rebelling against low expectations
As I copied the words “humble and gentle” from Ephesians 4:2 into my journal, the list of problems I constantly faced ran through my mind. I was too quiet, too unsure. I needed confidence and boldness to speak up. Why should I focus on being humble? That seemed like the opposite. I was puzzled. Humility was something I’d figured out a while ago. I didn’t brag. I didn’t think I was the best...
The tradition of Christian apologetics has a long history, from the apostles in the book of Acts, to writers in the early church like Justin Martyr, to modern recent authors like C.S. Lewis, Lee Strobel, and John Lennox. The term itself comes from the Greek word apologia—meaning defense—and refers to laying out a logical case for why the faith is true. At some point, every Christian will be in a...
Corrie ten Boom is known for rescuing hundreds of Jews during WW2 through her work in the Dutch underground. Telling this incredible story in The Hiding Place, she begins slow, with glimpses into her childhood, her life as a young adult trying to navigate her future, and the years preceding the Nazi occupation of Holland. What is remarkable is how the lessons from these times, as Corrie frames...
Part of being a Christian means experiencing a tension, a pull between the immediate realities of daily living and the ultimate reality of eternity. Being in the world, but not of it. Redeemed, yet still facing temptation, still witnessing evil, still mourning for the lost, still reading tragic headlines, still watching friends get hurt, and still struggling in our own sin. Secure and content yet...
There is no shortage of articles, podcasts, and books on how to pray, what to pray, when to pray, the benefits of prayer, model prayers, tips on organizing your prayers, and where to find nice notecards and journals to keep prayers. These aren’t unimportant questions. But there is a greater one: Do you realize Who you are praying to? When I stop and think about what prayer is, I am totally and...
There are many arguments for the existence of God. This article covers the top three in simple terms and gives brief summaries of each. To go more in-depth on each subject, additional resources are recommended at the end. The Moral Argument This is my favorite and most compelling argument. The moral argument says that because there are objective moral values (some things are truly right and...
The gospel is offensive. There’s no getting around it. It was in the early church, it is today, and it will continue to be. People don’t like to hear about sin; they don’t want to need a savior; they don’t like the idea of a God in control. People want truth that’s malleable. They’re looking for instant gratification and something they can bend to fit their desires. They want to be told, “It’s...
It’s been talked about by philosophers for centuries. It’s been defined, re-defined, then defined again. It’s spoken of in movies by rogue vigilantes who claim to take the law into their own hands and by protesters on the street corner calling out for change. Today, it takes on many forms–economic justice, reproductive justice, social justice. But what is justice, really? Is there a reality...
College is bursting with causes to get involved with. Want to solve global poverty? There’s a group for that. Want to fight for animal rights? There’s a group for that too. You can find student activist groups for just about everything. Cool! I want to change the world too. Where do I sign up? Many young people want to be world-changers who defy cultural norms. We’re idealistic. We’re energetic...
More frequently than I’d like to admit, I get stuck in the comparison game. I wonder: Am I as good as them? Why did this happen to me? Why can’t I have that? Unchecked, this kind of thinking is destructive. Yet, comparing ourselves to others is one of the easiest things to do. Opportunities are everywhere, especially when we have little devices in our pockets that provide instant updates on all...
rebelling against low expectations
