Page 10 - Cross Booklet Draft ver1
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NECESSITY OF COLLEGE





                              In  his  book,   clearly communicated to those who        Good missionaries need skill to see   Bottom  line,  if  you  don?  know  the
                                                                                                                                            t
                              Thriving   at   have  never  heard.  Great  friends,      and  understand  the  host  culture?s   Bible  (and  the  culture)  well,  you
                              College, Alex   along with believing family? all who      worldview and then to bring biblical   won? be able to expose the wrong
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                              Chediak gets   love  you  deeply? will  be  the  most     truth  to  bear  on  it.  This  is  part  of   thinking that has blinded the minds
                              it right when   likely  ones  to  consistently  and       what Paul means when he says that   and hearts of your new friends. You
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            he  identifies  three  main  priorities   knowledgeably  pray  for  the  gospel   his missionary team sought to ?de-  won?  be  able  to  help  them  make
            for  college:  make  great  friends,   to spread through you. So, we need   molish  arguments  and  every  pre-  sense  of  why  the  good  news  is
            keep (and grow) your faith, and get   great  friends  because  we  need     tension  that  sets  itself  up  against   good.
            ready  for the real  world? without  a   prayer. Not only that, but deep rela-
            heavy debt burden. Let us consider   tionships  developed  during  the                                      Now,  does  this  mean  you  need  to
            each of these from the perspective   college  years  could  also  become                                    complete  a  degree  from  a  bible
            of  a  (potential)  cross- cultural   future  team  members  or  perhaps                                    college or seminary? Maybe, maybe
            worker.                         serve  as  consultants  if  their  work                                     not. At the very least, it means you
                                            and  experience  overlaps  with  the                                        should take several key courses like
                                            business  you  pursue  in  your  new                                        biblical  interpretation  (hermeneu-
                                            location. Solid friendships also help                                       tics),  biblical  theology,  systematic
                                            you  grow  and  persevere  in  your                                         theology,  and  church  history.  Talk
                                            faith, which leads us to the second                                         with your church elders for recom-
                                            priority.                                                                   mendations on good organizations,
                                                                                                                        bible  schools,  and  seminaries  that
                                            Second,  potential  cross- cultural                                         offer classes like these.
                                            workers need  to  keep and  grow  in
                                            their  faith.  A  primary  responsibility                                   Before  you  attempt  to  dismantle  a
                                            for the cross-cultural worker is clear                                      worldview opposed to the Bible, you
                                            gospel  communication.  Under-                                              need to know the biblical worldview.
                                            standing precedes clear communi-                                            Good missionaries know their Bible,
                                            cation. During the college years you        the knowledge of God, and [to] take   know  how  all  Scripture  points  to
                                            should be reading your Bible, talking       every  thought  captive  to  make  it   that one pivotal person throughout
                                            about what you?e learning, and sit-         obedient  to  Christ?  (2  Corinthians   all history, and know how the Scrip-
                                                         r
                                            ting under the teaching of godly el-        10:5).  The  primary  weapon  Paul   tures  engage  the  culture  they  are
                                            ders  in  the  context  of  a  local        took  up  for  this  work  was  the   bringing the gospel to.
                                            church.                                     Scriptures.
            First, potential cross-cultural work-  Your  understanding  of  the  gospel,
            ers need deep friendships at home.   and the overall structure and mes-
            When  you  move  from  your  home   sage  of  the  Bible,  should  deepen   RESOURCES
            country  to  a  new  country  for  the   and strengthen. You should be ac-
            sake of the gospel, you need friends   tive in prayer, closely observing how            1. https://www.imb.org/2018/03/13/why-put-
                                                                        r
            to partner with you. Of course you   God  answers  your  prayer.  You?e
            need financial partnerships, but you   developing disciplines and a foun-                   missions-on-hold-to-go-to-seminary/
            also  need  prayer  partnerships.   dation  that  will  serve  you  well  in            2. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/
            Making  Christ  known  in  difficult   spiritually dark and dry places.                     why-go-to-seminary/
            places  is  tough.  The  enemy  works   Third, potential cross-cultural work-
            aggressively  to  prevent  the  good   ers need to think strategically about            3. How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth by:
            news  about  Jesus  from  being                                                             Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
                                            what  getting  ready  for  their  real
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