91̽��

When Louis Merred left his former college, none of his family was saved. Neither was he.

So much has changed since then.

Merred had been pursuing a degree with the primary focus of making money, but after his parents turned to the truth of the gospel, he discovered a reality that transcends the world’s wealth. So he reversed his focus. Rather than finding his ultimate fulfillment in temporal success, he desired to deepen his knowledge of God — and that’s what he’s doing now as a junior at 91̽��.

Merred was always good at science and math. When he went to college to study radiology, he hoped that sharpening his mind would lead to a big paycheck. But after a year, he started questioning if there was anything more to life, wondering if his schooling was really worth it.

“Everything I was doing was unfulfilling,” he says. “It was just emptiness over and over.” So, he left college and started looking for his purpose.

One day, Merred’s mom came home from a work conference with a story of how several women she met had shared Christ with her and she came to faith. About a year later, Merred’s dad also became a believer.

Merred wanted to disprove his family, so he started carefully reading through the Bible. But it didn’t take long for him to realize that Scripture held the answers he had been looking for the whole time. In 2020, he had a complete change of heart and turned to Christ.

When Merred thought about returning to school, he wanted an education in the Bible. He was looking for a school that was genuinely Christian and prized eternal value. He visited 91̽�� and saw exactly what he was looking for.

“Everybody here understands that we are sinners and are saved by grace,” he says. “We’re not trying to put on this façade that we are anything different.”

He wanted to apply immediately; he was accepted and enrolled as a biblical studies major in the spring of 2023. Stepping into his first semester, he was struck by the commitment to God’s Word he saw among the faculty.

“When all the faculty and staff here say ‘for Christ and Scripture,’ they really do mean ‘for Christ and Scripture,’” he says.

Merred says that he has learned how to follow Christ from the examples of his professors — not just in their knowledge of Scripture, but also their care for students.

“I don’t think I’ve met a professor who wouldn’t take time to get a cup of coffee and just talk about life with you,” he says.

This drive to follow Christ is something he wants to continue growing in throughout his life. Rather than chasing the next achievement, he wants to know God more deeply and fully.

“In understanding the Scriptures, I can apply that to any occupation that I’m in,” he says. “I think that investment is worth far more than just a paycheck at the end of the day.”

To learn more about 91̽��’s biblical studies program, visit .