Portland Recap: Above and Beyond
On Saturday, over 2,200 teens, parents, and youth workers gathered at Rolling Hills Community Church for the second stop of the Do Hard Things Tour. They came from California, Idaho, Washington, British Columbia, even Alaska, to be challenged to do hard things for the glory of God. 127 stood for salvation.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schaefer
Do Hard Things is the manifesto of the movement, our attempt to spread the ideas in the most compelling and accessible way possible. Few things make us happier than getting it in the hands of people who will read it and help us spread the word. By God’s grace, that continues to happen.
Photo Credit: Jordan Schaefer
“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
+ Ephesians 3:20-21 + Photo Credit: Jordan Schaefer
May 5th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
It was truly awesome. Alex and Brett, thank you for the amazing messages you delivered. The conference really helped me to make the connection between doing hard things and glorifying God. Your dad message moved my sister to tears, and the worship was inspiring and very focused. Next year I would like to bring a busload of friends!
God bless you guys. I will be praying for the rest of the conferences, and that God will bring many closer to him through them.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
That was a great conference! Good thing you didn’t have any more. We nearly filled the place!
Was it 127 that stood though? I don’t recall that many.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
P.S. We were up towards the front, so there might have been more that did not walk all the way down.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
The conference was great! It was awe-inspiring to see what God did. The presence of God was *so* evident there! It was amazing to watch God work in so many lives. God is so awesome!
Thank you letting the Lord use you in this way.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Jacob: That was the number of books we handed out to the teens who came up, so that number should be pretty accurate. That said, it’s not really about the number. We know that many lives were changed.
May 5th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Hey Alex/Brett, I’m a youth pastor in VA and am going to blog my way through your book on our student ministry blog. Feel free to give me any pointers! By the way, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book, and have given a bunch of copies away! http://www.bbcyorktown.org/students/blog/
May 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Amen Alex! Glad you guys had such a blessed conference. I really hope to get to see you guys in Colorado. Do you know who’s coordinating it this year? I know Joanna did last year. Is she again this year?
May 5th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
The conference was amazing guys! Glory to God! He is so amazing!
A sister in Christ
May 5th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Thank you SO MUCH Alex and Brett! I was inspired and challenged in my faith! A bunch of teens from my youth group in BC came down and we all loved it! We had a conversation on the way home yesterday about the conference and how it affected us. I am certainly going to be trying to “do hard things” for the Glory of God from now on! Thank you!
A sister in Christ,
Abby
ps. I don’t know if you’ll remember me (brown hair, glasses, rather short, wearing purple shirt) but I met you guys after the conference and was able to talk to Brett for a couple minutes. I was inspired by what you guys stand for and your wholehearted devotion to God. Thanks for being a great example!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
It was amazing to see how many lives were changed! I was so touched and you could just feel God at work in that room! Hallelujah!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
That conference was so amazing! I was sobbing with joy during the time all those new Christians came up. It was so beautiful. As for myself, your messages inspired me to “Do Hard Things” for God. I hope to come to another conference in the future. Thank you so much!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I am so glad it went well! We were praying for you all. My dad, sister, and I are planning on attending the Des Moines conference. I am working on bringing our church along, but I don’t think I will get them all!
May 5th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I am glad you had a good conference. I was wondering will you be releasing a paperback or giving a discount for a large purchase of books? My family bought a box of John Piper books once just so we could have them to give away and I was just curious.
May 5th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I am so glad I went and so grateful for all the effort and prayers that everyone put into this conference. Thank you — all of you who put this together! I was really blessed and encouraged (and convicted) by it. Also, I was really impressed with how The Rebelution really makes sure that people get the resources they need — it was really inspiring. And the messages were really encouraging — I thought maybe I was just going to hear what I had already read, but there was actually some stuff that wasn’t in the book or the blog that I really needed. And when people stood for the altar call and walked forward — it was truly incredible. It was like God was welcomed in this new sense and it was like He literally stepped in in this new way. I couldn’t watch for part of the time because it felt so sacred and it literally brought me to tears. I am so grateful for everyone who allowed God to work through them throughout this conference — and I am so amazed at how God used you. It was truly worth it to attend and I know I will continue to be blessed by the effects of this conference for a long time.
