After discovering that Hannah was the sole survivor, and that the four other men who loved God had perished, life for me began to get more complex. Through all the months of Hannah’s recovery, the operations, and physical therapy, and adjusting to her new world, the question that persists and is still not answered is “why?”

Why would God allow such a seemingly senseless tragedy? Why would he allow these four young men, who were passionate about serving Him, to die? Why would he allow my daughter to endure such pain physically, emotionally and mentally?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

We’re not alone in that question. Every day, day after day, year after year, many good people experience tragedies. Trying to resolve that question initially, and presently, has led to a few discoveries that I want to share with you today.

First of all, instead of focusing on what I don’t know, (“I don’t know why this happened, it doesn’t make sense to me, I don’t like it…”) I focus on what I do know: I know God is good. I know He loves me. I know He sent His son Jesus to die. I know Jesus rose again, and I know Jesus is coming back again one day.

Somehow, focusing on what I do know assuages the lingering pain of what I don’t know.

Second, God is a mystery. We certainly understand a lot, since He sent His son Jesus to show us what He’s like. We have His word that describes His nature. But we still “see through a glass dimly.” We don’t understand everything. God is not a formula. God is not completely figured out by any one person.

I realize that in spite of the fact that these circumstances violated some of my theology, I enjoy the fact that there’s a mysterious side of God, because I know his underlying nature.

Third, I discovered a lot more dependence on Jesus. I leaned on Him when I did not know what to say to Hannah during the hard times of her recovery, when I did not know what to say to these families, as I tried to bring them some resolution and peace about this tragedy.

Finally, I discovered all over again that we’re not alone. It seems as though senseless tragedies have happened since the beginning of our Christian faith, from the time when Christians were being lit on fire by Nero, to those who were thrown to the lions in the stadiums, to those even today who are martyred for their faith as they go to share the gospel in a jungle somewhere, like Jim Elliott. It seems that, whether heroic, or accidental, or the result of persecution, good people perish. We still don’t understand why, but we’re in good company.

I know that a lot of people will try to offer explanations, with good intentions and theology. I understand wanting desperately to find the good in such a terrible situation. But I know that there are a lot of people who experience tragedy and may never understand “why.” Still, they stand strong in their faith. So must we.

Read Acts 16:16-34. This is one of my all-time quintessential favorite passages in the Bible. It was pivotal in my discovery of who God is and what he’s called me to do.

In this passage, Paul and Silas minding their own business, going from village to village sharing the gospel. Then this girl shows up who had an evil spirit. She was a slave and fortune teller, and she kept following Paul and Silas and mocking them. She kept following them, and shouting, and finally Paul became so troubled that he cast the evil spirit out of her.

Have you ever just gotten so mad at the devil? I don’t know why it took Paul so long to cast the demon out. I wonder if that’s like us, we take so long to say, “God I need you,” instead of trying to finagle our own way.

Check out what happens next. This girl gets set free from these demonic powers and almost immediately the crowd turns on Paul and Silas. The owners of this servant girl get angry because they can no longer make any money. So, they create a huge uproar in the city, and Paul and Silas get arrested.

You would’ve thought people would be happy that people are being healed and lives are being changed. But just the opposite happens. It’s not enough that they’re thrown into jail, either; they’re stripped down, whipped, thrown into stocks and imprisoned.

We have this fallacy built into our theology that if we’re following God, good things are going to happen for us. But you look here, and exactly the opposite is happening. Paul and Silas are being obedient to God and then all-of-a-sudden they’re getting slammed.

Notice you don’t see Paul and Silas get into a big funk. They don’t get depressed that this big injustice happened to them. They go to prison and start worshiping!

Here in the United States we’re at a real disadvantage. This is what life really looks like if you’re in Iran, Iraq, China, India or any place dominated by another religion and you work in Christian ministry. That’s exactly what Christians are experiencing in these countries.

K.P. Yohannan, of Gospel for Asia, has story after story of his own people going to a village to preach, and they’re tortured and killed. It seems surreal to us here in the west, where we have rights and freedom of speech and that kind of thing. We expect a standing ovation when we do things for the Lord, but that’s just not what we see in scripture.

