I was involved with P2C-Students at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as a student for 6 years. It was so impactful that I stayed on as an intern. I am returning as a second-year intern in September.

A fun fact about me is that I like to “deep talk,” and I often feel more comfortable talking about my vulnerabilities than talking about my hobbies and interests.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

I’ve long struggled with public speaking, especially thinking and speaking on the spot. I shake like a leaf, my vision clouds up, and sometimes I cry. Given the uncomfortable and often violent physiological responses, I disliked speaking.

Yet I have never spoken to or in front of so many people in my life than in the past year of internship. I saw God at work most profoundly at our start-of-year Kickoff event. I was aware of the Holy Spirit throughout the entire process.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit there?

A few days before Kickoff my team was looking for one staff member to introduce P2C as an organization and how they decided to become an intern or staff. I felt the Holy Spirit strongly nudging me to volunteer to speak as I had things to say to the students. I prayed for God to direct everything, from preparation to the aftermath.

At Kickoff, I shared in front of about 150 students (my largest audience ever) and it was the only time in my memory that there was no nervousness or physiological response. At the time, I wrote in my diary that I didn’t know whether it was love or joy or excitement for the students and my work, but I was filled with something that day and it was unusual.

Now in retrospect, I recognize the Holy Spirit’s work. The love and security I have because of my secure relationship with God through Jesus overflowed as great joy and excitement. The Holy Spirit enabled me to deliver my message and encouragement effectively. Perfect love casts out fear!

What difference does Jesus make in your public speaking?

Jesus was loved and accepted unconditionally by the Father before anything he did. Through Jesus, I am reconciled with God, and his beloved daughter. So I can go through life and public speaking boldly with little fear because I have a secure relationship with him. I need not worry about other people’s opinions or my mistakes or shortcomings because his opinion matters most.

Secondly, Jesus modelled giving up control. In the past, when preparing to speak I would thoroughly think through different possibilities to try to control what might happen, fearing I’ll blank out or struggle to form a coherent response on the spot. Yet God is great and the one who is truly in control, so I don’t have to be. Jesus gave up control when he humbled himself to live among us on earth and die in my place. As I put my faith in Christ, he can help me give control of all my public speaking to God.

In what ways did you respond to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus?

I responded to the Holy Spirit’s invitation by trusting God enough to say yes. And then by resting in Jesus through the preparation process. I don’t have unlimited time to prepare, so I’ve frequently prayed this year for God to speak through me, and I was willing to leave gaps for him to fill in my limitations.

I know that God likes to use precisely the weak to demonstrate his strength, like Moses who also had a hard time speaking. I have taken my first step in letting go of bullet-proofing my preparation through my own efforts and resting in the hope that God can work through my inadequacies.

How can we pray for you and your local P2C community?

I have experienced my P2C community as a pocket of heaven: the grace and love of God for all is manifested in the safe and supportive environment for growth, shortcomings, and inclusion of students who may not be traditionally seen as “leaders.”

1. Pray that God’s kingdom continues to be the foundation of our P2C community, that students experience us as a pocket of heaven, and that we would spread God’s kingdom outward.

2. May God be the one who directs the entire process of my public speaking and leadership opportunities. May he remind me of Jesus and the gospel, so that I rest secure in God and speak faithfully and boldly, knowing that God provides generously, abundantly, and in my limitations.

Editor’s note: Starting on a new campus, or know someone who is? Across Canada, kickoff events are happening soon! p2cstudents.com/communities

Find a P2C Community

How are you connected with P2C-Students, and what’s a fun fact about you?

My name is Gabrielle Smikle and I was a student leader for P2C at Carleton University. I was involved with P2C since my second year and I had the chance to participate in two student mission trips, Honduras and PRAXIS Vancouver!

A fun fact about me is that I technically have triple citizenship (Canada, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago).

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

God has been getting me ready to serve others with my career.

This past reading week I had the opportunity to be a part of the PRAXIS Vancouver mission trip. I went into this trip very expectant for how the Lord was going to speak. I especially hoped to find more direction in regard to my career path, as many of the organizations we partnered with work in fields that interest me.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

Many of the community organizations in Vancouver practically serve the vulnerable, while telling them the good news of Jesus. This reminded me of how the Lord practically provides for me, while actively pursuing a relationship with me.

The whole trip had a large emphasis on relationships: with each other, our communities, and God.

The Holy Spirit used this emphasis on the importance of relationships to remind me of how he’s already graciously directed my career path. He’s given me a heart for service, love for “the least of these,” and many personal experiences I can use to relate to those in need.

What difference does Jesus make to this situation?

The good news of Jesus changes everything! The gospel is the reason that we get to have such close, intimate relationships with the Father.

Since Jesus paid the price for our sins, we are free to live in a right relationship with God, and that’s what this trip worked to unpack. Through the services we helped provide we not only invited people to restore their relationship with God, we also inspired them to restore their relationships with others, and even within themselves.

The love of Jesus and his redeeming work are the ultimate reason and heart behind all that I might do.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus in this situation?

Since coming home, I have continued to reflect on the lessons of PRAXIS. I have taken what I have learned about the importance of right relationships and used that to inspire my future career path.

As I said previously, I was hoping that I would gain some wisdom from the Lord about where I should be heading in my career. Rather than giving me a job title, the Lord made it very clear to me that my career needs to be relational, and that it needs to focus on showing vulnerable people the love that he has for them through both my actions and my words. I want to spread the gospel with words and deeds.

1 John 3:18 summarizes this well as it reads: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” I hope to have a career that loves others with actions and in truth.

How can we pray for you?

Please be praying as I transition further into the career that God is calling me into! I graduated from Carleton this year and will begin law school at the University of Windsor in the fall. Please pray that I can find God’s rest throughout the summer, and for financial provisions as I begin school again.

My name is MK. I go to the University of Waterloo and I got connected with P2C-Students there!

