rebelling against low expectations
The worst place to die of thirst must be the ocean. “Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink,” says the old poem, and it’s an apt description of the situation. Stranded in a small boat, with not canteen of fresh water, you’re surrounded by miles and miles of water–but none of it does you any good. Ocean water isn’t fit for drinking. The salt in it dehydrates you, drying you...
They had never sobbed so hard. Several had even thrown up. They couldn’t help it, so great was their shock when they saw the things they’d permitted. One of the ladies tried to cover her eyes, but an officer pushed her hands away and the soldiers urged them on. Determined that they shouldn’t stop short of seeing every mangled body; that they shouldn’t pass by any of the rooms where such...
I was sitting at a table at our church youth camp talking with a couple of the camp counselors. One counselor was just a couple of years older than me and just starting college. As I sat there, I overheard him speaking with another student about his participation in a high school robotics competition. As he talked he began to elaborate on his accomplishments, a near perfect SAT score, athletic...
If my generation woke up, we’d realize we’re being treated like babies. The world is coddling us with low expectations, stroking our flesh and rocking us into lethargy. We’re being spoon-fed the tasty lies that we don’t need to act. We don’t need to try. We don’t need to slap ourselves awake. God is saying something different. Jesus is demanding us to wake up (Matt. 24:42), sober up (1 Thess...
“It is finished,” Jesus said, and then he died. The image of the immortal, invisible God died. The only righteous man allowed himself to be unjustly murdered in order to bring many unrighteous children into union with the just Father, and “it is finished” were some of his last words, eternalized in the Bible for all the world to know. Here are three implications those three miraculous...
Clutching the jar tightly, the woman stood in the doorway and looked into the room. Her heart beat furiously. Her eyes darted back and forth. The room was so full of men, most of whom knew her. She glanced behind her and considered retreating. Suddenly she saw him. Everything else vanished. None of it mattered. Rushing into the room, she fell trembling at his feet. Breaking her jar open, she...
Procrastination is an ugly word. A school assignment waits on your desk, but gets pushed aside in favor of something more enjoyable. A list of unanswered emails fills your inbox, but you ignore them once more because there will be time for that later. A deadline set weeks in advance is suddenly upon you, and you find yourself working until midnight because you won’t meet it otherwise. I...
I’ve been there. One of the hardest parts of being a Christian is evangelism. We live in a broken world with broken people, whose only solution is Christ. We’re around unbelievers every single day, but we routinely act as if the hour is not at hand, as if we have our eyes set on the here and now and not on what’s above. We hide our light under a lampstand and create lies in our head that...
Those who are familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia will remember the great and valiant mouse, Reepicheep. We love Reepicheep because he’s daring, brave, funny, and serious all at the same time. As small as he is, he fought in the Second Battle of Beruna with all the strength, willpower, and zeal he has, combatting creatures many times his size. Even when the battle was getting dangerous and...
I can still remember the day I turned sixteen. Sixteen was always the age that seemed so glamorous. Most young people eagerly await the opportunity to turn sixteen for many reasons. Driving would probably be at the top of that list. Now that I am twenty-one, I look back on my sixteen-year-old self and I have many things I wish I could tell her about life and following Jesus. So whether you’re...
rebelling against low expectations
