Jesus, from Beginning to End

Jesus, from the beginning to end, is all over scripture. In Luke 24, Jesus has resurrected from the dead and is walking with some disciples along the Emmaus Road. Luke says that Jesus “beginning with Moses and all…

Hope from the Movie, Eighth Grade

You are working harder than you have ever worked in your life; your heart is pounding, your body aches, you are struggling to breathe, you are drowning. If you go under one more time, you fear you may…

What I Wish I’d Said

After speaking to a group of youth ministers at the 2018 Rooted Conference about filtering our teaching through the crucial distinction between the Law and the Gospel, one of the session attendees approached me with a question. The…

Christian Youth Work and Taking the Bible Seriously

Check out this excerpt from Christian Youth Work, written by Mark Ashton and Phil Moon (and recently updated by Jonathan Carswell): “But the most serious weakness in Christian ministry among teenagers today is not a failure to understand…

The Slow Process of Growth

Tell me if you’ve ever been this situation: One of your small group leaders pulls you aside after youth activities because he wants to talk.  “I don’t think I’m going to be able to lead this group next…

Podcast: Scott Sauls on Grace, Teenagers, and Befriend

In this episode of the Rooted podcast (recorded at our 2017 conference in Dallas), we interview author and pastor Scott Sauls about his remarkable book, Befriend, and how many of its themes speak to the current generation of…