Thanks, Alex and Brett (and the other Alex — just kidding!) for everything!!
P.S. The joke about taking rain with you to California for that concert — it would make you unpopular really quickly there. Before one of the past festivals here that Luis Palau does, people were praying a lot — pastors and everybody — that there would be sun that day. I had decided not to go and had forgotten about it and rather absentmindedly prayed for rain the night before the event — I love rain I just thought it’d be nice! Well, it rained and my youth pastor was so mad at me when I joked about it — I’m not kidding. So, be careful with your humor (and your prayers). =)
May 5th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Elizabeth: I would actually go for buying the book in hardcover — especially for giving copies away. I wasn’t sure about this before, but then I realized how well-loved by favorite paperbacks end up getting and I realized that a hardcover can actually reach a lot more people — it can be passed through a family, a youth group, or any other sort of group — and it will survive! And if you buy them in bulk, you actually wouldn’t get very much of an additional discount if they did sell it paperback — it just wouldn’t really be worth it in the price difference (my family is going into publishing so I’ve been researching this). Anyway, that sounds like a great idea — what your family does. I’ll pray that God really specially works in the peoples’ hearts who are given the books if this works out. God bless you, sister!
May 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I’m just curious how many boys/guys compared to girls are taking the “Do Hard Things” lifestyle to heart? With a decline in the past decades among men, & with manly stories of Vikings & such in your book, are you seeing a “guy-heavy” turn out at conferences & among your readers?
May 5th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I was so excited to be there on Saturday and to be able to meet you guys! I told a friend of mine that I wish we could come back every weekend from now on!! Its funny cause ever since the conference I’ve had the saying “Do hard things” running through my mind. Especially when I’m tempted not to do my best in school or to not do my best in just the little things like you say in your book I hear “Do hard things” and am convicted.lol:) I was able to get the book and am already more than half way through it! Thank you Alex and Brett for your message and having the boldness to share it with others! I will never forget this conference!
May 5th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Hey guys great confernece! I’m so glad I finally got to go to one and meet you guys and hear your message in person, it was so much more powerful. And thanks for the scholarships and the pay-what-you-can for the books, I was so thankful to be able to actually get a book and not worry about skipping dinner on the way home. Are you gonna put more pictures up? I know they took a lot more and I think they got some of a few of us reading the book during lunch, right before they kicked us off the stage steps lol.
Love in Christ, Rose
May 5th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Guys -
Just wanted to let you know that I’m really grateful for what you’re doing. Keep up the good work…
May 5th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Amen to both the things said at the conference and to the raves from those who were there! God is using you guys in mighty ways and it’s so exciting to see this generation rising up to join in!
May 5th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
It was a truly amazing conference. I’ve been watching the Rebelution’s site and blogging about it for almost a year, but going to the conference gave me a whole new jump start. I was able to bring 4 girls from my youth group who also have now caught the vision, and we’re looking at the future with new eyes.
And even after reading the book and following the blog and forum, hearing you guys talk has inspired me not to lay aside opportunities because they’re “too hard.” Through this new approach to life, I’ve re-opened the possibility of a career that before I considered to be “too difficult”. Thanks so much to EVERYONE who put work in to the Portland Conference. It was amazing!!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I don’t know about guy/girl ratios but I don know that I would want my guy (and girl) firends to here about this even if it was just to encourage them to be better men
And for those guys out there who are doing hard things, thank you we need more guys like you. Keep it up! And may God use this book to raise up a Godly generation of men who do what needs to be done no matter how hard 
May 5th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I’m glad to hear it went so well. I think the best part would be the 127 coming forward to accept Christ!!
Pretty neat.
May 5th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Hello,
You both did a great job at the conference!
