Editors note: This is part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here. Are you distracted? I recently wrote an article in which I said, "If I could pick one word that I think best describes this generation it would be the word, distracted." So, how about you? Is your focus easily pulled from one thing to another? If so, you're not alone. And, distraction is more problematic than you may initially think. Distraction is doing a lot more than just keeping us from being able to hear God speak. Distraction is keeping us from effectively … [Read more...]
Are you distracted?
If I could pick one word that I think best describes this generation it would be the word distracted. I debated whether or not I really needed to take the time to argue my case, so instead of me writing about it, just look up at the people around you. What are they doing? Where are they looking (or not looking)? The next time you're at a restaurant, watch the people at the tables around you. The next time you're in class, at work, at home, or at the airport, take a minute to notice what the people around you are doing. Between … [Read more...]
Do Something
We live in a word-saturated world. We don't have to look far to find opinions; they find us. Glance through a blog, read a wall-post, scroll through your tweets, or flip through a textbook and you'll hear hundreds of voices clamoring to persuade you. Friends, professors, authors, coworkers, and the media argue controversial issues. Don't misunderstand; communication is great—we're wired for it. But something powerful happens when we replace talk with action, debating with doing, and speaking with serving. So, how do we do this? … [Read more...]
7 Ways to Stick With Your Daily Bible Reading
So you'd like to begin spending time with God daily? It's a noble goal and one that every Christian should strive for. Whatever it is that has moved you to act, you'll have a better chance of developing a daily habit of time with God if you follow these seven tips for nurturing a daily devotional time with God. 1. Pick a time. Make it a priority by calendaring it as you would any other important meeting. We set appointments for much less important things like oil changes, haircuts, and lunches. Set a specific time to meet with Him … [Read more...]
Advent: A Season of Long-Suffering
"Long suffering”—one of the fruits of the spirit—is a phrase that strikes the modern ear as more than a little odd. Today in North America, “to suffer” calls for immediate intervention: a financial stimulus, a pill, a new job, a new relationship. Anything to relieve our pain (however great or small). In fact, most of us wonder how suffering could ever be good, especially over a long period of time. Yet in Scripture, things happen on a different timetable, and terms take on new meanings. With God, a rapid response might take decades … [Read more...]
Advent: Expectation
When I think of the season of Advent, the four-week part of the church calendar that immediately precedes Christmas, the word that comes to mind is “expectation.” Indeed, Advent is a season in which we wait hopefully for that which is promised but is not yet fully formed. It is during this time of year that those of us who are Christians receive the startling news that Christ is being formed in us; that Christ is being born. The question is this: What will we do with such strange, wonderful news? Will we receive it as if for the … [Read more...]
Lord, Have Mercy!
Éleos is Greek for “mercy” as it is defined by loyalty to God’s covenant; pity; compassion. God’s éleos is stunning, and the Book of Nehemiah highlights it along with our need for a Savior and the lengths He goes to prove His love and mercy to us. In Nehemiah 9:6, the people begin praising the Lord, rehearsing all the wonderful things He did from Abram to the present, beautifully recounting the mercy of the Lord. Then in verse 16, their prayer takes a turn. “But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did … [Read more...]
How To Help Young Adults Make Good Decisions
Decisions. During the course of a single day, we make decisions from the time we open our eyes in the morning until the time we go to sleep. We make all kinds of decisions--as insignificant as what color socks to wear to healthy lifestyle decisions like choosing between a chocolate cupcake or a banana to more significant decisions that affect the course of life such choosing to take the job or stay where you are. Some significant decisions are made during our young adult years that will substantially shape the direction and course … [Read more...]
4 Ways To Connect With Transient Young Adults
Transient is not a bad word. On any given Sunday in a young adult/collegiate ministry setting in our churches, we are likely to have a completely different crowd each week. Young adults work. They go on spontaneous trips. Family lives in different cities. Young adults are transient. They don’t stay in one place for very long – not because they don’t want to – it’s simply the pace of their lives in our modern-day culture. If we aren't aware of the transient pace of young adults and college students, it could greatly frustrate … [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 … [Read more...]