-55, Paul preaches an important point on the resurrection of Christ. He makes it clear that when Jesus rose from the grave, he conquered death itself. Death, as a result of the sin of man, was supposed to be the end of life, a tragic end that no one can overcome. But as Jesus tells us in Luke 18:27, “What is impossible with men is possible with God”. Thus, death did not have victory over Jesus because God lifted up Jesus from death. This incredible event has tremendous implications on the lives of believers. Paul says in verse 14, “and if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”.  The reason, of course, is because if Christ had not been raised, then Jesus is not the son of God, as he proclaimed to be. But because he was raised from the dead, what he said about himself proved to be true: Jesus is indeed the son of God. This is the very foundation of Christian faith. If we believe that Jesus did overcome death, then we have every reason to trust in him. And what we place our faith in, of course, is the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that we will have eternal life with God through him. If we agree upon everything that has been said so far, then what does it mean for our lives today?

I think we are left with a powerful question: What is the worst that can happen? Simply put, the worst thing that can happen is that we die, but that would also be the best day of our lives because we would be spending eternity with God. Given this truth, it means that even when we are at our lowest we will be ultimately triumphant because God has triumphed for us. It means that when we are struggling with our worst of sins we still have a God who loves us. It also means that we ought to have courage to do what right, especially when it comes to standing firm in the faith and standing up for the gospel. Because even we are rejected by this world, we are received joyfully by God. As the bible says, “If God is for us, then who can be against us?” (Romans 8:30-32).

In my experience, timely reminders of the resurrection of Christ are particularly helpful when I am struggling to live faithfully. There have been times when I wanted to give up because the Christian life seemed to demand so much. But when I faced the cross, I was reminded of how Christ suffered for me and of how the past generations of Christians suffered to bring me the gospel. Because of the resurrection, their valiant efforts are not wasted but reaffirms what Jesus preached during his lifetime. Moreover, I was personally reminded that what I believe in is ultimately truth. Having this hope, I am confident that whatever setbacks I experience in the present are only temporary things and that the eternal things are rooted in Christ. Whatever disappointments I face or struggles I have seem to fade in the light of what Christ did on the cross. Granted, the Christian life is not easy. We face incredible pressure from society, but we are also called to be holy. There will be days when I feel that the world is against me, but I should turn to God in these circumstances. I think having an eternal perspective really encourages me to live faithfully because God will prevail for us in the end as Jesus prevailed two thousand years ago.

By Dan Kinder, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

If the resurrection were not true, why are Christians to be pitied above all men?  What does this say about Christian life simply as a lifestyle choice?

In this chapter, Paul carries forward the full implications of what some of the Corinthian believers were assuming, including the idea that there is no resurrection. If there is no resurrection, then Christ was not raised; If Christ was not raised, then all he brought to us is a lie; If forgiveness of our sins is a lie, then we are still under the law; If we are still under the law and “the power of sin is the law” then we are still under the power of sin; And “The sting of death is sin”(v. 56). So why should we be pitied without resurrection? Because it means we believe that hope is impossible, that life is meaningless, and the world is fundamentally absurd. Simply choosing Christianity, then, without conviction about an eternal future, is just as absurd.
Considering life in a greater context is something I find very helpful for spiritual growth. So far we’ve looked at a hopeless context, without a future, but what are the implications if the dead really are raised? What if this fact, which Christianity hinges on, is true? For me, this shines a new light on everything in my life. Now that there’s eternity to live for, the affairs of this life should be mere trivialities, indescribably short compared to the future. This is the final implication that drives me: If Jesus rose from the dead, then I live for a future eternal glory; If there is such a future, then it outweighs anything that can happen to me now. Where is the value of my life if not spent for God? Where the value of my time? Where the value of my hands and my feet?
It’s easy to boldly proclaim God’s governance in this way, but how has it been really carried forward? For me personally, these ideas about eternity have been a major drive. There was a time when I spent hours a day wasting away on the computer, in gaming and other media, but the larger context of eternity dawned on me… why am I investing so much valuable time for something so purposeless? There was also a time when reading the bible and prayer were reserved for Sundays and occasionally Wednesday nights, but why would I not be investing in these things of God, who does not pass away, in exchange for things that will fade to dust?
Up to now has been history, but keeping the context of God in all that I do has never failed to help me find things to work on. More recently it’s simply been the issue of love – the unloving ways that I’ve acted and the people I’ve hurt. How can I sacrifice relationships for the sake of my own comfort so easily, when nothing on this earth except the people I relate to will last for eternity? How can I be so compassion-less, when I’m striving to live with the God of Compassion forever?