It doesn’t mean God’s not looking out for us. Just the opposite, in fact. Look at Paul and Silas again. They’ve been beaten, bloodied, humiliated, and thrown in jail. It’s the worst-possible scenario. Suddenly, in verse 26, an earthquake happens. It’s hard to imagine this really happening: They’re bleeding and singing, and suddenly an earthquake comes and the doors to the jail are open.

I don’t know about you, but if I was in that situation, I’d take it as a sign from Heaven that I’m getting out of here! God’s taking care of me! I’m going to tell everybody about the great miracle! But they didn’t do that. Everybody’s chains came off, the jailer woke up, and he decided to kill himself because that would be better than what happens if everybody escapes.

Paul said, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!” If was Silas, I’d be like, “Shut Up! We’re about to be free!”

What’s going on in Paul’s mind? What does God have to do to prove to them that He wants them out of that jail? It looks as if Paul’s wrecking the miracle.

Bruce Olson, the author of “Bruchko,” went to the middle of the South American jungle to minister. He reached several villages, and then gets captured by some guerrillas. They took him captive, and no one knew where he was. No one knew what happened to him, but word got out that he was still alive, being held captive. About 10 months after he was captured, the guerrillas set him free.

I had him come to one of our Acquire The Fire events, and beforehand Bruce told me about being captured.

“Oh, it was great,” he said. “The guerrillas wanted to learn English, so I taught them from the Bible.”

I asked him about others who’d escaped. “Couldn’t you escape, too?”

“Oh no, I could’ve escaped,” he said. “But the goal wasn’t to get free. The goal was to bring the gospel to these people.”

That had to be what Paul was thinking in this situation. The goal wasn’t to get out of jail. The goal was to share the gospel. What manner of man was Paul?

The jailer cleans their wounds, brings Paul and Silas to his house, and gives them a meal. Then the jailer gives his life to the Lord and the whole house gets baptized.

Paul cared more about that guy’s soul than he did his own life. He followed God’s call to his own peril, even if it meant giving his life.

As I meditated on this story years ago, an understanding began to bubble in my heart. This guy was consumed by more than his own desires, his own comfort and well -being. Paul was consumed by the call of God on his life to do whatever it takes for the sake of a soul, the sake of a life. I’m afraid that people who are consumed by the call are so few and far between these days.

When people see men and women who are so consumed, they think we don’t belong on this earth, and maybe we don’t. They don’t realize what it is that has compelled us, consumed us, infected our hearts. It’s our love for humanity and seeing them the way God sees them.

For people who are consumed by the call, their own safety is not their biggest concern in life. Their own comfort, or how much money they make is not their biggest concern. They’ll go the extra mile. They’ll do what it takes.

People consumed by the call live like there’s something that matters more than the stuff most people live for. To put it another way, they’re not living like people consumed by the mall. They live on less so they can give more, more of themselves, more of the love that God put in our hearts.

I can’t help but think that what consumed Paul started with his dramatic encounter with Christ. That encounter, and the aftermath of it where he begins this deep relationship with Christ, swept him off his feet. This encounter with Christ was so real, It compelled him to be consumed with following Jesus.

Let us remember what we’ve been rescued from. How great is the grace of God in our lives! It’s the love of Christ that compels us to be consumed.

Our mission here at Teen Mania is to provoke a young generation to passionately pursue Jesus Christ and to take his life-giving message to the ends of the Earth. We are always looking for new, better ways to help those of you who love teenagers to join us in that mission.

Today, I’m excited to announce that we are launching the new Teen Mania Podcast. It’s available for download on iTunes, or you can subscribe to the RSS feed here. We’ll have a new podcast up each week, so check back often.

We want this podcast to serve as a resource to parents, youth pastors, and anyone who has a heart for reaching teenagers for Jesus and empowering them to change the world.

I’d love to hear what you think about the new podcast. Please leave your comments below!

For a lot of us, greatness is measured by how many people know your name. Teenagers are no exception — in fact, this understanding of greatness is probably strongest for highschoolers, who base most of their self-worth on what other people think of them.

