Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim BurtJeff had always been the quiet type. He wasn’t the loudest in the room, and he never pushed his faith on anyone. But when he started his first semester of college, something changed.It wasn’t that he was trying to stand out—he just couldn’t hide who he was. When his classmates would talk about their weekend parties, he didn’t have much to add. When his professor mocked religion, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh along. And when the study group he joined planned a Sunday morning session, he politely declined.“You’re really skipping just to go to church?” Mitch, one of his classmates, asked, raising an eyebrow.Jeff shrugged. “Yeah, it’s important to me.”Mitch smirked. “Man, that’s old-school.”It wasn’t just that comment. Over the next few weeks, the remarks kept coming.“Jeff won’t come—he’s got to say his prayers.”“Careful, don’t sin around Jeff. He might judge you.”The worst was when their professor assigned a paper on “The Dangers of Religious Fundamentalism.” Jeff hesitated, then raised his hand.“Could we write about a different perspective?”The professor tilted his head. “What do you mean?”“Well,” Jeff swallowed, feeling the weight of every eye in the room. “I don’t think all faith is dangerous. Could we write about why belief in God is actually beneficial?”Silence. A few students snickered. The professor crossed his arms.“You’re free to write what you want,” he said, “but just know, I’ll be grading based on academic reasoning, not personal feelings.”It was clear what he meant. Disagree with me, and you’ll regret it.After class, Mitch caught up with him. “Dude, why would you do that? You know he’s gonna tank your grade.”Jeff exhaled. “Because it’s what I believe.”Mitch shook his head. “Whatever, man. Just don’t expect anyone to back you up.”That night, Jeff sat in his dorm, discouraged. Was it worth it? He wasn’t preaching in the streets. He wasn’t trying to force anyone to believe in God. But even standing quietly in his faith felt like a battle.He opened his Bible and landed on John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”This wasn’t new. Jesus Himself had faced rejection. His disciples had been mocked, beaten, and even killed for their faith. Compared to that, a few insults and a bad grade seemed small.A week later, Jeff turned in his paper. He defended Christianity not with emotion, but with research—pointing out studies on faith’s role in mental health, charitable work, and strong communities. He braced himself for the professor’s red pen.To his surprise, the paper came back with a B+. Not an A, but not the failing grade he expected.After class, Mitch walked up to him.“Hey,” he said, shifting awkwardly. “Uh… I read your paper.”Jeff blinked. “You did?”“Yeah. You actually made some good points.” Mitch scratched the back of his head. “Look, I don’t really do the whole religion thing, but… my grandma was a Christian. She used to pray for me all the time. I never really got it, but… I don’t know. It made me think.”Jeff didn’t say anything right away. He just smiled.Mitch cleared his throat. “Anyway, just thought I’d say, uh, respect, man. You stood up for what you believe. Not a lot of people do that.”As Mitch walked away, Jeff felt something shift in his heart. He had almost backed down. Almost let fear dictate his choices. But instead, he had stood firm—and in doing so, a door had opened.Not everyone would understand his faith. Some would mock it. But he wasn’t ashamed. He was living for something greater.And in the quiet of that campus, the light of Christ continued to shine.
Romans 1:16 (NLT) "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile."
In His love,Pastor Tim Burt
If today's Fresh Manna was a blessing to you, please hit the "LIKE" button below! And if you'd like to tell me why, write me at FreshMannaFeedback@gmail.comHelp us reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ!
or Donate Here:How are your donations used? Published by Pastor Tim BurtCopyright© 2025. All rights reservedhttps://TimBurt.org
