Like many people, I graduated high school.

It is common for students to begin planning for what’s after high school by considering being gainfully employed; enlisting in the military; or enrolling in trade school, college, or university.

The reality is that what people choose to do after high school graduation continues to rapidly change.

Let’s be honest - it had been shifting for years before the pandemic, and everything about post-high school life is different today. Nothing is really the same - and nothing is returning to the way it was.

The employment field and workforce are altogether different from hybrid and remote work. Enlisting has its own unique set of pros and cons. Tradespeople are desperately needed and are often under-resourced and ignored. And there seem to be more ways to pursue a college degree than species of fish in the Puget Sound.

This is why I was so intrigued when the conversation I had a few weeks ago implied that college was a better or preferred choice over being gainfully employed or enlisting.

Here are 3 reasons it might be so easy for us to assume college education is a student’s next step after graduation and what to do about it.

1. Your friend group all went to college after high school.

Birds of a feather flock together.

It’s human nature. If everyone around you chose to enroll after high school, that has become your norm. It’s the unspoken standard that you expect from others. And, when people do not align with your idea of “normal,” they are the opposite - abnormal. Afterall, there is safety in numbers.

The challenge is that we can unknowingly make unhelpful (and inappropriate) judgments about people based on their decisions and how they align with our idea of “normal.”

Does that mean you’re wrong? No. It just means that your expectation about life after high school has been shaped by the people around you. It’s not good or bad - but it is something to be mindful of when others share their life decisions with you.

2. You went to college after high school.

Perhaps you went to college right after high school. It might have been the best experience of your life. Your expertise and degree have served you well.

It’s easy to assume if it was the right choice for you, it’s the right choice for others, too.

We must acknowledge that each person is unique - made in the image of God with specific gifts, talents, and skills. Therefore, while I do not believe that each person is specifically “called” to a pigeonhole and if they aren’t there, they are “outside of God’s will,” - I do believe that each person is called to use what God has given them to love people, care for creation, and be a blessing to the world.

So, while that may have looked like college to you - for others, it might look like experiencing boot camp, fixing sprockets on a Navy ship, welcoming you at your favorite restaurant, baking bread, butchering meat, caring for children, or advocating for human rights.

While it is normal to be shaped by our experiences, it is important to be mindful that God led you to use your gifts, talents, and skills by way of a college classroom. At the same time, your experience does not mean God is leading everybody down that same path.

3. You didn’t go to college right after high school and wish you did.

Regret is a powerful negative emotion.

Perhaps you think your life would have been different if you had enrolled or completed college. You would have met another partner or spouse. You would have made more money. You would have had other opportunities.

And because you regret not enrolling or completing college, you don’t want other people to repeat your past action.

Regret is closely related to guilt and shame, which have the incredible potential to control and manipulate other people.

If you are experiencing guilt, shame, or regret over a past choice, such as not going to college right after high school and wishing you did, there are excellent resources for you to own it, call it what it is, and work through it.

The bottom line is this: the prison of regret has an open door for you to pull other people in with you or run out the door leaving it behind while remembering your experience in captivity.

What would it look like if heading out to boot camp, securing full-time employment, or focusing on trade were equally celebrated as enrolling at a college or university?

I think there would be a lot of lifting graduates up and celebrating them for who they are, what they’ve accomplished, and what they wish to do - whatever that might be at this moment in time.

Let’s be honest - how many of us really knew what we wanted to do when we were 18 years old? Some of us are still trying to figure that out at 30, 40, 50, and 60 years old.

What I’m trying to say is that it is OK to not have our life’s plan mapped out two decades into life. It is OK to just take the next step and do something and move forward.

Sometimes honor and respect looks like celebrating people when we don’t necessarily align with their choices. Celebration and agreement are not mutually exclusive.

When I found myself in a conversation where I felt the student was being judged by another adult for choosing to work full-time and not pursue college classes, I said, “That’s awesome! I’m proud of you. Where do you work so that I can visit you sometime?”.

That kind of response takes the Apostle Paul’s encouragement to sound like Jesus when we find ourselves stuck in making assumptions about other people, letting our pride compare other people to ourselves, and in the prison of our regret, guilt, and shame. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but consider others better than yourselves in humility. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.

Perhaps the best response to all of our grads who are gainfully employed, enlisting, enrolling, or already enrolled is this: we celebrate you for who you are and who you are becoming! We love you! Tell me more about what’s next for you. When can I see you next to encourage you in your next chapter of God’s crazy awesome story called life?

This summer, we will listen to and follow Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew.

Here’s a sneak peek at our three upcoming message series.

We kick off our summer in June with Jesus teaching us His way of authority, mercy, and compassion we find in Matthew 9 and 10. Make plans to be sent to live The Forgotten Ways of Jesus on June 25.

We will then move into July with some Story Time with Jesus. Each week, we will discover real-life principles from the stories Matthew records Jesus telling about seeds, weeds, and hidden treasures in Matthew 13.

