At the end of my final school year all my friends asked me about what education I was looking at after school? It was pretty stressful since I didn’t know – I didn’t know my future. Then I realized my promise that I would live for God, and how I really wasn’t, because I had not even asked God what He wanted me to do.

The next day I decided to pray, asking God for forgiveness for this, promising Him I would do whatever He wanted for me. A supernatural peace came upon me, I just knew that God would lead me and I didn’t worry a bit. It is indescribable how I didn’t had any doubt and the secure feeling came to me.

Immediately after I prayed I went on the computer and typed: ’Sweden – The Netherlands’. And I saw a blog from someone that moved to Sweden, so I decided to email her and ask her how she came to Sweden. Then I read she went to bible school, so I googled some bible schools but I thought; “Boring”… Within 15 minutes I got a email back, and I immediately thought: ‘Wow, this has to be God’. And I opened her email, and she didn’t even really respond to my questions but was just talking about the school. And I just knew that I needed to go to that bible school!

As I went back to my email overview, I saw another email from my brother who was actually now living in Sweden – an email that arrived 1 minute after the one I got from the girl. When I opened it, the first sentence was: “When you will be coming to Sweden? Why don’t you go to bible school? I know a good one: Livets Ord”! I went back to the email from the other girl, and as I realized she was speaking about the exact same bible school, I was shocked. That was it. I would go to bible school and I do whatever God wanted.

Getting on that flight for Sweden was the best thing I ever did! Now I am here at the International class of Livets Ord bible school and having the time of my life!! All honor and glory to God!

Joni Voorhaar
The Netherlands

Preparation

What you will go on to be later in life – a doctor, a teacher, a shop assistant, a missionary, an entrepreneur, a student, a pastor or something else – is something that can be very difficult to be 100% sure about. You may already have a clear vision, maybe you have a vague idea or maybe you haven’t a clue yet! Because you will grow, develop and change throughout life, choosing a course of study or training can be a bit of a gamble, where you have to start moving forward and just hope that what you have chosen to study and prepare for will still be what you really want to do in two, five or ten years’ time.

However, what makes the year at Word of Life Bible Centre so special is that it gives you a kind of training that is perfect for wherever your life may lead!

The teaching, practical work, prayer, worship, guidance and the encounters with God that you will experience, will lay a firm and stable foundation for any kind of lifestyle and future. The concept of laying a firm foundation by building one’s ‘house’, ie. Life, on solid ground as opposed to shifting sand (Luke, Chapter 6), is, in fact, something that many of us know well from our Sunday school days – but perhaps it is now time to get serious and put the word into practice?

What career should you choose? Where will life lead you? Who will you be – and where – in 10, 20 or 30 years’ time? Neither you nor I know for sure, but one thing I can promise you: that making a decision to do as Mary did – sit at the feet of Jesus, listen to him and let his words sink deep into your heart before it’s time to go forth into all of life’s activities and Martha-chores – will be a safe investment that you will never regret.

So get your priorities right this autumn! Wherever you end up in this world, the community that you become part of will need people who put Jesus first!

Joakim LundqvistDirector, Word of Life Bible Centre

Tara was planning to move house late 2008 and as expected was throwing out several things she had accumulated over the years. A brochure caught her attention and she felt led to give it to me. At the time we were both working on something similar for our church and so she thought perhaps it would help me get some ideas. The brochure was for Word of Life Bible Centre in Uppsala, Sweden. I began to read through it and was stirred with such excitement that I immediately looked it up online. I had no idea what was happening but I was caught by the Spirit and knew I was to go to the Bible school in Sweden. The amazing thing was that I’d never heard of Word of Life or Ulf Ekman before. It was new to me and so I wanted to see for myself what Word of Life was all about.

I soon made arrangements to attend the youth conference in 2009 hoping I would get talking with some students from the Bible school. When I came to the Youth conference I was greeted with the love of God from beginning to end by teachers and students alike. This left an impression I could never forget. I knew this was to be the place for me for a season in the future.

Now I look back in awe; to think it all started with a friend cleaning her house and a brochure! It just shows God can use whomever and whatever it takes!

Niamh Kelly

To help you reach a decision, I will give you ten good reasons to let life’s adventures begin with a year at Bible school. Enjoy reading this message, and remember – we’ll be happy to welcome you to Word of Life Bible Centre this autumn!

Reason number one:

Jesus

Fellowship with Jesus and our relationship with him is the single most important thing in the Christian life. The world’s most famous Bible verse – John 3:16 – tells us that the reason that God sent His son Jesus was so that we would have “eternal life”. So what exactly IS eternal life?

Good question. First of all, we can conclude that it cannot only be about eternal existence. The Christian faith teaches us, of course, that everyone – not just those who confess Jesus – will exist forever.

So what is it all about? Is there a different definition of “eternal life”? Yes. One that Jesus himself gives us in the Gospel of John, chapter 17 and verse 3:

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Eternal life – what Jesus came, died and rose again to enable us to receive – is thus not simply a ticket to heaven, which we get when we say a prayer for the first time and which we then must fight a life-long battle to hold on to. Eternal life is an established relationship that begins when you first come to God. It is an open invitation to get to know a person who you will be able to gradually develop a deeper relationship with over the course of your life. Eternal life is something dynamic that constantly grows and evolves – it begins here and now and is never intended to end.

However, just as the process of getting to know Jesus did not start automatically (you had to make an active choice – make your own decision), so it will not continue to develop automatically either. Like Mary, we must choose to step off the carousel of life and away from everything which seems so hugely important, in order to still our hearts and devote quality time to sitting at the feet of Jesus. We must also stay there long enough that His words and presence are able to take root in our hearts and begin to grow.

There is not always time for this process to happen in a few church services or conferences – but in a year at Bible school, a lot can happen in your relationship with Jesus, and a foundation can be built that will be a blessing for the rest of your life.

You may have just become a Christian, or recently taken the decision to get serious about your faith – or perhaps you have lived and walked with the Lord for longer. Either way, there is so much more of Him to know!

What’s more, as a fantastic bonus, Jesus promises that when we seek first God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33), He will take care of “everything else” – which includes all the practical arrangements that will need to be made in order for you to be able to spend one year at Bible School, sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Joakim Lundqvist
Director, Word of Life Bible Centre