Fun fact about me: I’m from Malawi😎 which is in south east Africa.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

Last summer I went on a mission trip with P2C to Desert Rain. What a life changing experience! When going to DR, I didn’t expect that God was going to chase after my heart in the same way he was reaching after the locals’ hearts.

His love and intentionality that I experienced on this trip showed me that it is he who sustains me. I realized that it’s not about my efforts, but about how willing I am for him to use me in this mission that he invites me to be a part of.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

The Holy Spirit constantly showed me that God was with me throughout this trip. I’d like to share a quick story on how I got to tangibly and visibly see this.

Just for a bit of context, DR is a closed country. When P2C sends people to go to DR, we are likely going to be the only Christians the locals ever meet in their life! In DR, there was also a team of long-term missionaries who oriented us to the culture of the country. Two of them, who I’ll call Cain and Kevin, are specifically relevant to this story.

During our trip, we would go out on the street, try to make friends, and even evangelize if possible. So some teammates and I went out to do just that. But after an hour and 30 minutes of not meeting anybody, we gave up. We were pretty thirsty, and DR just happens to be full of juice stands on the side of the street. So we went down a random unfamiliar road in search of juice. We managed to find some, and started to walk back home. We agreed that if we see anybody on our way back home, we’ll stop them and say hi. Shortly after we did see someone, and we were like, “Yooo, wassup! We’re here for a month just looking to meet uni students, make friends, and ask questions to know what the student life is like here.”

To our genuine surprise, he was like, “Yes, ask anythingggg!” His name was John. We talked for a bit, got his number, and planned to meet up about two days later. And two days later, we met.

We went to a restaurant and got into a conversation about religion. He found out that my teammate and I are Christians. Then he said, “Huh, that’s interesting. I know two other Christians, named Cain and Kevin.” He said that he had also randomly met them on the side of the street.

At that point, my mind was absolutely blown. In the city where we met John there were millions and millions of people. We could have met anyone on that specific street, at that specific time, but God was running after John’s heart relentlessly and he placed us in his life.

What difference does Jesus make to this situation?

On this trip it really clicked that God says he delights in us. This experience with John showed me how much God loves those around me, and how he deeply wants a relationship with them and me. Because of Jesus, I have the Holy Spirit and can proclaim the good news of Christ to others so that they know him too. God finds joy when we call on him!

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus in this situation?

That day, my friend and I got to share the gospel with John and have a conversation about faith with him. He had heard the gospel before, and he didn’t become Christian that day, but it was an opportunity from God to plant another seed in his life.

God was already at work in John’s life way before we stepped into the country, showing me that I don’t need to be afraid, because he has gone before me.

I can now step out in faith and tell people about Jesus, trusting that God is already working in their lives, even when it seems unlikely. The fear is still there and something I am constantly working through, but it is a comfort knowing that I can do what he’s called me to do either way, because he is with me.

How can we pray for you or your local P2C community?

Please pray that God would sustain all the students on campus in the midst of all the stress and busyness. And that God would soften the hearts of the students to the gospel so that there would be revival in Waterloo.

This year’s trip to Desert Rain starts today! Please pray for the 15 students who are joining God in what he’s doing in this country. The team has asked for prayers that deep trusting relationships with local students would develop quickly.

What’s your name, how are you connected with P2C-Students, and what’s a fun fact about you?

My name is Rochelle Wong. I’m a part of the P2C community at the University of British Columbia. A fun fact about me is that I like to create song mashups on my computer!

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

I went on a run this morning: it was just clear enough to see the snowy mountains in the distance, just chilly enough for my fingertips to sting, and just quiet enough to hear the birds chirping.

I’m not usually an outside person. If I could spend the whole day at home, I would. But I have to admit that it felt good to be moving my body outside. I’ve been feeling a bit low emotionally, but right then, my mind was alert, and I felt happy.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in your experience of running?

I’ve often reduced my spiritual life to merely an internal matter, and forgotten the significance of my physical body. But today God reminded me that I need nourishment through my physical senses, too. Like seeing pretty mountains with my eyes, hearing birdsong with my ears, and receiving the boosts in endorphins and serotonin that movement and sunlight bring.

God sustains my health, rejuvenates my spirit, and awakens me to the wonder of the world around me. He ministers to me through my body.

What difference does Jesus make as you think about being embodied?

I’ve been discovering how the body is woven all throughout the gospel. God created my body, he himself took a body, and as creation groans for redemption, so too does my body.

I’ve been especially struck by the embodied life of Jesus—how he ate, slept, and washed, just like I do. If God himself embraced the nitty gritty of life with a body, how much must mine matter to him!

I ought, then, to worship God not only in my heart, but through my body too, by honouring it and using it for its intended purposes, even in the most mundane of ways.

How are you responding to this insight from the Holy Spirit?

As I grow in better stewarding my body, I’ve committed to going on weekly runs (a huge addition to my otherwise sedentary lifestyle), often with friends who offer both company and accountability.

I hope to be intentional about noticing God’s presence as I run, giving thanks for creation and for mobility, and leaning in to his invitation to delight in it all.

How can we pray for you?

Please pray for discipline in keeping up with my weekly runs, and for me to grow deeper and deeper in joy-filled worship of God, in my heart and through my body.

I’m Enoch Chew and I got connected to P2C in my fifth and final year of my undergrad. I dove right into the community at UBC and began serving in my second semester. During my undergraduate, I knew I had a calling to ministry. Shortly before I graduated, I was invited to consider interning with P2C and in that moment, God gave me clarity to pursue the opportunity. Now I’ve been an intern for about a year and a half.

One fun fact about me is that I love tea! I have a small collection of powder and steeped teas that I rotate through on a regular basis. And I have a ranking of tea cafes in Vancouver for making recommendations to people.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

This year, God has been reshaping how I view leading worship. I have been a worship leader at church and in my community in a variety of ways since I was in grade seven. Recently, I’ve been struggling to lead with joy and passion. I’ve been wrestling with discouragement and lack of confidence.

