Testimony of the Week: Andrea Medrano

My name is Andrea (ahn-drrrre-ah), but you can call me Andrea (aun-dre-uh). I am a fourth year Psychology major hoping to pursue Dentistry. I love burritos, TYPING IN CAPS, and moderate exercise (to make up for the lack of vegetables in my diet). But above all, I love God.

My parent’s immigrated to the United States in 1979. By God’s grace, they were granted amnesty and obtained their citizenship through Ronald Reagan’s Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. And as such, they were given the opportunity to establish a permanent life for themselves and my siblings in the United States. I am so thankful for the many blessings that have followed since. In particular, I am thankful because it wasn’t until my parents immigrated to the United States that they first heard the Christian gospel.

Without Complaint

written by Kim Du

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life” – Philippians 2:14-16a

As I began working a full-time job and regularly spending much more time with unbelievers than fellow brothers and sisters, these verses have begun to stand out to me more than before. I see how much temptation there is to sin by complaining and how easily I dismiss this sin as “harmless”. There are so many things one can easily complain about – traffic, weather, work, class, other people, etc – and often it is easy to justify our complaints. But it is clear in James 2:10 that if we do not follow God’s word on one part, we are accountable to all of it. Any sin condemns us. So as I think about my own struggle with complaining, 3 things stand out to me in this passage of Philippians.

Testimony of the Week: Jessica Lin

Jessica is a 3rd year Psychobiology major aspiring to be a science teacher. She enjoys waking up early in the morning, physical activity that doesn’t require hand-eye coordination, and peanut butter.

If you had the power to create the “perfect environment” to raise the “perfect Christian”- that would be my home. I was raised by loving parents who loved God, a part of a close-knit church with a plethora of community, with a sprinkle of Christian music wherever I went. And if you knew me growing up, I exuded happiness and contentment- I mean, I had no reason not to- family, friends, good grades, health- I had it all.

Christmas Graphics for Download

Hi guys! This holiday season, Media Team has created an assortment of graphics that are available for download and use on our phones, computer desktops, and cover photos! Hopefully these will encourage us and remind us of the true reason why we celebrate Christmas. Check them out on our Google Drive!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Testimony of the Week: Michael Chan

Michael Chan graduated from UCLA in 2014 and attended Grace On Campus for all 4 years of his undergraduate studies. He currently works as an engineer in the Bay Area and goes to church at Redeemer Bible Fellowship in Mountain View. In his free time he enjoys driving fast cars, cheering on Bay Area sports teams, and drinking a nice cup of coffee.

By God’s grace I was born into a Christian household with parents that took me to church every Sunday as a child. At an early age, I remember my Sunday School Teacher telling me that if I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior I would gain eternal life. Enamored with the idea of being able to live forever I ignorantly accepted. However, like any child I quickly forgot what I had just done and its impact. Throughout the rest of my childhood my sin manifested itself more and more. I became selfish and constantly lashed out in anger to my family and friends over little things.

Testimony of the Week: Ryan Javier

Ryan is a fifth year physiological sciences major who just finished his undergrad courses this quarter. He enjoys watching and playing most sports (especially basketball) and is down to just hang out.

I was raised in a Catholic believing family. Growing up, I even attended a Catholic elementary school. What I remember being taught there was that I would be saved and go to heaven if I was a good person, basically salvation by works. As a child, I believed what I was being taught, mainly because I didn’t really know any better and also because my parents believed it too.

Finals Week Encouragement

written by Shannon Armstrong

Late Nights. Midnight Yell. Powell. Notecards. Ramen. Scantrons. Broken Printers (always seemed to happen right when I needed to print a final paper). Freedom. These are some of the things I think of when I think back to my college finals week. It is a time when you don’t know exactly what day it is as you watch the sun set and rise and just sit going from book to book trying to cram in every last bit of information before you are forced to sit and take a final exam that will test you on everything you ever heard or read that quarter. I remember those days, and I remember those were some of the most difficult days for me to prioritize and spend time with my Savior.

Testimony of the Week: Naomi Hamada

Naomi is a second year chemical engineering major at UCLA. She loves running (kind of quickly), reading (kind of slowly), coffee (black), and hanging out with people (always)–let her know if you’re down to chat!

I was born into a Christian family, and spent my childhood going to church, memorizing Bible verses, and hearing Bible stories from my parents and Sunday school teachers.

When I was about five, my parents asked me if I wanted to invite Jesus to come into my heart. From what I’d heard at church, Jesus seemed like a pretty nice guy, so I said yes, and my parents and I prayed together. Afterwards, although I had little understanding of what that prayer actually meant, I assumed that I was a Christian. I certainly believed that there was a God–and that he was likely the God of the Bible–but beyond that, my understanding of Christianity was hazy. I didn’t understand what sin was or consider myself a sinner; I didn’t understand why Jesus needed to live in my heart, or really even what that meant. Because of this, I don’t believe I was actually saved at this point in my life.