The Alex McFarland Show-70-Finding Your Life's Mission with Sarah Christner and Yong Uhlig

The spiritual condition of America, politics, culture, and current events, analyzed through the lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. Do you know your life's mission? Hi, Alex McFarland here. Welcome to the program.

We have a very exciting show today. And if you've ever walked around and wondered, you know, what is my purpose? Or am I doing anything with my life that will really make a lasting difference? Then you need to listen to this show, because we're going to talk about finding your unique purpose in life. Now, obviously, the purpose is to know Christ. If you've ever listened to our shows and our broadcasts for any length of time, you know the clarion call is to open your heart to Jesus and be born again and be saved. But you know, even as a Christian, even as a Christian, I meet people throughout the world that they wonder, you know, why am I here?

And certainly I should be doing something more than just eating food, paying the bills, and watching TV. Well, I'm recording this today on the campus of my favorite university in the world, Caris. And I'm with two brilliant students from the School of Practical Government at Caris.

Young Eulig and Sarah Christner. And they have been students—spiritful disclosure—they've been students in several of my classes. But like so many of the Caris students, I've just come to love and appreciate them, because they are people who found God's mission. They tapped into God's unique roadmap for their life, and they're living it.

And I want to lay out there some things that we often use as excuses. Like, well, God is going to use somebody else, but God wouldn't use me. Or, it's too late in life, and I've spent decades doing this or that, and I guess I'll just live till I die and go to heaven one day.

No, Sarah and Young and several thousand other students are tapped in, empowered, being used by God to make a difference for the gospel. And dear listener, you can too, and I believe their stories are going to inspire you. So hang on as we talk about finding our purpose and being mightily used by God. First of all, Young, thank you for making time to be with us on the program. It's my pleasure. Thank you for asking me. Sarah, welcome, and thank you. And let me also, as we introduce you guys, say thanks for being such committed students in the School of Practical Government.

Thank you. It is an absolute honor. Well, I want to get some of your back story just a little bit.

I mean, you're both Christians, you're both professional people committed to serving Jesus Christ. Let me ask you guys this, and then I want to delve down a little more deeply into your stories. How did you feel led to come to Carus? And, you know, as an adult, career, life is going on, and yet you suddenly embark on a degree program with Carus.

Wow, that is a great question. I hit a point in my life where everything blew up. All of my plans just blew up in smoke, and I was shattered, and frankly, I had never heard of Andrew Wommack. And in that season of brokenness, someone said, you know, if I were in a situation like you, Young, I would go somewhere like Carus and be with like-minded folk and find out what my purpose is. And honestly, the spirit inside of me just leapt with joy. And I said, I think that's a word. Honestly, I didn't know who Andrew Wommack was.

I thought Wommack was like an Australian land animal. But when I'm the type of person that's wired in such a way that when I know it's God, I run. I go as quickly as I can. And how many people know that you can be a strong person of faith, and yet the circumstances in your life are such that your heart's shattered, your soul is shattered, and you don't know necessarily what to do next. And God is so faithful. So I came here two and a half years ago, and I, frankly, can't believe my life. I wake up every morning so excited to just get the devil back for everything that he has stolen, he's robbed, and he's destroyed in my life. Amen.

Amen. Sarah, I want to hear a little bit about your story. How has God brought you to Carus, and what are you doing here in your course of study? Well, I came to go to Carus in 2014, and it was through an Extension school. And I just went very part-time, didn't understand that Carus was a school of ministry, because I had disqualified myself at that point. And so I just, I went because I had like-minded believers there, and I loved the teaching. And I kept going, and after a couple of years of part-time, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, I want you to finish school for this year, and then I want you to go full-time.

