Bible Rebel

Captain Elias set out across the open sea with a heart full of purpose. Ever since he was young, he dreamed of exploring uncharted waters, mapping hidden islands, and discovering new wonders that could help sailors travel safely. His ship, The Northwind, carried tools, journals, and a crew who believed in the mission. Every sunrise felt like a fresh invitation from the ocean itself. Elias wasn’t chasing treasure—he was chasing understanding. And with every mile, he felt more certain that his journey mattered, not just for himself but for everyone who would follow the maps he created.

Not far behind him sailed a very different kind of captain—a pirate named Brack. Brack didn’t care about discovery or helping anyone. He wanted gold, power, and fear. His ship, The Black Fang, cut through the waves like a hungry shark, always searching for someone weaker to take from. While Elias studied the stars and currents, Brack studied opportunities to grab whatever he could.

Set Sail

When sailing the seas of your life, it’s important to have goals—but what’s more important is to combine your values with your goals. Being a successful thieving pirate is as much a goal as being a successful explorer—but there’s a difference, isn’t there?

What you do isn’t as important as who you are while you’re doing it. So definitely set some long‑range and short‑term goals for your life, but keep in mind that those goals may change over time.

The kind of person you choose to be should remain at the center of all of your goals and achievements in life. Don’t be Pirate Brack; be Explorer Elias.

Have A Guiding Mission

Write out a short mission statement for yourself and refer to it often, every day is best. Your mission statement will be your compass as you sail the sea of life. It will keep you focused on the kind of person you work to become.

Here’s mine. Yours will be yours alone, so this is just an example:

To live in the presence of God, to bear His image to the world around me, and to add value to His creation.

To do my best to follow the example of Jesus Christ in character and action, to look every day for His return and the resurrection of the dead, the rescue of creation, and our glorious eternal life together with Him and His people.

To never stop learning, exploring, and developing myself in skill and wisdom.

To do hard things.

To question and challenge the comfortable status quo, starting with myself.

To wage war against darkness, hopelessness, and nihilism.

To help others in my family, faith, and community to have great hope, be well taken care of, secure, inspired, and challenged.