“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” In this passage (1 Cor. 13:11), the apostle Paul refers to two states of life: childhood and manhood. Although he is speaking primarily from […]
As Reformed churches we (rightly) emphasize the importance of the family. In light of Genesis 2:18—“It is not good that the man should be alone”—we believe that in general it is best that a man finds a wife and marries (and vice versa). In harmony with passages such as Psalm 127:3—“Lo, children are an heritage […]
Dear Unmarried Friend, When you hear the words “unmarried and caring for the things of the Lord,” what thoughts arise? I will share some of mine. It appears that this pathway may be lonely. Will I be able to experience the fullness of life in Christ without marriage? Do I have the gift of remaining […]
“I was an angry, angry man,” he said. I stood on the tattered steps of a dim auditorium face to face with the man. Scars covered his cheek, and tattoos peeked from behind his navy collar. A long sequence of faded numbers over an orange stripe crossed his back. We were in the Ionia State Prison, and this inmate was telling me about his journey to Christ. On a Saturday in late August of 2019, I had the opportunity to sing […]
What Prayer Is Prayer is a miracle. I cannot explain it. It is a miracle of grace. God gives us the grace to pray. He does not give it to anyone except to those whom he wants to be in his presence with him. And those whom he wants are those who belong to Christ, […]
As a young person, I sometimes find myself asking questions like, “How am I benefiting the church?” or, “Are young people like myself important in the life of the church?” Even at a young age, we have been taught that each member of the church is important in fulfilling God’s purpose. Each one of us […]
What Can I do for You? A page ripped out of a coloring book with bold strokes of crayon running over the picture as a get well card. A six-year old using his entire body to hold the door open for his family and the one coming in after them. A handwritten thank you for […]
As Christians we are called to serve in the church. We are constantly reminded that each member has a specific purpose or job that is essential to the rest of the members in the body. What is our role as young people in the church? We do not have large funds to contribute, nor do […]
Why must our young people be godly examples? One reason for this is to show siblings and students under us that we must not act foolishly. They look up to us and they follow what we do because they want to act “cool.’ As we age, we must grow in wisdom and truth, putting away […]
How can a young person support the causes of God’s kingdom by way of giving? As children and young people in the church, we do not commonly have much money at our disposal. Does that also mean we don’t have much responsibility to support the kingdom by giving? What is our calling here as young […]