God

Losing it in School

Keri Williams
3 Jul 2012
one comments

It is not uncommon for Christian students to reject their faith while attending secular colleges and universities. Studies show that upwards of 60 percent of Christian students abandon their faith during those formative years. Unfortunately, the antidotal evidence of this often comes directly from our own families and church communities. This is a disturbing and real problem that concerns all Christian parents—especially those whose children are part of the upcoming freshman class. A 2007 study by the Institute for Jewish & Community Research expressed serious concerns about the overall climate on campuses for evangelical Christians after finding that faculty’s general […]

-Read More

Can You Defend Your Faith?

Justin Young
2 Jul 2012
no comments

Have you ever felt ill-equipped when discussing your Christian faith with a skeptic, atheist or follower of another religion? Do you spend time actually studying why you believe what you believe, or do you settle for taking someone else’s word for it? While Christianity is absolutely a walk of faith, being a Christian does not require you to check your brain at the door. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In 1 Peter 3:14-15 (ESV), the Bible says,“Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make […]

-Read More

College Do’s and Dont’s

Carmen Goodier
no comments

Anxiety. Excitement. Happiness. Sadness. Dread. Fear. Expectation. Hope. The transition to college can be overwhelming, to say the least. It is that initial step out of the comfortable nest, the beginnings of adulthood, a taste of the real world beyond the previously-known smaller sphere. There are so many unknowns, so many possibilities. As you enter into this new season of life, here are a few bits of advice that can make the journey more meaningful and perhaps more manageable. Don’t overload your first semester schedule. Going off to college may be the most dramatic change you have been through up […]

-Read More

Renewing the Mind

Jeremy McKeen
1 Jul 2012
3 comments

How do you change your life? How do you overcome that habit and break free from that destructive pattern of behavior? Do you know how to become more like Christ? What do you say to your friend who tells you, “I want to change, but I don’t know where to start?” Thankfully, the key to lasting change can be known. The apostle Paul says, “…Be transformed by the renewal of your minds” (Rom.12:2). The secret to all lasting transformation is the renewal of your mind. But what does renewing your mind really mean? Why is it necessary for change? And […]

-Read More

Hope for The Fatherless

Jeremy McKeen
5 Jun 2012
no comments

Fatherlessness is the most urgent social problem affecting our society today. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department for Health and Human Services, 40 percent of all children in America will go to bed tonight without a father in the home. The effects of this are staggering, considering that 85 percent of all children with behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. In fact, fatherless children are at a greater risk of suicide, mental illness, poverty and substance abuse, and are 20 times more likely to end up in prison. However, despite these bleak statistics and the pessimism that […]

-Read More

Legalism vs. Freedom in Christ

Justin Young
no comments

I had an interesting experience a couple of weeks ago, one that really got me thinking. A friend of mine was excited about his new tattoos and decided to post some photos of them on Facebook. Within a few minutes, a mutual friend commented on the photos saying, “The Bible says that your body is a temple and that you shouldn’t put tattoos on it.” Never mind that these tattoos were words from the Bible, or that my tattooed friend, along with the pictures, posted how happy he was to be using his body as a tool of evangelism to […]

-Read More

Contentment vs. Complacency

Jeremy McKeen
25 Apr 2012
one comments

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and to make matters worse, I didn’t know how to respond at the time. I was talking with a Christian friend of mine who was in his early 30’s. He was well educated, intelligent and healthy. Yet, he happily lived at home with his parents, worked a low-paying part-time job and did nothing with his free time except watch movies and play video games. When I confronted him about his use of time and resources, he said, “I’m content with this lifestyle, and doesn’t the Bible say that I should be content?” Like […]

-Read More

How to Pray Effectively

Cory Nickols
17 Feb 2012
no comments

Have you ever wondered why God was not answering your  prayers, or at least not as quickly as you would like or not in the way you expected? I have on many occasions. There are several things to consider when praying. 1.God answers prayers in ways we do not expect. God’s ways are not our ways. God sees the end from the beginning and knows what is best for us. The Bible says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you […]

-Read More

Would You Reach Out to Me?

Marisa Zeppieri Caruana
12 Jan 2012
no comments

You may be familiar with the story of Ashley Billasano – the shocking headlines and details gripped readers of print and online papers worldwide and left them asking “Why?” Billasano – a striking 18 year old girl from Texas – took to her twitter page on November 7, 2011 and poured her heart out to her 500 followers regarding allegations of sexual abuse and forced prostitution. In a compilation of 144 tweets, she described how her life had been forever changed by not only the abuse, but also the struggle she was encountering to see justice prevail.  After spending six […]

-Read More