NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—As a part of its effort to call students to “influence, stand, and lead,” the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission announced a new partnership with NavPress and Student Leadership University in promoting the ERLC’s Josiah Road initiative.

Josiah Road was launched in 2007 as an Internet-based ministry and has expanded into a suite of products including a five-week Bible study, weekend discipleship kit and trade book.

Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, and Jay Strack, president of Student Leadership University, announced the new relationship between ERLC, NavPress and Student Leadership University at a Student Leadership University event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. July 16.

Student Leadership University (SLU) works to equip and empower students to change their world for Christ through a series of intensive, hands-on educational efforts. The ERLC partners with SLU in their student education work in D.C.

Land said the Josiah Road resources focus on the biblical account of Josiah — “one of the greatest young leaders ever to come along in history.” The SBC exec emphasized much of the Josiah Road material was written “by a young person for young people.”

Student Leadership University was instrumental in expanding the Josiah Road initiative, Land said, explaining that it was through the innovative ministry to students that high school student Luke Harper sensed God’s leading to write and speak.

“One of our students felt led to begin to make a difference and now it has resulted in an exciting project and a fascinating product that churches and Christian schools are using across the country,” Jay Strack explained at the SLU conference.

Luke and his father, Harold Harper, executive vice president at the ERLC, authored the study and its various components. The spiritual development initiative is based on the life of Josiah who became ruler of the Southern Kingdom of Judah at the age of eight.

At the time of King Josiah’s reign, people were corrupt and worshipped idols and false gods. The account tells of the boy king’s faithfulness as he led his people back to the one true God.

Land encouraged the students to follow Josiah’s lead and not shrink back from serving God. “Don’t put limits around what God may want to do in your life,” he said.

Luke Harper told Baptist Press students will be introduced to a powerful Bible character through the study, adding that those who truly grasp the Josiah Road message will be the “students who will exceed expectations in doing what God has called them do.”

Luke described Josiah as a young man not afraid to call his nation back to God.

“Everyone has a chance to be a positive influence on someone else, everyone can take a stand, and everyone can lead,” Luke said, recounting the Bible study’s three-part focus. “My prayer is that out of all this God will call a new generation of Josiahs who will be obedient to do things for Him that no one can imagine.

Said Strack, “Those who dare to travel along this Josiah Road will be taking one of the most exciting journeys possible. Students who study and gain an appreciation for the obstacles facing King Josiah will be motivated to also allow Jesus to make a difference in their life, their family and their community.”

“When students decide to participate in Josiah Road,” Harold Harper said, “they will be challenged to take risks, seize opportunities, defy the odds, and pursue God’s purpose for their life like never before.”

The weekend discipleship segment of the resource was field-tested at First Baptist Church of Atlanta, as well as at several other SBC churches. Maclane Forbus, student ministries pastor at FBC Atlanta, said he liked the study and the way youth responded.

“The Josiah Road Bible study is biblically sound, well-written and easy for student pastors and leaders to use in any format,” Forbus said.

NavPress, a Christian book publisher founded in 1975, will publish the Josiah Road resources.

In his remarks at the SLU event Land noted that not only will NavPress play a large role in marketing and disturbing Josiah Road resources, but also he said all the royalties from the sale of the products will go to Student Leadership University’s scholarship fund to allow more students to experience the ministry’s leadership programs.

“Our mission is to advance Josiah Road’s calling by publishing life-transforming materials,” said Barry Sneed, vice president of NavPress. “We are committed to serving people by facilitating and motivating spiritual growth through products that are biblically rooted, culturally relevant and practical.”

The five-week Bible study is designed for students and student leaders to go through in small groups. It will be available for purchase in spring 2011 in bookstores across the country.

The initiative’s trade book and additional resources will be available between 2012 and 2013 for purchase. The weekend kit and related ministry tools are available for review and purchase online at josiahroad.com now.

—30— Elizabeth Wood is a writer for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.

I finished my junior year of high school last month. Summer is finally here! I can’t wait to do everything I’ve got planned – especially not going to school. One thing I love to do during the summer is go to the lake with friends. We tube and I attempt to ski, wakeboard and kneeboard. (I fail at all three.) We fish, swim or just ride in the boat. The list never ends. The lake is perfect during the summer.

One thing I’ve done on the lake is called “the Blob.” I will never forget it. Now, who invented this “thing,” I don’t know. Why did they invent it? I don’t know that either. But I do know how it works.

