Finding Christ in College

By Aaron Tillman

In Finding Christ in College, Aaron Tillman shares the raw truth of several life-changing events that occurred during his freshman year of college, which ultimately led him to faith and belief in Jesus Christ. From struggle to triumph, with subtle jabs of humor, Finding Christ in College is a narrative that encourages hope, and faith, while challenging its readers to take a deep look at themselves, through the eyes of a college student.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546223627

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Copyright © 2018 Aaron Tillman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/16/2018

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2363-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2361-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5462-2362-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018900517

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

CONTENTS

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Acknowledgements

Prologue

Bitter-Sweet

Defining Moments

Walking on Water

Come.-Jesus

Up from the ashes

The Lion’s Den

Wonderful Thorns

Light in the Midst

Camouflage

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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W riting a book was something I always wanted to do, I just didn’t make the time to do it. When I mustered up the diligence to actually start, the laptop that I started writing the book on was stolen. But there are worse things in life.

This book would not have been possible without the accountability, tough conversations, prayers, and encouragement from so many people whose names are too numerous to list. But there are few people that I am deeply grateful and appreciative of, as they helped to bring this book to life:

To my beautiful wife, who accepts every part of me, while helping me channel my passion to share Jesus with the world; I am eternally thankful for your listening ear, and unswerving boldness. This book would still be a thought without your constant push.

To my family, who never gave up on me, and always desired the best for me. Joelise, you saw Jesus’ direction for my life when I couldn’t see. Mom, you have supported me through and through with unyielding love. Denise, your constant encouragement has brought great joy in this project. April, your love for me and passion for literature shaped my desire to write. My faith in Christ is only stronger because of each of your prayers, your words, and the undying light that emanates from each of you. You each play a special role in my life, and I’m forever indebted to you all.

To my dad, though you have passed from this earth, you’d be proud. I can almost hear your obnoxious laugh from heaven, and I can’t wait to see you again.

To Dave Hess, the integrity of your heart, quality in your leadership, and contagious faith has forever changed my life. You helped to cultivate my relationship with Christ, and set a fire in my heart to share Jesus on the college campus.

To Terry and Kat, both of you will never understand how much your constant push helped me to overcome my greatest difficulty; myself.

With sincere regards,

Aaron Tillman

PROLOGUE

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F ind the solution. No parental guidance, minus intended studying, plus infinite house parties, multiplied by the freedom of expression & speech. Combine all of these…..Now you may have come up with something entirely different, but if not, the word college probably crossed your mind. And if you didn’t get that this book would touch on some aspect of college, no hard feelings.

However, for those of you that got the answer before I gave it to you…well…here’s a cookie (insert laughter here). But maybe you didn’t experience any of these things in college. Maybe you were caught in the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced college world, traveling from point A to point B, trying to make an A or a B, while studying for 10 hours straight. Meanwhile, you entertain (distract) the drowsy right side of your brain with Twitter. Multiply the enticing Twitter feeds by your 10-page paper you started one day before it was due. Add all of this, to the look on your face when you look off into the distance, and you can’t really tell if she’s drunk, or…if she’s just tired, because by the looks of it, she’s had a run-in with a Calculus II textbook.

At the end of your equation, if you were in my shoes (Nike Dunk- Lows at the time), your solution would have ended with a 12x15 ft. dorm room that could potentially be used as a storage shed. You would have been raging war just to find a comfortable position on the overused and undersized mattress. And by the time you managed to get comfortable, the oh-so annoying, distorted chirp of either your cell phone or alarm clock woke you up without discretion. After disengaging the alarm, you muster up enough energy to move from one side of the bed to the other, knowing you’ll have to repeat the process all over again the next day…

Okay…so you didn’t live in Hamsterdam and your internet was fast enough to post selfies on Instagram, but I assure you, this journey through college will hit you with the unexpected, and shape you in some sort of way. Each group, like a vacuum, will suck you in to their social, economic, mental, or spiritual world. The only question is, which world will you get sucked into?

I know…the vacuum analogy was strange and you don’t picture yourself being sucked up anytime soon, but the truth is this…you will either be drawn in to something, or you will go willfully. It is human nature to gravitate, and you will gravitate toward or away from whatever is pulling you.

Take a look at the chart below. Can you identify something that pushes you away or pulls you in?

I realize that this list may not resonate with you, but if that were the goal, then you probably would’ve stopped at the vacuum analogy. This chart serves to display one thing: Everyone is pushed and pulled by different things. No matter how you see it, it is inevitable. Let’s go back in time, beyond the Apple era, when Walkman’s were cooler than iPods. Before white tube socks and high gym shorts were considered fashionable. Even before one, seemingly illogical dance, could go viral on YouTube. We’re going back to the beginning. I’m firmly convinced, that our gravitating, and many other factors, can be traced back to no greater place, than The Bible…

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Chapter 1

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BITTER-SWEET

M aybe you heard about the garden. Or skipped the garden and creation, and only learned about the serpent. Maybe you’re wondering what the heck I’m talking about. Whether these things are familiar or unknown, one thing is true. The Bible speaks clearly about people. About our desires. And more often than not, it portrays how we tend to gravitate toward the unknown.

In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we find God doing what He does best; creating. God creates many different things, such as the earth, the expanse of heavens and waters, and an array of creatures. After all of that, God creates us.

"In my life, people have often told me that I looked familiar. Have you ever gotten that? I mean, I’ve gotten Snoop Dogg, RG3, Barrack Obama (not sure how), and