I would like to recommend some excellent non-fiction books. They are written by K. P. Yohannan who is the founder of Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org). You can read what I wrote about Gospel for Asia on my blog post: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifeoffaith/428326/
First, I recommend reading his books Revolution in World Missions (available free–https://www.gfa.org/freebook/) and The Road to Reality. You can read more about those books and other wonderful ones here: http://www.gfa.org/store/books.
If you decide to read the books, please let me know what you think about them.
Thank you,
Alyssa Liljequist
P.S. Anyone else who might be reading this: I encourage you to read these books and check out Gospel for Asia, too!
May 5th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
David: So far the guy/girl split has been almost 50/50, with the number tipping slightly in the guys’ favor at both North Carolina and Portland. We certainly have a special heart for our fellow guys. The world needs men who will do what’s right regardless of the cost… And that’s exactly what doing hard things is all about.
May 5th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Wow! Praise God for those who received!
May 5th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hey guys! I was one of the many lives touched by your portland conference! I am truly touched by your guys work and I am very thankful!!
Me and My entire youth study came and every one of us walked away changed! It was amazing!! Well Keep up the good work!! Thanx again!!
God bless!!!
May 5th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Alex and Brett,
My school and I came, and let us just say our thinking has changed 180 degrees and we’re completely different people now. We’re treating each other and ourselves like adults and we’re taking responsibilities upon ourselves.
We’re even going to try to start a new high school for missionaries-in-training! Who would think that a group of high schoolers could “do hard things”?!
Thank you so much for opening our eyes.
And thank Joel for leading worship. It was the first time I think I have ever truly known the definition of worship.
Rock on!
Kathryn
May 6th, 2008 at 2:59 am
I really cannot wait until the Gaithersburg conference. Meanwhile thank-you so much for listing to God’s leadership and embracing His call to “Do Hard Things.” Your blog and your book have helped me to see God’s call for me and to eagerly embrace it, rather than running away because it’s too difficult. (Even though the easy way doesn’t mesh with the “take up your cross daily.”) Look forward to the conference and will continue to pray for your efforts on His behalf.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:49 am
I’m glad it was such a great turn-out
It didn’t take long to beat Indianapolis in attendance record 
I know this is off topic, but I was wondering if some of you would be willing to pray for me. I have an appointment to meet an Oral Surgeon today and I’m a little nervous about the whole thing. I need to have my wisdom teeth pulled in the next month or two and I’m not looking forward to it. So, if some of you could keep me in your prayers I would really appreciate it.
In Christ,
Amanda
May 6th, 2008 at 8:10 am
The conference was great! Even though I’ve read the book and the blog, etc., it really made me take a step back and really look, at my life and ways of thinking. My heart was greatly touched by all the people who went forward for life change.
I was wondering if you will put DVD’s of the conference up on the blog–because I didn’t preorder one and would like one to share with friends who were not there.
Thanks for allowing God to use you and your family in tremendous ways!
May 6th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Thanks again! To add my request to Kaitlyn’s would you mind making the dvd for Portland available? My mom wasn’t able to go but would love to watch it as would my sister and I’m sure others in my youth group! Thanks!
May 6th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Thanks guys for the solid and fun conference! We brought 14 from our youth group and really enjoyed it. Some of the teens that I didn’t expect to appreciate it as much actually purchased books too! You guys are getting through and making an impact! There is a hunger for truth and a deep desire to change…keep it up!!
~For the sake of the Gospel
Pastor Nathan
May 6th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I can’t wait for when do hard things comes to MN!!!!!! My favorite cousin in a publicity captain and I am trying to get some of my friends to come but the rest of my youth group is going to be on a missions trip that week and so none of them can come. (Alex and Brett, you guys have met her before her name is Elyssa Strand and she lives in a suburb of Minneapolis and her dad works for the E free headquarters.) I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
May 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hey guys! I was told that my name looked familiar and asked if I commented on the blog much, and since I haven’t in months and months I thought that was a great reminder. So, thank you two for the work you do and the inspiration you give!
