rebelling against low expectations
Allow me to unfold the incredible story behind the beloved hymn, It Is Well, so that you may know, just like the Spafford family, that your soul can be well, even though sorrows high as sea billows roll through your life. This story is both heartbreaking and amazing at the same time. The reality that one man and wife could experience so much heartache and loss, while still glorifying God is an...
“Do you know what your spiritual gift is?” Ms. Flora asked as we sat on the swings at camp. It was something I hadn’t thought about in a while. “I know I have one, but I don’t remember what it is,” I replied at first. Suddenly I remembered, “Wait, it’s encouragement.” About a week later at church, the pastor preached a message on what makes Jesus...
Let’s face it: the Christian walk is hard. It’s not—and shouldn’t be—easy to walk the straight and narrow way. Matthew 7:13-14, ESV, warns us of this, saying, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” As Christians...
We had disappeared into the trails, running alone beneath the trees’ dappled shadows. With swift strides, I chased after the runner ahead of me, following her down the left road at the path’s fork. For a few moments, I continued down the path until the other runner made a sudden turn. “I think we went the wrong way,” she whispered amidst heavy breaths. We ran back to the fork and turned onto the...
Rebelutionary, you are a target. As scary as that sounds, it’s a good thing to be aware of. As children of God, Satan is after us. He constantly works to distract us, lead us away from God, keep us from spreading the Gospel of Christ, and attempts to sabotage every good thing we do for the Lord. But even though he has supernatural powers beyond what we alone are capable of, we have something far...
Teens want our Christianity to be alive. We live in a world full of bright explosions, flipping numbers, and urgent calls from everywhere. There is so much to do, so we want our faith to be powerful, moving, and deeply felt. So when theology comes up, we might sigh. When discussions about inerrancy or impeccability or any other long i-word comes up, we shrug or settle back into that resigned...
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived two brothers. The elder brother was a farmer, while the younger was a shepherd. One fateful day, both decided to bring an offering to the Lord. The younger brother’s offering was acceptable and pleasing to the Lord, but the Lord rejected the elder brother’s offering. The elder brother seethed with anger and became jealous, and he murdered his...
If you had been my shadow during the summer of my twelfth year, you would have seen me weeping alone many times. Throughout the day, I yearned for night so I could be oblivious of my thoughts while I slept, yet as I lay in bed at night I longed for daytime distractions. Why? Because even though I had accepted Jesus as a young child, had been baptized, and wanted to serve Him, I feared that maybe...
Have you ever tried to share your faith with someone, and they told you they don’t even believe in God? How did you respond? New Atheism has become more popular since the early 2000’s with the rise of four prominent atheists: Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. Two of these men have since passed away but have quickly been replaced in influence by agnostic...
Most of you probably know the hymn, “Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus.” Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face And the things of this world will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace. Often, we sing hymns and read verses, but don’t grasp their magnitude and significance. The words of this hymn recently hit me. If you are fixing your gaze on Jesus, all the things of...
rebelling against low expectations
