A couple months ago, I wrote a post entitled ‘Worshiping Your Way Out of Despair’ and it was exactly that: how to get out of those ruts. I, myself, was recently in one of these times of despair. It was a time of feeling distant from God, bogged down and stuck in sin; it’s an awful feeling. Because I had studied the topic for a blog post, I KNEW what to do, but the old saying rings true yet again: “knowing is half the battle”. My problem was making excuses such as, ‘Well, I just sinned so I should probably wait’ and ‘I’ll do it in the morning’ which would turn into ‘Eh, I’ll just do it tomorrow’. Where did this get me? Further and further away from God. What DO we do when excuses plague our thoughts and desires?
Don’t Waste Your (Summer) Life
If you are a teenager reading this, I want you to quickly do the math and think about how many summers you have left before college. If you are a parent, think about how many summers, if any, your child has. I recently realized that I only have three summers remaining (this one included!). That was a very sobering thought… three summers before I’m off to college. With only three summers left, I want to make sure I don’t waste my summer and encourage other teens not to waste theirs, either, so I thought about some do’s and do not’s to ensure we make the most out of our remaining childhood free time.
Winner of Lecrae’s Unashamed Book
Congratulations to…. Carvis Russell! All participants’ names were put into a hat and randomly drawn. I will be doing more giveaways in the future so be on the lookout! Also, I am not able to get a post up today due to an exam I have tomorrow but am hoping to be able to write one later this week. Again, congratulations to Carvis Russell and a big thank you to everyone who participated. God bless.
-Jacob C. Price
Unashamed Book Review and Contest
Around the middle of April, I was given a copy Lecrae’s unreleased autobiography, but I was not allowed to share any news about it until it released today. Not only that, I also received one to give to one of my subscribers. Because of this, I am doing a giveaway contest that ends Sunday night (5-8-16) at 11:59 Est.! The rules are very simple and easy: You must A) Be subscribed B) Comment on at least one post and C) Share the blog on social media in some way, shape or form (use the hashtag blogjcp [#blogjcp] so I can find it). I will be doing more reviews and giveaways in the future so be on the lookout for those as well. Find all the details in the video below. Now, on to the review.
I have been a fan of Lecrae for many years now after Austin McAfee first introduced me to him way back when. I’m pretty sure he (Lecrae) has a direct correlation with the ‘gangster wannabe’ stage I went through in sixth grade (I still cringe thinking of it). However, if you don’t know who he his, here’s the basic rundown: Lecrae is a Christian rapper who had, in my opinion, one of the biggest influences in starting the industry. He has released seven albums including Gravity and his latest, Anomaly. Lecrae has been nominated for 5 Grammy Awards while winning two of them. He now writes his life story in his autobiography: Unashamed. Regardless of your taste or stance on Hip-Hop, this book has content we can all benefit from.
One of Unashamed’s biggest focuses can be found on the book jacket, “if you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection.” This is a relatively popular quote but Lecrae really dives into what it meant to him and how it had affected him throughout his life. For me, as a teenage writer, this quote has a very deep meaning that I constantly struggle with. The thoughts of what other teens will think when they see my blog, for example, constantly passes through my mind. This book paints the picture of how Lecrae was always trying to be two different people, one in front of one crowd and another in front of other friends and the consequences/effects it had on him. Regardless of age, many struggle with this and it is a very important lesson to learn.
Lecrae’s background is one of fatherlessness, sexual and physical abuse, drugs, and poverty amidst other things. Just because you don’t have the same background doesn’t mean there is not a very powerful lesson to learn here. This is a valuable resource to see what people who DO have these problems are thinking, what they deal with, and how they feel about their circumstances. After reading this book, I have much more insight on these matters than I did before. I can’t relate to these things on a personal level, but I can do my best to understand them. This is VITAL. In the Great Commission, we are called to go into all the world, ALL the world. This does not just mean the suburbs, this means the ghettos, too. How do you expect to be able to evangelize someone if you don’t understand what they’re going through? No wonder so many people feel like they are being talked down to, sometimes they are! We, (myself included) need to learn as much as possible about the people we want to share the Gospel with and this is a pretty good start.
Not only is it important to understand the people so that we can share the Gospel with them, but also so we can recognize when someone is going through something that is physically dangerous for them. In this book, Lecrae talks about the ways that he and other people struggling with the same thing, such as sexual abuse, acted. You can see the different ways that Lecrae acted during different key struggles and times in his life and then look at someone you know and see the same thing. It’s hard to recognize a problem if you don’t know what it looks like.