May 6th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Hey Amanda I’ll be praying for you but don’t worry it’s not as bad as people think it is.I had my wisdom teeth taken out a couple of years ago and it got better pretty quick and the best part is you won’t have problems with your wisdom teeth later on in your life when it’s harder to get them out. =)
May 6th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
So glad the Portland conferece went well. And to think that it was only a state away……
May 6th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
The worship times were awesome…Joel seems to be a very humble man who loves the Lord. Does anybody know the name/artist of one of the last songs that we sang about feeding the poor?
May 6th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Lisa:
I believe the song that you’re talking about may be “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I’m so glad everything went well at the conference! Everybody was in my prayers that went to the conference last Saturday.
Also I really need a new Do Hard Things t shirt. The one I bought in Indianapolis is really getting worn. I was wondering can I still order them online?
May 6th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
It was so worth the year long wait for The Rebelution to come to Portland. Thank you so much!! I was so challenged by what you guys said. The worship was amazing. By your recommendation, I am now reading Systematic Theology and loving it!
May 6th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Thank you so much, Alex and Brett. The conference was awesome! I loved everything about it. The worship was amazing, the talks from you two and your dad were inspiring, the Audience Response polling was terribly fun, and the alter call for the unsaved moved me to tears. 127. Wow. God is so good.
Next year I am going to spread the word MUCH more. I want everyone to hear the message you spoke.
Thank you so much! May God bless you (and heal you from your cold, Brett)!
*Keilah*
May 6th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
It was awesome! When you guys shot the rocket for Generation Change by Zach Hunter it went right behind one of the guys in my group! He tried to get it but didn’t make it. Oh well. I loved the conference! (yes, I know I’ve already commented 3 times about this post but I will one more time) THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!
a sister in Christ,
Abby
May 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I read your article on Do hard things and disagree with this. There is nowhere in the bible that says following God is hard. How do you quote Jesus saying ‘my yoke is easy and my burden is light’ and then tell people to ‘do hard things’ for God in the same article, that is a contradiction. Doing hard things does not equate with making tough decisions or venturing outside one’s comfort zone for God. Your article seems to imply that it is up to our own choice to do these things for God and that comes from relying on our own strength. You have missed the point of the oneness with Christ, where we are so in tuned with Him in mind and soul that all our actions flow from a heart which is one with him, and that is not hard when we are fully surrendered to Christ.
May 6th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I wanted to be there SO BADLY! (I’m from BC) Couldn’t though, since we are going away later in the summer and couldn’t afford two trips. Hopefully next year!!!
May 6th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Daryl:
In His power we may do all things, but the load is only light when we allow Him to pull it for us. Maybe you found it easy, but many find that fully surrendering to Christ IS a hard thing. Matt. 7:13 tells us, “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Even after professing Christ as Lord, we must still choose to lay down our will. Jesus instructs us in Luke 9:23 that, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Jesus would not talk about the difficulty if it was not hard, and Jesus makes it clear in several locations that there is a cost to being called a disciple. Alex and Brett are not contradicting Scripture — they are rephrasing Christ’s challenge in young adult terms.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
I was at the Portland conference and I had a fantastic time!! I was really motivated by everything that you guys were talking about; plus one of my friends accepted Christ! And I got your book and I love it so far! Thank you, Alex and Brett and the whole team, you all are doing great things for God and His Kingdom!
~Michelle
May 6th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Dear Alex and Brett,
I wrote you an email entitled
[URGENT: FROM KOREA - about your book!].
I know you must be busy with all the conferences coming up
but please do take a look at the email and reply.
I would like to undertake the translation of your book into Korean asap.
In Christ,
Kyumin
May 6th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Jamie, where does choosing to lay down our will become our choice. Do we chose God or does He chose us? When Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship, he does not say it is hard. The cost does not equte with hardship. Distorting scripture to make is easy for people to understand is not biblical.