As I’ve been put into roles of leadership and mentorship, I’ve tried to be intentional about learning and teaching so we can all be better worship leaders. However, I’ve felt like I haven’t seen any growth in recent years. My conversations and interactions with people have felt uninspired. Leading worship has felt like singing to a library. The lack of response and engagement made me question what I was doing, my expectations of leading worship, and even my calling into worship ministry.

However, God has been reminding me of the point of worship: “It’s not about you and it’s not about the people. It’s about God.”

What specifically has helped you recognize the Holy Spirit?

This year, I was in charge of leading some of our worship services at our fall Summit retreat. In the week leading up to our retreat, I was preparing the worship sets and spent multiple days mulling over the theme and songs. I spent two hours a day for three days straight praying and looking over songs, trying to figure out what to do.

I had figured out a list of songs to lead, but about half an hour before I was going to load my car to leave, I sat in front of my computer to look at the songs for that evening. Something felt off. The songs I had chosen weren’t quite sitting right with me. The set felt clunky, and not one that I felt the Holy Spirit was calling me to lead.

In that moment I stopped and said a quick prayer. “Holy Spirit, something seems wrong. I’m not sure what it is, but God I know that this time of worship—and this entire retreat—is in your hands. So Holy Spirit, I pray you give me wisdom as I choose the songs and lead this community into worship, and give me peace as I point others towards beholding you.”

This short two minute prayer launched me into what I can only describe as a flow state with the Holy Spirit. He led me into a passage that resonated deeply with our community. He led me to three songs that inspired a worship that I’ve never experienced before.

When I’ve led worship in the past, it often felt like I was trying to wrestle with the congregation, trying to get them into a mindset of worship and encouraging engagement with Jesus. But this time I could recognize the Holy Spirit in moving people to wholehearted worship.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit’s redirection? And what happened next?

Fast forward four hours: everyone was arriving and the room was filling up. For the first time since I began leading worship, I felt nervous—a tangible uneasiness in my stomach and a tension in my shoulders.

A fellow worship leader came to my side and said a quick prayer for peace and wisdom as I stepped onto the stage. My nerves didn’t go away but I felt more confident with the reminder and awareness that God was by my side.

What happened next felt like it healed the 10+ years of frustration and discouragement in worship leading.

From the first moment I strummed my guitar, I truly understood what worship leading was supposed to look like. I heard a whole room of people singing wholeheartedly with what felt like a choir of 200 people. Quite honestly, I didn’t even sing for much of it. Every time I sang a verse or a chorus, I just sang the first line and the room practically took over. It was so evident that the Holy Spirit was moving so powerfully during our retreat!

The next night, we were invited to reconsider how our identity in Christ shapes how we are sent into the world around us. As I was listening to the message, I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to again scrap the set and lead us into a time of response through bridges from different songs. I invited our community to take a posture of kneeling in surrender to God. To my surprise the entire room went on their knees and a few students were convicted to the point of tears.

Oftentimes when I plan out worship, I tend to rely on my own wisdom and understanding. This time, I felt the Holy Spirit shift my approach so powerfully that I had to fully submit myself to his leadership.

After this experience, how do you reflect on Jesus as good news? How does the gospel change the way you think about leading others?

As I’ve been learning to trust God more, I’ve been learning to fix my eyes on him more and to not fixate on the opinions and reactions of others. To behold Jesus and sing to him, rather than sing to people.

This has meant that I’ve also had to learn to not rely solely on myself and my wisdom. This shift in my perspective has helped me to rely on the love of Jesus to shape how I express my adoration of who he is.

How can we pray for you or your P2C community?

P2C-UBC would appreciate prayer for wisdom and courage in discipleship. This year, we’ve seen large growth in our community and, in particular, a “wave” of first and second year students joining us. Praise God for the work that he has been doing!

However, it has been difficult for me to wrap my mind around how to cultivate spiritual growth and discipleship among so many. Pray that God would give us wisdom and discernment to empower students to disciple and grow with one another.

A personal prayer request is that God would give me patience, wisdom, and discernment. Currently, I am in a season of waiting for direction in ministry, both within P2C and outside. Please pray for a growing trust in God, that he would give me clarity on what ministry looks like as he calls me further.

Are you looking for an opportunity to grow as a leader? Consider an internship with P2C-Students! Applications are due March 1st.

Internship Opportunities with P2C-S

My name is Sarah Robinson and I live in downtown Hamilton. I work for P2C-Students on our Creative Communications team.

Fun fact: Last summer I learned to paint with watercolours while living at a monastery in the UK.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

I’ve been on a long journey of healing from depression and burnout. As I grow in health, God is helping me re-engage, even when it’s risky. He’s giving me opportunities to “lean in” and to be open to him, rather than to be passive.

Here’s a specific example. Last week as I sat at my desk, I heard someone wailing. At first I thought it was a baby because it was so loud. But when I looked out my window, I saw a woman sobbing as she walked down the middle of my street. Based on her appearance, she was probably homeless.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

I see people in need all the time. But the sound of this particular woman’s open weeping hit me in a special way, even though she wasn’t directly asking me for help. I felt a deep compassion that must have been from God. I confess that so often I’m callous towards the characters I see in my neighbourhood. I was aware of God’s compassion for her—and that he might be leading me to respond to her tears.

In hindsight I also recognize that this encounter may be the Holy Spirit preparing me to engage this summer with the reality of homelessness. I’m co-directing the PRAXIS Edmonton mission trip with P2C and this will be an intensive opportunity to engage with marginalized communities.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit in this situation?

I didn’t know how I could help this woman, nor what she was crying about. But I decided to take the risk to engage. I jumped up from my desk, threw on my boots, and walked quickly to catch up with her, not knowing what I would do when I reached her.

She was still walking down the middle of the road. A car approached and the driver honked and yelled at the woman. Now I had a way I could help: maybe I could coax this woman off the road and onto the sidewalk. But the only response I got was, “I don’t care!” So the only thing I could do was walk alongside her.

Another neighbour must have called the police. Suddenly several officers showed up and took over the work of trying to engage with this woman. I had done all that I could do, so I walked home.

