Catalyst Articles

In a world of brokenness and suffering, we all long for communion with the radically merciful God. God’s abundant compassion is at the core of His character, and the more we bask in the truth of that mercy, the more our lives are radically transformed. Every part of our lives.

Millions in slavery. One in five women a victim of rape or attempted rape in her lifetime. The poorest in our world are victimized, abused, exploited.  This suffering is dark. It is brutal. It is overwhelming.  But what if this were precisely where God was calling us? And what if we're not so much being sent “out” as invited “in” to where God already is?

As LEADERS, it’s equally important for us to know how to FOLLOW as it is how to LEAD.

My world famous grandfather’s growing anonymity makes me feel proud that he pursued legacy over fame. Legacy-driven leaders might become famous, but fame is not their goal. They know that while fame fades, a well-developed legacy can positively impact generations to come.

There are no secrets from God. You can put secrets up there with unicorns and the oompaloompas. They don’t exist. No matter how dark, no matter how well hidden, no matter how crafty or clever we are, God knows. He always knows.

I was a senior, a captain on the football team, about to go on to play college football, and I just cried my eyes out. I had a conversion experience that radically revolutionized my life. Because of that, I saw that Jesus could really take somebody from a broken family and addictions, and make a difference and change a life.

Adults are grappling with how to raise this population of kids who grew up on-line with a screen in their hands. The pixels and format of those screens have re-wired their brains: They think differently, communicate differently, and process information differently than adults. Some call them “screenagers.”

The Christian life is much more a marathon than it is a sprint. That being so, it is important that we learn to pace ourselves.

Partnerships are crucial in today’s culture. Great organizations seem to always have a strong ability to partner well. If you want to grow your organization or project or initiative, finding, building, and sustaining great partnerships has to be part of your plan.

You need to be a student of you. Don’t try to do something awesome as if you’ve never been awesome before. You have. You’ve succeeded at something. Something came naturally. Something worked. How can you apply that to this?

Here you go, the July edition of the Young Influencers List.

So, how do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to embrace our imperfections and to recognize that we are enough -- that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy? Why we're all so afraid to let our true selves be seen and known. Why are we so paralyzed by what other people think? After studying vulnerability, shame, and authenticity for the past decade, here's what I've learned.