May 6th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
The conference WAS amazing!! The speaking was so inspiring (and convicting) and I was excited to get the chance to meet Alex and Brett after the last session. I totally could feel God’s presence there and I was SO excited to see so many teens come to Christ. It was an experience i will never ever forget. I bought the book there and have already finished the whole thing!! Its my favorite book right now and i am actually reading it again. I would encourage whoever hasn’t got it yet to GO GET IT!! It will change your life ,seriously. I’m not the kind of person to rant and rave over stuff but will about this book!!LOL:) Thank you Alex and Brett SO much for your boldness and love for God. Its such an encouragement. I was wondering have you guys ever thought of starting a “Do Hard Things” Rebelution magazine? It was just a thought that I had and I was thinking that it would be so cool to be able to have a magazine then it could reach those kids that don’t have internet and stuff. Plus some of us Rebelutionaries on here could help you guys out with everything that involves starting a magazine, which is alot of work( so I’ve been told)! This is just a thought though and I know you two are already really busy W/ everything you are already doing!
May 6th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Daryl, greater minds than yours and mine have disagreed regarding predestination and free will. I do not presume to have God all figured out in this area. Yes, God chose me, but He also commands me to follow after Him. As far as making things easy, it was Jesus who rebuked his disciples and said that God’s kingdom is made up of people with simple faith like the little children. Regarding hard discipleship, Christ went to the cross in obedience to the Father. That was a hard thing for Him, but He did it for us. Millions of his followers have suffered torture and death. They may have rejoiced that they were found worthy to suffer for His name, but I don’t think it was easy. I fear you may be debating terminology and missing the call of the watchmen. For that I am sorry.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
The world says to do. Christ says it is done.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
It is always amazing to hear the wonders God is doing through this movement. I pray that the convention’s impact will continue in the people’s lives even after the event.
May God give you humble hearts in the midst of it all. Indeed, His name be praised.
I can’t wait to finish my copy of the book! I received it yesterday and have been reading since then
May 6th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Daryl/Eli: I appreciate your concern. We must all be “good Bereans” and check man’s teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11). In this case, however, you have stumbled across a paradox and called it a contradiction.
The Apostle Paul describes it this way: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
In this passage you see Paul doing hard things by the grace of God. Paul’s hard work didn’t get him any credit and God’s grace didn’t make it easy. A contradiction? No. A beautiful and mysterious paradox. Yes.
Yet the biblical basis for Do Hard Things runs deeper than a single passage. It finds its foundation in the doctrine of sin — the fact that by nature each of us is in rebellion against God and won’t be perfected during this life. Obeying God is hard because it doesn’t come naturally. Paul writes that “the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law: indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7). This enmity creates a bitter struggle — even though Christ has purchased the final victory on the Cross.
Paul shares this struggle in the previous chapter saying, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:21-25).
We are being conformed to “oneness with God” — but that process is not complete, even when you’re the Apostle Paul and have written 13 books of the Bible. And if it’s still true for him, then it’s still true for me and everyone else I’ve ever met. We do hard things because that’s what it takes to obey God as sinful human beings. We need His grace because it’s hard.
I could keep going, but I’ll close with an exhortation Paul makes to Timothy. In this passage he compares training in godliness to physical training — which in my mind denotes a clear sense of “do hard things” . . .
1 Timothy 4:7-8 “Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”
May 6th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Daryl/Eli: Depending on your opinion of Edwards this quote of his is great too: “The way to Heaven is ascending; we must be content to travel uphill, though it be hard and tiresome, and contrary to the natural bias of our flesh.”
May 6th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Daryl: To be a bit extreme (as life sometimes requires of us); would you say that it would be easy to go to a foreign country where it is illegal to be a Christian and preach the Gospel in the streets — and furthermore, to stand your ground and not deny God when tortured and often offered release if you but would deny Him? Would it be your choice whether you praise God or complain through the excruciating suffering and time of loneliness? True, the joy would come from God; but to be honest, would you feel the joy and empowerment and then act or would you act and thus open and submit yourself to being empowered with divine Joy?
