S3 Stories of Strength

Hi! My name is Ifunanya Obinabo and I am a junior at Grapevine High School. I’ve been in Students Standing Strong (S3) since eighth grade when one of my friends introduced it to me.

In my opinion I’ve always been close to God, but being in S3 really helped me understand my relationship with Him and what that entails. Furthermore, our meetings helped me learn more about the Bible and the Word of God. 

We spent a lot of time reviewing parts of the Bible and breaking it down to fully understand the message that God was trying to tell us through his disciples. By quoting the Bible often and listening to what was being said, I was able to learn more about my religion and what it means. 

One of the quotes that I discovered during our meetings was from Isaiah Chapter 1 verse 17 and it reads: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”

This really stuck with me because I feel that not only does it discuss morality, it is applicable to life regardless of religious belief. I’m always hearing how religion is fake or how it doesn’t make sense or how God doesn’t exist, but this quote seems to be above all that. I love it because it’s so inclusive, as you don’t need to be in a certain religion to follow it, it’s simply right.

This is amazing because it proves how immersive God is, how just by doing the right thing you are following His Word. 

Additionally, quotes like this remind me that while religion is sacred, it’s existence and the existence of God is always a reminder to do better. To stand up for others, to forgive, to share what I have when I have it. It helps me be a better person, something that I think we all strive to do. 

Through S3 I am able to communicate with others about the Lord and be free in my religion. I don’t need to restrict myself or change, I can simply just live in the Word. I learned so much from it and I enjoy teaching as well. I can’t wait for another year and I can’t wait for other schools to get to experience this club like I have! 

– Ifunanya

This past year was difficult to say the least. A global pandemic on top of an election year? Already sounds like a disaster. Graduating high school and moving off to college too? Now that sounds like a train wreck. Like many, last year was hard for me for various factors such as isolation from loved ones and the fear of the unknown. 

As many friends and loved ones of mine know, I’m a bit of a control freak. I like things done in a certain way, and last year was the perfect example of how I can’t control anything. It’s not because of my doing, it’s because of His. The most important thing I’ve learned from last year is how to be present and truly “let go and let God.” As simple as that phrase makes it seem, it’s honestly anything but. Often I find myself doing what I want to do or think is the right thing, without considering what God might be guiding me to do. 

The biggest example I have for this is when I decided where to go to college. That is a very stressful time for seniors, since very few are lucky enough to know where they might want to go. All of a sudden during my college search I felt called to attend a school in a completely different state, almost 10 hours away.  Ever since my freshman year of high school, I knew exactly where I wanted to go and all of a sudden I felt called to disobey my own desires. That feeling wrecked me.

The thing is, God doesn’t have to listen to what we want to do. It’s our job as Christians to obey Him and listen to what He tells us to do. There are many verses in the Bible along the lines of “let go and let God,” but one of my absolute favorite verses is Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” The Bible never tells us that once we cast our worries and troubles to God we will get what we want. It tells us that He will provide us with what we need. God knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what is right for you. If anything from this post sticks with you, I want it to be you asking God to guide you with something you are trying to control. 

– Gretchen

My name is Claire and I was a part of the Students Standing Strong (S3) group at Palombi middle school in both my 7th and 8th-grade years. S3 gave me a safe space and helped me grow a deeper connection with God.

With many elementary schools feeding into only one middle school, I often felt out of place or alone during middle school, and the work was harder and more plentiful than it had been in elementary school. At the end of a long Monday, S3 was the best and only thing that could lift my spirits. It got me through the day, thinking to myself, “Just 3 more periods until S3 where you can have fun, and talk about God, and eat good snacks” (of course my mind also went to the food;)).

During my time with S3 at Palombi, especially during my 2nd year, I stepped up and helped lead multiple lessons. My friend Chloe and I lead together, and the time we spent with our group leader going over notes about the lesson and actually leading the lesson itself were some of my favorite memories from my middle school years. S3 cemented the friendships I already had, helped me create new ones, and most importantly, strengthened my relationship with God.

During prayer time, I felt so safe and worthy of God’s love. I had been struggling in my relationship with God, not for any particular reason, I just didn’t feel close to Him and I didn’t know how to change that. S3 felt like a sign from God like He was telling me to come back to Him. We all joined in a circle, bowed our heads, held hands, and gave up our concerns, hopes, and thanks to God. Prayer time made me feel safe and I knew I could share anything with my group and they would pray for me and help me through it.

S3 was such a positive experience for me and I really enjoyed being a part of such a life-giving group. If you can, join! It’s such a great way to get involved with your school, meet new people, and strengthen your faith, and I am so grateful that I did it!!

-Claire

My name is Rachel and I was a part of Students Standing Strong (S3) in middle school. When you are already a part of a Christian group, you don’t quite realize just how important and how influential it is. Having strong friends who are devoted to their faith in your community is one of the best things you can do for your own faith.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him–a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” We can apply this message to communities of Christians, and how much stronger we are together. We should rely on each other and help each other grow closer to God so that we will not be quickly broken. God has provided us all with peers who are believers and places to grow in our faith, such as S3. He wants us to have companionship of others so that if we fall, we have multiple hands to catch us.

I understand that it is extremely difficult to find that sense of community right now, but God never stops working in people’s lives. I encourage you to make the extra effort of forming and nurturing your circle of friends who love the Lord, and if you don’t have any, it is crucial for you to reach out and find them. There are amazing people just waiting to help grow your faith, and for you to grow theirs. I pray that you will lift one another up in the name of the Lord, growing closer to Him as one.

God Bless, Rachel

Do you ever feel like God thinks of us as an obligation rather than His children who He delights in?

I know I do. Since we can never measure up to God it is easy to feel like an obligation rather than His prized possession. But friends that’s SO NOT true! Psalms 18:19 says “He rescued us because He delights in us.” Not only does God love us, He likes us. He enjoys spending time with us! He knows all of our quirks, thoughts, and mistakes and He takes delight in that which He made!

A perfect example of this truth is modeled for us in the book of Hosea. Hosea was a Godly man who lived purely, but God told him to marry a woman named Gomer who did not live a very pure life. They were polar opposites, but because Hosea was faithful he obeyed God and took her hand in marriage.

As they were married Gomer fell back to her old sinful ways of life as a prostitute. Her mistakes led her to a very low point in her life, but God wanted to use the love story of Gomer and Hosea to model His unconditional love for us. Gomer stood naked and ashamed among a crowd of people, but no one would even buy her to be their slave. Instead, they ridiculed and mocked her until Hosea showed up and bought her back as he declared that he was her husband. He would choose her again and again.

In this same way, God picks us over and over no matter what we’ve done. We are the Gomer in this story, and just as Hosea bought his wife back, God paid the price of our sins with the blood of Jesus Christ. He doesn’t choose us because we are good enough. No, God chooses us because He loves us too much to leave us behind.

Bible verses:
-Hosea 3:1
-Psalms 18:19

Prayer:
Father thank You for Your everlasting love and forgiveness. Though I fall short of Your glory continuously You love me, You like me. Lord let us fall into Your love as we walk through this beautiful life. Father keep our eyes focused on You and Your greater plan for our lives. When we sin Father, let us run back to Your open arms always. In Your holy name we pray amen!

-Belle