There are times when my own lack of faith frustrates me. Recently, I had the opportunity to share the gospel with a young man seated on a plane next to me. I got to ask him some questions about his beliefs and where he is in areas of faith. When I left the plane and headed toward baggage claim, I thought to myself, There’s no way this guy will ever come to Christ. He had expressed extreme disdain and hatred toward the church. So, I prayed for him and asked the Lord to show Himself to this young man – but I’m not sure I really … [Read more...]
Friendship in a Facebook World
It happened to me recently. I got an alert on my iPhone that I had received a friend request on Facebook. I pulled up that person's profile only to find I didn't recognize the person's name or profile photo in the slightest. Faced with only two options (Confirm or Delete), I created a third option - I did nothing. I left their request sitting there. My wife and I talk about friendship in a "Facebook world" all the time. She lovingly calls me a "friend whore." According to her, I will accept friend requests from "anyone" (over … [Read more...]
Why the Easter Celebration Deserves a Second Look
If you’re like most americans, you start playing Christmas carols — “O Holy Night” and “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” — at least a month before Christmas. You spend hours wrapping gifts and hanging lights, jaunting off to countless Christmas parties. But in the weeks leading up to Easter, do you sit around listening to “up from the Grave He Arose?” or RSVPing to that rockin’ Easter party? Not so much. Why the lack of enthusiastic preparation for the holiday celebrating Christ’s resurrection? Like Christmas, Easter plays a pivotal … [Read more...]
Do You Need Help Finding Balance?
Welcome to the rest of your life: finding balance. I'd be lying to you if I said I had mastered this in college, or even that I'm a master of balance now. Business Insider recently posted an article about 9 things everyone should be able to do by age 30. (Personally, I think you should be able to accomplish the first 7 by the time you're 25, if not before then.) But #9 was work/life balance. The article claimed that the key to finding balance is less about work-life balance than work-life purpose (prioritizing what's important to you … [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...]
The 10 Friends You Need in Your Life
When you reach the 20- and 30-something stage in life, it's easy to see how friendships come and go. Those kids from 8th grade camp are no longer in your e-mail list. Buddies from high school who wrote in your yearbook, "We'll be friends forever!" are already a distant memory. Young adulthood is a chapter of life for forming new relationships. Naturally, certain connections grow spontaneously when you least expect it. Those are thrilling and unforeseen. Others, however, form because you sought them out. At this stage, it's important … [Read more...]
What’s the Difference Between Career And Calling?
When does a job not feel like a job? Simple — when you know it to be a calling. One of the biggest secrets to making the most of your formative young adult years is allowing God the space to speak to you about how you were designed and gifted, how you were infused with passion for something, and how your gifts, talents, and passions can make a difference in the world. A SENSE OF PLACE Finding the place where your unique gifting and passion can bring blessing and relief to those who hurt and struggle in our world — that’s … [Read more...]
3 Essentials for Connecting With Young Adults
He was your server at your favorite restaurant after church on Sunday. She was sitting next to you on your bus commute this morning. They get together as a group at your local coffee shop. They fill your local college campus from August until May every year. Who are they? They are young adults (a.k.a…Millennials or 20-somethings or college kids or young professionals or the list goes on). In our communities from the rural towns of Alabama to the major metropolitan cities of Seattle and Nashville, young adults are all … [Read more...]
Why Patience Is A Process
We all have a specific calling in life. Some of us already know what that is, and others are struggling to find it. Either way, we all have an idea of where we want to end up in life. For some, we want to be the next great doctor or nurse who uses their medical expertise to provide healthcare to impoverished people across the world. Still, others desire to use their artistic talents to change the world through media and music. Some, like myself, feel called to preach and teach God’s Word and build up the church. All of these careers … [Read more...]