And then I wept too, letting myself lean in and feel the sorrow that God must feel over the brokenness of my city.

What difference does Jesus make to this situation?

As I cried, and as I shared this situation with friends, I’ve noticed many ways that Jesus offers good news.

Jesus walks with me as I weep. He walks with the poor as they cry out in need. In a mysterious way, I got to walk with him when I walked with that woman.

Jesus doesn’t ask me to save anyone. He is the saviour. I am free to just do what I can.

Jesus guides me one step at a time. I don’t need to know exactly what will happen before I say yes. I can trust that he won’t abandon me when I step out in obedience.

And when I think about going on a mission trip this summer, Jesus makes a difference there too. I can lean in to the opportunity to go because Jesus only asks me to be myself. He loves to work with people who know they are weak. This is good news for me when I know that I don’t know. I can take risks to try, rather than be stuck just watching from a distance.

How can we pray for you?

Please pray that I would continue to lean in and take the risk of engaging (with God’s help!). Pray that I—and other participants—would especially engage while we are on PRAXIS Edmonton in May.

In fact, most summer P2C mission trip applications are due this week (Thursday January 15th). Please pray for those who have started or are thinking about applying to any trip. Pray that they would have courage to try, to lean in, and to step out in faith, even if it feels easier to let the opportunity pass by.

May we all be moved by God’s compassion to go and do what we can, even when it seems small.

Learn More: P2C Mission Trips

My name is Obed Oluwakoya. I only joined P2C at the University of Prince Edward Island in my final year of my bachelor’s degree, but I loved it so much that I asked to volunteer. I’ve kept attending, even past my graduation earlier this year.

Fun fact: I love music and have more than a 100 little voice recordings of songs I’ve tried to write. But I’m only now really learning the art of songwriting.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

God has picked up the pieces of my broken faith.

I grew up in a very vibrant Pentecostal household. My dad is a pastor and my mum’s family is pretty involved with worship in the local church. But going through university shook my faith to its foundation.

Growing up, I tried to do the right things but I never really felt like the most Christian person around. I’m from Nigeria, so when I attended university in a foreign country I got thinking, “Am I really a Christian?” I was terrified of all the change. I started drifting away from my family, making compromises in my faith to fit in, and doubting if there was really a God at all or if I even wanted God to exist.

Even when I believed he was real, I feared I would just keep failing at being a good Christian, and that obsession consumed my thoughts.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this experience?

I remember a week where I had been thinking over and over that even if God was real and he was loving, I couldn’t trust his brand of love. That Sunday, as I sat down in church only partially present, the preacher introduced the day’s sermon: “God can be trusted.” I knew then that God was listening.

Over time, God sent pastors, friends, Bible study groups, and words to remind me that he really was there. Even when I doubted his very existence, God was still in my story.

What difference does Jesus make to your story?

As I was wrapping up my degree, all these people reintroduced me to the gospel, and through this good news I found a profound hope, greater than any other I had ever experienced. God is already truly with me, whether or not I’m a “good Christian.”

The message of Jesus’ redeeming grace finally allowed me to look more at him and less of myself. While I’m still on a journey of reconstructing my faith, I can tell you that Jesus has brought me to a much better place.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus?

Initially, I still felt the need to perform to ensure I was right: right with God, right with myself, right with others. So that’s what I did. I volunteered almost wherever I could, serving on multiple teams in church. Even though I denied it, I felt some pride in the fact that I was almost always busy.

But as God continued to teach me about grace. That came with learning more about why I do the things I do, living meaningfully, and shedding some of the fears that kept me always on the go.

So I ended up cutting some of my engagements. I’m still honestly a bit overstretched, but more and more I’m learning not to do it to earn my own righteousness, but to instead live from an overflow of love and be more mindful with the way I live my life.

Now I have priorities that I feel glad to be a part of, rather than bound to as a means of feeling self-righteous. I love serving in a few different ministry expressions, including my alma-mater’s growing P2C community. I’m learning the beauty of relating to God as my father and friend and leaning into that more.

Since then, I’ve felt a big tug on my heart to go into ministry even though I don’t fully know what that’s going to look like. But I have lots to learn in the meantime.

How can we pray for you and your local P2C community?

I still have a lot of growing to do in my faith and obeying God’s call on my life, so please pray for me.

Please pray also for my local P2C community that we would be rooted in Christ and be a big light to our little campus. I would love to see more of my friends and other young people truly know about the gospel and what it really means that Jesus is here and that he loves us.

My name is Jocelyn Au-Yeung and I got connected to P2C as a first year student when I was studying at Toronto Metropolitan University. I became really involved and served on the student leadership team for several years.

A fun fact about me is that I love watching movies and challenged myself last year to only watch movies before the year 1986.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

I’m two years post-graduation and still trying to figure out what my future looks like. I originally studied film and media production in school, and spent the first year after graduation working part-time and trying to find a job in the industry.

Then I followed a call to work with youth, exploring ministry through an internship at my church. I finished the internship and determined that ministry isn’t for me, at least right now. So I’m left scratching my head, and wondering what’s next. Why has God led me here? What’s next? How long until I know?

While I don’t have any clear answers yet, I realized God has led me into a season of waiting and asking me to trust him in it.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

In the past year, my church has been going through a sermon series on Genesis, recently looking at the life of Abraham and his journey of trusting God’s promises to him. Throughout his story, a theme of waiting emerges that really resonates with my current stage of life.

God promises Abraham that he will make him into a great nation. Yet Abraham waits decades, wondering when and how God will fulfill his promises. Along the way, he stumbles and makes serious, costly mistakes, and yet God still unconditionally chooses to renew these promises, asking Abraham to trust him as the Giver and Sustainer of his life.

I realized through this sermon series how God was asking me to trust him in the same ways, to wait upon him in a season of uncertainty about my future.

What difference does Jesus make to this situation?