It’s why so many teens want to be the next YouTube sensation. They think, “If Justin Bieber made it, why can’t I?”  They want to be known so desperately that they’re willing to pull stupid stunts — or even wreck their lives — in hopes MTV will come calling with a reality show deal.

The media reinforces this idea. A recent New York Times article titled “Gosh, We’re Bad Now!” highlights a coming-of-age ritual for teen stars: If they want to keep the limelight, they have to reinvent themselves.  Typically, this means  giving their otherwise wholesome reputations a mud bath.

The article cites a desire of these stars to show that they are “individuals, not automatons,” and that they are “multi-layered.” It’s as if being wholesome makes you irrelevant and stardom can only be reached if you’re willing to do drugs, have sex and take on more “adult” roles.

There is a crisis among teenagers, and sadly, when regular teens do drugs, sleep around and otherwise hurt themselves, there aren’t a host of publicists lined up to help them cash in on their trials. Regular teens are left to deal with the very real consequences of their decisions.

We are all wired with an awareness that we were designed for greatness. This awareness is what motivates teens to do whatever they can to be noticed.It gives us the incredible challenge of redefining greatness for teens, so we can channel that creativity and motivation into moving teens to change the world.

Every year through Teen Mania’s Global Expeditions short term missions program, I get to see thousands of teen superstars give up any shred of glitz or glamour to bring hope to hurting people all over the world. These teens haven’t starred in the latest hit movie about high school drama. They aren’t mixing records with the likes of Usher. They may not have the limelight, but what they are doing is greatness defined.

Why are they willing to extract themselves from our me-centered culture and sacrifice their all? Because they’ve heard the message that “God loves you, He believes in you, and we do, too. God has the most incredible, adventurous plan for you. Following God is the greatest ride of your life, and it is what you were born to do.”

We dare to ask American teenagers, who are so wrapped-up in “self” they can’t even see straight to go, give their lives away. We believe they can do it. And every year, year after year, they do so in the thousands. Why? Because we believe in them, and God believes in them. We’re not begging them to go; we’re inspiring them to go.

We believe that these young people break the mold. We get them out of the culture long enough where they’re giving their lives away serving the poor, learning to have character, and finding their purpose, that they come back again, and again.

I am blessed to see teens year after year who are defying Hollywood and refusing to be culture automatons. They can have all of these materialistic things blasted at them, and they’re not impressed by it. They’re not impressed by the singers and stars, because they’ve had their outlook forever changed. They’ve been inspired to change the world, and that’s exactly what they are doing. This is true greatness.

It seems that precious Matthew had been struggling with depression for a number of years, even dating back to his teenage years, as I’ve read in some accounts. The Warrens say he had been receiving treatment for his depression for years, and that this disease unfortunately did not respond to counseling, medication or a host of treatment Matthew underwent over the years.

I know the Warrens loved their son, prayed for him, and did everything within their power to help him overcome his depression. There is no understanding why, at 27 years old, Matthew felt he could not go on living.

Now, a debate has sprung up centering on how depression is treated by the church. Depression is very real issue, and it affects 1 out of 8 teens. We need to remember that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. As the church, what are we doing to love those who are in the grip of depression?

It seems that more and more teens see the taking of one’s life as the only viable answer to cease pain. Take for example young Amanda Todd, who took her own life last fall after a suffering bullying both in school and over social networks that was so bad she had to change schools several times and even move to a new town. And just this past week, 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons ended her life after she was allegedly raped and photos of the incident were spread around at her school, and police chose not to file any charges in the case. Although these stories are significantly different from Matthew’s, all of them were dealing with the same level of pain, and now all three families are suffering from incredible loss.

When the news of Matthew Warren’s passing away became evident, it felt as though we all lost a son, because Pastor Rick has endeared himself to so many of our hearts. The fact is, when we hear any of these stories of young people in so much pain, we all grieve. We are seeing a generation suffering and hurting, and they can’t make sense out of life.

