rebelling against low expectations
If you’re a Christian, then at some point in the past, you chose belief in the gospel and trusted Jesus Christ with your life. But the effects of the gospel don’t end the moment that you’re saved—in fact, now that you’re a Christian, the gospel is more relevant than ever. Often, Christians think of the gospel as an evangelism tool, something for the unsaved. We’ve...
For most of you, Easter is probably over. Your thoughts have turned to graduation, summer break, camping, etc. But for the disciples, I’m sure that first Easter stuck around in their minds for a long time. It was an incredible, life-changing miracle they had to process… and it probably took longer than three days. One day, their hope was literally dead. The next, He was standing before them whole...
Ashamed. Unlovable. Damaged. Have you ever felt this way? Like you’re just too flawed or make too many mistakes to be loved? We all long for love and we look for it in so many different places – parents, friends, and significant others. But somehow, all of those people fall short. They disappoint us and fail us. Their love isn’t always as unconditional as they claim. They never fill our...
Have you ever felt worthless? Blunt, I know. But it gets to the point. I think everyone has felt this way at one time or another. I know I have. Feeling this way can really get to you. It will hang over every single thing you do, an oppressive cloud sending rain and thunder storming into your life. It saps your energy—and your happiness. It makes life… well, worthless. Let me tell you a story...
the romans, they condemned me condemned me to the confines of hell so they nailed me to a cross and speared my tender side and as i laid there hanging naked and alone the messiah, he turned toward me and in his eyes i saw a ocean of forgiveness and a mind that knew no wrong see, the romans had condemned him condemned him to the darkness of death but he will not stay for light can not be slain by...
Our precious Savior, asleep in a manger, One day would heal those who suffered great pain. One day, He’d show crowds the way out of danger. One day, they’d see the reason He came. This precious babe that was cradled by Mary Would one day sip from the cup of God’s Will. He’d endure the torture none other would carry For many ages and until this day still. Our precious...
At some point in our lives, we’re going to become friends with someone, then later realize that he or she isn’t a believer. So…what do we do? Do we look past their belief (or unbelief) and pretend we don’t care? Do we just go on with our relationship as though it doesn’t matter? That’s certainly not the loving thing to do. If that person is not a born-again believer in Jesus, he is heading...
You love me Jesus, it’s a mystery. You know my faults, You know my wrongs, and You still love me. As I scrolled through Instagram earlier this week, a post shared by one of my friends caught my eye. Clicking through to the original post, I pulled back in shock. Jon Steingard, known to me only as the lead singer of the Christian band Hawk Nelson, was renouncing his faith. While their most...
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Light streamed in through the windows, making the cozy, family-like atmosphere of the little church even more inviting. As the pastor began speaking, the congregation leaned in, eager to hear his message. Suddenly, loud sobbing disrupted the service. Everyone turned to see who was crying. A little boy with Down syndrome, a boy who was usually happy and friendly...
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we usually see cards, candy, and red and pink hearts everywhere–all representing this thing called love. But what is love? Google defines love as “an intense feeling of deep affection.” That’s a powerful description, isn’t it? However, Valentine’s Day celebrates romantic love, and many of us teens don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend at this stage of our...
rebelling against low expectations
