Articles & Advice

First it was a guy named Tom. We did everything together. We built Legos, rode bikes, played with G.I. Joes, had sleepovers, built cities in the sandbox and dug "underground" passages in deep snow. We transformed the downstairs in our homes into massive hideouts against robbers. We took family vacations together. He was my best friend. There was a connection.

The birth of a new baby is almost always a time of great rejoicing. First Peter 2:2-3 reads, “Grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” These verses emphasize our need to grow to maturity and deepen our spiritual roots. It’s sad when people have been Christians for years but there has been very little spiritual growth in their lives.

Years ago, my son got a book called 1001 Pirate Things to Spot. It is so much fun sitting with Levi and looking for the pirates. The longer you look at the picture, the easier it is to see them. In time, you know where to look and where not to look. Your eyes are focused to look for pirates. The same is true of truth, especially biblical truth in the world. The longer you look at the real Father, Son and Holy Spirit of Scripture, not a counterfeit look-a-like, the easier it is to see Him in the world. When your view of God is clear, you find your eyesight to be clearer for finding Him in the attitudes and actions of people.

Living the Christian life is full of ups and downs. As you probably have experienced, just because you are at a Christian college or are contemplating the possibility of attending a Christian school does not make you “depression proof.” You are or will experience real stress from every direction.

Do you remember those action figures from the early 90s called The Power Rangers? I might be dating myself, but those were amazing toys. Which was your favorite color? They would change from human form to superhero with their “Morph’in Power”! This is what is about to take place with Jesus in Mark 9:2-13.

Getting your brain around the brain is difficult. Do you want to know something mind-blowing? Did you know that the cerebral cortex of the human brain contains roughly 15–33 billion neurons (depending on gender and age) linked with up to 10,000 synaptic connections each? Each cubic millimeter of cerebral cortex contains roughly one billion synapses (a lot of stars!). These neurons communicate with one another by means of long protoplasmic fibers called axons, which carry trains of signal pulses called action potentials to distant parts of the brain or body and target them to specific recipient cells.

Sometimes it is hard to measure whether we are growing in our relationships with God. If you are like me, sometimes I think I am taking a few steps back; and other hours, days, weeks, months or years, I think I am running forward. I understand, but it is still important to set some goals for growth in your faith maturing.

How do we know if we are following close to the real Jesus? Even those on a Christian college campus must wrestle with owning their own faith. There are many proofs that show up in the lives of those who love Him. Look to your heart and then to your actions. Certainly it is not always easy to spot the real thing in others, but you know yourself. Here are a few pointers to consider from Jesus.

True or False: When you head off to college (even a Christian college), you never will experience conflict with people? Yes, that would be a strong False. As long as we live in this sinful fallen world, we will experience conflict and disagreements with classmates, professors, bosses, parents, siblings and others. Sometimes, it seems to happen with those closest to us. As friendships grow, in a strange way, conflict helps deepen relationships. Sometimes conflict tests a relationship to see how deep the roots go.

Do you read your Bible? This might seem like a strange question for someone looking to go to a Christian college, but so many who have left their parents' house also have left their faith in Jesus. They have forgotten where their primary guidance should come from or been distracted. They have stopped reading the Bible on a regular basis.