In some situations, it appears that there’s no answer available. With many parents, as I’m sure it was with Rick and Kay Warren, there’s a sense that they have done everything they can do. Scripture says “after having done all, to stand firm.” (Eph. 6:13)

Instead of being those who’ve never been touched by tragedy judging people like the Warren’s, the Todd’s or the Parson’s, it’s up to us to find the Amanda’s and Matthew’s and be a source of life and hope for them. It’s up to us to be aware of what’s going on in our own kids’ lives and in their social network lives, so we can be sure they’re not being targeted emotionally beyond their ability to deal.

While for some families it may be impossible to know, many times (as with Amanda Todd and Rehtaeh Parsons), the reason why is obvious. We can be the source of solace to a generation whose hurt is so deep, no words can describe, and only the love of God through a human being can bring healing.

Our God is amazing in the way He chooses to create these masterpieces!

And just like the masterpiece that is the Grand Canyon, God is chiseling away at us, bit-by-bit, until we look like the masterpieces He’s created us to be!

Are you willing to let God work in your life just like the rain in the Grand Canyon? Are you willing to let Him wash away all of the things that are rubble, unnecessary, that detract from who you are meant to be, until all that remains is what resembles Him?

I recorded a couple of videos on my last days on the camping trip. I hope you’ll watch them and be inspired to let God rain in your life!

Are you in a season of sowing, growing, reaping, harvesting or rest? Whatever season you find yourself in, do it with every talent God has made available to you.

At Teen Mania Ministries, we have begun our Spring Season of a bit of everything from sowing into young lives at Acquire the Fire events, growth and discipleship of Honor Academy Interns, reaping in the harvest fields of Global Expeditions and a short time of rest in preparation for Extreme Camps summer camps!

The success of this season will determine your next. Success now determines victory later. Are you using all of your talents or just a few? Two important things to remember whatever season you are in: keeping a positive attitude and acknowledge God! The best part of every season is that God is there.

It is going to be a great year!

Click below to see our latest newsletter that gives highlights of our incredible spring and upcoming new summer seasons …

It’s been said that Hebrews 11 is the Red Bull chapter of the Bible. It’s about people who have Red Bull in their faith, who attempt great things and don’t worry about the consequences. This definition of faith is iconic.

We hear people preach about this kind of faith, and we go “Yeah!” But what does it really mean? If we’re going to be people of faith, we’ve got to at least try to know what it is.

When someone’s asked, “Do you have faith?”, a lot of things are meant by that and there are a lot of ways it could be interpreted.

There’s a very casual faith that says, “Yeah, I believe in God.” It’s a an acknowledgement that God, or Jesus, exist. People actually use the word “faith” and “belief” interchangeably. Some people “believe” in God and would call themselves Christians, but they don’t have a thriving personal

faith.

There’s a distinction between casual faith and thriving faith. Are you relying on Jesus, depending on Him? A thriving faith says, “I depend on Jesus so much that I submit all of my life to Him.” A thriving faith is where you and God have a collision and He wins, and in Him winning you, He has changed you and you win. He gives you a new heart.

How is your personal faith? Is it thriving?

The verse above says “Faith is being confident of what we hope for, assured of what we do not see.” I’ve never seen Jesus with my eyes. I’ve never seen him in a vision or walking down the road. But I know He’s real, and I know I’ll see him in person one day.

I think the movie “The Passion of The Christ” is a good depiction of Jesus. They tried to portray what I know is real. I was invited to a pre-screening of the movie in Washington, D.C. and Mel Gibson was there. I remember seeing it and weeping through it. Afterward, I was walking through the streets crying. I thought to myself, “I knew it! Even though it’s the best Hollywood could depict of you, Jesus, I knew it! I knew you were worth my all! I knew it was worth being called a freak, a weirdo, way too committed. Now everyone’s going to see you are worth it! I knew it!”

Do you have a logical deduction about your faith, where you just say, “I need to pray this prayer and acknowledge Jesus is the savior.”? Or, have you had a personal encounter with Jesus, a raw earnest dependency on Him?