And it was at that point, it became apparent to me through conversation with a former class graduate and alumni, that it was ministerial licensing at the end of attending Carus. And I freaked out, because honestly, I had had a lot of trauma in my life, and I was a single mom and had three kids at home, and was just trying to make it. But I had laid my life down prior to that, and had cried out to God and diligently sought Him. And because of that, He rewarded me, because He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. And He set the course of my life, without me really being aware. And so I started going full-time, and it has just been an exciting adventure since then. Then God uprooted my whole family as a single mother and moved me away from my real estate career to attend a third-year global training at Carus Bible College in Woodland Park. And the Lord even gave a word to my son, encouraging him, who was 16 at the time, that this adventure was also for him as well.

So we had the Lord working all throughout our family and speaking to us and showing us the way. And I ended up on this mountain three years ago and did global training, then worked for the ministry for a minute, and God called me back to Practical Government, and here is where I am. And Practical Government being one of the third-year programs, and there are several folks. And if you're just tuning in, we're talking with Sarah Christner and Young Eulig, and we're talking about Carus Bible College, which is in Woodland Park. And I've got the honor of teaching there. You know, guys, 10 years ago, after already a great career in terms of, what, 11 years as a full-time youth pastor, then about almost 10 years organizing conferences all over the country, and I was actually president of a college back east.

Stepped away from that, it was, you know, pretty rigorous full-time fundraising. I was at kind of a season where I wasn't sure what the next chapter was, but I heard Mark Cowart say that, you know, God, very often in your life, after you think you're just kind of going across a desert, God will move suddenly. And I came up here and actually just did a very brief message in a chapel service one day, and instantly I knew that God was here and that I was supposed to be a part of this. And so, folks, we're going to take a brief break, and when we come back, we're going to talk about finding your purpose, because I think Young and Sarah would agree that when God speaks, you know it. And I want to challenge you, listeners, cultivate the ability to hear from God, because God has an assignment for you.

He really does. God has an assignment for you, and part of the joy is hearing God, preparing for your assignment, and then living it out. Stay tuned. We're going to be back on the Alex McFarland program after this brief break.

Stay with us. Alex is driven by a desire to help people grow in relationship with God. He arms his audiences with the tools they need to defend their faith, while also empowering the unchurched to find out the truth for themselves. In the midst of a culture obsessed with relativism, Alex is a sound voice who speaks timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. With 18 published books to his name, it's no surprise that CNN, Fox, The Wall Street Journal, and other media outlets have described Alex as a religion and culture expert. To learn more about Alex and to book him as a speaker at your next event, visit alexmcfarland.com, or you can contact us directly by emailing booking at alexmcfarland.com.

He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to The Alex McFarland Show. Welcome back to the program. What an exciting thing to know your purpose and live it out.

We're talking with Sarah Christner, Young Eulig. I want to shift into some of your personal journeys. And Young, you've got a fascinating story, because I remember in one of our classes you were giving a speech about your salvation testimony, and you were talking about going to Britain and going to Buckingham Palace and things like that. Now you're just a world-class communicator being used by God. How did God bring you to this point in your journey?

Well, he let me do my thing for a very long time. I was brought up in a family that, from the outside looking in, we looked like the American dream. My parents emigrated to the United States from South Korea when I was just two years old. And unfortunately, they didn't know Jesus or they didn't have any faith in God. So I became a performance person, just trying to really earn my father's love and respect by working harder. And unfortunately, that bar went higher and higher and higher. And we came here with really nothing but hope and that dream for a better life. And sadly, some things happened in my early life where the enemy just really stole my innocence from the age of six.

And then when things happen like that, you're somehow marked in the spirit, and it just happens over and over again. And so I was tenacious. I just kept working hard. So from the outside looking in, I looked like a successful person. I worked really hard in school.

I studied very hard. I ended up attending Wellesley College and graduating, ironically, with a political science and philosophy degree. Now Wellesley, isn't that where Hillary Clinton went to school? Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Even years ago, I mean, it was probably not conservative, probably socially and politically liberal, I would guess.

Absolutely. And I wasn't either. Remember, I wasn't born again yet. And I really thought Christians were hypocritical, weak-minded, and weak-spirited.