Jesus is my certainty that God has my best interests at heart and my future in his hands. While Abraham did have to wait years and years for God to make good on his promises, God was orchestrating an even bigger plan for humanity in Jesus. Abraham’s small part in trusting God over his lifetime was just a piece of how God worked through all of human history to enact his plan of salvation for all of us. In the same way, I only have to wait this short period of time, trusting him with all the gifts and talents he’s given me.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises to us. While we fail and make a mess of our lives, God still draws near to us if we only trust him. Jesus promises to be with us in our every circumstance, and he knows what it’s like to suffer and wait. Jesus is good news to me that my waiting is not in vain.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus in this situation?

God has helped me to be less anxious about waiting. It can be easy for me to take up busywork so I can feel like I’m in control. Because I’m choosing to trust God with my future, I’m learning to sit with him and to surrender my worries to him.

I’m also not worried about opportunities I miss or that don’t work out, because I know he’s preparing something for me, even when I can’t see it.

Trusting God with my future has also alleviated my anxieties around finances, knowing that God provides for my family and my daily needs.

How can we pray for you?

I’m currently applying to teacher’s college and praying/considering whether this is a pathway forward for me. Please pray that I would continue to trust God with this and with my future, no matter the circumstances.

Please also pray that I’d be able to find a job in the meantime so I can help support my family.

How are you connected with P2C-Students, and what’s a fun fact about you?

My name is Leonardo Galindo—or Leo for short. I used to be a member of P2C when I was a student at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University, where I served as a leader and treasurer.

A fun fact about me is that I love words. If I could do one thing for the rest of my life it would be to live out my writer dreams.

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

God has been at work in helping me to trust him with my future.

Over the past year, I have thought about my future A LOT. Should I apply for this or that job? Should I go to grad school or law school? Should I go out tonight or stay home? Should I buy this car or use my current car until it slowly breaks down? I can go on, but you get the picture.

For deep thinkers and perfectionists, this is a far too well-known phenomenon: Feeling that every decision has to be perfect and if it isn't, your whole life will end up in shambles. This fear of making the wrong decision hinders me from fully engaging in my life, relationships, and work.

In my search for an answer to "What is God's will for my life?" God has revealed to me an absolutely brilliant answer: "Stop looking for it."

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in your life?

I had this idea in my head that there’s a "mystical will of God" that I must search for to achieve success and get the things I want in life. So I did everything possible to look for it: Reading verses with a hope of digging out some lost secret. Thinking that if I just go to this place, or apply to this job, or talk to this person, I would find God's will for my life. What an exhausting way to live!

This summer, I asked one of the pastors from my local church to give a talk on decision-making for my young adults’ group. The discussion that night was eye-opening, and what followed was an insight that felt liberating. My friend lent me a copy of Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung, which gave me a wake-up call about what it really means to find God's will.

God's will for my life is to be formed in the image of his Son. This is no easy task. It will take hard work and discipline, but I am comforted by knowing that so long as I am living righteously and seeking his kingdom, God will take care of me. So I can stop expecting God to reveal a specific will for my life.

The voices from my church and a book helped me to hear the Holy Spirit’s redirection. But I can also see how God has been speaking to me in scripture too.

In John 16:33, Jesus tells me that my life will have many trials that seem overwhelming, but are overcome by the power of his love for me. And because Jesus has overcome these trials, I need not worry. My future is in his hands, and he's got me in whatever decision I make.

Further, because of what Jesus has done for me, I can walk in the knowledge that I have everything I need to live the godly life I desire (2 Peter 1:5-8).

What difference does Jesus make?

A huge difference I've noticed in my life because of this truth is that I am living lighter. Instead of being wound up in anxiety, fear, and worry about my burning questions, I choose to confront these questions with courage and see them as an experience to be lived rather than a problem to be solved.

As my favourite poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, wrote so beautifully:

"Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves . . . And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day to the answer."

Jesus gives me peace in the here and now. I do my part, I make my plans, I take action, and rest easy knowing that Jesus is taking care of me each step of the way.

How can we pray for you?

Pray that I may be reminded of God's continued faithfulness in every decision and situation. Right now, I am working as a youth leader while searching for a job in my field (I graduated with a degree in Policy Studies and Economics, so maybe I'll become the next Prime Minister, who knows?). I am also studying for a big exam in the fall to pursue further graduate-level education starting next year.

These are all really exciting steps for me, but without God, I know that I won't be able to see them through.

Also, pray that a health situation in my family may be well-managed. Praise that the Lord has already been at work in the situation!

Find P2C-Students Communities

My name is Ben Joubert, and I used to be part of P2C-Students when I was a student at the University of Calgary. After graduating, pursuing more theological studies, and working in a church, my wife and I felt called to work full time for P2C-Students here in Calgary. And here we are about 2 years after that initial decision. Fun Fact: I love to play cricket and was able to join a team in Hamilton, ON for a while.

What’s an area of your life where you’ve seen God at work recently?

In the area of worry. Over the last year, I have noticed God bring my worrying to my attention more and more. Worry has been hindering me from fully engaging in life and ministry. God has been slowly and gently inviting me to greater trust in Him when I face different worries, helping me to recognize they are often rooted in fear.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

The Holy Spirit has been primarily helping me address worry through scripture. Luke 12:22-34 has been a convicting and encouraging passage about my tendency to worry. Through this section, the Holy Spirit has highlighted to me that my worry is often misplaced due to fears surrounding the uncertainty of the future and a misunderstanding of what my priorities should be. However, the passage is filled with continual reminders of how the Father views me. The Holy Spirit has highlighted the great love God has for me in the midst of my fears and uncertainties.

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation?

A major difference has been a sense of hope and peace. Worry robbed me of being attentive to what was going on around me, while at the same time making me dread what was to come. Jesus is giving me ways of finding peace right now, while at the same recognizing He is making all things new, including what is coming in the future.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news?

Throughout the last year, it has been a slow process of responding well and at other times not so well. In the better times, it has been turning to God in the middle of all the worry, being reminded of His great love, and learning to trust His provision. At other times, it has been allowing worry to run free in my mind, rather than turning to God. It definitely has been a learning experience to more reflexively bring all I am experiencing or feeling to God at every moment.

