Nuturing Our New Life in Christ

What does it look like to have a relationship with Jesus? Like so many Christians, many Hope Alive! students thought that confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior was all they needed to do. They didn’t realize that their relationships with God needed daily nourishment. (Sound familiar, anyone?)

During a recent school break, Hope Alive! Masaka organized a discipleship program involving 36 students, facilitated by mentor Ssendagire Bashil and Masaka site manager Rose Munezero. It was so well-received that they plan to resume meetings during the next school break.

Each meeting included worship, prayer and personal sharing. Many students shared that while they had placed their faith in Jesus, they were not having personal times of Bible study and prayer outside of church and Hope Alive! activities. Through the discipleship meetings, they came to realize that just going to church on Sundays was not enough to have a vibrant relationship with God; they needed to nurture their relationship with God through personal Bible study, prayer, and obedience to God’s direction for their lives.

Some of the challenges the students shared are common to us all, but especially young people: pressure from non-Christian friends to do things they know are wrong; families with negative attitudes toward God and church; and seeing hypocrisy and non-Biblical messages being preached in some churches. 

Throughout the three weeks, the students were taught and reminded of the new life one has in Christ once they put their faith in Him. The Bible tells us “to put off your old self…and to put on the new self, created to be like God.” Ephesians 4:22-24. 

Our students are now embracing the new life they have in Christ. We are thankful to our committed staff who lovingly disciple our students. 

One of the wonderful things about supporting Hope Alive! is realizing that while our cultural settings and circumstances may be different, we share one God and one hope, and can encourage each other to greater faithfulness.