And I didn't want anything to do with that God at all. So I was determined to do things my way. And I ended up with a life where the world would say, You should be happy. I had connections. I had access to people with power. When I hear about the phrase a jet-set lifestyle, I mean, you were there. You could say that, yes.

Yes, I've been in people's private jets, going to Italy just to launch a boat, things like that. Yes, it's pretty fascinating, but empty without Jesus. Utterly empty. People don't understand that when people have everything the world has to offer and you don't know Christ, you don't know love. It's empty. And that's why so many people that seemingly have everything commit suicide.

They end their lives. And I felt that way for many years. So people like the Bob Guccione family and Elton John and Princess Diana, I mean, these are some of the people that you met and interacted with. And even at that point, were you beginning to suspect that the wealth and the fame really weren't fulfilling?

Yes, I believe so. I didn't know them that personally, of course. But having access to all of the things that people in my life were envious of, I knew how I felt. I knew my heart had a big God-sized hole in it. And I felt empty. Sarah, let's talk about your journey.

And let me ask you this. At what age did you come to a personal relationship with Christ? I was 22, and one of the first in my family.

So I'm a first-generation Christian. Originally from where? I'm originally from Boise, Idaho. Heartland, America. Boise, Idaho.

Yes. And you mentioned a career in real estate. What was your coming to Christ and your career path?

What was that like? Well, when I got saved, I just wanted to be a mom. So I ended up married and had three children, and I homeschooled them. And we lived on a farm in southeastern Oklahoma.

That's a whole long story. So I raised goats and cows, and we had lots of chickens. But I schooled my kids at home. So I didn't have a career outside of being a mom and a wife. And my real estate career came by way of tragedy in my marriage. So it was something the Lord led me to, because I needed to be able to provide for my kids. So anyway, he did.

He led me right there, and I pursued a real estate license to sell real estate in Texas. You know, the American mindset, really, and I know because I've heard this, people will say, you know, well, Alex, you're out there preaching, and that's great, but I'm a Christian. I go to church, you know, and one guy in Virginia, I asked him, I said, are you a Christian?

And he said, well, as much as I have time for. But let's talk about the fact that as a born-again believer, God has so much more for us than just living and buying stuff, and then one day we die. I would submit, and you guys are living it out, God has an assignment, but I would put it this way, God has an adventure for us, and the past is past.

It's right this moment where Jesus stands with his arms open, and he says, call unto me, and I will show you great and mighty things that you do not know, Jeremiah 33. Let's talk about, and then we'll carry this over into the next segment, how can people tap into God's thrilling story for each of their lives? Sarah, does God have an amazing story that he's writing in your life?

Yes, absolutely, but I believe that Psalm 139 says that he's written every single day of my life, before there was even one. So what I'm doing right now is getting the blueprints from him by just sitting at his feet, just letting him love me, and I know that sounds so cliche, but really, it's just spending time with him. He's a very relational God. The reason he sent Jesus to save us was so that we could be reunited and reconciled to him for relationship.

So just sitting with him, and then really honestly, you don't have to do much outside of that. You just hang out with him, read his word, pray, and lo and behold, he unfolds it before me, or I know he's saying something specifically, and I just go for it and do it. And he brings confirming words, and even if you miss him a little bit, he's such a gracious, merciful God.

He wants us to succeed more than we want to, and he will just course correct us. So it is such a blessing. Young, part of being a believer is to enjoy the presence of Jesus, isn't it? One of the things I love about Charis is that, I mean, yes, there are these majors, these third-year programs, whether it be business or leadership or practical government or ministry, but a big part of Charis, and folks, if you're out there and you're saying, there's got to be more, and I'm determined to find it, part of the beauty of this school is you spend the first two years just being immersed in the Word of God and Jesus Christ the Savior, the Son of God. Young, talk to us about just the vital importance of loving the presence of Jesus. That is the truth. As I said before, I came here with a broken heart, and the first-year curriculum here at Charis is unparalleled. You sit under the Word, and you just, for example, in Carrie's Love of God class, the love of God just kept pouring over my heart and healing the depths of my soul. And it was real.

