Truman State Application Essay

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” -C.S. Lewis
I am a stereotypical Christian: I grew up in a church, I was baptized when I was seven, my parents taught Sunday School, I have been the president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at my school, and the list goes on. Although all of these things may be true, my faith is as anti-stereotypical as they come. My faith has experienced many changes, some good and some bad, and it has been influenced by a myriad of things. The biggest influencers in my faith have been my family, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization, and ultimately, myself.
As I stated before, I grew up in church. In fact, the church I attend today is the one my father started attending when he was only seven months old. I have strong familial ties to my church and that is ultimately where my faith began. I sometimes reminisce back to when my father would sing Amazing Grace with me and my mother would teach me Bible stories. Together, my parents were my Sunday School teachers from third to sixth grade. I loved going to church as a family: my sister, my parents, and myself included. My sister, two cousins, and I even formed a singing group at my church in honor of my grandmother, Minnie (we were called “The Minnie Maberrys”) Needless to say, my family has been an integral part of my faith. I have sought encouragement from them and the wisdom they have instilled in me will remain with me for a lifetime. Another crucial facet of the growing of my faith has been the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization, or FCA for short.
I was introduced to FCA my freshman year of high school because my older sister wa...

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...uly does care. It may seem like a simple story now, but it was the moment that turned my life around for the better. After camp, I decided to make a change for Christ and have been persistently seeking His kingdom. I have seen a true change in myself and the world around me ever since that day at FCA camp.
My faith in Jesus Christ has had its fair share of ups and downs. Growing up in the church, I have never truly had a “life before Christ” like so many others have testified about; however, I have endured some life changing and faith altering situations. My faith has been heavily influenced by my family, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and most of all, by me. If there is one thing I have learned in my walk with Christ, just as C.S. Lewis said, it is that Christianity is like the rising sun; “not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”