By Virginia Chae, InterHigh Mentor, Senior @ UC Berkeley

What does it mean to “take your stand” and “hold firmly” to the gospel?

The test of genuine faith based on the first two verses is if we can take our stand and hold firmly to what we believe. Take our stand—that’s hard. I don’t think that means to get up and lecture at every class that criticizes Christianity, but I do think that it means that I should try defending my faith. Whether it’s having lunch with someone specific who seems hostile to Christianity and talking to them or writing papers that reject that thesis—I have to make an effort to protect the gospel with which I have been entrusted. To hold firmly to the gospel would mean to not be swayed by every lecture or smart undergrad who talks against Christianity. Sometimes I wonder if Christianity really is just a way to uphold middle class values like my classmates say, but when I read the real gospel, when I try to figure out what God wants for us through Christ I realize that that couldn’t be further from the truth. I need to stand firm in my faith and go to the BIBLE to find out what Christianity is really about, not to public opinion or textbooks.

Give examples of the mind being “unfruitful” in the midst of spiritual activities. What is the danger of this? Is there evidence of this kind of mindless involvement in spiritual activities in my life?

As Apostle Paul noticed that the Corinthians sought to speak tongues in order to sound spiritual, he became concerned that Christians in the Corinthian church were being mindless and therefore unfruitful in their spiritual activities. Christian minds can be unfruitful in the midst of spiritual activities when one is praying the same prayer one always prays for the sake of saying something, and does not really think about what the prayer means anymore. Another example can be found when praise becomes only about the music and emotions, rather than singing the words meaningfully to God. This is not to say that emotions and good music is bad, only that singing the words meaninglessly can cause praise to be unfruitful. Praise can be corporate worship to God, where each believer sees that he sings these same words that glorify God together with others, but when the words are sung without thinking about their meaning, the believer is not edified. The danger of praying or praising mindlessly is that the spiritual activities become meaningless to the believer and do not glorify God. Rather, the focus of the spiritual activity is centered around how the believer appears to others and also causes the believer to be deceived by thinking those spiritual activities were meaningful.

There is evidence of this kind of mindless involvement in spiritual activities in my life in both prayer and praise. During personal and more public prayers, I struggle with praying words and sentences meaningfully. Instead, I pray those sentences and sentiments out of habit or ritual. When I pray before meals, pray during the day, pray at night, pray at prayer meetings, I must not pray thoughtlessly for the truth is that although man looks at the exterior, God looks at the heart and spiritual activities should be done to please God and to be a part of His work of building up the church. Also, during praise I have a difficult time focusing on how meaningful the words are to me and instead think more about what I sound like when I sing or I get lost in the emotions and excitement of the music. To try not to do this, sometimes I will simply stop singing so that I can really just think more about the lyrics of the song. When I do this, I find that, even though I start singing later in the song, the experience and the words are much, much more meaningful to me. Steps I can take to more actively engage the mind in my prayer and in my praise are to be more sincere, be less mindful of how I am viewed by others, be more mindful of how my spiritual activities are done for God, and to be deeper in the Word.

By Christine Seo, InterHigh Mentor, Sophomore @ UC Berkeley

Give examples of the mind being “unfruitful” in the midst of spiritual activities.  What is the danger of this?

Sometimes, when we praise, our heads get distracted about school, work, our friends, our worries and what not and find, that by the end of the song, we haven’t really sang about anything. In prayer, during a message, while doing our DTs, when our minds are elsewhere, it’s quite easy to not listen to the prayer, to not get anything out of the message, to write meaningless and superficial DTs. When this happens, because it does happen even to the best of us, we risk living stale Christian lives; Christian lives that are shiny and outwardly “spiritual”, but inside are dead. The messages will never be personal enough to apply to our lives to make a difference, the prayers will be pointless, and praise will never remind us of God’s great love. Our spiritual growth will come to a complete halt.

