I don’t know about you, but every year around this time, I feel like I hit a wall. Its that mid-semester slump. We have celebrated our way through the beginning of the semester and now are privately wondering if we are going to have enough energy to make it through until Christmas. It lacks the glamour of newness that marks August/September or the poignancy of the November/December days. Maybe I am just a secret hater of routine, or maybe it’s the midterms that have started up, but I always feel as though my battery has just about run … [Read more...]
Jesus Knows What to Do with Your Apathy
The Greek definition for sin is simply this: “to miss.” We were created in God’s image with the intent to glorify Him through our worship and enjoyment of Him forever. In that, we have missed—big time. We choose to worship money, sex, and other pretend gods and enjoy the menial pleasures of hamburgers rather than the Almighty. We have missed. That’s a simple definition for the far-reaching condition in which we find ourselves. Let’s not miss that, too—sin isn’t so much an action as it is a condition. It’s true, whenever we violate … [Read more...]
Why Your Investment in the Lives of Young Adults Matters
It’s official—Fall is here. If your weather is anything like Tennessee’s weather (where I live), then you probably need to see this announcement on a blog. It is still 93 degrees. Can it really be Autumn? Even though the temps don’t feel like it yet, not only is Fall coming, but we are in it! Young adult ministry can be like that at times. We’re in the trenches with people. Real life journeys. Real life problems. We know and trust that God is moving, but we don’t always see the immediate signs. We can often look back with hindsight … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Maximize Your Single Years
Singleness is neither a disease that needs to be cured, nor is it a carpe diem season of life. From the proper perspective, singleness is very strategic in God's economy — whether for a season or for a lifetime. Here are 10 ways you can make the most of your single years: 1. Know that Christian singles are a gift to God's church. 2. Be content in the season of life God has placed you. 3. Know that the ultimate goal of life is devotion to the Lord — not marriage, career, or fill-in-the-blank. 4. Grow your affections for Jesus … [Read more...]
The “To Do List” of a Young Adult Small Group Leader
If you’ve led some type of young adult small group for any period of time, you know there are “things to do” each week. Eventually, these things become second nature as you learn and grow as a group leader. And, the longer you lead, the more you recognize the importance of these habits. So, what does a new small group leader need to know? Here are eight things to consider: Have a plan for the next group gathering. Always be thinking ahead about where the group is going as you pursue together what it means to be fully devoted … [Read more...]
Peeling Off the Labels
I have a friend that has a fixation with peeling labels off of everything. The first time I met her, I remember her absent-mindedly peeling off every label that was within her reach. She finally turned to me and said in a light-hearted tone, “If you haven’t noticed, I have this obsession with sticky labels.” OK, a little odd, I thought. Over time, her sticky label peeling became just another enduring attribute of my friend. It’s another way to describe her. It’s another way to label who she is. Too often, we use negative labels to … [Read more...]
How to Make the Most of Your Workday
Work. Sometimes it's a place where you're cranking out ideas and projects like a well-oiled machine. Other times, you're squeaking through the day, easily distracted. And trust us, we know it's tough to get everything done. With the workplace in a constant state of change and many companies forced to consolidate job responsibilities to keep down costs, there's typically more work than seems possible to accomplish. But before you let out a sigh or start screaming, “Is it Friday yet?” for the third time in an hour, there is hope for a … [Read more...]
Life Beyond Worn-Out Shoes and Old Ways
“Tradition!” Tevye, the poor milkman from Fiddler on the Roof, straining to hold on to what he cannot keep, cries out: “Traaaditiooon!” The accented bellow sounds almost like he’s cursing the word itself. And perhaps he should. Our traditions, maybe more than anything else in our churches, have the potential to drag us away from the commands of God. A professor of mine used to comment: “Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.” Generally, they blur together and … [Read more...]
Quick Reminders for Fall
It’s Fall, which means semesters are beginning, students are arriving, and excitement is in the air on many college campuses. These are the days we love as college ministers! These are also the days when we need a few reminders as twelve-hour days seem to never end. 1. Students see things we don’t. Think about all the places your students go that you don’t. From dorm rooms to vehicles, students are involved in deep conversations. The reality is that students trust each other more than an adult at times. Have we trained our students … [Read more...]
Why True Connections Matter
Have you ever read a familiar story in Scripture and been surprised by how “fresh” an encounter from the pages of the Bible can be? That was me this morning. I was reading (actually listening to) Mark 5 and found myself drawn into the story of Jesus healing the woman from bleeding who simply touched His robe in the midst of the large crowd. I was captivated by the woman’s faith and understanding of Jesus. I was captivated by the needs of the crowd that pressed in to be near Jesus. But, most of all, I was captivated by Jesus Himself. … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- …
- 86
- Next Page »