When was the last time you were still? I’m not talking just a little bit still where you were multi-tasking in your mind while you were attempting to be still. I’m talking about the type of still where your mind is completely at rest and you are able to fully hear the truth of what the Lord wants to show you through His Word. We work with young adults and their worlds are chaotic. But let’s be honest, our lives are not much less chaotic – ours are just chaotic in different kinds of ways. As young adult ministry leaders, we often fail … [Read more...]
The Rhythm of the Christian Life
A good life requires a good rhythm—a pattern of movement regularly repeated over time. When we live life in tempo and experience the various harmonies around us, we find true joy and experience lasting contentment. It’s why we listen to music when we exercise and work—to give us a backbeat to our activities. It’s why we keep calendars—to live in harmony with the seasons. It’s why we schedule things—to get into a groove at home and work. It’s why newborns are so exhausting—they disrupt all our rhythms.But, when they (finally) get … [Read more...]
Grace. What Does it Really Mean?
The Greek word for grace is charis, and there’s no question of its importance in biblical theology. Charis appears 116 times in the New Testament. There’s a lot about grace in Scripture because it’s the message of Jesus. Grace means favor. It means acceptance. It means giving. Grace is free in the sense that something done or given in grace is done so without expecting to receive anything in return. Grace isn’t dependent on the way it’s received, the moral goodness of the one receiving it, or even that person’s ability to rightly … [Read more...]
Is God Opposed to My People-Pleasing?
People-Pleasing. A loaded term; pregnant with meaning and clothed with irony. People-pleasing in our culture is most often understood as a desire to gain the approval or affections of others by making them happy, comfortable, or satisfied. But, what if I told you that the problem of people-pleasing is actually not about “other” people at all? And, what if I told you that the Bible describes “people-pleasing” as far more egregious (Gal. 1:20) than you and I have come to know it today? The Hidden Danger of … [Read more...]
Real Freedom
As we celebrate Independence Day with Family and Friends, may we remember “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17, CSB). May we always walk confidently in the freedom Jesus gives! … [Read more...]
Does Technology Help Us or Hurt Us When Discipling Young Adults?
Words like Bible study, memorization, fasting, prayer, and solitude are synonymous with the process of discipleship. You can’t grow as a disciple of Jesus without intentionally spending time in God’s Word and developing spiritual disciplines that help you submit to His Kingdom and ways. Though distractions from engaging in spiritual disciplines have always existed, young adults today have a whole new arsenal of distractions that seek to pull them away from what matters most. From Netflix to Nintendo Switch, new technologies can be a … [Read more...]
Major Points from Minor Prophets
Kevin has eyes that never dim. They can’t. They’re too full of light and hope and passion. Come to think of it, so are Sarah’s and Brad’s and Caitlyn’s and Mitch’s, and the list goes on. Each one is unique in their dreams and ideas. Each one is a bright light in a world of dark people. It’s awesome. Together, they represent a cross-section of young adults who have come from here and there Sunday after Sunday to be part of something bigger than themselves. They have come to be present. They have come to listen. And, their … [Read more...]
Making a Case for Your Use of the Wheel
In the 1930’s, a 22-year-old sailor who was on fire for Christ had an idea for an illustration that would enable him to teach others the basics of this faith that he had come to grip so tightly. Dawson Trotman would come up with the beginning version of what is now known as “The Wheel of the Obedient Christian.” This visual tool has been a staple for disciple-makers for the last 80 years and still features a prominent spot amongst the Navigators, a Christian ministry that was birthed by Trotman. I genuinely believe that this simple … [Read more...]
How Do We Teach College Students to Share the Gospel?
"For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, CSB) Recently when a number of college students were asked to share the gospel, they struggled to do so. These students are leaders of ministries, grounded in their faith, involved in church, and they love Jesus. Their inability to share the story of Jesus clearly and succinctly was astonishing. Some of the students shared about who Jesus was in their lives. Others talked about … [Read more...]
4 Reasons to Take a Break and Give Thanks in Ministry
For some ministry leaders, summer is a season of rest and recovery from a crazy year, as well as a time of envisioning what could be in the year to come. Though there are still opportunities for ministry, there is also the possibility you’ll have a chance to take a minute to breathe. When that season comes, what do you do with the space? I find it hard to turn off my brain, to slow down and remember the past year, or even to take a break from thinking about the next things that need to be done or the next places the ministry needs to … [Read more...]
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