Is there evidence of this kind of mindless involvement in spiritual activities in my life?
Are there some steps I need to take to more actively engage the mind in my prayer and in my praise?

Personally, I find myself getting distracted during the midst of spiritual activities. During an especially stressful or tired period, during praise or the message, I find myself thinking about other people, or remembering a past event with my friends, or even just thinking about a movie, or sometimes, I don’t think about anything. I just space out. Knowing my sinful tendencies, sometimes I try to pray before the praise and the message, pray to God for attentiveness and a willing heart and mind. If I find myself spacing in the middle of something, I try to pray a quick prayer for God to help me push out all distractions. During praise, I really try to look at the words and pay attention to the meanings of the song. When I feel like my mind is really being “unfruitful”, I try to remember the cross again and make sure that I am not just lip-praising, but from my heart and from my head, I am thanking God for all His great deeds.  I also take notes during messages to help focus my mind, so my mind doesn’t wander – though sometimes it still does. I love after message reflections or reflective prayer. Often, after Friday night Bible study, they pass out reflection cards which often force me to look over my notes and what I heard and really try to apply it. And after Sunday messages, we’re given a time of personal prayer to apply what we heard. This always helps me grab at least a couple of points for a “fruitful” gain from that message.

What aspects of contemporary Christian pop-culture does this passage warn against?

Sometimes, contemporary Christian pop-culture focuses much too much on emotion, on loud songs and flashy lights, forgetting that even the mind, our intellects need to be engaged. Too much focus on praise and lack on message can also be a danger. I think, too often, contemporary Christian culture tries to stir our hearts – and our tears – as signs of spiritual growth. While our hearts are important, equally, our minds need to be stirred. Our hearts are too fickle to rely on completely. Our minds need to grow and be active, and for that to happen, our minds need to be fed with the Word, with messages and sermons.

By Vincent Hu, InterHigh Mentor, Junior @ UC Berkeley

Gives examples of the mind being “unfruitful” in the midst of spiritual activities. What is the danger of this? Is there evidence of this kind of mindless involvement in spiritual activities in my life?

Verse 13 to 17 talk about how someone can be spiritually praying to God yet be totally disconnected in mind. Though this may sound absurd, it is not an uncommon thing within my life. For instance, during some of the InterHigh praises, in which the songs were upbeat and rocking, I would often find myself fully engaged emotionally, jump and sing to the point of losing my voice, feeling spiritually connected and in touch with the Holy Spirit. However, as soon as the praise ends, I find myself having a hard time remembering the title or even the lyrics of the song! This is a very typical example of my mind being “unfruitful” in the midst of spiritual activities. The danger of this? Well, to the very least I can see it as wasting ten minutes of my life acting as if I were in a rock concert, while thinking that I was praising God. But perhaps what’s more jeopardizing to me was the false sense spiritual comfort I develop through this mindless involvement in a spiritual activity. What it does is that it makes me feel good about where I am in my spiritual journey and creates a feeling that I am connected with God. This feeling (of thinking that I’m close to God) would then discourage my urge to reflect on the reality and perpetuate the same behavior in all the other church related activities. How would that look like? I will be serving at Church purely driven by emotions and the look of others. I will find myself not wanting to do whatever I was doing in the midst of serving at Church, yet unable to just quit because I gave others the impression that I’m a godly person. In addition to effects done to myself, I may potentially stumble other people at Church if my actions somehow convey a sense of reluctance and frustration. It’ll make me a bad witness of Christ in front of other, especially to non-believer who could be turned away by my lack of mental involvement.

In essence, without an engaged mind that constantly involved in conscious, meaningful reasoning and understanding of why I serve God, my heart will not withstand against the tendencies of my sinful nature, which is always self-seeking. A healthy and solid mind can deepen the foundation of my faith and make my heart a good soil for the seed of the word of God (Matt 13).

To apply this passage in my life, I commit not to be lazy and make sure I have a clear understanding of my service before I start doing them. My natural tendency is to not think at all, and I need to fight that and deny my mental laziness in order to develop a fruitful mind.