Do Hard Things

I've been reading a book by that title (Do Hard Things), and have been challenged in my life and ministry to raise my standards and expectations. Not just of myself, but of the people I lead and teach. Think about the average teenager...what is expected of them...of a "good" teenager? Basically, to not drink, do drugs, have sex, etc., and to try and make their beds and do a chore or two. If this describes you, good job! You have met the cultural norm for a "good" teen. The problem is that you are praised for the things you don't do instead of the things you actually attempt or accomplish. Paul wrote that "when I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me" (1 Cor. 13:11). He didn't say that "after I was a child, I was a teenager, and then after I had my care-free years as a teen, I grew up after college." This is a call for not only teens, but everybody to break out of the low expectations set by our society, and do things that challenge us and our comfort zones. Step up this week and allow God to use you to the potential He created you to be!

Also, a quick update - AXIS has been awesome! We started a quarterly "AXIS BOWL" competition/outreach night in September, and will be having another one in a few weeks. We are growing in number, and we have been challenged spiritually by the book of James, and how we need to improve our lives as disciples of Jesus.