We will wrap up summer by spending time with Jesus as he feeds people, walks on water, heals a woman, and directly asks us, “Who do you say I am.” I pray we are moved to respond, “This is Jesus.”

Alright - time to pull the curtain back on the fall a little bit…

In January 2023, 22 people spent 10 weeks connecting with God, the church, and their purpose. For those who were exploring faith, their experience revealed who God is and how to live more like Jesus. For believers, it refocused their relationship with God and ignited a new passion to connect and serve.

As a result, today, 15 out of 22 are in a Life Group (9 of them for the first time!). That’s pretty impressive.
But don’t take my word for it… one person shared: “I loved the class and learning everyone’s story. It taught me to listen more, speak less, ask questions, and think about what Jesus is doing in each person’s life”.
True spiritual growth. Real discipleship.

That’s why I want each of us to get Rooted this fall.

Why? Because loving God, loving people, and living like Jesus is about being Rooted in Jesus.

So, kids, youth, and adults… get ready. It will be an inclusive experience for anybody and everybody.

I can’t wait to share more in August.

My favorite way to preach and teach is by taking a book of the Bible and walking through it with people.

That’s why I’m excited that we will preach/teach through the book of 1 Peter in our Sunday services between now and Memorial Day.

I pray that you will invite a friend to join us, and we will discover A Life Worth Living that is all about Jesus, our living hope.

Here are a few thoughts I’m having as we launch into this series of messages.

We have a God of unlimited second chances.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

Because Jesus is merciful, we don’t receive the penalty for our sins that we deserve. Instead, we are regenerated over and over again to a better tomorrow. That’s our living hope. Not just a better tomorrow, but a better forever because Jesus is resurrected from the dead.

“Born again” or regeneration is an exciting reality. If you’re playing a video game, it’s like repeatedly respawning with unlimited lives. It’s the dream of immortality come true… and ours only through faith in Jesus.

Our living hope may not be what we first think.

From an individual-centric worldview perspective, we may think it is our resurrection or immortality. And in a sense, we are not wrong.

However, 1 Peter never mentions the resurrection of people. It does mention ten times the resurrection of Jesus (the revealing of Jesus in glory).

In other words, Peter is emphasizing that human hope is not found in our personal resurrections. Rather, living and enduring hope is only found in Jesus’ resurrection.

I wonder how many of us wake up every day looking, waiting, and hoping to see the resurrected Jesus and not just a better day for ourselves.

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Sometimes Love Looks Like a Bowl of Soup
My friend Tracy's words will forever echo in my mind: sometimes love looks like a bowl of soup.

Every couple of months, a Saturday Faith in Action Day, a group of people prepare frozen meals to share with people who need one less thing to think about in times of crisis.

A few weeks ago, someone asked if they could take some of those freezer meals to a coworker. This coworker's husband was hospitalized after suffering severe medical trauma. She had also recently lost a son (due to a drug overdose) and is caring for two elementary-aged grandchildren. The kids were super excited about the meals, and the coworker was grateful they were delivered with a hug.

Someone took the opportunity to love someone else like Jesus - and it brought excitement to kids, melted this parent's heart, and made them feel seen and loved.

Indeed, sometimes love looks like a bowl of soup.

More Stories

Staining Neighbor's Fence Brings Unlikely People Together
A middle school student saw that his neighbor's fence needed some TLC. He asked some friends to help stain the fence and make it look like new. Afterwards the student shared, “I saw God at work by doing something for someone else without a reward”. They also discovered that one of the friends who helped with the project knew the family who was served. The relationship continues today.

Gardens Help the Poor and Homeless
Last summer, a student wanted to learn more about gardening. So, he jumped into a Faith in Action Day to work side-by-side with other adults in the Abundance Garden. He shared, “I saw God working by helping make a garden to help the poor and homeless”. He now knows how to better pull weeds, care for growing vegetables, and work the soil to serve the neighbors around him with his time and newly learned skills.

Neighborhood BBQ Uncovers a Deep Need Among Neighbors
Last fall, a student noticed that her neighborhood needed to get together and have a good laugh. So, she chose to host a neighborhood party complete with a cookout dinner. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “it was powerful to hear our neighbors say ‘why haven't we done this all these years?’”. She now feels confident to be a change-leader among her neighbors, friends, and school by bringing people together to build deeper friendships and laugh together.

Tacoma Police Officers Encouraged by Middle School Students
In January, a group of 16 students were bothered by the negativity their local police officers were experiencing. They know law enforcement work is challenging and they wanted to encourage them in a practical way. They chose to apply for a Thrivent Action Team and assembled Care Packages for Duty Officers and ordered breakfast for their mid-morning shift workers. It was a delightful and unexpected surprise delivery for the substation workers and officers who were at the substation that morning. Three students chose to boldly and powerfully pray over the officers and the community they patrol. The students received a full tour of the facility, shared stories and tears of gratitude, and left with a feeling of mutual joy that God is with all people.

