Excuses

by Derek Hanisch, RTF Staff Writer

How many times do we use our circumstances as an excuse? We can get a Biblical example by looking at Moses, and how when God wanted him to lead the Israelites to freedom he responded with: “I can’t, I have speech problems.” Moses used his circumstances, his speech problem, whatever it was, as an excuse. Up until recently I was a prime example of this.

I have a fake leg. Well, that’s not quite true. I have half a fake leg. My knee is artificial, and half my femur is titanium. A tumor was in my left leg, so they had to remove it, and to make sure they got it all they took half my leg. I used to use this as an excuse. (more…)

Hello Suzanne.

I am a 16 year old who really wants to connect with Christ but I don’t know how. I’ve been maturing and thinking about life a lot more and especially about the importance of having God in my life. I made earlier attempts to “accept” Him (it was a tough time) but it really didn’t work since I wasn’t serious with it. But finally I am serious with it and I’ve been praying, trying to connect with my God for a while but I never got a response.

I felt hopeless and only 2 days ago decided to abandon my faith, believing that my prayers weren’t being heard. I feel I am doing something wrong. Why don’t I feel a relationship growing with Jesus Christ?  Melissa

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My Friend, Sarah

by B. J. Hamrick, RTF Staff Writer

When I think of the word bold, I think of Sarah’s red, flaming hair. But beneath her red, flaming hair was a person – someone just like you and me – someone who struggled to be bold in other ways.

“I want to stand up for Jesus at school,” she told us one night during camp devotions. “I want to make a difference.”

She talked about Columbine that night. She talked about the kids who stood up for Jesus when two killers asked the question, “Do you believe in God?” Those kids answered, “Yes”.

Sarah said she wanted to answer yes too. She wanted to see God change lives.

But seeing God change lives wasn’t new to Sarah. Everyone who knew her realized that she loved kids and spent every summer in the projects with them – playing games, telling Bible stories, and simply caring about their lives.

The summer of 2000 was no different. Sarah spent nearly every day teaching kids about God. In between teaching, she gave away extra lunches she packed for the homeless. (more…)

Want Some Fries with That?

Jamin Goecker, RTF Staff Writer, talks about boldness on campus

One of my jobs as a fast-food worker is to not say what I think.

“Can I have the number three with a large fry?”

“Are you kidding, ma’am! Here, let me show what would be healthier for you.”

Times come when we should share our thoughts, and those times take more courage than mouthing off at someone over a counter. I’m talking about witnessing to people about our faith.

Could you talk to a stranger about your beliefs? (more…)

Moving to Uganda: Change*the*World!

an interview by Catey Yuen, RTF Staff Writer

Kate Weber is a normal American teenager. She’s a homeschooled high school student who likes to write but doesn’t like speech, who loves her dog and watches TV on the weekends. She lives with her mom, dad and three siblings and goes to church every weekend. But despite her average lifestyle, she’s an absolutely extraordinary young woman. In fact, all that ordinary stuff she’s used to is about to change in the blink of an eye.

Kate is moving with her family to Uganda. (more…)

Bold Moves

Judy Weiss, RTF Staff Writer

A bold move; handing out a tract to a stranger, being the wallflower and striking up a conversation with someone, helping an acquaintance cope with heartache.

Bold moves are all around, waiting for someone to take the chance and do something. The chronically ill teenager who spends countless hours in the hospital, searching for the answer; the child who no longer has a father, they live their lives on courage, strength, hope: bold moves.

Imagine what one teen can do by being bold. Help out a stranger, become someone’s best friend, help another hurting teen be able to live again.

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John 12:46 (New Living Translation) I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness.

I was in Brazil, deep in the heart of the rain forest. It was midnight and a native friend asked me if I wanted to crocodile hunt. I thought he was kidding. I and four others piled into the small boat.

It was pitch black and trees hung over, crisscrossing to block the moonlight. I thought about the pirahhnas swimming perilously close to us. Water seeped over in drops as our combined weight made the boat ride low.

One of my new native friends had shown me a picture the day before. I thought it was joke. It was a photo of an anaconda split open from end to end. The snake was massive in width and length. Lying inside was a fully-dressed decomposing corpse. His clothes were that of a tourist –shorts, long white socks, and a funky hat he would have never worn at home.

“Stay out from under the trees on the Amazon,” he said when he showed me the picture.

I glanced up from my perch on the rocky boat. We were gliding under trees.

Crocodiles. Pirahhnas. Anacondas. (more…)

Doubting. . . Derek?

by Derek Hanisch, RTF Staff Writer

Faith. We here about it a lot. What exactly is faith? If we look at Hebrews 11:1 we can see a definition of faith: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” There’s a tricky word in there, though. Certain. The Bible tells us that if we have faith we are certain in what we cannot see.

Does that mean that we can’t doubt? I had a youth pastor tell one of my friends that he wasn’t a Christian because he was having questions about his faith. It made me sick to my stomach. We can see examples in the Bible of those around Jesus who doubted. (more…)