The Christian World of The Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien was a committed Christian all his life, not just someone who talked the talk, but the kind of Christian who also walked the walk, the real deal. So how did his deep faith impact his fictional sto...

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Life of Deep Conviction

People all over the world know the name of J.R.R. Tolkien as the author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. What many do not know is that the creator of Middle-earth was also a devout Christian.Looking bac...

Faith in Action

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). The weeks leading up to Christmas are filled with activity and busyness, especially in the church. There are service...

Being Overcome

In preparation for this week's growth group, I was struck by the strong, direct language of the apostle Peter when he wrote, "For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved" (2 Peter 2:19).In the conte...

Name that Carol

Arrange for a pianist to bring in a book of favorite Christmas music (carols and hymns). Divide your group into two teams and allow one person from each team to compete against each other in naming the carol. T...

Free Christmas Lesson from ym360!

Our friends at youthministry360 are giving away a free Christmas Bible study lesson. The lesson features the lesson plan, PowerPoint and a fun game to get things started. This lesson will help students see who ...

Missional Youth Ministry

Brian Kirk and Jacob ThorneZondervan, 2011, 160 pp., $16.99In 2006, Brian Kirk and Jacob Thorne began blogging about questions we've all had. Are we entertaining our youth to death? Have Sundays become just ano...

The Seventies: Adventure

If any game designer enjoys eternal security in video game history, it must be Warren Robinett. Taking his inspiration from Don Woods and Willy Crowther's text-based game "Adventure," Robinett labored for six m...