To have a successful blob experience, you need three things: first, a blob, which is basically this giant inflatable Twinkie in the water; second, a place to jump onto the blob; and third, two people. One person sits at the end of the Blob and the other jumps onto the opposite end – sending shockwaves through the Blob, launching the other person 50 feet in the air and into the water.

My first experience with blobbing was at a summer camp in Missouri. I was on a roll. I was at the end of the Blob, and no matter how many kids jumped on it, I never went in the water. I felt invincible. I sat at the end thinking, “Who’s next?” (I was Mr. Big Stuff.) Then a counselor, who must have weighed 400 pounds, decided to climb up to the jump point. I knew this wasn’t going to end well.

The massive college student cannon balled onto the Blob, sending a shockwave that launched me into what I thought was outer space! Unfortunately, this high-flying experience came to an end – and that end was my face hitting the water. Suddenly, I no longer felt like Mr. Big Stuff. There would be no more blobbing for me that day.

Looking back on this experience got me thinking. Those little guys barely fazed me, but the big dude made a huge mark on my day. The Blob is like life. When we live our life for Christ, it can be like jumping onto the Blob. And the more we live for God, the bigger the spiritual impact we have on our friends, family and school. Just like that big counselor’s jump launched me higher, I want my life to help my friends soar! I want people to say, “Man, they made a huge impact for Christ that sent shockwaves through the community!” about this generation.

Let it be said of us what was said about Paul and his friends “…These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” (Acts 17:6) Let’s turn the world upside down, let’s live in such a way that people feel the shockwaves!

Ducking into the doorway, I saw that only two seats lined each side of the aircraft, and I felt like I could stand in the aisle with my arms outstretched and touch both ends of the plane! My window looked directly out on to the propeller. Fear gripped me.

I plopped into my aisle seat and got adjusted, when I heard a soft voice. “Excuse me, I think I’m the window seat beside you…” “OK, just a sec I…” my sentence trailed off. Before me stood a girl that could have leapt straight from the cover of People magazine’s “40 Most Beautiful People in the Galaxy” edition! “Soooo, can I get to my seat?” I realized she was still waiting in the aisle for me to move. “Um, yeah, sure…” I stammered, dropping my book and getting tangled in my iPod headphones as I struggled to unfasten my seatbelt. Regretting I didn’t listening to the pre-flight instructions on how to unfasten your seatbelt, I finally spilled into the aisle, and she eased her way past me into the window seat.

“So, what do you do?” “Oh, I was Miss America Rodeo Princess last year.” Sweet mother of mercy. “Oh, I’m allergic to horses.” ‘I’m allergic to horses?!’ That’s the best you can come up with?! “Oh, that’s too bad. Do you fly much?” “Yeah, but I’m terrified of flying…” Mike, what are you doing!? Tell her you play the drums! “…but not as much as I’m scared of spiders…” STOP IT! Honesty is NOT the best policy!

As I painfully watched her slip through my fingertips, she gave me an awkward smile, “Don’t worry; I’m sure there is nothing to be afraid of.” I groaned and gripped my seat. This would be a long flight… It’s amazing what goes through our heads just to impress people! It’s as if every time we meet someone, we flip through our life files to find what will make us look best, and that’s what we present. We are terrified that people might accidentally stumble upon the REAL us!

The desire to please others can consume our lives. But what are we so afraid of? Why am I so concerned with what others think of me? I have discovered that the quest to please everyone is a fruitless endeavor. We will never make everybody happy. In fact, the opinion that matters most is often the one neglected. What does God think of my life? Is He pleased with the way I am spending it? The Apostle Paul was unpopular with a lot of people, yet his life pleased God, and that’s all that mattered to him. This world will ask us to sell our souls in order to be accepted by others. Do I care about the one opinion that really matters, or am I spending my time trying to please everyone else?

“On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4

During the summer, I love to stay up late and watch all the crazy infomercials. Most of the time there are things being promoted that I’d never buy, and if I did, I would never use.

But one lovely summer night I stumbled upon, quite frankly, the greatest invention ever! It is called the Snuggie. If you’re not familiar with this invention, it’s a blanket with sleeves so that when you need to reach for the remote or a magazine or a drink, cold air doesn’t attack your warm skin.

Is that not genius? Well, of course, I had to get one. Now anytime I even think about being cold, I run to my Snuggie. And if I’m ever offered a blanket, sure it works for a little while, but in the end, I feel empty because it’s no Snuggie!

