HEY MIKE! I’m small for a guy and I’m not into sports, so I’m treated like a second-rate teen at school. What should I do?
—J.R., Raleigh, N.C.
It’s lousy to be rejected — especially when you don’t fit the crowd’s image of what they think is cool. Trust me, I know this from experience.
I was a writer in a school filled with partygoers. While I dreamed about creating my first masterpiece, it seemed as if everyone else only cared about scoring with the opposite sex. While I was excited about my future and all the possibilities God had set before me, all the other teens put on cynical acts, making everyone think that nothing but the moment really mattered.
Here’s the crazy thing: I began to think something was wrong with me. However, as I grew older, I discovered that the true losers are the ones who stay focused on the moment, the guys and girls who don’t give a rip about anything except “looking out for No. 1” — themselves.
You’re far from an outcast, J.R. I want you to remind your brain (and bod) of four awesome truths:
(1) You’re created by God Almighty, the God of the universe, and if God is for you, who can be against you? (2) You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. (3) You have the potential to be at the head of the class, not the geek in the back row. (4) You can be a leader, not just a follower.
HEY MIKE! I feel like an idiot. My friends ask me questions about God and the Bible that I don’t know how to answer. I go to youth group and stuff, but by the middle of the week, I forget a lot of what we talked about. I don’t have time to read some huge Bible fact book or anything, but I need something to help me talk about my faith and what I believe. What do you think?
—L.D., Denver
First of all, don’t feel like an idiot! All of us struggle with questions that get thrown at us, and no one but Jesus could answer every question all the time. Well, maybe Paul could have, but my point is that unless you’re God in the flesh or an all-star apostle, you’re going to get stumped.
Second, don’t give up! A lot of Christian teens have turned their back on God because they couldn’t answer the tough questions. You need to remember that the answers are out there; sometimes you just have to do some digging. I’m not talking about memorizing some “huge Bible fact book,” but you do need to do a little old-fashioned study if you want to keep up with all the new-fangled arguments.
So where do you go from here? I took your question to Greg Stier, a friend and an evangelism expert. He’s the president of Dare 2 Share Ministries and leads huge evangelism training conferences throughout North America. (Keep reading to check out a helpful witnessing tool, as well as info on Greg’s organization.)
When it comes to sharing your passion for Christ, believe me, Greg has some solid answers. He suggests you take these three important steps:
1. Begin at the Source—that is, the Bible. Most, if not all, of the questions people have about Christianity can be answered from Scripture. What a shock — God’s word has the answers to questions about God!
But many times people forget that fact, and rather than just saying “I don’t know,” they make up something and leave people with a messed up view of Christianity. If you don’t know, then say, “I don’t know” — but then add one very important promise: “But I’ll find out.” That short phrase tells the person that not only are you honest, but you’re confident, as well.
Now let’s get to the “I’ll-find-out” part. Where do you find out? Great question!
Look in the Bible for the answers. True, it’s a huge book that is sometimes difficult to navigate, so you’ll probably want the help of a parent, pastor, youth leader or trusted adult. Other people in your life have “been there/done that” with questions about Christianity. They can guide you to the answers you’re looking for.
2. Hit the books. There’s a ton of great material that gives great answers to the tough questions. Again, talk to a parent, pastor, youth leader or trusted adult about which ones best meet your needs.
3. Explore the Internet. We live in an age of instant information, so why not use our World Wide Web friend to bring home the facts about our faith? Again, lots of great sites out there — just talk to people who know what they are talking about when getting recommendations for places to surf. 
