rebelling against low expectations
Have you ever grown tired while running? If you are as un-athletic as I am, you probably grow tired nearly every time that you run. However, ultimately it does not matter how athletic you are–if you run fast enough and far enough you will grow tired eventually. Throughout the New Testament, the Christian life is compared to a race. It is the most important race we will ever run. It is...
Imagine what would happen if students all over the world decided to dedicate time, effort and diligence to studying the Bible. Jen Wilkin presented this question to parents and youth workers on Christianity Today: What if we gave students the Bible and expected them to learn it? What if we asked them to read it like a book – to apply the same skills they are learning in their English class...
America was built on the backs of early morning risers. Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most influential founding fathers, famously said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” For most of history, people had to rise before dawn in order to care for livestock. Without electricity, lighting by candles and lamps was both cumbersome and expensive. The lack of...
As Christmas Day draws nearer and nearer, I’m sure many of you are gathering around with your families to take part in a classic Christmas tradition—watching Christmas movies. Favorites like Elf, Home Alone, and The Miracle on 34th Street play nonstop on countless different channels and seem to set the mood for this time of year. An interesting observation is the common thread that runs through...
When you’re confronted with a problem, blindsided by a crisis, or pressing through a season of difficulty, asking for prayer should be a no-brainer. It should be easy. But too often, reaching out for prayer support can feel daunting and overwhelming. At least, that’s been my experience. Prayer Request Dread I used to hate asking for prayer. Even now, when I have a need, there’s still a moment of...
A Concerning Trend It seems that it has become increasingly popular for self-professed evangelicals in the U.S. to leave the Church and “deconstruct” their faith. I write “Church” with a capital C because I’m referring to the invisible church, that group of chosen, true believers within local church bodies across the world. And when I say, “leave the Church,” I mean it in the sense of removing...
Maybe like me, you’ve been looking for a good way to share the Gospel with your friends. Maybe they haven’t had much experience with God or the Bible, but you think they might really be open to it if introduced in the right way. But how? I’ve been wrestling with that same question for a while now. As a homeschooled teen, I don’t find myself around non-Christians very often—but when I do, I feel...
When I was a teenager I made a choice that changed my life. At only thirteen years old, I sat down at my computer and read about a program called the National Bible Bee (kind of like a spelling bee, but for Bible memory). That can’t be too hard, I thought to myself as I convinced my mom that I wanted to sign up. I thought it would be something fun for the summer. Something to keep me busy. And...
As I copied the words “humble and gentle” from Ephesians 4:2 into my journal, the list of problems I constantly faced ran through my mind. I was too quiet, too unsure. I needed confidence and boldness to speak up. Why should I focus on being humble? That seemed like the opposite. I was puzzled. Humility was something I’d figured out a while ago. I didn’t brag. I didn’t think I was the best...
I rather like Peter. I know he’s Jewish, but in my head I like to picture him as a burly redhead, unruly hair spiraling in every which direction (yes, there’s no way he actually looked like that, but still…). Practical, to-the-point Peter. First to speak, first to jump into things, though never first thinking about it. But he’s not afraid of questions. So it’s no surprise that he was the...
rebelling against low expectations
