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Life is hard. I’m not talking about doing hard things, I’m talking about life that’s hard. Death in the family, sickness, despair, the sin in our world that we can’t stop, but we do look to God to help us with it. But sometimes even that can be really hard. The difficulties in life can make us ask, “Why God? Why would you let this happen?” And trust me, I’ve been living with that question for a...
From blue crayon sketches to squeaky violin recitals to Disney murder mystery novels, hobbies have long been a part of my life. I’ve hated the hours of practice, hated the pieces that went in the trash, hated the wasted time. But if I could reclaim that time for another purpose, I wouldn’t. In fact, I’d probably invest still more into my hobbies. My sketches may not be featured in some New York...
Have you ever wondered what “worship” really means? Worship is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. It is absolutely essential that one who claims to walk with God, worships God. However, worship can easily be an ambiguous word that is hard to clearly define. True worship is a heart posture Worship is constantly mentioned throughout the Bible. The first instance...
When people learn my dad is in the military, one of their first questions is, “How often have you moved?” This question immediately stops me, not only because I have to count–now up to seven–but also because it brings to mind memories of every place I’ve lived. I can almost see my friends, my schools, and my homes–all left behind in places to which I’ll probably never return...
I remember watching an exchange between two children at my church once. A six year old boy had been deeply hurt by a friend’s unkindness. So he sat in the corner and started singing, “Let it Go.” All of the adults involved couldn’t help but laugh at this way of expressing emotion. The boy was upset with the situation and decided to deal with it by slowly “letting it go...
When we’re caught up in Rebelutionary living and striving to do big, hard, risky things, it’s easy to forget the why. Why leave our comfort zones? Why live radically? Why do hard things? Because Jesus breathed life into our dead souls (John 5:24) and calls us to live for his glory (1 Corinthians 15:49). This gospel characterizes the Rebelutionary. It breeds radical intentionality. In a lazy...
We’ve all been there-that one person who makes your heart feel fluttery and your face turn red. That one person you daydream about (before you catch yourself and turn your attention back to your Algebra homework). That one person who meets all of the superficial requirements on your mental future partner list. And even if you’ve decided not to date during this point in your life; and even if the...
Dear Teenagers, You are daring and fearless and bold. You have an undeniable sense of justice and you’re ready to fight for it. You dream big and step up to the plate. You are doers. You love with no reservations. You take risks. You forgive. You are accepting and empowering. You laugh and enjoy and create. You are energetic and adventurous. You give yourselves away. You are relationship-driven...
I was sixteen and had never played a game of laser tag in my life. They had an instructional video playing before the match, but there was one problem… My youth group was going up against a bunch of experienced kids, and they yelled through the whole video. I couldn’t hear, couldn’t understand. When they handed me my gun, I didn’t know how to use it. I asked my brother for...
You don’t have to do the same thing for the rest of your life. If you’re an emerging graduate of high school or college, you may have been confronted with the pretty harrowing idea that you have to pick a single career for the rest of your working life before you even hit 22. I wish someone came along when I was 17 and told me it wasn’t true. Because the reality is, it’s not true. God has given...
rebelling against low expectations
