“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” -Proverbs 11:14
I love online personality tests and aptitude quizzes. You know, the ones that tell you your strengths and weaknesses and why you might struggle with a specific skill set while another comes naturally. My most recent Enneagram test floored me when it bluntly declared, “Lauren, you struggle with frustration because… Read More »Why Every Christian Teen Is a Leader—And How to Be Effective
Ready for some honesty? I dread inviting people to church. Just the thought of approaching a friend with an invitation to worship knots my stomach in highly unpleasant ways—so much that I questioned whether I was really the best person to write about how to invite someone to church. And… Read More »How to Invite Someone to Church—Without Being Weird
If you had a choice between great wealth or genuine confidence…which would you choose? I won’t make assumptions about anyone who’s reading this, but I would give up a lot for a lifetime supply of genuine, irrepressible confidence. Imagine what a person not lacking in confidence can face! Even the… Read More »What is Genuine Confidence—And Where Can I Get Some?
Does prayer make Christians lazy? Non-Christians frequently make this charge—that we use prayer as an excuse to shirk responsibility, all in the name of trusting God—against believers, and quite frankly, we’ve sort of brought it on ourselves. Yes, prayer can make a Christian lazy—but then you’re not doing it right.… Read More »Faith Without Works: Does Prayer Make Christians Lazy?
As a kid, you sat through Sunday church services because your parents made you. Your mom wouldn’t let you put your feet off the pew in front of you and your dad kept scolding you for not holding your hymnal up. Fast forward a few years and now you’re a… Read More »Welcome to Adulthood! Time to Take Responsibility for Your Faith
Tis the season for back-to-school sales and the start-up of sports practices! In just a few weeks (or days), many of you will walk the halls of an educational institution. Whether that instills in you a load of excitement or anxiety, I’d like to help you start your school year… Read More »A Back-To-School Guide For Christian Teens: 5 Valuable Reminders
Leader or servant—which would you rather be known as? One conjures up a sense of superiority, the other images of sweeping floors and washing feet. One lives a life of fame and reknown, the other is largely unknown. You know Taylor Swift’s name, but what about her drummer? (His name… Read More »Embrace Servanthood: Not Everyone Gets to Be the Star
Do you know how to be a good listener? No, seriously. Do you truly know how to listen so others will talk and share their deepest hurts? Their darkest fears? The opinions and beliefs they know you won’t agree with? Good, honest listening has become something of a lost art—and… Read More »Do You Know How to Listen So Others Will Talk?