CCC Gainesville | Blog
Hello, my name is Tori Jacob. I have been volunteering here at Christ Community with the youth for the past three years, but I just wanted to give you a little insight and understanding about my background and why this particular age group is so dear to my heart. I grew up in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday, and went to a private Christian school all the way through 8th grade. I knew all the right answers, did my daily Bible reading and had a head-knowledge about the gospel, but I was lacking at understanding it in my heart. Then high school came along with all its challenges and struggles. I suddenly did not have all the answers, and the doubt began to creep in. I wanted to control my own surroundings and had very little interest in going to Church anymore, but my wise mother strongly encouraged me to attend every single youth event. I couldn’t stand it, for a while. Then something began to happen and I saw it, the body of Christ in action through His people. In a time of incredible heartache, the amazing youth leaders and my peers in the Church surrounded me and showed me how the love of Christ actually is. I was then able to begin feeling in my soul the true meaning of the gospel. Not only was youth group the catalyst for growing my faith, but it helped me feel equipped to love others and spread His word. I feel that the Lord has laid it on my heart to work with this specific age group because of how blessed I was during my youth days to have such amazing leaders to make a difference in my life. They continually poured into me and showed me the love of Christ, and now I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to give that back in return.
Tori with her Girl’s Group at “end of year dinner”
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (John 17:20–23).
The unity Jesus speaks of here is a unity in the truth, particularly the truth that the Father sent His Son for the salvation of the world. Hence, the unity we pray and work for is a unity in the gospel. The gospel teaches us that we look to the cross of Jesus Christ and not to ourselves for salvation. We look to one outside of us for salvation and not to our own works. We understand the gospel truly even now, but we do not grasp it completely.
He has taken stubborn, recalcitrant, and sinful people like us and transformed us. He has given us love for Him and for one another. Such a redeeming work has already begun in us, and we are called upon to maintain the unity of the Spirit now (Eph. 4:3). And yet we await the day when the work begun will be completed to the praise and glory of our God and Savior.
—Thomas Schreider, That They May Be One
