Lately, Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart has been filled with some of the worst, most profane, and sexually vile songs in its history. However, the song currently parked at #3 has a completely different message. Instead of talking about drugs, alcohol, or sex, it addresses suicide…with the hope of stopping it.…
You know what we can’t get enough of? Memes. Here are three of my faves. You know what’s too much of a good thing? Friendships that are primarily dependent on a mutual exchange of funny memes. I was scrolling through Instagram and this post stopped me in my tracks.…
Alcohol leaves its mark on teenagers of every generation, from legal troubles to scars to tombstones. Today’s teenagers are on track to have fewer alcohol-related incidents, which is certainly good news. But research says much work is still to be done.…
If you’ve talked to a teenager recently, you’ve probably heard about 13 Reasons Why. (Alert: Spoilers ahead!) Regardless of the controversy surrounding the show, it’s impossible to deny the splash it’s made. In a few short weeks, 13 Reasons Why has left a greater impression than any other Netflix original series (yes, even Stranger Things).…
My head is spinning. Recently, a man I know—a professing Christian, and a man very involved in ministry—was sent away to prison for a long, long time. He was arrested for, charged with, and pleaded guilty to more than two dozen counts related to the sexual molestation and abuse of multiple girls, most of them tween-agers or younger, all of them were family friends.…
“Christianity is just a bunch of fairytales.” “God and science don’t really mix.” “Jesus may have existed, but the whole Messiah thing sounds like a hoax.” Early on, starting in junior high, teenagers begin to hear offhand comments like these in class discussions and even from teachers.…
Recently I had lunch with a young man from my church who’d just ended a long relationship with his fiancé due to her infidelity. Unfortunately, their problem with monogamy isn’t an isolated incident. In fact, much of our culture wouldn’t even define it as a problem.…
When a group of teenagers recently asked if we wanted to meet for lunch, I replied, “That’s aesthetic, fam. Just don’t throw shade when me and my bae roll up in my minivan. I can’t help it that my ride isn’t as swaggalicious as yours.”…
I vividly remember opening presents at the dining room table on what must’ve been my 15th birthday. Mom proudly handed me a special gift she’d selected. From the shape and size, I could tell it was a record, which I’d add to my pile of new cassette tapes, to be used in my bright yellow Walkman.…
For the culturally blended generation of Jesus-followers we’re leading, boundaries have become increasingly blurred. So it’s essential for us to set positive examples as we embrace who we are as individuals, people of faith, and inhabitants of Western civilization. We must guide teenagers toward wise decisions in all these settings without stripping away their identity, relevance, or influence as global citizens.…
