Welcome to Birmingham

If you’re a new student, let me welcome you to our wonderful city.  For those of you returning – welcome back.  I hope you had a good summer, and that your studies are going well.

What do you want from your time at university?

At the beginning we always have expectations.  I wonder what yours are? Is it primarily to enjoy student life and have a good time? Are you looking forward to getting a good degree, perhaps with one eye on a certain career path? Maybe you are hoping to be able to combine both.

Could I suggest a third, and more important option? Not the body or the mind, but the soul!

Satisfaction & Purpose

You know that bodily, physical activities don’t last.  Whether it is sporting, social or sexual, the enjoyment can be immense, but then it’s over.  We may, at times, have good memories, but we also have an emptiness, and we crave for more of the same.  If we focus solely on the body, we will never be satisfied.

The mind is capable of great things and lasts a lot longer than physical experiences.  It is most important if we want to be successful in this world and brings us much satisfaction.  I’m sure we’ve all experienced the satisfaction of ‘knowing’.  But then what?  Some spend their lives enslaved to the acquisition of knowledge, but for what purpose?  Some use their knowledge to forward their careers, either for self or the benefit of others, but ultimately we ask the same question, for what purpose?

What is the ultimate purpose?

Some of you will be no doubt thinking – ‘There is no purpose. We just live and then we die, end of story!’  This does not satisfy me, and I would hazard a guess that deep down it doesn’t satisfy you either, despite all the bravado.

We are creatures of meaning and understand that everything in this world that happens, happens for a purpose. I’m sure you don’t have to look back too far to remember an occasion when you said to someone, “why did you do that?”.

If there is meaning and purpose throughout our lives, surely the question as to why we are here on this earth has a meaningful answer too, and our answer to that question underpins everything else in our lives, for it gets to the very centre of who we are.  It concerns your never-dying soul.

Time Well Spent

Considering the importance of this question of ultimate purpose, can I suggest to you that it would be wise to spend a little time over the coming year searching for the answer.

It is unlikely you will have as much time to yourself after university, as you do right now. Don’t waste this time on things that don’t last, but set this search for truth as one of your goals for the year. Let me assure you that it will be time well spent.

Where do I start?

Now is not the time to give any answers, but I can tell you I have found the answers in the Bible, and the answers I have found fully satisfy, not just the soul but also the mind.

If you don’t have a Bible, I have a FREE Bible offer available.  Just get in touch through this website, and I’d be delighted to give you your own copy so you can read it for yourself.

The Bible has impacted and changed so many lives over the centuries and still does today, and I have full confidence that it will similarly impact your life when you open it and let it speak for itself.

If, however, you feel you would like some guidance in reading through it, and in understanding the core message, I will be starting a Bible study group in the next few weeks (details not confirmed yet) entitled ‘Worldview Rethink’. If you would be interested in joining this group, get in touch below with your contact details.