rebelling against low expectations
I remember a certain evening vividly. I was eight-years-old, curled up against a castle of pillows, watching TV with my daddy. We were watching a show where people were doing hard things that required a lot of strength. Suddenly, a tall man (who looked like he should’ve been part of a biker gang) took the stage. He grabbed a Teflon coated frying pan and rolled it up with his bare hands. To...
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) This is stupid, but I used to want bad things to happen to me. I thought my faith wasn’t strong because I hadn’t gone through a tough time. I...
I couldn’t believe what I heard. In a room full of women, ranging in age 20-60, the speaker said not just twenty-somethings but also thirty and forty-somethings were not ready to, and therefore shouldn’t, disciple anyone. What they should do, according to this woman, is to seek to be discipled, sitting at the feet of the godliest older woman they can find at their church. As a twenty-something...
The stereotypical “youth group” is pretty sad. It usually involves a good helping of cliques, shallow relationships, and lots of drama. Of course there’s some Bible teaching, but that’s not the focus. The focus is massively and unrelentingly on us. Not every youth group is that way. Maybe most aren’t. But that’s the expectation. And that’s what we have to fight. What Are We Looking At? The...
Literature is rarely my favorite subject because many of the books have seemed boring and difficult to understand. They appear to bear little importance to my modern-day life. However, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin has been different. While the writing style is antiquated, the stories and the lessons from Franklin’s life are timeless. Franklin was an outstanding printer, statesman...
Every day, we are faced with innumerable opinions from others. Whether it be through television, music, or literature, we are exposed to what people think. Like it or not, we live in the age of media. As Christians, how are we supposed to react to all this noise in the world? I think that in order to know how to respond to different kinds of media, we should first define what media is. What is...
Millennials. Narcissists. Entitled. Expectations for our generation could not be lower. I don’t deny the statistics and our flaws, but it breaks my heart how many in the church have written us off as a failure. To clarify, I love the church. I’m plugged into my local congregation and wish more of my friends shared the same passion. But I want to give a heartfelt plea to those in the church. With...
Social media has changed my life. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with new people I would have never met otherwise. To share and learn new ideas and perspectives. But there is an uncomfortable truth I sense more and more when using social media. A lurking danger behind all the connecting, content-creating, photo-sharing, and influence-growing. Here are three truths every young...
“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12 This is a well-known Scripture passage to anyone who’s been around The Rebelution for any amount of time, and it’s all about how the gospel changes everything. Think about it. Another way to state this verse is to say the gospel transforms what we...
Media brings the world to our fingertips, which has the potential to greatly affect our lives for good or for bad. While Christians can use media to glorify God, here are 5 questions to ask before you consume media. 1. How is this influencing my behavior and attitude? If your favorite sports team loses, what happens to your attitude? What if for the hundredth time you just can’t get past a...
rebelling against low expectations