How can we pray for you (or your local P2C community)?

Prayer for being reminded of God's continual love and care in the midst of times that seem most uncertain would be greatly appreciated. As for our local P2C community, please pray for them in their final stretch of the semester, for strength, wisdom, and reliance on God in times of stress.

My name is Erin Ng, and I connected as a first year student through a local P2C campus community in Guelph. I’ve been on staff with P2C for 10+ years.

I met my (now) husband while we were both on staff, even though we were also both students at the same university at the same time (and somehow never met then).

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

This fall I returned to work after a second maternity leave, and the timing of returning to work and how/when my childcare support would begin was up in the air for months. My return to work was delayed as I took an unpaid leave of absence for just over one month, not knowing when I would return.

It is hard for me to release being in control. God led me to a place of surrender and peace with the unknown as I walked each week trusting his direction.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

The Holy Spirit brought me into awareness of how God was at work:

• helping me actively surrender

• providing financially for my family

• leading me to a new daily 5 minute prayer practice

• grounding me in the assurance that he was saying, “Erin, just wait and see what will happen.”

God brought about an unexpected crisis with our daycare that turned all my plans and ideas upside down.

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation?

When our childcare was disrupted and we were faced with needing to find a new preschool for our kids, Jesus offered assurance that he was in control and would provide.

When I faced grief at the sudden transition and unknown of how/when I could work, Jesus offered comfort through family and close friends.

When I felt overwhelmed with juggling the needs of vocational ministry with a busy home (2 kids, 1 dog, and 2 exchange students), Jesus offered peace and grounding to take each day moment by moment.

When I was faced with my own lack of control over my circumstance, Jesus offered reminders that he loved my family even more than me, and remained fully in control of all outcomes, no matter what they were.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news?

God helped me respond to the disruption by being willing to accept change. As I embraced a new schedule with a new childcare provider, returned to work at minimal hours, and juggled the needs of my busy home, God met me with grace and grounding. God helped me release control over what I thought was going to happen and humbly accept what was happening, in faith that God is good and has good in store for my family and me.

How can we pray for you?

You can pray for my children as they adjust to their new morning preschool, and for grace as I manage a busy home and juggle working in ministry. You can also pray for meaningful projects as I provide support to our ministry through writing and managing our website.

I’ve been volunteering remotely with P2C as a writer/editor with Creative Communications since 2021, and I’m now a first year intern in that same role.

One fun fact about me is that I love animation and fan culture, and I run a blog where I write essays about those topics (and other things too!).

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

Ever since graduating, I’ve really struggled to know what to do with my abilities, which led to a lot of doubt and anxiety about how useful I was to others. I was in a job that made me severely depressed, and it ruined the relationship I had with work for several years.

During that time I was also volunteering with P2C, and my fellow editors were a key part of helping me confront the extent of my depression and how damaged I was. I hadn’t been able to write for myself for over a year at that point, when beforehand my favourite thing in the world was writing essays about media.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

It took a while to recognize the Holy Spirit in my attitude towards work. At the time, I was applying to internships as part of my publishing certificate to become an editor. To my frustration, every application—even if I got an interview—was rejected. What was going on? I doubted and complained.

And then I realized that the invitation to intern at P2C was still wide open. It was as if the Holy Spirit was holding the door for me, patiently guiding my steps back towards him as I panicked by myself in another room.

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation?

Jesus gave me boldness and joy in my future. It’s something I’m definitely still learning to listen to, but I have felt Jesus’ gentleness in my hopelessness.

Even when I was unemployed and obsessing over having a career, any career, he let me know that my labour, even just getting up every morning, was not in vain. I heard those words during a worship song at church, and broke down.

“What labour?” I cried. “I’m not even doing anything!” But Jesus’ promise of an easy yoke was persistent, tearing down my self-criticism. He sent me a friend in that service to comfort me, and has continued to provide support and new paths for me ever since that day.

Interning with P2C was not something I thought I’d ever do, but God directed me towards it as I was boldly stepping into searching for work again and trusted the opportunities he provided.

Every time I start to doubt my worth or my purpose, I am reminded that he knows my future.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news?

Following God’s call into P2C was a complete leap of faith. I never thought I’d be doing missionary work, but the decision to intern at all was a response to God’s invitation. Who knows what will happen this year? All I know is that I’m obeying God and learning about his plans.

How can we pray for you?

Please pray for my growth in leadership as an editor, and for a rekindling of curiosity in my writing as I get back into doing what I love while serving students.

Read more about Victoria’s journey: How do I trust God for success when I feel like a failure?

Victoria’s blog: https://thequotorium.wordpress.com

Learn more about interning with P2C-Students

My name is Perry Siddons and I work with Creative Communications as part of the writing team, from my home office in Saskatoon. I just started this fall after finishing up my time in seminary with my Master’s degree in the spring. 

I got connected to Power to Change–Students through my wife, Andrea, who is a campus staff at the University of Saskatchewan. 

Fun fact: I own about a thousand physical books (and may need an intervention).  

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

I was feeling unsure about my choice to work with Power to Change–Students. Would I fit in? Would I really have something to contribute? The diagnosis: Imposter syndrome. I haven’t been to university and don’t know the culture. I’ve hardly been connected with P2C. These feelings of doubt and fear became even stronger when staff training was approaching. But as I started learning with my fellow new staff members, I felt a sense of confirmation: God had provided me a place within Power to Change–Students. 

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation? 

Looking back at my time of staff training, I see that the Holy Spirit was using the relationships with my new colleagues to make me feel accepted and not as a “lesser” member of the team. Nobody questioned my motivations for being part of P2C-S as I shared parts of my experiences throughout the week. I was so grateful, because the Holy Spirit showed me how great P2C-S is, as people my own age were talking about the gospel during the training sessions. Hearing people from my own generation talk about Jesus and the good news encouraged me and sparked a sense of hope in my heart. “There’s something really great for me here,” I thought to myself. 

