The People God Quietly Gives You

Stories of faith, friendships, and navigating His call.

There’s a quote by C.S. Lewis that caught my attention recently. I’ve returned to it a few times now, especially when I'm asking God for relationships in Bristol - I genuinely think it captures something beautiful about the friendships God gives us.

“In friendship... we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years' difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another... the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting—any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking, no chances. A secret Master of Ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, ‘Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,’ can truly say to every group of Christian friends, ‘Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.’ The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.” — C.S. Lewis

Isn’t that incredible?

The people who shape our lives aren’t simply the result of our desired timing or shared interests but God's intricate detailing. Behind every conversation, every unexpected meeting, and every lifelong friendship is a God who has been quietly orchestrating introductions long before we can ever imagine.

And I think He’s been doing exactly that in Bristol.

I almost stayed home

Last week I had every excuse not to go.

After a long day of coaching, Caitlin messaged asking whether I was going to an event called Circle Up. Truthfully, I wanted an evening in the bath with a podcast on and a coke in hand. 

My social battery had disappeared somewhere around lunchtime.

Yet somehow I found myself walking down the stairs of the flat and leaving through the front door.

I walked to the bus stop.

Waited patiently.

And watched the bus drive straight past me haha. Looking back, maybe I should have stuck my hand out or something... but how else am I supposed to learn these things lol. 

I genuinely laughed and thought, “Well, I tried. Clearly I’m meant to go home.”

But for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was still supposed to be there.

So I found another way.

Looking back, I’m grateful I did.

The prayer I forgot I prayed

A few days earlier, during one of my quiet times in the secret place, I’d asked God for something oddly specific.

“Lord, would you bring me a friend who happens to be a chef?”

I know.

A very strange ask.

At 'Circle Up' I met several people, but one conversation stood out. Within minutes, Monty and I had skipped the small talk entirely. We found ourselves speaking about the unconditional love of God, the paradox of the Christian walk, and the battle between the flesh and the Spirit.

It was one of those conversations where your heart leaves fuller than when it arrived. 

Then suddenly it came up, he's a chef. How crazy is that!

Sometimes God answers prayers with such detail that all you can do is laugh and realise it can only be by God's design.

From strangers to family

One of the deepest desires of my heart since moving to Bristol has been for brotherhood.

Not networking.

Not simply knowing lots of people.

But, 

Brotherhood.

The kind of friendships I wrote about in my first blog—the ones that feel more like family than friends.

And slowly, almost without me noticing, God has begun to bring people together before my very eyes.

Guys and girls who love and desire Jesus.

People from different churches, different backgrounds, different stories.

Some have followed Jesus for years. Others are only beginning to ask questions.

Yet every week I’m watching strangers become friends and it remains so exciting to see.

I’m reminded of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12 of how the Church is one body with many members—each carrying different gifts, personalities and callings, yet somehow belonging to one another.

That’s what I’m beginning to witness and experience.

Not uniformity.

Unity.

Learning to sit before I serve

If I’m honest, I still have a habit of measuring my faith by what I’m doing. Or attempting to seek validation through the ways I serve. 

I'm often left thinking...

Am I leading enough?

Praying enough?

Building enough?

Producing enough?

Doing enough?

But by God's grace He keeps reminding me of the same lesson.

SIT.

Watchman Nee writes that Christianity begins not with a great DO, but with a great DONE. The more I read those words, the more they undo my preconceptions of how I should be.

We don’t mature by running ahead of Jesus.

We mature by remaining in Him.

Abide in Me and I in you. 

It’s the same truth that has transformed how I see communion.

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of leading our church through communion, and there was one phrase I couldn't let go:

"Jesus took on our flesh and blood and became what we are, so that we could become what He is."

The cross isn’t simply proof that Jesus loves us or that He died for us.

It's soooo much more than that...

It’s an invitation into His life.

Because in Christ, we aren’t just forgiven, we are welcomed into this trinitarian relationship... Loved by the Father, United to the Son, and Indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

In this, Nee reminds us that the beginning of the Christian life must begin with "I can do nothing to save myself; but by His grace God has done everything for me in Christ."