On another note; I don’t believe that ‘Do Hard Things’ is rephrasing or distorting Scripture. I believe it is simply looking for a way to apply in a convicting motto an encouragement to obey God’s Commandments in every situation.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Brett: I’m sorry — I didn’t see your response until I submitted my comment.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:52 am
Alex and Brett,
May I begin by thanking God for all he is doing with your ministry. The Rebelution is the thing that we need in order to wake up our generation and reach them for Christ. My younger brother and I just finished reading your book “Do Hard Things” and it was excellent and Biblical. We have got to raise the bar for our minisrties for Christ if we want to see better results for Christ and thankfully that is something you guys are doing. Paul did not have low expectations for his ministry because he knew that God would save the people if Paul would just preach the Gospel. That is a wonderfull example of how we should raise the expectations of our minisrties because our expectations for God could never outgrow God’s infinte power and might to save lost souls.
P.S. I listened to Piper’s sermon on youth and it was great. He is so incredibly “biblically saturated” as he might say and his faith and ministry is something we should all strive for.
Thanks and God Bless
May 7th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Alex and Brett thank you so much for an amazing conference. I have always been one of those people who has done hard things but, through the conference and your book i have realized that i amd not doing enough. i have come up with this idea. It’s encouragement cards. On the cards there will ba a short sentence of encouragement, a few bible verses and a few websites. Your conference has impacted my life so much and i thank you for that. I will continue to pray for you at each conference stop.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:29 am
hey, wow, the conference was totally awesome! and i just wanted to say “God Bless You, Alex and Brett” i mean God has his hand on you too, and i believe that he has great things planned for your future.
well as i said before in an earlier comment (on another post) i mentioned that it was my 16th Birthday the 3rd (the day ifm the Portland conference) and i just wanted to say “Thank you Alex and Brett for the best Birthday of my life” you guys were so inspirational. And Thank you so much for getting me back on to a commitment i had made New Years, which was making enough scarves to fill a kitchen garbage sack to give to the homeless come Christmas time… again Thank you.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:31 am
hey, wow, the conference was totally awesome! and i just wanted to say “God Bless You, Alex and Brett” i mean God has his hand on you too, and i believe that he has great things planned for your future.
well as i said before in an earlier comment (on another post) i mentioned that it was my 16th Birthday the 3rd (the day ifm the Portland conference) and i just wanted to say “Thank you Alex and Brett for the best Birthday of my life” you guys were so inspirational. And Thank you so much for getting me back on to a commitment i had made New Years, which was making enough scarves to fill a kitchen garbage sack to give to the homeless come Christmas time… again Thank you.
God Bless You, and I’m gonna start praying for you guys…
May 7th, 2008 at 8:50 am
I went to the Portland Conference this last week, and I am very glad that God opened the way for me to go. I was convicted bigtime about the things that I do(or don’t do). I am a Running Start student, and I can do rather well in school without much effort, but the examples during the conferance of the kid who has talent and is not going above what he/she can easily do really got to me. I am now working harder at school and at home to simply be faithfull with what God has given me.
I bought “Do Hard things” and “Boy Meets Girl” at the conference and have not yet been able to read them for the very simple reason that my family is wrestling over who gets to read which book first.
Thank you Brett and alex for putting on this Rebelution tour!
God Bless you!
~Ruth
P.S. Will you guys sell the DVD’s of the conference online?
May 7th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Hey Alex and Brett!
Some of my family and some friends and I were at the Portland conference. We traveled over 400 miles from Idaho and It was totally way worth it!!! We talked so much on the way home. We all love it and were very much inspired!!! It was such a AWESOME conference! Thank you guys so much for being bold and proclaiming the truth!! It is so encouraging to see other Christian teens who are totally living for God!
I have really been challenge by what you guys said and it has made such a difference and an inpact in my life!!!
I bought the ‘Do Hard Things’ book and I am half way through, and it has been so good to read after going to the conference. The ‘do hard things’ motto is such a great reminder for me every day when I am challenged with something hard. I just think- “‘do hard things’ girl, you can do this for Christ”!!!
I am so excited about what the Lord is doing through you guys. Keep up the good work! God bless you richley!
Thanks again for all that you and your team did to make the conference happen! God is SO good!!
