During tough times, when all your limits are being pushed, it’s nice to take comfort in the verse that says Jesus will never give you more than you can handle. Except there’s just one problem: Even though we hear that saying all the time, that verse doesn’t exist.…
We call ourselves “followers” of Jesus, but how do you follow when you’re having a hard time seeing where the path is leading? Or…what if you can’t see the path at all? Join Rick and author Mikal Keefer as they discuss what it means to understand God’s will and examine why people, even those close to Jesus, can have a difficult time with it.…
We have a core mission in youth ministry that, it seems, is also ridiculously easy to forget. As we try to keep numbers up, live up to the vision of the church, and keep up with the demands of ministry life, what can we do to keep Jesus at the center of it all?…
We know that rash decisions made in our own strength lead to trouble. But the alternative–timid prayers that tiptoe around each and every step–is not much better. So how do we make decisions about what’s right and wrong? How do we walk the line between our own common sense and Jesus’ divine guidance?…
It’s often said that too much of a good thing can be bad. It’s true of ice cream and sunshine, but does it also apply to reading the Bible? Join Rick as he welcomes author Mikal Keefer to discuss common misconceptions about reading the Bible, including a surprising revelation about yearlong Bible reading plans.…
Imagine you’re facing hardship and you call out to Jesus. There’s an answer, but maybe it’s not quite what you envisioned or desired. Now what? Join Rick and special guest (and dear friend of the show) Becky Hodges as they examine what it looks like to have a genuine belief in the goodness of Jesus’ heart, particularly when facing dark circumstances.…
If prayer is just conversation with Jesus…why do we talk so funny when we do it? For instance, why do we speak in a softer voice than normal, and close our eyes? Why do we adopt strange prayer-ish sayings we don’t use anywhere else?…
Lament, which stems from pain, mourning, and loss, is often viewed in a negative light. But what if we told you that lamenting is actually a core spiritual strength? Join us as we kick off a month-long series on core spiritual practices by focusing on lament and paying ridiculous attention to how Jesus forms grit in people through lamenting.…
We all have ugly inside whether we want to admit it or not. Anger, greed, lust, jealousy, and a host of other qualities plague us all. While admitting our ugly to others often initially triggers hurt feelings, acknowledging our ugly to Jesus leads to a very different response.…
“Of course we’re Jesus-centered, right? We’re a church youth group. Doesn’t that automatically make it about Jesus?” That’s an actual response of a small-church youth leader when I asked about his program’s focus. Eventually, he admitted he didn’t know what it meant to “make a beeline to Jesus” in all he did.…
