rebelling against low expectations

TagPersonal Growth

The First Step to Effective Bible Study: Digging Into God’s Word

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The Bible can be a little daunting to study. First, there’s all those pages, well into the hundreds in many versions. Then you have those unpronounceable names that seem to come from the latest fantasy novel. And have you read some of the stuff this book contains? Wheels covered in eyes (Ezekiel 10:12). Belly fat oozing over sword hilts (Judges 3:22). Prophets walking around naked (Isaiah 20:2-4)...

The Identity Crisis of Today’s Christian Teen

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Gen Z is facing an unprecedented identity crisis. Every time I ask a youth pastor or Christian leader what they think is the biggest struggle teens are facing today, the answer is the same: identity. I’ve observed this myself. Teens are struggling to know who they are and if they matter. I hear their questions and as an early-twenties Gen Z, I can relate. Who am I? What determines my identity...

Your Past Pain Is Only Part of the Story

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It can be very easy to stay stuck in the past especially when a past season has been very difficult. From my personal experience, I know the struggle is real. When I was in the middle of a dark time in my life, the Lord spoke to me from the song Out of Hiding by Steffany Gretzinger. I woke up one morning hearing the lyric, “Oh, as you run, what hindered love will only become part of the story.”...

Am I Behind in Life? When Your Peers Seem Ahead of You

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My family and I were headed to an American Heritage Girls’ scouting camp out for my younger sisters. As we were driving, I scrolled through Instagram. A coworker (who is the same age as me) posted pictures of her and her husband vacationing in Nashville. It looked like they were having a great time! As my family drove through the desert, my thoughts wandered to my dear friend who I’d been...

Comparing Sins: Why We Do It and What We Should Do Instead

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When I was in sixth grade, I got sent to the principal’s office twice. I remember saying that, compared to some of the other kids who got sent there every-other day, I wasn’t that bad. I thought, since other kids were way worse than me, it didn’t really matter that I had been sent there twice. Compared to others, mine was a pretty minimal offense, right? Why We Compare This is often how we think...

5 Tips for the College Student: Lessons From My First Semester

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I’m halfway through my first semester of college now, which is really hard to believe. It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s been teaching me a lot, and I want to share some of that with you. It’s Okay to Change Your Major When I came to college I had everything planned out—my major, whether or not I wanted to go to graduate school, and my career. Then I got to school. It was only about two weeks...

The High Cost of Discipleship

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“And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 ESV) Growing up I never felt like I had anyone I could really look up to, except an older brother who did not give a very good example, but I followed in his footsteps anyway. The truth is, we will always find someone that we learn from, whether it is a close family...

One Thing Christian Teens Need to Know Before They Date

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Several years ago, I had an idea about how to earn some fast cash. Since four-wheel-drive vehicles—like Jeeps and SUVs— sell for a premium in Colorado, I thought I’d buy one in the Midwest, drive it home, and sell it for a profit. A day into my search, I discovered a sporty pickup with low mileage and a five-speed manual transmission. On the outside, the cardinal-red paint was impeccable. The 3.0...

3 Principles of Simplicity and the Christian Life I Learned from Lord of the Rings

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What does it mean to live in simplicity? Should we live in simplicity? When we approach this topic of simplicity, many people will have different ideas of what it means. Some think simplicity is about decreasing one’s possessions and physical needs. Some think it’s about getting back to meditative practices. Others might think it’s about only focusing on the core things and not letting themselves...

Your Permission to Dream Small: It’s Not Always About Big Things

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“So, what do you want to do after high school?” I asked my co-worker as we sat at the edge of the courtyard, our backs against the cold concrete wall. It was a hot summer day and cooling off in the shade was the perfect thing to do after a Wednesday at day camp. The last few children that hadn’t been picked up yet scampered around, playing four square or catch. “Well,” she said, “I want to be a...

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →