Joseph's
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Joseph Raul Ramirez
May 31, 2012, 10:57:02 AM5/31/12
to West Loop UBF Cohort (June 2012)
2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has
passed away; behold, the new has come.
Pre-Conversion: Checking things off the list
Finish high school. Get a girlfriend. Finish college. Get married.
Have a career in the medical field. Have a family, two kids, nice
house, nice truck and maybe even a dog was the plan. My goal in life
was to somehow check these things off the list. It’s been over 5 years…
and all I have is a high school diploma. I have a lot of work to do.
Major Spiritual Influence: InterVarsity and UBF
I was checking things off my list – girlfriend, car, job etc . A break
up in high school made me realize that there’s gotta be more than what
this world offered. So I started asking questions about my purpose in
this world and why does God, if he existed, would matter in my life.
Out of desperation, I ended up praying. Through this prayer, I
accepted God. I met a member of InterVarsity, a Christian Fellowship,
in UIC and decided to get involved. I went to retreats and seek for
answers. I was taught about the bible and the meaning of Christianity.
I met Benji Toh in InterVarsity and he invited me to UBF. UBF ministry
offered one-on-one discipleship. I met many solid friends here that
really helped me understand God and His church. I grew much through
this process and I am still growing.
Dreams/Goals: Serve God
I want to serve God. Over the years, my purpose has become clearer. I
want to focus on educating younger children about the Bible. The 66
books compiled by over 40 different authors, in three different
continents, written in three different languages in a span of over
1500 years… all pointing to Christ. That just amazes me. Other than
shooting zombies and playing basketball, I totally want to serve God.
1. Continually read the Bible with an open heart
2. Share what I read
3. Be humble
4. Be Christ-friendly
Benefit of Cohort: Accountability
Pro 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
As the members of the church, people need others to keep them
accountable. Correcting, supporting, helping, praying, and sometimes
even some words of encouragement can keep me strong through troubled
times.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has
passed away; behold, the new has come.
Pre-Conversion: Checking things off the list
Finish high school. Get a girlfriend. Finish college. Get married.
Have a career in the medical field. Have a family, two kids, nice
house, nice truck and maybe even a dog was the plan. My goal in life
was to somehow check these things off the list. It’s been over 5 years…
and all I have is a high school diploma. I have a lot of work to do.
Major Spiritual Influence: InterVarsity and UBF
I was checking things off my list – girlfriend, car, job etc . A break
up in high school made me realize that there’s gotta be more than what
this world offered. So I started asking questions about my purpose in
this world and why does God, if he existed, would matter in my life.
Out of desperation, I ended up praying. Through this prayer, I
accepted God. I met a member of InterVarsity, a Christian Fellowship,
in UIC and decided to get involved. I went to retreats and seek for
answers. I was taught about the bible and the meaning of Christianity.
I met Benji Toh in InterVarsity and he invited me to UBF. UBF ministry
offered one-on-one discipleship. I met many solid friends here that
really helped me understand God and His church. I grew much through
this process and I am still growing.
Dreams/Goals: Serve God
I want to serve God. Over the years, my purpose has become clearer. I
want to focus on educating younger children about the Bible. The 66
books compiled by over 40 different authors, in three different
continents, written in three different languages in a span of over
1500 years… all pointing to Christ. That just amazes me. Other than
shooting zombies and playing basketball, I totally want to serve God.
1. Continually read the Bible with an open heart
2. Share what I read
3. Be humble
4. Be Christ-friendly
Benefit of Cohort: Accountability
Pro 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
As the members of the church, people need others to keep them
accountable. Correcting, supporting, helping, praying, and sometimes
even some words of encouragement can keep me strong through troubled
times.
Derek Andrew Jaegers
Jun 29, 2012, 9:25:33 PM6/29/12
to west-loop-...@googlegroups.com
Hey Joseph!!
AMEN to Jesus making you into a NEW CREATION!! Indeed, in Him we find new purpose, new hope, new direction, new meaning, new eyesight, new thirsts, new appetites and NEW FELLOWSHIP!! Thank and praise Jesus for his GREAT WORK in your life, who set you apart to do something glorious for His coming kingdom!!
I was reminded through your testimony just how special each of us is to our Lord Jesus. I mean, there must be millions of people in God's kingdom - so who am I and who are we? Just one in a million!! Yet, to our Shepherd Jesus - he knows EACH of us so well, inside and out. Thank God for calling you into His Kingdom, Joseph!! He has blessed you
with such an outgoing and friendly character - which are such essential tools to be a good minister of Jesus. His calling upon your life is evident, and I feel very fortunate to be able to call you my brother.
May God continue to carry out the good work he began in you all the way to completion. AMEN!
Your friends,
Andrew & Arlene
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