Just like I run to my Snuggie when I’m cold, why is it that I don’t run to God at the first sign of trouble (cold)? God’s warmth is irreplaceable. This world is a blanket. I can last for a while, but eventually I’ll have to reach for the remote.

This world will always leave me cold. If I just stayed by God’s side, pressed against Him, I’d stay warm. Through the hard times and the good ones, the cold and the warm, God will always be there for me. I’m now realizing I need to live my life continuously running back to the Father. Because He, and He alone, is the only one who can keep me warm.

Every year there is a certain month that just gets me pumped. That month is MARCH. Why you ask? Well March Madness of course! Every year I like to show off my “bracketology” knowledge. I usually fill out about twenty-five brackets. Sometimes I go with my favorite team, predict them to win the National Championship even when it’s totally not realistic. Sometimes I pick for upsets like Belmont University to win the ‘ship just for fun.

Sometimes, I just pick the highest seed in every game to play it safe, but what’s the fun in that? I usually end up frustrated and wishing I had a way to pick every game correctly. So, I turn to ESPN and their experts who try to convince me that their picks are correct. Yes, they are supposed to know more that I do, but I usually go with my gut feeling (the wrong choice) and my bracket suffers as a result.

Then you have those freakish 12-year-olds (that you see on TV) who pick every game correctly. They ignore all the predictions ESPN throws at them and they pick every game right!

I think “bracketology” is kind of like life in a way. I have a choice. I can be my usual self and screw up my life (bracket) by following my gut or other influences (ESPN). You see, the world is throwing tons of things at us constantly. All the “experts” have an opinion. If I choose to follow those influences in real life, well my bracket (life) will suffer. Or….I can choose to be that one 12-year-old kid. You know, the kid who is not influenced by the things of this world. The kid who ignores all that and strives for the true goal (GOD!). That kid! A life (bracket) focused on God is free from wrong choices…the choice is not ours. When you face a difficult game, God can lead you in the right direction. So now looking back, why in this world would I ever listen to what the world (ESPN) has to offer? I have the God of the Universe to guide and direct me.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8a

Those games (difficult situations) we face in life will be taken care of by God as long as we “draw near.” It’s my choice….win or lose…seems like pretty easy choice to me!

When I moved from Canada to North Carolina there were several things I bid a heartbreaking farewell to. Hockey was replaced by college football, ketchup chips were exchanged for sweet tea, and snow just sort of disappeared. Or so I thought…

It began with a light wind, which chilled the air and tickled the back of your neck. The sky faded to an ashen grey and the sun slipped behind thick clouds. When the weather forecast confirmed the chance of snow, Armageddon fell upon North Carolina. People poured into their nearest grocery store, pushing and shoving to get their hands on a carton of milk or a loaf of bread, both of which were fast becoming endangered species’!

During all the chaos, I chuckled and relaxed in my apartment. As the snow began to fall, I casually watched it from my window, reminiscing about the many such snowfalls I had experienced in Canada. “Foolish Americans,” I thought, “you could learn a thing or two from a northern pro like me!”

Then I noticed the people in the parking lot. An epic snowball fight had erupted, and everyone was joining in! Bundled up against the cold, the scene looked like it had floated in from a classic Christmas movie. I excitedly rushed to the closet to grab my jacket and join in when it hit me. I had no winter jacket. Desperately fumbling through every inch of my apartment, I came up empty handed. All I had was a light spring jacket, which barely kept me warm against the slight draft emanating from my fridge. In my southern migration, it had never crossed my mind to prepare for cold weather!

When I emerged from my apartment, I was greeted with calls of “Look at the Canadian, he doesn’t even need a jacket!” I smiled and nodded, hoping they didn’t notice my teeth chattering. Irony hit me like a ball of ice and my joy left in a convulsion of shivers!

One of the surest attitudes to bring ruin in my life is to think “That could never happen to me!” The minute I believe I am immune to certain sins, watch out! History is full of men and women who fell hard because they never saw sin coming. Whether it is the pastor whose reputation is destroyed by an illicit affair, or the girl who lets her self esteem issues replace her meals, we are all in danger of ruin when we let pride sneak into our lives.

My own life has revealed to me how foolish it is to think certain sins are beyond my capacity. If I am not guarding my heart from evil, I leave the doors and windows wide open for it to enter. Never say “Never” when it comes to sin for that has been the famous last word of many well-meaning Christians. When we try to live life apart from God’s strength, the forecast says a storm is coming, and it will leave only wreckage behind.

