I am Paul Nichols from the USA. As a man called by God, I am receiving free ministry training and equipping at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here).
My Spiritual Journey
And there it was, staring at it for some time gave no leeway whatsoever. It was simple, straightforward, and brutal in its pure truth. I am speaking of Luke 6:46, “Why do ye call me Lord, Lord, but do not the things I say?” This scripture put me on the first of many paths. However, it was not the beginning. No, I first believed at the age of 8. Then, I received a calling to ministry at 14.
So, what took me so long to realize it? As chief amongst the Christians who got things wrong, I was a poster boy for everything wrong in a Christian walk. I fooled myself into thinking I could maintain a true walk with God while being of the flesh. I played professional heavy metal, destroyed my marriage, and hurt those around me with selfishness. My eyes couldn’t see it, and my emotions were so deep and dark I didn’t allow myself to feel. So much pride and puffed-up personality, and so easily angered, those who loved me were too afraid to tell me what I was doing wrong. And, of course, I had no ability to hear them.
Turning Point
Don’t ask me why, but God still used me through it. My calling was real, the gifts for it were real, but the servant wasn’t. So I learned, “Be authentic, not something you are not.” I needed to be the person I pretended to be. I knew so much about Jesus. That was what I thought was important for eternal life, and it is. However, it is only halfway. It was much more important that Jesus knows who I am, as Matthew 7:22 says. I am a guy who believed, zealous even. I knew him, but he knew me not. My fruit was rotten from a flesh-like walk. My testimony was the testimony of a Nicolaitan, full of sinful compromise.
While reading Psalms 5, I realized I was doing evil. I was telling what I thought were white lies even and especially to myself. Exhibiting haughty behavior, thinking God loved me despite my iniquities, so it was okay. It’s a terrible heresy.
I didn’t realize how good God is. His justice from the fact of his goodness. I only believed in his love, his grace, but not his majestic goodness. God is so good that he hates “all who do evil.” Yet, there is John 3:16! God loves us so much. I weighed in on these two scriptures like an apologetics teacher in Ratio Christi. In my conclusion, both are the infallible word of God, so both are true. I pictured God holding back his wrath from my evil with his hand full of grace while beckoning me to him with the other.
At CLI for Ministry Training and Equipping
Next was a big question, how can I repent and stay there? I had so many habitual sins. The answer was impossible without God. I literally had to give myself over, not just my belief, not just all my gifts. I had to give all the bad things I kept secret, thinking I hid them from an omniscient, omnipotent God.
Finally, I gave everything over to God until I found myself face down on the floor. I asked a simple question with a fervent heart, “What will you have me do, Lord?” (I could finally honestly say, Lord) The Lord’s reply was scripture as always. Distinctly, I heard like thunder in my spirit, “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations.” And then quietly and with calm assurance, “Equip yourself.”
Those words brought me to the Christian Leaders Institute for ministry training and equipping. I am on God’s mission, 40 years after being called. I have learned to wait on him so God won’t ever need to wait on me again!
Hi, my name is Eveline Wiebe, and I am studying at the Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here) to be a minister to seniors. I live in Manitoba, Canada, with my husband, Feterly of 16 years, and four beautiful children. I’m a redeemed daughter of the King and forever thankful that he choose me to take part in building his kingdom.
I grew up in a Christian home and community in Paraguay, South America. There I went to Sunday school, church, and evangelistic events. When I was 12 years old, I decided to give my life to the Lord and follow Him for the rest of my life. Even though I didn’t really live in a close relationship with God in my teen years, the decision I made when I was 12 helped me conquer many temptations. I was baptized when I was 18, shortly before I got married.
Challenges and Growth
In 2008, I moved to Canada with my young family, leaving all parents and siblings behind in Paraguay.
In my early to mid-twenties, I was in a deep depression where I struggled with taking care of my growing family, let alone my marriage or myself. Because of this, we struggled in our marriage, with communication being the biggest struggle.
Through all these years, the Lord has been faithful and never given up on me. I’m glad I went through these years of depression since I can now relate to others on a similar journey. I can tell them to hang in there as it will get better.
