While I’m certain Ed could speak much more to this particular assertion, it is nearly universally held that one of the major tasks of adolescence is the formation of an identity. Think back to your time in middle school or high school. I’m willing to bet that a healthy chunk of your time was spent trying to figure out exactly who you were. Sometimes this takes the shape of finding yourself among lik…
If you’ve spent any time in Christian circles, you’ve likely heard the question, “Have you asked Jesus into your heart?” It’s an easy way of inquiring about the complexities of beginning a life of devotion to and relationship with Jesus. I made this decision the summer before my freshman year of high school, and to be honest, very little changed. I think this is the case for lots of us. We have an emotio…
Who likes talking about sin? I mean other than the preachers who you see on TV, who for whatever reason seem to really love banging their fists on their pulpits and making a big deal about how terrible we all are, nothing will quiet a room quite like saying “let’s talk about sin.” But my experience has been that if you’re going to understand a person’s theology, you almost have to start at how they unde…
In Richard Foster’s book, Life With God, he posits that one of The Bible’s major thematic threads is God’s message to His people, “I am with you. Will you be with me?” Each of us is, in one form or another, answering this question several times each day. We answer “yes” when we open ourselves to the eternal love and grace of God, living as disciples of Christ. We answer “no” when we reject the love found in Chr…
Our students have begun to find me annoying for any number of reasons. I am a terrible Ripstik Soccer player. Sometimes I forget to pick up supplies for a game I promised them I would play. But I have had a question that I have asked again and again and again that if often met with eye rolls. “What is God up to you in your life?" The frequency with which I ask this question of students a…
