Empathy is usually seen as a positive thing…so why didn’t Jesus use it to set people free? Join Rick and Becky as they wrap up a month-long focus on resetting your life by examining the difference between empathy and compassion and why they shouldn’t be used interchangeably.…
Before our second Valentine’s Day after we started dating (see throwback photo on the left!), I (Jake) had purchased a present that I was ecstatic about. I couldn’t even contain my excitement enough to make it to February 14, so after some begging and my best impression of puppy dog eyes, Melissa gave in to getting her present a day early.…
Season 2, Episode 013: When Jesus Names You Who does Jesus say I am? When I first met Rick, he talked a lot about this question. He said it was the second most important question in life. That question scared me, because I’ve been raised in a world of broken mirrors.…
Kevin: “So, do you remember who I am?” My brain: Crap Theresa, come on. Think, you know this kid. What’s his name? Me: “Dude, I totally remember you. (Awkward side hug) You look so different. How are you?” Kevin: “Remember, I was at the skate park all the time.…
It starts around 9 or 10 years old. It’s like one day you wake up and can truly see for the first time all that you don’t like about your family, your changing body and your life for that matter. Not knowing how to process any of these feelings you just become over-emotional. …
EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Novelli was a full-time youth pastor for 13 years before he launched his own ministry called Echo (echothestory.com), helping both young people and adults learn through the art of “Storying,” an experiential and dialogical approach to growing deep in relationship with God.…
Season 2, Episode 16: What Jesus Says About Your Body We’re wrapping up our month-long theme on identity, be sure you go back and listen to all four episodes in the series. We couldn’t finish a series on identity without talking about body image.…
For the third week in a row, I watched a junior higher struggle to complete the conditioning course before track practice. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before, but his clothes were three times too big. The baggy wardrobe was slowing him down.…
One thing that I think youth workers are really good at is embracing change. We are trained to watch trends in culture, and we’re always attempting to adapt. Look at how quickly we embraced social media, and began using it to better our communication with our students.…
Maintaining healthy relationships is a priority in all areas of life, but our ministry world requires special attention. Ultimately, we spend about a third of our lives working, which means we spend a third of our days with co-workers. That’s a significant amount of time, so we want the atmosphere to be positive and productive for everyone.…
