Do you struggle with depression, anxiety, or habitual sin? Do toxic thoughts about yourself, life, and/or God live inside your brain, rent-free? Maybe you’re able to pull off an aura of nonchalance, but inside your mind, a terrific battle rages. You don’t want to be unhappy, but the mental undertow… Read More »Tell Yourself The Truth: 10 Lies Christian Teens Must Stop Believing Now
Like any longstanding group of people, Christians have their own jargon and overused phrases. Someone who comes to faith is said to be “born again.” A Christian who tells her coming-to-faith story is said to “give her testimony.” When sharing the good news of Jesus with non-believers, we urge each… Read More »The Battle’s Already Been Won . . . What Battle?
In my last post Pulpit or Stage? A Critical Look at the Criticism of Christian Fiction, I urged readers to lay off their criticism of faith-based fiction. YA Christian fiction books offer a great alternative for conscientious readers looking for clean entertainment that encourages faith (as long as you don’t… Read More »6 Red Flags to Watch For in YA Christian Fiction
Have you ever read a book review where a critic slammed a work of YA Christian fiction for not being “Christian enough”? “Lacks Biblical substance. Doesn’t mention Jesus even once. Fluffy entertainment.“ Let me first say that, as a Christian, it is of utmost importance to guard the integrity of your… Read More »Pulpit or Stage? A Critical Look at the Criticism of Christian Fiction
(Psst! Snag a freebie at the end of this post!) “I’M SUCH A LOSER. NOBODY CARES ABOUT ME. I HAVE NOTHING TO OFFER. I CAN’T DO THIS. MY LIFE SUCKS. I’LL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH. MIGHT AS WELL QUIT NOW.” If your inner voice sounds like that, you could benefit… Read More »Positive Self-Talk For Christian Teens: Words That Actually Work
Christians are always seeking Jesus as though he were a child who wandered away. Where is he? Why can’t I hear him? Shouldn’t I at least be able to feel his presence? Did he leave me? It reminds me of a bizarre incident that happened in my hometown years back,… Read More »Seeking Jesus: How to Get Closer to God Right Now
Fog is a fascinating phenomenon. Where I grew up—an area known for its high bluffs and steep valleys—fog can drastically alter perspective. You wake up to a bright, sunny morning atop the ridge and find yourself on an island surrounded by an ocean of billowy white stretching miles in all… Read More »10+ Bible Passages for When God Seems Distant and Aloof
Christianity is full of radical ideas. We worship an infinite God who has always existed—no beginning, no end—everywhere all at once. We believe our Bible contains God’s true words, and insist the afterlife includes both heaven and hell. And despite the glaring and ongoing presence of evil in the world,… Read More »What is the Most Difficult Christian Belief to Accept?