It was more real than anything I'd ever experienced. And most people really, they disqualify themselves, just like Sarah was saying earlier. And let's just be frank, the Lord can use a donkey and did use a donkey for a miracle. So therefore, He can use me and you and everyone listening. But we know our downside. We know where we've been, and we're not necessarily proud of our entire journey.

But guess what? God uses all those things. In 1 Corinthians 1.26, it tells us He rarely chooses the mighty, the noble, the people with all the perfect resume. No, He chooses those that the world calls weak and despised.

That qualifies me. So I am so excited about what the Lord's plans are for me, because I know it's going to be great, and so much greater than my mind can even imagine. Because that's who He is.

He's love, and He's a good, good Father. And that's what He wants to show us, truly. We're going to come right back after this and talk about God's love for you, God's plan for you, and how you can begin to realize these wonderful truths today.

Stay tuned. Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Over the last several decades, it's been my joy to travel the world talking with children, teens, adults, people of all ages about the questions they have related to God, the Bible, Christianity, and how to know Jesus personally.

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Welcome back to the program. What a joy to be talking about the things of God. And folks, believe it. God has great things for you.

He really does. Hey, by the way, let me say this radio show, our television programs, our conferences, the thousands of pieces of literature we ship out every year, all that we're doing to call people to Christ, people of all ages. It's made possible by the Lord, yes, but by your prayers and financial support as well. And you may give securely online at alexmcfarland.com, or you can mail a tax-deductible contribution to Truth for a New Generation. If you write a check, you can just write TNG, as in Truth for a New Generation, P.O.

Box 485, Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313. Well, I want to get back to our just so inspiring conversations with Sarah and Young. I want to say thank you both for being with us. But, you know, before the break, we were talking about loving the presence of Jesus. Don't you feel like that's a prerequisite? It's not so much what we do, but it's the person we are. And we find God's plan by just spending time in the presence of Jesus. I think there are a lot of Christians that the joy of just basking in the presence of the Lord Jesus, they miss that because we're so performance-oriented rather than relationship-oriented.

Young, speak to that if you would. When people do things out of obligation, they inevitably run out of gas. But when people are in love, they seem to never run out of gas.

And from the female perspective, I mean, when you're in love, the weight falls off. You have endless energy. You just can do anything from that heart attitude. And it's that intimate relationship with Jesus that drives me every day. I don't do anything from a sense of obligation.

It's from love. Sarah, it's very energizing, isn't it, when it's just you can't wait to go to church, can't wait to go to school, can't wait to serve others. Isn't there joy? You mentioned raising three kids. God bless you, motherhood. When you know you're doing it as unto Jesus and for Jesus and with Jesus, it's not draining, but it's empowering, isn't it?

Absolutely, because I can speak from both sides. I was very religious and self-righteous for a better part of my Christianity. And when my life blew up and God, I had nothing. I literally just had Jesus.

I knew He was the only way I was going to get through it. I learned how to not do to be a good Christian. I learned how to sit and be still and know that He is God and let Him just speak to me. So I would literally just practice being still and reading His word and imagining what it would be like to be sitting at the table that He prepares in the midst of our enemies, or be sitting in the field where He leads us beside the still waters, or be sitting at the feet of Jesus, or even beside the Father.

I would imagine that with my eyes closed and just being still. And that was where God cultivated the area or place in my life where He was able to actually heal wounds and love me in a way where I was able to receive it. I think a lot of times people, their ability to receive is damaged or broken. And I know for me, I had to be healed.

I call it healing my receiver, kind of like when a radio goes snowy. God tuned it in and I was able to receive. And He started saying things about me that I had a hard time receiving.