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18

Guest blogger: Molly Mann: High School Junior

One of my biggest pet peeves and struggles is patience. Even for the simplest things it’s hard for me to wait. But what happens when God tells me to wait on something? It may be something I don’t know anything about but He still wants me to be patient?

Towards the end of Paul’s life he was held captive in jail for two years before they killed him. It’s hard for me to imagine him sitting in a jail cell for two years waiting on what the Lord had for him next. He could’ve complained or even gone against God’s will and try to find a way out. Instead, he was obedient and patient till his death.

So when I’m in such a hurry for things to happen, I reflect back to Paul and what he did in his last years of his life. God may have something better in store and in waiting for that, He’ll honor and bless us. Now isn’t that worth waiting for?

“You must also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.” -James 5:8

Over the years, a few sports teams have risen above the rest: The 1972 Dolphins for example. However, as Isaac Newton said: “With every action there is an equal reaction,” and with every great sports team - there is a horrendous one. Introducing my childhood inline-hockey team.

At the season’s three-quarter mark, we had the dubious distinction of being the league’s only winless team. I was the unfortunate soul selected as goaltender. For one particular game, several of our players were out of town, leaving us with a single substitute. To make matters worse, we were playing “The Purple Team.” They had never lost.

Inching nervously out of our dressing room, we saw them. Their mature, muscular bodies towered above us as they whizzed past performing perfectly executed drills. I heard my brother Mike whisper shakily behind me, “We can’t play these guys…they have mustaches!”

The whistle sounded - the game began. The rink morphed into a gladiator coliseum. Our players were being rag-dolled and effortlessly tossed around. On our bench, I saw pale-faced Mike: The first sub. As a bloody, mangled carcass of a teammate dragged himself on all-fours, whimpering toward our bench I closed my eyes: Lord, if it be your will…please allow my brother not to die!

Taking a deep breath, Mike jumped over the boards. Racing straight towards the opposing team’s largest (and hairiest) player and doing the unthinkable - he threw a body check. The purple-jersey behemoth staggered, stunned, before swatting Mike away like a fly. But I watched something amazing begin to happen. Our small, grossly over-matched team began playing their hearts out.

Each time a beaten warrior would stumble back to the bench, our sub unhesitantly jumped over the boards to join the battle, continually knocked down, but relentlessly jumping back up.

When the buzzer rang to end the game, a silent and shocked audience sat starring at the scoreboard: Purple 2 - Blue 11.

As Christians we have a daunting task. We battle head-on with a sinful world for the souls of people, and the world will utilize its key players: Hollywood, the Internet, peer pressure, etc. Every time a weary player skated to our bench, our substitute faced a challenging decision. They could give plenty of excuses to stay “riding the pine” in safety, or they could jump boldly over the bench, knowing full well the price that might be asked of them. As Christians we can sit comfortably in our churches, cheering on our pastors and evangelists, or we can join the action.

Have you been watching others struggle in the world while you sit comfortably back from the fray? Have you been waiting for someone to take the lead? Realize that simply becoming a Christian does not win the battle any more than signing up for our hockey team won us a game. Joining the battle is not a one-time decision; it is a commission we must accept daily (Luke 9:23-24) Perhaps it’s time to jump over the boards and join the game.

Have you ever driven a minivan? When you first got your driver’s license and experienced that freedom, was that freedom shared with Honda Odyssey?

I have to admit–Mine was!

At first I didn’t care; I loved the fact that I was driving (by myself). But as my friends got nice, new cars and I still drove the minivan, you can imagine my pride sinking. Teenage guys don’t usually brag about driving their Mom’s Honda Odyssey.

It got worse. I would drive to basketball practice in this van. I would pick up my date in this minivan! Are you beginning to understand how awful this was? If I saw people I knew in cars next to me, I would literally attempt to hide.

Then the day came when I received my first car. And boy, it’s beautiful. Now at every red light I make sure I’m seen. I want to drive everywhere! I’m so proud of it!

This whole experience got me thinking about life, particularly about my relationship with God. Am I proud of that? When people are looking at me at a red light, do I show pride in my God? I’m a blessed child of the King. Why is it that I don’t show off my God like I show off my brand new car? I was so happy when I got the car. I talked about it all the time and showed it off to everybody. Now, why am I not the same for my God? I need to truly be thankful for the greatest gift I’ve ever received, Jesus Christ! And just like my brand new car, I need to show Him off for all to see!