In the last few years, I have been growing very close to the Lord. He has sent me amazing friends and mentors and has helped me be consistent in my devotions. Over the last few months, God has directly spoken to me through scripture quite often. He has shown me His plan for me. Part of this plan is to move back to Paraguay to be reunited with our extended family and serve the Lord there.
A Minister to Seniors
This plan also involves becoming a minister to seniors. It is my passionate calling to serve those who are on the last stretch of life. I can remind them of God’s never-ending love for them and bring joy to their days. I have had the awesome privilege to work in the recreation department of a senior home for the last three years. A couple of times, I even lead the Bible study there. So, it is my spiritual dream to continue serving older seniors.
I’m grateful that my coworker told me about Christian Leaders Institute. Now, I will be able to get great training for my own personal walk with God and serve others better. Thank you, CLI, for giving me and many others this great opportunity.
Scholarships for Free Courses
In 2020, Christian Leaders Institute (Learn more about online Bible classes, Click Here) granted 10,802 study scholarships. Each of these students got access to over 100 college and ministry training classes and low-cost programs that kept students out of debt!
So many Christians would love to study Biblical college-level courses. College costs continue to skyrocket. Read here about skyrocketing student debt.
Christian Leaders Institute Scholarships for Free Courses
Since 2006, Christian Leaders Institute has been offering scholarships for free courses online. Now over 100 study courses are offered to students who are granted scholarships. A limited amount of scholarships will be granted each year for free study. So far, we have been able to meet the demand. You apply for the scholarship by simply completing the Getting Started Scholarship Class. If scholarships are available, the Getting Started Scholarship class will allow you to enroll. You have one month to complete the scholarship class, or you may have to attempt to enroll again. Study scholarships are granting to any student that completes the Getting Started Scholarship Class. This activity-class takes less than two hours to complete.
After completing this scholarship course, which takes less than two hours to complete, you are welcome to study the following topics.
My name is Angela Bergmann. Born in Southern Manitoba, I have lived in Manitoba my entire life. I am a stay-at-home mom to five children, all teenagers.
I grew up going to church with my family. My parents were both Christians, and I read my Bible, went to Sunday School, and memorized scripture from a very early age. I gave my life to Christ several times as a child because I was scared to go to hell.
When I was 19, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I prayed fervently for God to heal my mom. I watched her fade away over the next eight months. She held close to her faith until the angels came to take her home to heaven. Although her life and faith were a wonderful testimony, I struggled to understand why God hadn’t answered my prayer. As a result, I drifted away from a God I could no longer trust.
I met my husband on a blind date a year after my mom died. We got married less than a year later. Fortunately, he was a strong Christian, also born and raised in a God-fearing home. We’ve been through many struggles together including two miscarriages, house fire, several career changes, and a small business start-up. However, because of my trust issues, our relationship suffered as each of our children came along. We ended up getting help from a Christian marriage therapist five years ago. We put in the hard work of repairing our relationship, and we’ve continued to grow closer and closer since that time.
At around the same time, I was struggling as an in-home personal trainer for postpartum women. My physical health made it difficult for me to do the things I loved. My mental health was also affected due to chronic injuries that seemed to multiply. God had laid it on my heart two years earlier that He wanted me to study His Word. However, I continued to busy myself with many other things instead. It took a few other issues in my personal life for me to realize that I needed to stop running away from God and the calling He had put in my heart.
In 2019, I began to say “no” to what I wanted and “yes” to God. I was working as a freelance writer at the time. I quit my writing contracts one by one. God had to pry the last one out of my untrusting hands. We needed the money more than I needed to study my Bible, right?
I got into the Word only to realize I knew very little about the Bible. In my quest to study the Bible more effectively, I took several online courses here and there. When COVID hit and more online learning options arose, I figured that I might be able to find a reputable Bible school that would fit my schedule and budget. I started by taking an evening course at Millar College of the Bible. In December 2020, I stumbled upon CLI. The scholarships for free courses fit our family’s tight budget, and the flexible learning was perfect for my role as a busy mom and wife.
Studying the Bible has blown my mind wide open to who God truly is. I now see why my mom was able to trust God as she faced her inevitable death. My appetite for the Bible continues to grow, and I’ve found that same peace in God that she had. Praise God, He has been so good to me!