Winterizing Homes is More than What Meets the Eye
After working on a Faith in Action Project last fall, a project team member followed up with the homeowner to make sure she was ready for the winter chill. She shared that she needed help installing a slider door to finish weather-proofing her home. Thanks to the ongoing generosity to our General Fund, we were able to provide the finances for the project. The team member completed the project right away and the homeowner enjoyed a warm, cozy winter. The homeowner and team member regularly connect about their kids and grandkids as well as pray together.

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You might have heard that there is something going on at Asbury University in Kentucky. And that something has spread to other places, too.

People have described it as an awakening, a revival, and a movement of the Holy Spirit.

Like with most things today, there are also critics, pundits, and loud opinions mixed into the narrative.

Whatever you might think about the Kentucky events, we know at least three things for sure. 

      1. Jesus’ Spirit there… and here! 
Jesus promises to show up whenever God’s Word is present. Much like any other time when people read the scriptures and respond, the chapel service which led into the ongoing event was just that - an invitation to respond to Jesus’ invitation to repentance.

The question is - so why is that event considered different - a revival or awakening, and other times seem so “ordinary”.

My personal opinion is that we’re trying to explain a spiritual (dare I say, miraculous or supernatural) experience in human ways… and our human way is limited, finite, and can only explain what we see - not what we can't see.

So, we see an event, a mass of people, and activity - but can we see the broken spirits and contrite hearts of people who are responding? Maybe… perhaps… and only if they share it (which many have!).

Here is what I do know. I know that God sometimes shows up and moves people to respond in masses (think Billy Graham). Other times, people respond loudly with singing and dancing (think David in the Bible dancing naked in the temple). And then there are individuals who respond as they sit in their cars with silent tears (or no tears at all).

My point is, how people respond isn’t the point. Psalm 51:17 emphasizes what matters is a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. And that’s what we hear from people at Asbury and what we don’t always see when we, ourselves read and respond to God’s Word.

In a way, everytime we (or anybody) reads God’s Word and responds is a revival or awakening.

That’s how I know that Jesus’ Spirit is both there and here.

      2. There is so much that we don’t know.

I do wonder why it seems like sometimes we see God work in big ways and other times we don’t see God work at all. I know that’s a very self-centered question resulting from an American cultural worldview. But, I think it’s an honest question.

I (personally) return to resting in the truth that there is so much I don’t know.

I’m reminded of Psalm 55:8-9 when God responds to the psalm writer, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,". Then, God explains why by saying, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

I find it interesting that it seems as though everyone feels like they are entitled to an opinion about the Asbury events.

For me, the Asbury Revival reminds me that there is so much we don’t know… and that’s OK because we know the God who does.

      3. You and I can experience revival.

Revival isn’t fabricated or manufactured. It’s not manipulated responses or a forced emotional response.

Revival is an awakening to who Jesus is, who we are, and a turning away from ourselves and toward Jesus.

Our thoughts can be awakened as we turn our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1).

Our feelings can be revived from not feeling anything to feeling something - sadness over our sin or the relief and “lightness” of the forgiveness we have in Jesus.

Our lives can be moved by the Holy Spirit when we stop, reorient ourselves to God’s way - not our own, and take our next steps with Jesus.

This is the revival or awakening that is happening in hearts and lives everyday.

Afterall, the true fruit of revival is the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) seen in everyday life.

What do you think? Shoot me an email or let’s find a time to catch up.

If the blog helps you, share it with someone you think would appreciate it.

“Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning” is a bluesy spiritual first sung by slaves on the plantation and then later while fighting the Civil War.
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Take a listen.

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The message continues to echo today.

• Stay alert.
• Help is on the way.
• The end of being used, abused, and enslaved is coming.
• Freedom and safety are near.

Matthew, one of Jesus’ disciples, records Jesus saying the same message in Matthew 25.

There is a wedding. As the bride walks in, ten bridesmaids are waiting for the groom with torches lit. They don’t know when he’s arriving, but they know it’s soon.

Five bridesmaids brought extra oil for their lamps, not knowing how long they might be waiting. But, unfortunately, five of them didn’t get any excess oil.

So, the bridesmaids without oil asked the ones with oil if they could use some of theirs. The answer is that there is not enough to go around.

Midnight comes, and the groom arrives. The bridesmaids without oil are out trying to find some. The bridesmaids who had the extra oil meet the groom, and the wedding goes on.

When the bridesmaids without extra oil arrived back at the wedding, the ceremony had begun, and they could not participate in the marriage.

An interesting story.

Here’s the point: Be and stay ready because Jesus is coming soon.

Keep your hearts trimmed and burning… for Christmas… and His final Christmas.

• Stay alert by reading God’s Word because Jesus is coming.
• Hold onto hope that the best is still to come - help is on the way because Jesus is coming.
• Live lives of continuous and humble repentance because Jesus is coming.
• Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus’ arrival because Jesus is coming.

This is Jesus’ Christmas wish for us.

Keep your heart ready like you have this advent season because Jesus has promised to come again, not only at Christmas but again very soon (Revelation 22:7).

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