The utter dependence upon the Lord Jesus,

Christ and Christ crucified.

The Meeting Place.

Last Thursday we hosted the very first 'The Meeting Place'.

The vision couldn’t have been simpler: create a space where people could gather, pray, and taste and see that the Lord is good.

Five people gathered.

Had planned for an hour.

...and the Holy Spirit had other ideas.

We began around 7:15. Silence slowly became prayer. Prayer became petition. Petition became fellowship. As the evening unfolded, a couple of people headed home, but the conversations and prayer continued. The final person didn’t leave until 10pm!

That’s what I loved most.

It wasn't about how long people stayed. What mattered most was that nobody was rushing God. People were free to leave when they needed to, while others remained. What began in silence and solitude ended in prayer, laughter, and relationships that I pray will continue to deepen.

Those are my favourite moments of ministry.

Not because they’re impressive.

But because they’re impossible to manufacture.

If this is the foundation of what God is building in Lockleaze, I genuinely can’t wait to see what comes next.

For His kingdom come in Lockleaze as it is in heaven.

God is still providing

While friendships have been growing, God has been providing.

Our Student Alpha has become a main event for the UWE Christian Union.

A local pub has opened its doors completely free for us to host Alpha every Wednesday.

Our young adults are meeting bi-weekly and building relationships.

And, in another unexpected turn of events, I’ve accepted a new role with World Sports Ministries (more updates to follow!).

The beautiful part is that I initially said no.

They came back, reshaped the role around me, and told me they believed I was the missing piece they’d been praying for. Hearing someone else recognise a calling you struggle to see in yourself always leaves you in a place of gratitude and awe for God. I'm not sharing that from a place of pride but because I simply didn't feel qualified and yet God did!

God is Good!

And yet, the tension still remains

Even with all these answered prayers, I still find myself wrestling with the same questions.

What more can I do?

Am I valued?

Can someone else do better?

Why do I still feel alone sometimes?

It amazes me how answered prayers don’t automatically remove insecurity.

God rarely answers those questions by inflating my confidence.

Instead, He keeps inviting me back to His presence, teaching me to sit until His voice becomes louder than my own.

My mentor, Rob (I HAVE A MENTOR, Praise God), often reminds me that a healthy prayer life leads to a life of consecration. One of the frameworks he’s been walking me through is the Five D’s: Dreams, Devotion, Domestic, Disciplines, and Development. I’m sure I’ll share more about those in future blogs, but already they're reminding me that God is far more interested in who I’m becoming rather than what I’m building.

Would you pray with me?

On 7th October, we begin our Student Alpha.

We have absolutely no idea how many students will walk through those doors.

And strangely… I love that.

It means every chair is an act of faith. An act of obedience.

So if you’re reading this, would you pray with me?

Pray for salvations.

Pray for freedom.

Pray that students across Bristol would encounter the living Jesus—not religion, not performance, but the transforming love of Christ.

I’m expectant.

Not because of our planning.

But because God is good.

Jesus is still writing the story

If my twenty one-year-old self could see me now, he’d probably be in complete disbelief.

The boy who encountered Jesus in Australia (YWAM Sunny Coast), dreamed about seeing people saved and one day leading God's church, yet often wondered whether God could ever use him, would be overwhelmed by the beauty and tapesty of God.

Not because I’ve arrived.

But because the deepest desire God planted in my heart is slowly becoming reality.

I still don’t have this season figured out. If i'm honest I think I'm a little way from figuring it out.

I’m still learning how to build friendships as an adult in a city that never grows silent.

I’m still discovering how to balance ministry, work, my fiance, family, and somehow find a social life along the way.

I’m still asking God questions I don’t yet have answers to.

But one truth continues to anchor me:

Jesus is closer than a brother and all I must do is SIT.

When familiar places disappear, He remains.

When friendships change, He remains.

When calling feels overwhelming, He remains.

So if you’re in your twenties and you’re wondering whether anyone else feels like they’re making it up as they go…

You’re not alone.

I’m journeying too.

And my prayer is that together we’ll discover that God’s plans really do exceed anything we could ever ask, think, dream, or imagine.

See you in the next one.

Luke, 23 years old.

21/09/26