Bob // 4th Year // Maths and Physics

Before University, I would have called myself a Christian – I willingly went to Church on a Sunday and I could recall the major Bible stories - I even prayed on my own now and then, but only when I felt like it.

Despite hearing about the life and death of Jesus on repeat, I never understood how I should respond to the claims He made about Himself and what impact they have on my life now and in the future. So weak was my faith that in First Year I completely forgot all about it, and tried living life in my own strength, but bad habits quickly set in and the overwhelming nature of university work caught up with me.

In Second Year, my housemate invited me along to church in Bristol, and there I heard the same stories, but with fresh and eager ears, and had the opportunity to test the claims that the Bible made for myself and respond to God who is so much more than a creator. Because I believe these claims to be true, I can be confident that I am forgiven for my past, present and future mistakes because Jesus bore this weight upon His shoulders when He died. No one else can claim to have done that. This doesn’t mean that I’m perfect and my life is easy, but I can trust in the plans God has for my life and rely on His strength rather than my own.