Previous Articles
Dessert Night – Swift Current
With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, I’ve been surprised by the number of people asking…
Get to Know Us – Luke
I was 16 when I started purposely surrounding myself with people who used substances so it would be easier to get booze and weed…
Pain, The Gospel, and Living Whole
How would you define living whole?
· Great friends?
· Well liked?
· Money?
· Fun?
· Family that loves you but leaves you alone?
· Inner peace?
How we define living whole reveals what we value. We often make “living whole” the goal we pursue without learning the backstory to why living whole is so elusive in the first place.
Paul Trip says “We do not live our lives based on bare facts of our existence; we live our lives according to our interpretation of those facts.” (Instruments in the Redeemers Hands)
Pain:
Why is there Pain?
Genesis 3:1-19 Mankind sinned. They preferred to be god over trusting God. Pain is a direct result of original sin.
Pain practically happens now through the brokenness of our world. We continue to sin and use many things to protect us from pain and get what we prefer.
We all have a story of pain in our lives
Nothing happens without a reason. Even the existence of pain has a purpose:
John 16:33
2 Cor 1:8-10
Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.
God shows us his faithfulness through the journey of pain in a way we wouldn’t know through easy times.
The Gospel:
1 Cor 15:1-21
2 Cor 5:14-21
Isaiah 53:1-11
The entire Bible is structured around the story of God redeeming, saving, and transforming sinners that have gone astray. As much as we long for all kinds of other things in our lives, our actual most crucial need is to be right with God. Everything else follows after that.
Living Whole:
What’s your story?
Where have you come to doubt God’s storyline?
Wholeness through Relationship with Christ
Romans 5:8
2 Cor 1:8-11
He wants us to trust him completely
Wholeness through Valuing Christ
Phil 3:7-11
Psalm 73
Wholeness in our human relationships
We love because he first loved us. 2 Cor 5:14
We comfort others with the comfort we have received. 2 Cor 1:3-7
Wholeness through perspective
James 1:2-5 Pain has purpose
“You will learn that pain will do for you what even sometimes joy cannot” A.W. Towzer
Wholeness through spiritual disciplines:
Consistent time with God – Bible reading, prayer, and reflection
Consistent time with God’s people – who is your main influence group?
Consistent acts of service – your love for God expressed to others in need.
We hope that this content has been informative and helpful. It is our desire to help families and bring struggling teens back together. We encourage you to share this information with others who may be in need.
Our ministry is primarily funded by our supporters, both individuals and churches, who partner with us to bring about restoration in these young men's lives. To join them in supporting Rock Solid Refuge and our ongoing ministry, please click here to donate!
Thank you for your support.
Out of Control Teenager
It’s essential to approach this phase with empathy, understanding, and effective strategies to help manage an out of control teenager
Suicide Assessment
If you or someone you care about is at risk for committing suicide, please contact a qualified healthcare provider, helpline, or other mental health professional immediately…
Stages of Change
The Stages of Change model may be helpful in understanding and communicating the progress and trajectory of a struggling person…
Effective Consequences
Consequences occur when a young person has violated a known boundary. It is important that your teen know both that violating…
12 Keys to Creating a Healthy Home
Creating a positive home environment for teenagers is crucial for their emotional well-being and development. Here are twelve keys…
Guidelines for Healthy Boundaries
There’s plenty that could be said about setting healthy boundaries, but here’s a few critical pieces to get you started…
In Crisis? Start Here Video Series
“In Crisis? Start Here” was created because we want to help families across Canada, whether they are in our program or not…
Why Teens Look at Pornography
It is not easy to speak your teen, or anyone for that matter, about pornography. It can be extremely painful, and it is shrouded with shame.
Anger Management for Teens
It is important to recognize that anger in itself is not a bad emotion. It is a normal human response to feel anger when we disagree with the way someone else is acting, or if our boundaries have been crossed.
Oppositonal Defiance Disorder
Some oppositional behavior during adolescence is normal and expected. But there is a difference between an occasionally rebellious child or teen and one who has a consistent drive to defy authority.