growth

When Will I Escape This Valley of Apathy?
When Will I Escape This Valley of Apathy?
Whatever the reason, this is where I find myself: apathetic toward the Church, God, and disciplines like reading Scripture and prayer. I'm not angry at the Church -- just apathetic. And in that apathy I feel ordinarily strong convictions weaken.
I Am Not a Gentle Person
I Am Not a Gentle Person
For many years gentleness was a foreign concept to me. Even after actually coming to know Christ in college, I still didn't get gentleness. Jesus turned over tables in the temple – aren't we supposed to do the same?
YOBcast 068: Coming Out
October is LGBT History Month, and October 11th is National Coming Out Day. What better time than now to share some of our coming out stories? Join Tom, Ryan, and Jacob for a discussion on their coming out journeys, including how we first came out to ourselves, to God, and ultimately to others. We also give some coming out advice to those who are selectively out or still in the closet altogether.
Do I Regret Coming Out?
Do I Regret Coming Out?
If you were to ask me if I regret coming out in 2013, I'd answer a thousand times no. But for every thousand times no, I might also answer with one or two yesses. I don't miss the perpetual shadows of the closet. The secrecy. The shame. The constant playing along. But I do kinda miss the privacy. Like, whose business is it who I am or am not attracted to?
YOBcast 066: Manliness
When do you feel manly? When do you feel not at all manly? Is manliness even something worth pursuing? Join Tom, Ryan, and Jacob for a return to one of our "classic" episodes in which we discuss opening pickle jars, killing cockroaches, camping out, working out, owning a home, and so much more on this simultaneously shallow and deep topic of manliness.
YOBcast 062: “Side A” Friends
"Side A" people follow Jesus with an affirming position on same-sex sexual relationships. As Jesus-followers from a "Side B" (traditional) position on marriage and sexuality, is it difficult or effortless to forge friendships with folks who are Side A? Join Tom, Dean, and Matt for a discussion on their experiences with Side A friendships: both with friends who started out Side A and also with friends who started out Side B – only for them to change to Side A. Can Side B-turned-A friendships survive? How do we build healthy Side A friendships?
Is Jesus Worth Following With My Sexuality?
Is Jesus Worth Following With My Sexuality?
Rather than blindly following Him, Jesus invites us to do a little spiritual preparation to ensure we are committed to seeing our faith walk through. As I look back on my own faith journey, I realize just how important this reflection and preparation has been in spiritually working through my sexuality.
I Don't Want God's Peace Like a River
I Don’t Want God’s Peace Like a River
Being LGBT+ means that I am often in a turbulent place. Either I am around other Christians who don't understand my identity, or I am around other LGBT+ individuals who don't understand my convictions, or I am around people who cannot grasp either thing.
YOB ConvoCast 020: Tom & Nate Lose Control!
Tom welcomes back Nate to explain why he’s suddenly now on TikTok after dissing the app in his last ConvoCast. Tom also gives some TikTok and book recommendations, and the guys delve into a conversation on control – namely, losing it – during this coronavirus shutdown.
A Conversation with Your Other Brothers in This Pandemic
A Conversation with Your Other Brothers in This Pandemic
With most of the U.S. and much of the world in quarantine or shelter-in-place due to COVID-19, we gathered our featured authors for a conversation on the challenges and calls to growth through these strange times. We hope you feel a little less alone in joining our conversation.
>