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation? 

Jesus showed himself to me in others. Through my many conversations with my new colleagues I witnessed grace, love, acceptance, and compassion. Feeling out of place can be really difficult, but Jesus accepts us as we are. I’m reminded of the words found in the invitation to confession in my church community, “He welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.” 

I didn’t feel like I had to have the same experiences as everybody else to be part of the ministry. We all come to the table with different experiences anyway, and that’s a good thing. This group of people, upon whom I projected all my insecurities and fears about working with Power to Change, was God’s way of convincing me that I was in the right place. He had called me to P2C. 

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news?

After chatting, eating, and playing with my new colleagues at staff training, I became much more thankful for the work God gave me to be a part of, because I felt part of the team. I didn’t make a mistake joining up with P2C, because God brought me here. And because of that, I am so excited about the year ahead! 

How can we pray for you? 

Please pray for courage, so I would be brave to contribute effectively to the work of my team. 

Hi! My name is Isabella Ng. I’m a Registered Nurse who graduated last year from the University of Alberta. I began attending Power to Change in my first year in 2019 and served as a discipleship leader for a little. I also took part in Meaning Makers, a creative writing ministry of P2C, where university-aged people across Canada come together to explore writing and spirituality. 

Fun fact: I have a kitty named Tofu, my baby boy.

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

In June, I had the opportunity to go on my first mission trip to Cambodia. At the beginning of this year, I spent time reflecting on what I wanted 2024 to bring. I had been feeling stagnant in my faith for months. I wasn’t really sure what I was being called to do, what actions to take next. I kept praying, “Lord, send me.” A very dangerous prayer, I was later told, because when God hears that, He will FULL SEND. 

And send me he did. To Cambodia! However, God really had his work cut out in molding me and making me listen to the Holy Spirit in the months leading up to the trip.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation? 

I recognized the Holy Spirit in my discontented and stagnant faith before applying to the mission trip. I felt that I had stayed faithful but had hit a flat road through the prairies (translation: very boring) without anything to focus on. 

In hindsight, I think the Spirit was preparing me for the trip. He was making sure I had a strong foundation because he knew I would be tested. Cambodia was my very first overseas trip and my very first mission trip. Double whammy. A lot of doubts clouded my mind and I did not feel adequate or prepared on my own. 

However, the Holy Spirit wants a relationship that’s deep and intimate with us. He knew my fears and would show me how to work through them. The Holy Spirit embraced me and brought me great comfort in Cambodia. He co-labours with us, sharing the yoke in everything I do. I’m never facing my fears just on my own. 

He will be with us through the grunt work of transformation, supporting us and whispering the truth that with God, all things are possible. He made me an effective agent to do his good works. 

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation?

Without Jesus, I am nothing. I could see myself without him: scared, insecure, and lonely. I wouldn’t have thought about applying for the trip at all. But with him, I know that I am transformed. My biggest worries about the trip were that I would have little to offer those we were serving in Cambodia spiritually and physically, and that I would feel lonely on a big team of people that I did not know. 

However, over the next few months that we had to prepare, God helped me through each and every one of these fears. He brought the team together and I felt safe, welcomed, and encouraged by all of them. He placed us on the team for a reason, knowing our strengths. He showed me what I could do so that I wouldn’t focus on what I couldn’t do. He reminded me that he made me, just as he made every individual that I encountered on the trip: in his image and just as he intended. Jesus also gave me confidence and assurance in the maturity of my faith. He equipped our team well, guiding our pastor to train us in the months leading up to the trip.

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news?

If it’s not obvious yet, I ended up going to Cambodia! Those two weeks were a whirlwind, leading medical consultations and a kids sports camp with the team. Although I still had a lot of worries and there were still many unknowns, I felt equipped by the team, what I had learned, and most importantly, by the Holy Spirit. I knew how God has transformed my life and that urge from the Spirit to share Jesus’ love with Cambodians was much much greater than my fears. 

How can we pray for you?

I’d really appreciate prayer going forth from this mission trip: sharing what God has been doing and will do for the people in Cambodia, translating the love and efforts of our overseas mission to serve the people in my city, and learning to lean into the whispers of the Holy Spirit even more.

My name is Emily MacLaren! I’m a 4th year Psych/English student at Dalhousie in Halifax, NS. I’ve been attending P2C events since my second year at Dal. 

A fun fact about me is that I’ve lived in four different provinces! 

In this story though, it’s important to know that for the past 10 years I’ve worked at Christian summer camps, and I’ve spent 5 summers to date at my home church’s day camps.

Where have you seen evidence of God recently? 

Lately I’ve been praying a lot more in my own life, and with my friends. We’ve asked for big things and small things, and we’ve seen almost all of those prayers answered! He has been answering them specifically and abundantly, in ways we couldn’t have imagined. 

For me personally, God has provided an answer to my prayer for summer work. Last summer, I “retired” from summer camps, but in a turn of events, God has me returning in a new way to the job I’ve loved for years, and has provided all of the means for me to do so! 

What caused you to recognize God there?

God had been responding to my friends and my prayers in ways we didn’t anticipate. He opened doors that I wasn’t looking for, like returning to camp and for this ministry to expand. 

I can see him working to make his ministry more effective, and to teach his people (myself included) to rely on him confidently, humbly, and gratefully.

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life?

Seeing this pattern of answered prayer has made parts of the Bible come to life. Like Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” 

This season has helped motivate me to pray and thank God continuously. I want to remember what God has done for me because he answers prayers even when I don’t deserve to have my prayers answered. 

My trust in the Lord has only deepened as I have been more diligent in expressing where I need him in my life, allowing him to move, and thanking him for it.

How did you respond to God? 

Practising gratefulness. When I see God at work, like in answered prayers, I physically stop and acknowledge him in that moment and thank him for his presence and action. 

I don’t want to take it for granted who God is and how he works.

How can we pray for you?

Pray that I keep a constant faith and don’t get swayed by circumstances. I know that I can trust that God is with me and cares, but sometimes I seem to forget it. 

