Most people who went to church camp as kids know what the shortest verse in the Bible is because they got points for how many verses they could memorize. John 11:35 has only two words—Jesus wept. This may be the shortest verse, but in many ways it is one of the deepest, most meaningful verses … More Jesus feels what we feel!
We are all incredibly self-focused, selfish people, and only through great intentional effort will we become other-focused people. We must be so overwhelmed by the love of God for us that we look for validation only from God. Accepting and believing in God’s great love for us will free us to be other-focused people. We … More Messy babies!
I have found protective power by confiding in others and asking them to hold me accountable, especially when I am away from home. This protective power can come from a one-on-one relationship or from a small group of men. Several years ago before traveling to a city on the east coast to teach an intensive … More Protection away from home
We are not meant to “do” life by ourselves. Life is too short not to have deep friendships that can keep us accountable and on the right track. My first experience with an accountability partner was on the mission field. A missionary friend whom I’ll call Paul was having some problems in his marriage. Paul … More Doing life together!
When I was a youth minister, I learned the power of encouragement from an idea I got out of a book of youth ministry ideas. It was called the “car wash.” To hold a car wash, line students up in two parallel lines facing each other, then choose someone to walk through the car wash. … More Everyone needs a car wash!
There are many different ways to encourage people. Think how encouraged a single mom or a struggling young couple who have children would be by an offer of free babysitting. There are people around us every day who feel marginalized because they lack resources or relationships; we just have to see them. In every group … More People need encouragement!
God has brought an amazing young Congolese man into my life whose name is Tresor. Tresor simply wants to help those in society who have no voice. Tresor has reached out to former child soldiers, street kids, and rape survivors in the DR Congo. Thanks to his encouragement, I have been able to join him … More Anyone want this $100 bill?
I played the role of a youth advocate in 1984 when I arrived in the DR Congo with a desire to start a youth ministry movement. The children and youth of the DR Congo were considered by many to be second-class citizens, having no voice of influence in their culture. Sadly, the cultural view of … More What is youth ministry?
The citizenship of heaven will be made up of people from every ethnic and language group on Earth. God’s kingdom has no place for ethnocentrism, racism, or prejudice. Prejudice simply means to “pre-judge” someone—that is, judging without the benefit of all the facts about him or her, which no human will ever have. Only God … More It’s just a joke?
Ignoring the people around us every day is easy to do. We walk by so many people whom we don’t even see, let alone acknowledge—they just seem like part of the scenery. Can you imagine having this embarrassing conversation with another human being, created in the image of God, when you get to heaven? You: … More Prior Value