Another big thing to learn from the book is what a Godly woman looks like. This paragraph is not just important for guys, but also to show girls what it is like to be a Godly woman. As Lecrae walks us through his book, we see the different women he encounters. We see the relatable struggle of lust he deals with throughout his life. We see women that do nothing but cause harm, and the Godly woman he is now married to. Being able to recognize each type of woman is crucial in our own lives. Lecrae not only shows the different type of women but also the consequences of being sexualized at such a young age, abortions, and more. We have the opportunity to learn from someone who has messed up so that we don’t do the same thing.
Lecrae reveals his life in this book- the great moments, the awful moments, the time when he was saved, the times when it all seemed to fall apart. There is something to learn for all ages, all walks of life, all tastes in music, Christians, and non-Christians, which is why I highly recommend this book. You can find it at various places such as Amazon.com and UnashamedBook.com, which are all just a click away. Check out the video below for details on how you can win a free copy of the Unashamed book. Go check out some of the other content I have on here just a heads up: there are some exciting new features I’m planning to roll out as soon as Summer begins, it’s going to be a blast. Thanks for reading, have a good day.
Impacts and Observations From T4G
If you follow me on social media you probably already know that I got the opportunity to go to a pastor’s conference from the 12th of April to the 14th called Together for the Gospel (T4G). It was a truly astounding experience that included getting to meet Dr. John Piper, learning more about the Reformation, and having new desires when it comes to topics like theology. If you have read my ‘About Me’ page at the top of the blog, you would know I said this is not some teenager’s ‘glorified diary’, so I’m going to stick to that. I will not give you a play-by-play of what I did or saw but instead, I hope to achieve two things:
1) Pull back the curtain a little bit on what these conferences are like
With the schooling opportunity, I have this year (Online at Wilson Hill Academy), I have opportunities others may not and one of those is getting to go to conventions. I hope to show a little of what they are like because I know I find interest and know that is also the case with some of you.
2) Share some very valuable lessons I learned
This post is not going to dive into the sermons of Dr. John Piper, Dr. Mark Dever, and others, this post is going to lessons I learned from observing the atmosphere and generality of the conference.
One of the biggest impacts the conference had on me was the change of role models. Going into the conference, if you had asked me who two of my biggest role models are (other than my dad, of course), chances are I would have told you something like ‘Steph Curry’ or ‘Dak Prescott’. However, that is no longer the case. Getting to watch and listen to the likes of Matt Chandler, Dr. Ligon Duncan, Dr. John Piper, David Platt, and others made me realize these are the guys I want to be like. Not because they are famous, but because they are very wise and well-educated. Because of the way they have studied God’s Word. In my opinion, the youth of America would instill a lot more hope in adults if we looked to imitate great theologians. Sure, I still pull hard for Steph Curry, and I really want to see Dak Prescott do well but when it comes to copying one’s every move, we should be looking to those who God has chosen to speak through.
When you start to look up to someone, you start to imitate them, you begin the desire to do what they do, talk like they do, like what they do. One of the things that I really noticed was my deepened love for theology. Theology and philosophy have always had a place in my heart but during that conference, I found a very deep love for understanding theological and philosophical ideas and worldviews. The reader will hopefully notice my topics will begin to get deeper and deeper into challenging thoughts and concepts that I will explore and then state what this may look like for teens. Remember, while a majority of my audience are adults for the time being, this blog is really geared to discover what life looks like through the worldview and eyes of a Christian teen with other teenagers. This not only helps a fellow teenager understand these concepts but also gives adults a look at where we are coming from.
Along with this newfound love for theology, I learned the importance and meaning of another I’ve begun to love: hymns. The church I’m raised in is a contemporary Baptist church, so the most I’ve really been exposed to hymns are during Summer trips to my grandparents’ church in Mendenhall, Mississippi, which is a traditional Baptist church. This has played a big role in my views on hymns which are not my favorite. In case you haven’t noticed, there is a little bit of a pattern forming here. At the conference, the music sung is all hymns. I’ll admit, I didn’t realize how much of an impact this would have on me. Picture yourself in a college basketball arena with 10,000 other people singing worship to God just for being God (if you can’t, don’t worry, the videos are on my Twitter ). I had heard about it and it didn’t really hit me until about halfway through the second day but when it did, wow. There were times when you just had to stop singing because it was so overwhelming. That night, some of the theologians had a panel about it and I started to realize that hymns are an important aspect of worship.
