Student chapel speakers are back, continuing a trend that began last year. Juliana Stranberg and three other GodTreks members stood in front of the whole school and proclaimed how Jesus has walked with and changed them. Juliana spoke specifically about why she is running after “the growth, exploration, understanding, and wisdom” that is found in Jesus. Here is what she said:
The simplest way to explain what I am striving to learn with the people in GodTreks is how to live more like Jesus and how to build an intimate relationship with Him. I’ve seen others live like they have an intimate relationship with God. Jesus himself had a very close relationship with his Father and lived for the Father instead of for himself.
I need to learn what an intimate relationship with God looks like for me.
I think an important way to see how Jesus would live is to be in unity with the body of Christ. I hung out with my sister recently after not seeing her for a while and learned a lot about how she’s living in a close relationship with God. A verse came to mind when we were talking. It was, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I could see that in my sister’s life. She’s acknowledging God in all her ways. She’s spending time with God before anyone else. Before making any plans, my sister asks God what He thinks first. I asked her in disbelief, “Does that really work? How does He answer?” She responded, “He always shows me in different ways. I can’t explain it.”
That of course didn’t answer my question, but it was enough of an answer for me, because I know that God’s ways are sometimes unexplainable. I have experienced it for myself. When I say I want a real relationship with God, I don’t mean that in a superficial way. I truly want to learn how I can be in a close relationship with the Father. I know that being in community with the body of Christ will help me learn. By observing and getting to know His people, I can learn how they are living for God, so I can better understand my role in the body of Christ.
That’s why I love the opportunity I have in GodTreks to live and hike as one with people who value the same things as me. I want to be in an environment where I can gain understanding from people who are seeking God together. I want to learn how other people have built a close relationship with God and how I can do the same. I don’t want God to say to me “I never knew you.” I realize how little I’ve been growing in my spiritual life when I’m around others who are growing exponentially. I have missed Wednesday Bible studies for a longer time than I’ve wanted to, and it’s made me realize how much I need a community to grow. By being in community with others, I can learn how I should be acting according to biblical standards and not worldly ones.
My adventure goal in GodTreks is to see things I’ve never seen before. I feel this overwhelming need to see everything God has made. I want to travel, to discover, to explore. I want to make it my whole career, my whole life. I think God made the world just the right size so that no one can ever explore every part of it in their lifetime. That’s just who God is. We can never know everything about Him. We are just allowed to explore His beauty. To me, though, that’s just a little upsetting, because I want to see all of God’s goodness and all of His glory. But I have hope that in heaven, I will get to explore His beauty for eternity.
Last summer on the trip in the mountains, in the desert, in the cold, in the heat, in the hail storm, by the water, during every sunset, at every family dinner, at every Bible study spent together, I experienced the essence of God and the heart of who He truly is. There’s an inexpressible joy that fills me when I experience new things, see new places, learn new skills, and meet new people. I want to travel on my own someday, probably in the near future. So I want to know all there is to know about hiking, camping, wildlife, traveling, and exploring, to prepare me for greater experiences in the mountains.
God is slowly revealing things to me about myself, my skills, and my strengths. What God is showing me will help me figure out what He wants me to do with the rest of my life. But for now, I’m still learning. Just like last year, and the year before. I will never know everything there is to know, but I want to keep running after the growth, exploration, understanding, and wisdom that is found in Christ Jesus.
Juliana is a great example of how student testimonies strengthen the faith of Judah. The desire for more student speakers continues to rise and proves how God is working at the school. It’s not easy to talk about Jesus in front of the entire student body, not to mention teachers and parents, but as Juliana explained, “God gave me the confidence to speak in front of everyone.” God is clearly making a change at Judah and working through students to show His glory.
—Braden Laird, class of ’25
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