The hope of the second coming gives us the courage to face and acknowledge our lesser desires unmet, and to discover our deepest desire to know God well and to be WITH people in community.

The hope of the second coming gives us the courage to face and acknowledge our lesser desires unmet, and to discover our deepest desire to know God well and to be WITH people in community.

Teen rebellion surfaces a demand in the parent’s heart for the kid to be god for them–to affirm the parent’s value and identity. This will put pressure on the kid, and can cause rebellion.

1. We must deal with what’s happening in our lives. We won’t deeply know God without an inside look. Change requires an inside look.

2. Because we were built to enjoy what is not fully available until heaven, there will always be an ache in our soul. The ache in our soul is not the evidence of immaturity. It’s the evidence of realism. It’s OK to hurt.

3. Nobody wants to hurt. We’ll commit ourselves to avoiding as much pain as possible. Our problem with sin shows itself most clearly in our relationships. We commit ourselves to self-protection. We “play it safe.”

4. If we’re to be deeply changed, we must face the pain in our soul and the sin in our relationships. Only then is it possible to meaningfully trust the Lord and deeply repent of our sin.

Understanding “What’s wrong with people?” If we just see affirmation as the deepest way to help people who have been wounded we will never get to the root of what’s driving them–their depravity. We have to dive into people’s souls for profound change to occur.

Understanding “What’s wrong with people?” If we just see affirmation as the deepest way to help people who have been wounded we will never get to the root of what’s driving them–their depravity. We have to dive into people’s souls for profound change to occur.

It is in the confusion of life that we discover the sovereignty of God. Rather than become bitter, we learn to tremble before a sovereign God in such a way that invites trust and rest. Dr. Larry Crabb uses the story of Habakkuk as an illustration of what it means to trust and know God.

If you buy into what is being taught, it will mess you up with only one solution: the Gospel.

Your red dot starting college, where are you at emotionally, mentally, and spiritually? It’s not primarily about what you want to do with your life but how you relate to people. It is the most important thing about you.

How can entering freshmen move toward intimacy with God during college? What will spiritual formation look like? What is masculine spiritual formation?