rebelling against low expectations
If you were to describe the state of the world today in one word, what would it be? Lost? Misguided? Deceived? Blind? Sick? Hurting? All of these are applicable in one way or another. But how about broken? The Origin of Our Brokenness As fallen human beings we live under the curses of sin outlined in Genesis 3:14-19. Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, humanity has lived in...
Nearly every morning, I roll out of bed with a phone in hand, click on my Notes app, and scroll through my list of to-dos for the day. After breakfast, I hastily move onto Bible study. As I flip through the pages of the current biblical book I’m studying (1 Peter), I glance at the time every few minutes. With each glance, I flip the page and scan the text more urgently than before. I soon move on...
This year has been marked with a significant amount of waiting in my life. In January, I began the process of applying for an awesome opportunity—but along with it came paperwork, interview calls, reading, appointments, and emails. I did not have a solid “yes” or “no” for months. My anxiety escalated as so much hung in the balance. It was not easy. Eventually, God allowed...
Knowledge is a great place to start in uncovering the gems of Scripture, but knowledge alone isn’t particularly helpful. Alone, it tends to cause us to feel smart, which can lead to arrogance or pride. Rather, we need to sift through the dirt to find the gems of understanding. So here we move from knowing the facts of the passage to comprehending what those facts actually mean. You may know that...
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)...
Do you have a list? You know, a list of the qualities you want in a future spouse. Some people have general lists that may or may not be written down. Others get a little more specific and put down preferred hair and eye color or even what musical instruments or sports they want their significant other to play. I once heard of a girl who had a list nine pages long, detailing everything from birth...
In the Lord of the Rings, as the journey grows increasingly dangerous, and it starts to become unclear who is truly on his side, Frodo slips on his fateful ring, running as fast as his hobbit legs can carry him, alone to the dark land of Mordor. But his faithful and devoted companion Sam eventually figures out where Frodo has gone and catches him in the nick of time—moments before Frodo sails...
Imagine a world where no one watches movies. Think college guys in dorm rooms quoting lines from their favorite movies and thinking they’re hilarious. Except they never saw the whole movie from beginning to end. Weird, right? But you, the normal human being you are, go to your friends and say, “What if we sit down and watch the entire movie tonight?” Everyone looks at you with a face twisted in...
What does it mean to be a woman? In a culture that denies the reality of male and female, it’s pivotal that we understand God’s design for masculinity and femininity. This week, we continue our conversation on godly manhood and womanhood with Leslie Ludy, the founder of Set Apart Girl. Leslie talks about what true femininity looks like (and why it’s so attacked in our society), how to live out...
Everybody has a different way of mourning. Some stay quiet and to themselves, blocking out the world. Some try to brush it off and hang out with friends, so they don’t feel the pain so strongly. Some laugh it off, pretending they don’t care. Yet still others take you into their confidence and tell you all that they are thinking. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to comforting your...
rebelling against low expectations
