For God so loved the world (Jn 3:16)
At the beginning of the winter term we had two Bible evenings (Oct. 30th and Nov. 18th 2008) in our new center in Karlsruhe. We prepared these evenings with the topic “The Love of God” based on Luke’s gospel 15 and 19 by posing a question on the invitation flyer: “Who loves me?”
1. Preparation
Since September 2008, on Sundays we didn’t go home after worship service but stayed at the center and wrote testimony together. At 7 p.m. we shared our testimonies. Through this we could have a spiritual environment for the Bible evenings and form the vessel of the Holy Spirit and of prayer. On Tuesdays we met at the university and prayed for the bible evenings and invited students. Early in the morning we praised God and prayed together based on the word for the bible evenings.
2. Program
At the first Bible evening Shp. Tobias preached the unconditional love of God based on Luke 15 with all his heart. He confessed the unconditional love of God through his personal forgiveness in his life. Andreas gracefully delivered his testimony based on Gods word from Jn 3:16. He thanked God for his sacrifiacial love in Jesus and his grace of salvation. In his home country Kyrgyzstan, he shepherded cattle and pigs without hope. However, God allowed him and his family to come to Germany and to develop his talents, so that by his grace he now teaches the students in Karlsruhe math as a Ph.D. student. Most of all, he thanked God for the opportunity to study the word of God with Shp. Tobias. He wants to share this grace of God with the students in Karlsruhe and other people. Philip presided this evening gracefully. Msn.Daniel prepared a spiritual environment through his talent, the technical things. We showed the skit that was presented at the Purdue conference. It opened our hearts for the word of God. We had two guests from Freiburg, Shps. Jaroslava, who clearly testified the grace of God through her life testimony and supported the music program by her talent, and her co-worker Msn. General David who served this evening through prayer.
God abundantly blessed this evening.
The second evening Shp. Tobias confessed Jesus, who came to seek and to save what was lost, based on Luke 19. He lived as a loner for himself, calculating, stingy and selfish. He felt lonely living that way. However, Jesus visited him in his lost life and blessed him, so that he could serve others through 1:1 Bible study and prayer.
Philip delivered his testimony based on Romans 8: 38, 39. He confessed God’s absolute love that nothing and nobody is able to separate us from. Philip confessed that he is willing to hold on to this love that is revealed in his life, even under all difficult circumstances. Andreas presided this evening professionally with a welcoming address. This evening Msn.Daniel presented music videos and skits and what else he had and contributed through this in opening the hearts of the participants.
3. Participants and God’s word among them
At the first Bible evening God sent Stefan (Chemical-engineering, 3) and Inge (German philology, 1). Their hearts were open for the word of God and through this bible evening they received the spiritual desire to get to know God and Jesus more deeply.
At the second Bible evening God sent Peter (Graphic-design, 4), his brother Paul and Sergej and Stefan. They were all open and glad. They were encouraged through the sincere testimonies.
4. Thanksgiving topics
This time, all co-workers fulfilled their tasks such as message, testimony, presiding, serving voluntarily and with all their hearts. Shp. Tobias, Philip, Andreas and Msn.Daniel gave priority to serving the work of God despite their Ph.D. and hard studies. Especially their messages and testimonies were spiritually deep and pleasing. They made a spiritual jump. This is our greatest thanksgiving topic. Because of this all participants opened their hearts to the word of God and had fellowship with joy. Besides, we had the opportunity to get to know several students and to invite them to Bible study. Among them are Carola (Electrical engineering, 1), Inge (German philology, 1), Brigitta (Economy, 6) and Philipp (Computer Science, 1). We thank God, who has revealed his grace among us and all participants during these Bible evenings and who has given great joy.
