From time to time, the Lord allows each of us to witness something in the lives of others in that prepares us to work for him in a new way. I think more often than not, we can slip by these moments if we are not careful and be unaffected by something that the Lord […]
Always Chasing but Never Catching
theempowerroom.comHow often do we look at Monday and pray that Friday will come soon? How often do we sit in the cold winter hoping for spring? How often do we wish for rain on a hot dry day, or sunny skies when it’s raining? How often will we look at the “Christmas” products on the […]
Youth Ministry ≠ Pre-Game Warm-up
While meditating on Hebrews 12:1-3 I was encouraged by something that I have always thought, but have never been able to defend with scripture. Youth are not in a holding pattern. Youth are not prepping for their time in the trenches. Youth are the Church! The writer of Hebrews uses the runner as an analogy […]
He Came to Set the Captives Free
While listening to a podcast by Ravi Zacharius in which he depicts the conversion experience of General Manuel Noriega while in prison for his crimes, the question came to me, “Why do prisoners seem to accept Christ more readily than those not in prison?” Fundamentally, I think this is explained by the inability of those […]
New Year’s Resolutions
Last year I had one resolution. I resolved that I would read through the Bible in 2014 without trying to apply it to a lesson for my students. I wanted to invest myself as a believer into the scriptures. I wanted to make scripture a larger part of my life without trying to make it […]
#1 Problem Facing Teens
I saw a question posted on Facebook yesterday morning that asked this question, “What is the #1 problem facing teens today, and how do we fix it?” This is a great question and it will have many different answers depending on the problems facing the teens in the area in which you live, but it […]
See Past the Temporary Notion of Death, and Realize the Reality of Eternal Life
When my son was a little younger than he is today, we would play a game in which I would hid an object behind a sheet and he would believe, even if for the briefest of moments, that the object had ceased to exist. We were able to play this game because he had not […]
Peer Through the Veil of Deception and Encounter Truth
It is often said that when a person is being deceived, they are being, “Kept in the dark.” It is also said that when people are experiencing trouble in this world, they are, “Going through a dark time.” These two statements are extremely accurate, especially for the believer. With Christ’s blood, and with the truth […]
Look Past Loss and Find Gain
Loss and gain seem to be fairly concrete ideas in today’s culture, but in fact are far from that. They have a vagueness that is rivaled by few other concepts in American society. Fundamentally, the ideas of loss and gain seem simple enough, but when the finder and the looser take account of their subsequent […]
Look Past Tragedy and See Hope
Photo by Michael BenderBoldness about the truth of Jesus Christ is what should set Christians apart. However, far too often what sets us apart are opinions on fairly insignificant things. Then, when tragedy strikes, we struggle to gain a footing, and we struggle even harder gaining a voice in an otherwise chaotic scene. The truth […]