Testimony of the Week: Matthew Wai

Matthew Wai is a pre-med Physiological Science major who also serves as the Focus Bible Study leader. He currently works at the UCLA rock climbing wall, loves to play tennis, and dances in his free time.

I had a pretty good life before I came to know Christ. I was a typical short Asian kid with glasses living in San Francisco (the best city in the world). I was going through life with little to worry about and absolutely no drama. I had a solid group of friends, an amazing family, and got along with everybody. The future looked bright because I had straight A’s and would most likely get into an excellent college. To top it off, I was always the glorified kid with the answers in Sunday school. You would not be able to accuse me of anything if you looked at my life from every angle, except one.

Why Small Groups?

Friday Night Devotional by Matt Ng, 11/20/2015

If you’ve been at Grace on Campus for any length of time, you probably know that one of our primary means of ministry is small groups. But why exactly do we have small groups? Here are three reasons why we believe small groups are beneficial for our ministry:

Testimony of the Week: Louise Koo

Louise is a 4^th year psychobiology major at UCLA. She loves to bake, listen to music, and have one-on-one conversations!

I grew up attending church in Glendale, but my memory of this church is very faint. I remember learning that Jesus loves me through Bible stories and songs, but I did not know what it truly meant to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Since the drive to Glendale was too far, my grandparents decided to look for another church that was closer to home. By God’s faithfulness, my third grade teacher, invited my family to Chinese Baptist Church of Orange County, which is a 20 min drive as opposed to 1 hour plus.

Christian Fellowship

Friday Night Devotional by Chris Underhill, 11/13/2015

Almost every week, we have an “After Fellowship Fellowship” after GOC. Grace on Campus is often referred to as a “Christian Fellowship.” Fellowship is a word we use a lot, but I sometimes wonder if we really grasp what it is and how it works.

Testimony of the Week: Ryan Chin

Ryan is a third year Material Science and Engineering student at UCLA. Some of his hobbies include playing basketball and going snowboarding. Ryan enjoys hanging out with people, so don’t be shy to say hi! 

I was born and raised in a Christian family. I went to church weekly because my parents always encouraged me to go. Instead of understanding and questioning why I went to church, I just went and saw this as another activity, not realizing or appreciating the true purpose of church. Although growing up in a Christian family and going to church regularly may seem wonderful, I still struggled with my identity in the world or in God. Throughout my life, I assumed that I was already Christian since I had been attending church regularly. I had the theology and the verses down, but I did so for all the wrong reasons. I became prideful the more theology I knew and my actions outside of church did not reflect how a true Christian should act. Because of my pride, I did not take church seriously by dozing off and being distracted with my phone. My actions outside of church and within church were not godly. School and idols such as video games and friends, and not God, were viewed as priorities in my life. In my heart, I was self-centered in seeking to fill my desires with pride, friends, and school. I focused on the desires that only benefited me. I did not depend on God and a drive for academic success and worldly entertainment controlled my life.

Sharing the Gospel

Friday Night Devotional by Jay Morissette, 11/6/2015

“Go in to all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” Mark 16:15

The command is simple, yet we often fail to do it. Why?

There are 3 people groups that are increasingly difficult to share with, each with its own set of challenges.

Testimony of the Week: Jacob Tsai

Jacob is a second year student at UCLA studying Chemical Engineering. Some of the things he enjoys doing are playing basketball, trying new foods, and more recently, dancing. Jacob always enjoys meeting new people so hit him up if you ever want to talk. 

I was born into a Christian family, and for as long as I can remember I went to church every week for Friday night fellowship and Sunday morning service, but for all the wrong reasons. I went to church to hang out with friends, not because of any personal convictions that I actually had about Christianity. I realize now that the danger of growing up in a Christian home is making the assumption that you are saved because you go to church, which is exactly what I did. In essence, I adopted my parent’s faith and pretended to be a Christian. I thought of myself as a decently well-behaved boy growing up, and I didn’t see the need for a Savior because I didn’t understand the magnitude of my own sin. At church I would try to make myself look good in front of adults and parents, and at school I would surround myself with non-Christians and hide my faith. This was my life and I saw no problem with it.