In Him, Kayla
May 7th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Hey guys, I was wondering, how would I become a member? And what could I do if I were a member?
May 7th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Alex & Brett, Thanks for the challenge. Thanks for your support of H2O. May the Lord continue his blessing on you & your ministry!
May 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
My daughter and I attended the conference on Saturday. I appreciate the fact that you two are encouraging teens to do hard things for God’s glory (for the right reason). Soli Deo Gloria! I truly enjoyed the worship time. Please thank Joel and his band for us. The songs selected were meaningful. I wish there were some of Keith Green’s songs added in, too
. I’m so glad to see the session that your Dad shared the Gospel and 127 submitted their lives to the Lord.
I was born and raised in Thailand so I was tickled to hear you talk about elephants in Thailand. I also like elephants. They are cool. Besides soccer and tug of war, they can also paint
. I’ve recently heard that elephants are one of the few animals that can recognize themselves in the mirror. Someone painted an x on an elephant’s forehead and when it looked at itself in a mirror, the elephant tried to wipe the x off with its trunk.
Regarding the conference, may I suggest that you have a question/sharing session at the end when the audience is given a chance to ask you both questions about “Do Hard Things” or to share what “hard things” they are trying to do or hoping to do? I think that the teens (and parents) will benefit from that
.
Have you ever read a book called, Kathy written by Barbara Miller (and another person I can’t remember the name)? Kathy Miller is a great example of doing hard things. When she was 13, she got hit by a car. She was in coma and expected not to live…then even if she lived, they expected her not to be able to walk. However, God healed her (the miracle part)! The “doing hard thing” part is that only 6 months after she came out of the coma, she ran 6 ½ miles! And she used that to show the world: “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Sorry…this is a long comment (my first comment on your blog):). You guys are very blessed to have such a wonderful, Godly family. Thank you for obeying God, seeking His will, and serving Him no matter how “hard” things get
.
May 7th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Thanks for coming to Portland. It was great!
May 8th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Last month I heard about the movie ‘Bella’ because of the Rebelution and tonight I finally got a chance to watch it. It was amazing! The way it was filmed, directed, its pace, the casting, the acting, the characters, the honesty… even the language of the film — the way it speaks its message — was just incredible. I just realized all over again how powerfully a story can be told through film. I had forgotten how movies can and need to be used to turn peoples’ hearts and open their eyes to see God’s Love and the way things should be. A lot of things haven’t been working out in my life lately and I’ve felt like I’ve been failing at so much and it’s just been really hard to hope — I felt like I was trying to hang on to dreams that just kept slipping out of my reach no matter my heart or ambition. But then I watched ‘Bella’ and I was reminded of why I want to do what I want to do — what I know I need to do. I will write and I will write and I will write and I will write and I will write and I will write and I will write… I may have to write seven screenplays before one is sold, but I don’t care. I may have to write seventy books before one is published, but it just doesn’t matter. My soul cries out to glorify and please God and to draw people to seek Him and know Him and that’s all it’s about now. And with that as the purpose of what I do I cannot stop. Thank you for your part in causing me to find out about this movie in a way that made me want to watch it. I so needed the encouragement of seeing people using what God has given them to save lives. After going to the conference I have been convicted more than ever before of the needs around me, but have felt so inadequate to meet them — I just seemed to try hard and fail hard. I need to remember that God sees and has compassion for the needs even more than we do and that it was first His Plan, not ours, to make right what is wrong. I don’t know everything I need to know and I stumble a lot, but He put the call on my heart knowing my weaknesses and past mistakes and failures with the Plan to lead me into all Truth, to Strengthen me, and to keep me. Thank you for inspiring me to rely on Him, to not stop growing and seeking Truth, and to Do Hard Things — to never stop trying even when I, myself, honestly feel inadequate — that I might show this world His Love and bring forth His Kingdom and fight the good fight for His glory alone. May God richly bless you! Thank you!
May 8th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Will you guys ever have a conference in California? We cant afford to go to one unless its local.