The main focus of this conference was the Reformation which makes sense considering it’s a Protestant conference. As a result of this focus, my understanding of the reformation grew much deeper in the sense of different reasons for the reformation, some of which I had never known or considered, ways martyrs acted as they were killed, and even some specific martyrs’ stories. This has given me the interest to know more about these martyrs and the Reformation, itself, through books such as Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.
All of these new desires motivate a central action: reading. I have always loved reading but not in the way that it does now. I no longer just want to read an interesting thriller, but want to read a theologically centered book, an autobiography, or even Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. I feel we, as teenagers, should start filling our spare time with content that is beneficial and Gospel-centered. I did not feel as strongly about this going into the conference, but now, after seeing people like Dr. Albert Mohler and Dr. John Piper, I see how much reading good content can affect you. This may sound boring but I challenge you to try it; this goes for adults, too! I will have book reviews and free contest. giveaways (one very soon) on books that I have read and liked. I want to grow in my understanding of who God is and hope you join me.
Overall, the conference was a great experience and I would recommend checking with your pastor of your church if there are any conferences that are available for the congregation to go on. I hope I have given some insight on what these conferences are like both through my blog and Social Media. Have a good day! (Check out the content below)
Nothing quite like listening to 10,000 voices singing praise at once… #T4G2016 @T4G pic.twitter.com/UkDAXyp97q
— Jacob Charles Price (@JacobCPrice20) April 12, 2016
Met some heroes today… @JohnPiper @albertmohler #T4G2016 pic.twitter.com/VVuW2i0aF5
— Jacob Charles Price (@JacobCPrice20) April 14, 2016
Minor Deceptions
With the elections and primaries among us, understanding what we think is very important. A lot of times what we think, especially if we are undecided or not confident in our decisions, is swayed by what people around us think. This can be good and bad depending on the people and the decision itself. But what if we don’t actually know what other people think? Even though we may think what other people know and what the majority is, as the article below explains, we can very easily be wrong. As you read the article, keep in mind that this doesn’t just apply to politics, but can be applied to many different scenarios which range from silly questions like ‘Are baseball caps trendy?’ to very serious topics like ‘Is homosexuality Biblical?’ Next time you are on the fence for any topic, remember we can easily be swayed to the minority vote simply because it looks like the majority vote.
Link: What Are People Really Thinking?
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Worshiping Your Way Out of Despair
Risen
Watching our Words
Becoming Young Gentlemen in the 21st Century
Growing up in the 21st Century is tough. With social media dominating our attention, drugs around every corner and porn just a click away (and the lie that none of this is bad for you!), it can be easy to lose sight of how we actually need to act and who we need to be.
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So, who DO we need to be?
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We need to be bold and ready to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves, kind enough to lend a helping hand, considerate enough to see what needs to be done, and smart enough to avoid temptation. In short, we need to be gentlemen.
‘Gentleman’. It’s a word that has been tossed around, misused, and forgotten over the years. By looking at this graph, you can see the word ‘gentleman’ is in a low. Even though it seems on it’s on a slight upturn, the cause for this is centered around the word ‘misused’. How it’s misused is something I’m planning on exploring along with many more question I have, including how can youth grow into young gentlemen? That’s exactly what I’m trying to find out myself. That’s why I am doing a blog series on ‘Becoming Young Gentlemen in the 21st Century.’ Answering this will require me interviewing different people who have pursued it in their own lives and have more experience. The whole point of me posting on this blog is so people can see the world through the view of a Christians teenager, topics like these are some of the best ways to see that, so follow and learn with me as I find out what’s involved in becoming a young gentleman in the 21st century.
‘Gentleman’. It’s a word that has been tossed around, misused, and forgotten over the years. By looking at this graph, you can see the word ‘gentleman’ is in a low. Even though it seems on it’s on a slight upturn, the cause for this is centered around the word ‘misused’. How it’s misused is something I’m planning on exploring along with many more question I have, including how can youth grow into young gentlemen? That’s exactly what I’m trying to find out myself. That’s why I am doing a blog series on ‘Becoming Young Gentlemen in the 21st Century.’ Answering this will require me interviewing different people who have pursued it in their own lives and have more experience. The whole point of me posting on this blog is so people can see the world through the view of a Christians teenager, topics like these are some of the best ways to see that, so follow and learn with me as I find out what’s involved in becoming a young gentleman in the 21st century.