I’m talking about a real, authentic encounter with God, one that happens on a regular basis, not just at camp or at Acquire The Fire. Do you rend your heart in your daily prayer? Do you humble yourself, get on your knees and have God’s grace renew you and prepare you for each new day?

Paul wrote a letter to the early church telling them they should be eating meat, but they’re still dependent on milk, like babies. He equates their

faith to eating habits.

What are your feeding patterns? Are you still drinking milk while you should be eating meat? Spiritual eating patterns are a big determination of how you thrive.

We eat regular meals every day. Eating and drinking are things we have to do in order to survive. Nutritionists say that what you eat will determine your body makeup more than anything else, even exercise. Our bodies are in the shape they’re in 80% because of what we eat, and only 20% because of our physical activity.

What do you consume with your eyes and ears? What information? I find at times that I’m too overdosed on news. I love news, I crave it, I want to know what’s going on in the world and I want to know it now. But sometimes I’ve got to shut it off. I want to be sharp on the issues, but I don’t want the news to consume me.

What spiritual stuff do you let in? What are you consuming spiritually to let your faith thrive? Whether it’s music, media, movies, books, teachings, or podcasts, think about what you consume spiritually.

Besides talking about our kids, perhaps the most-common conversations Katie and I have are books we’re reading, sermons we’ve listened to, or what we’ve read in the Bible. It’s because that’s what we’re trying to feed ourselves on a daily basis.

Some seasons I’ve eaten better than others.  When I trained for the marathon, I listened to sermons. I looked forward to the runs, in spite of the pain, because I got to listen to 4-5 great sermons while I ran.

But sometimes when you’re sick, you don’t have an appetite. You still have to eat, or you’re never going to get better. Sometimes getting spiritually fed feels like a chore. But just go ahead and eat. You’ll develop an appetite for the spiritual food.

Sometimes we crave things that are unhealthy. You like the taste of things that will lead you away from the Lord. Just like with a real diet, you’ve got to eat things that will make you healthy, even if you don’t crave them. You’ll begin to be hungry for what’s good for you and you won’t crave the junk anymore.

Take responsibility for your own spiritual nutrition. We get used to pastor preparing a big meal for us, but why don’t we learn to fix our own food? You wouldn’t move away from home and still expect your mother to prepare your meals or you’ll starve. At some point, we have to learn to take responsibility for our own spiritual food.

With a thriving faith, we’ll be able to face challenges with a whole new perspective. You see this giant, and he’s taunting you. You’re just a little guy like David, but your faith is so big that you’re not afraid of this giant. You’re not discouraged. Instead of seeing yourself as defeated, you see an opportunity. The glass is never half-empty. Somehow, God’s going to pull you through, and you’ll rise above the challenge.

As Christians, we can build each other up during challenges, but don’t expect anyone to spoon feed you. If we can see the challenges of these heros of the faith through eyes of faith, then we can keep our own circumstances in perspective and see them through the eyes of faith too.

Washington and Colorado have recently legalized marijuana use for adults over age 21. Some might see this as a progressive step forward, but in truth, it’s a major buzz-kill for teenagers.

The effects of both legal and illegal marijuana use are impacting youth in America in a major way. Substance abuse experts already see a correlation between the legalization of marijuana in these states and increased use among teens. Studies have shown that even before these laws were in effect, teens were abusing this drug at a high rate: Two-thirds of first-time marijuana users are under18, and one in six teens who tries marijuana becomes addicted to it.

Our culture glamorizes drug use in movies, in music and on television. Teens are bombarded with these messages, and the devastating consequences of marijuana use are almost never portrayed. Now, 14 states are considering following Colorado and Washington in legalizing marijuana.

While some might say that legalizing marijuana gets it out of the hands of unscrupulous dealers, and therefore protect teens, we should all know better. Creating a culture more tolerant of drug use makes drug use more “acceptable” in the minds of teens. In fact, Colorado is among the states with the highest teen marijuana abuse, and usage is increasing while the perception of risk is falling.

We need to help our teens understand that marijuana use isn’t glamorous, and it isn’t safe. Not only are there risks to their health and brain development, but driving under the influence of marijuana can be just as dangerous as driving drunk.