May 8th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Sheila: What area of BC do you live in? I’m from BC too and was just wondering!
a sister in Christ,
Abby
May 8th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Would anyone be able to describe the worship at the conferences for me? I would like to go to the Des Moines conference, but I’m sort of concerned about the music. So I’m wondering..is it really loud and contemporary? This house of mine doesn’t ever listen to anything more ‘contemporary’ than Steve Green, Twila Paris, Keith Green, etc. We don’t mind stuff a little more contemporary than that, but if its loud, its going to totally tick my parents off. So…your thoughts?
May 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
TanyaBeth, the music is probably a little louder than you might be used to. It’s fairly contemporary. When I went to the Indy conference last year, I remember the songs were really good ones, but can’t recall what they were exactly.
May 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
TanyaBeth, I was just at the conference on Saturday and like Erika said the music could possibly be a little louder than you are used to. I loved and appreciated the worship time so much though because I could tell that it was being led by a sincere genuine group of people focused on bringing glory to the Lord!! Some of the songs we sang were “How can I keep From Singing Your Praise” and “Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone.” There was no yelling or anything like that. I want to say this in a way respectful to your parents but I am sure that even if the music isn’t your cup of tea the teaching will inspire and convict you to Do Hard Things just like it did me!!! I hope this answers your question!!
May 8th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Hey everyone,
This is off topic, but could you all please be praying for my mom-she has bi-polar and right now she’s suffering one of her sicknesses… thanks so much!-I am glad that there are people here who are caring enough to pray when one part of the Body of Christ hurts.
Your sister in Christ,
Lanie
May 8th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Hey Alex and Brett,
I went to the Rebelution tour and I think that it was very good! Good messages guys!
I’m reading the “Do Hard Things” book, and it’s awsome! 
Your brother in Christ,
Josh
May 9th, 2008 at 12:21 am
TanyaBeth: We just got a “Worship / Music” page up in the conference section. You can check out the songs we sing there:
http://www.therebelution.com/conference/worship_08.htm
Lanie: I’m praying for your mother! Thank you for sharing. =)
May 9th, 2008 at 2:59 am
It’s great to hear how God is at work in the life of fellow young people through the Rebelution. I’m hoping to come down from London to the conference in Baltimore with some friends and we’re looking forward to it! GBU guys!
May 9th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Thanks for the book..we are reading it through now. It has gone beyond our expectations…and we appreciate your ministry. We will see you guys in June in Dallas!
May 9th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Lanie: I just said a prayer for you and your Mom! Sickness is a hard thing. Your right… it is cool when the body of Christ comes together to pray! In Christ.
Beka
May 9th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Hey guys! It was definitely a great turnout and many lives were, in fact, changed. God was clearly present through it all.
BTW, I didn’t know the final count for those that went to the front to accept Christ, but know that I know, I’m amazed.
Great job, guys, and keep it up!
God bless,
Quin
May 9th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Thanks everyone for praying!
My mom is doing a lot better today, praise the Lord!
Trusting in Him,
Lanie
May 9th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Hey,I didn’t go to the conference but it looked to me to be a great conference!I just wanted to encourage you and tell you what your doing is great and keep up the good work!!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Glad the conferences are going well. Looking forward to seeing you guys in July. It will be a good weekend trip for our family. Have a nice summer till then.
May 10th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Lanie: I am SO glad your Mom had a better day! Thats awesome and totally shows the power of prayer. God bless,
Beka
May 10th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I just thought that I’d let you know that under the “Teens in the News” category you have named the link to the “Two Teens Hired as Police” wrongly.
May 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I just finnished the book! I loved it! Thank you so much! You guys are awesome! See you in June!
L.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Praise the LORD! That is so amazing that so many people’s eyes were opened “to the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Cor. 4:6b
May 11th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Exceptional conference! I wish more of my friends could go! If there’s anoher one in Portland, I’ll definitely invite a lot more people! GBU! Keep doing hard things!
May 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Hello, what is this cult that everyone is joining? How do I join? Do I just read the book to join?