And that's how I knew. He wanted me to say things about me that I wasn't willing to and He kept encouraging me. Finally, I was able to say the things that God says about me, that I'm the head and not the tail, that I'm beautiful, that He created me and I'm fearfully and wonderfully made, and I'm an incredible child of God. But anyway, so just sitting with Him and being still and knowing that He's God, that's where I was able to actually change and not have to do things to be a certain something.

This is so exciting. With the three minutes we've got remaining, Young and Sarah, first of all, again, thank you so much and God bless you for what you're doing for the Kingdom. Here's the question as we wrap up this conversation. How do we begin to see our life, our opportunities from God's perspective? Not from the world's perspective or from our own self-limitations, all those things, but we've got to believe what God says about our identity and see our opportunities and our future from God's perspective.

How do we begin to do that? Just know that God is able. So many of us have experienced trauma and failure, which is the most amazing teacher, and God uses all of that for good, for His purposes, in such a mighty way that you can't even imagine. Just know I'm beseeching everyone out there. You are worthy, you are welcome, you are necessary, and the world needs you to just rise up and believe that God has an amazing purpose for you greater than you can imagine. Our life from God's perspective. Sarah, how do we daily see ourselves in truth? Not believe the lies, but vigilantly believe the truth.

Give us a word on that. You know, what comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 1, where we become a consolation for like sufferings for others. God promises to do that, and He's no respecter of persons. He doesn't respect Paul more than He respects me. He loves us.

He's the same yesterday to day and forever. He is a good Father, and He gave His Son. Imagine giving your son.

But one of the things, I'll give a very tangible application. One of the things I had to do was literally when I wake up in the morning, sometimes people, I used to, wake up and not feel like I was that great. But I would just take the word, and the word was, I'm the head, not the tail. Deuteronomy 28, the blessings.

I'm above and not beneath. And just saying the blessings in 28 over my life in my mind as I'm waking up changed everything. And that was literally one of the applicable things that I did for me personally to help transform my mind so that I could receive the love of God as well. Well, young Eulig and Sarah Christner, I want to thank you.

Folks, let me encourage you. We've talked a lot about Karras Bible College. Just go online.

You'll find it, C-H-A-R-I-S, Karras, that's as in a gift, gift from the Spirit, Karras Bible College. Check it out. Please do. But let me give you this thought as we wrap up, folks. Psalm 16 verse 6 says, The boundary lines have fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yea, I have a godly heritage.

The boundary lines of your life. You say, well, my circumstance is this way or that way. Listen, God has ordained that you would know Christ personally. You would be saved. You have a home in heaven. Your name is written on the palm of God's hand. God loves you so much. And as Young and Sarah have said, look, you matter to God. You have worth and value. Please don't believe the lies of Satan that it's too late for me.

No, it isn't too late for you. Right now, and I love to say this, that Jesus is as close by as a prayer. Call out to him. He will hear you. One last thought.

If you go to my website, which is alexmcfarland.com, there's a little tab under resources. What does God say about my relationship with him? If you want to begin a relationship with Jesus today, read that. If you need to come back to Christ and say, Lord, here I am, any way we can help you, please reach out to us. It's our joy to encourage you in Jesus.

So in the meantime, thanks for listening. Stand strong for truth. And remember, 1 Corinthians 15, 58, that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Alex McFarland Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you. For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmcfarland.com. You may also reach us at alexmcfarland, P.O. Box 10231, Greensboro, North Carolina. Or by calling 1-877-YES-GOD1.

That's 1-877-Y-E-S-G-O-D1. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarland Show. Do you have a desire to deepen your faith, better understand Christian apologetics, or to get a biblical perspective on current events? Let us know in the comments below.

Do you have a desire to deepen your faith, better understand Christian apologetics, or to get a biblical perspective on current events? Well, I've tried to make it simple for you to do just that. On my website, alexmcfarland.com, there's a new section called Ask Alex Online. It's simple, it's clean, and you can read my answers to common questions about God, faith, and the Bible. So visit the website alexmcfarland.com online.