Besides, why would we want to send a message to a generation ripe with potential that getting hooked on a chemical is an okay thing? We are talking about the future leaders of our nation! All of the “Just say no!” messages fly out the window when we make laws that say, “Well, this particular drug is okay.”

Marijuana takes away motivation and passion for life and for work. When’s the last time you heard of any great inventions  coming out  of Amsterdam, where pot has been legal for a generation?

Do we want an addicted generation? Or do we want a generation that values a sober mind and responsible behavior?

The teenagers of our nation are yearning for more from life. They crave a meaningful life. Instead of pushing a message that tells them “life is hard, so ease it with a drug,” let us instead inspire them to take on the challenges of life with ingenuity, creativity and dedication.

There’s also a spiritual risk with drug use. If teens relinquish control of their minds to drugs, they are inviting all kinds of terrible things to come in. So many people have become oppressed, depressed, or even possessed because of drug use. By letting their guards down physically and spiritually, they can be invaded by things they never asked for and may never have been aware of.

The Old Testament word for “sorcery,” or communication with demons and evil spirits, is “pharmakeia.” Pharmakeia is where we get our word “pharmacy.” It was directly related to drug abuse. Sorcerers would ingest different things to distort their minds, allowing them to communicate with evil spirits.

Teach your teen that as he gives up control of his mind to a drug, he no longer has the resources to stand against the world of evil spirits. Help him understand all of the why’s against using drugs rather than just giving him a no. You’ll be amazed at how responsive your teen will be if you’re arming him with information and helping him develop a plan for how to deal with the pressure to use drugs. When it becomes his conviction and not just yours, he will be able resist the allure of drugs and stand strong against the turning tide of culture.

The perils of public exposure can sometimes be lost on our teens. We live in a society that celebritizes people who make bad decisions. They don’t have to be sorry, they simply have to “be strong.”

That’s the phrase tweeted out by former Miss Teen Delaware Melissa King after she was accused of starring in an amateur porn film when she was just 17 years old. King denied that the girl in the film, who looks like her, sounds like her, and shares her birthday and her love of beauty pageants, is her. But two days after news broke that she relinquished her crown over these accusations, she tweeted out to her followers:

“Be strong, life has a funny way of working out. Kim K made it and now is one of the most powerful women in the US.”

King, of course, was referencing Kim Kardashian, who has made a multi-million-dollar empire after the leak of a now infamous sex tape she made with her boyfriend at the time. The influence of Kardashian, and her predecessor Paris Hilton, is sharply felt in our society, where sexting is the norm among teens. Daily, they are making decisions that could haunt them for the rest of their lives in this digital age.

A tragic example of this is Amanda Todd, a Canadian teen who committed suicide last year after she was relentlessly taunted, both online and at school, over a topless photo she sent to a stranger over the internet when she was just 13.

There’s a lot of pressure on teens in our culture to have sex. Even though they may not be explicitly telling teens “Have sex!,” the magazines, clothing designers, popular T.V. shows, and music are doing everything BUT!

Thankfully, a majority of teens are resisting this message. The most recent CDC figures show fewer than 45% of teens aged 15-19 have had sex. And for those that have made a mistake in this area, life isn’t over! Miss King’s follow-up tweet was right on:

“Everyone makes some bad decisions. Nobodies perfect!”

It’s true that teens can rise above the bad judgement calls of their teen years and glorify God with their lives. We as Christ-followers need to extend our grace to teens like these.

We all need Jesus. We also need to realize that turning people who are unapologetic about their mistakes into celebrities sends a terrible message. It says that sex before marriage is okay and does not come with lasting consequences. It also erodes our young people’s ability to feel remorse — something that leads to repentance, and ultimately, to seek the Lord and follow after Him.

What does it say about our culture that a teenager would think the path to becoming a powerful woman is by making a sex tape? Let’s make sure we help our young women see through this confusion. Let’s teach them the virtue of saving their virginity. Help them understand that they are so valuable, the only person worthy of seeing them without any clothes is the one who has committed his while life to her: Her husband!