Also, pray that I continue to be bold in bringing prayers to God. I want him to use me for his purposes and I want to be aware of his goodness, for his glory.

I’m Liam Turchin, and I’ve been connected to P2C for the last four years at York University.  Currently I’m a part of the Serve Team and the Club Administrator. 

Fun fact: I know the first 20 digits of pi: 3.1415926535 8979323846

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently?

When finishing final papers, I tend to procrastinate. Often I feel like I’m trying to put in the right study tactics and do the right things, but it just doesn’t catch.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation?

Conviction around unhealthy habits of things piling up. 

The desire to be free from pressure, seeing how it doesn’t actually change by just trying to do the right “tactics” and relying on my own human strength. 

And an invitation to humility, as I see how I was ignoring God’s offer of help that was there the whole time. 

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? In other words, how is Jesus good news in this situation?

When I am getting behind, because of procrastinating or putting other things ahead, I feel less and less worthy to accept God’s help. I then feel like I’ve dug myself into a hole and now I need to dig myself out of it. 

However, because of Jesus, I can start confessing, “God, I’ve put this off and I need your help.” 

Jesus meets me in the hole that I am in, he’s there waiting and ready to help. He doesn’t condemn me for the things I’ve done that have made me late nor for being behind. He came to save. He loves us unconditionally. 

So why don’t I just talk to Jesus and invite him in? It makes the path forward infinitely better! I remind myself, “My paper is a lot easier task than rising from a tomb.” 

And Jesus cares about me. He’s an ever-present help in times of need, so I don’t need to do these things by myself. 

How did you respond to the Holy Spirit's work and Jesus' good news? 

Where my story took me: I love Psalm 69 where it describes neck-deep flood waters and sinking in deep mire, unable to find a foothold and about to drown. It can feel like this when I’ve got a paper due and I’m currently sinking! So I reach out to my Saviour. 

My response to God: I pray about things sooner, not just waiting until “I need to.” Why go about it alone when God is waiting to strengthen and come alongside you? It builds your confidence too. The God who cares about the little things—there’s nothing stopping him from the big things too. Why wouldn’t he? 

I keep a running note on my phone called “Acts of God”—which is basically a running list of prayers answered. “Little things” that I make note of, like when the weather was forecasted to be awful and it turned out great, or praying to be able to work on a paper and then two pages later realizing how God helped. I’m seeing how God keeps helping me trust in his plans.

How can we pray for you and your local P2C community?

Pray that we could bring more of these little things to God. 

Prayer for York students as they finish a semester that was disrupted by a strike. 

Pray for the leadership team next year to take steps of faith on campus to be confident in God, confident that he will use them for his good purposes.

I’m Sarah Robinson, I work on the Creative Communication team as an editor, and I love biking all year round. 

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently? 

In making decisions. 

What happened?  

One morning, I needed to decide on how to respond to an invitation to speak at an event, but I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I felt really anxious about getting back to the event organizers quickly.

As I biked to work, I realized that maybe my decision could wait until the evening. That night I was going to have a phone call with my sister, which would clear up some unknowns. Then I could make a more informed decision. 

So while I still didn’t know what I would decide, I felt better because I had a next step. 

Why did you think this might be God in your life?

This idea to delay my decision-making came to me out of the blue, so I think it is the Spirit leading me. The relief I felt seems like he was giving me life.

How is Jesus good news in your decision-making? 

Decision making is really hard for me because I don’t know what to do with all the unknowns and all my competing desires. Jesus doesn’t necessarily give specific answers. But the good news is he is with me in the unknowns. They don’t separate me from him because nothing can do that. He’s with me in the process of deciding, and not just once I’ve made a choice. 

In this specific situation, how did you respond to God?

I took the risk of emailing the people who are waiting for my response, asking for more time to get back to them. They were very understanding! And then the next day I was able to decide. 

How can we pray for you? 

Haha, pray that I make good decisions! But more importantly that I would continue to see how God is with me regardless of the decisions that I make. 

God with me as I drink tea! 

Bonus: More thoughts on decision-making 

Choose your own adventure: Breaking down decisions to a yes or no

Can I be confident in knowing God’s will?

God has a wonderful plan B for your life

My name is Miriam! I am a first-year P2C intern serving at Western University and on the Creative Communications team as a social media content creator. In university, I studied Global Development.

What's an area of your life where you've seen God at work recently? 

God has been helping me to love others even when I don’t feel compassionate.

How did you recognize the Holy Spirit in this situation? 

I’m not very good at loving people. By nature, I’m a pretty selfish person and can often find myself consumed by my own needs or wants versus the needs of others. 

Last week, the Holy Spirit highlighted this pattern in my relationships with others. I noticed that people were confiding in me with things they were really struggling with and rather than having compassion for them, I felt overwhelmed and numb. I could tell I wasn’t being effective in loving others because I didn’t care deeply about what was happening in their lives.

When I try to convict myself, it’s often full of shame. There was a rebuke in this realization but it was full of hope. This is how God convicts us. I felt the gentle invitation to turn to him. I felt a sense of relief that I could admit that I was struggling and needed help. This gave me life. The Holy Spirit nurtures life in our souls through making us effective agents of God’s love. 

What difference does Jesus make to this part of life? 

As a believer in Jesus, my identity rests secure. Like the Apostle Paul, I can even say that out of all of us, I am the worst of sinners and still, my identity is secure. God loves me so much. Therefore, I am free.

Because of this freedom, I can be honest with myself and others about where I really am rather than where I want to be. I am free to learn and to grow from a position of love, not obligation.

How did you respond to God? 

I prayed! I asked God to help me to have compassion for others. I also confided in close friends. I told them about what I was struggling with and asked them to have grace for me as I grew. 

How can we pray for you? 

I’d love for you to pray for me in this area! Pray that I would continue to be an agent out of God’s love because of the freedom I have in Jesus rather than a sense of obligation. 

Bonus: Scripture to Ponder

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:7-12