Most mascots signal a valued characteristic of a team. An eagle is strong. A tiger is fierce. A knight is ready for battle. So why in the world would a Christian school in Boise pick Renegades?
Merriam-Webster describes a renegade as someone who rejects conventional behavior. The word began as a charge against people who abandoned their faith. Today the pull runs the other way. When the accepted script is secular, the one who stays faithful to Christ is the one who breaks rank.
Why we break with the culture’s script
At Pathways Christian Academy we break with the culture’s script so we can be faithful to Christ. That script is loud, and our students hear it every day. Trust your gut. Handle it yourself. Build your brand. You only live once. None of it sounds dangerous. Most of it sounds like good advice. That is why it is worth questioning.
Nine ways a Renegade lives differently
R – Rely fully on God, not self.
The world says trust your instincts. Scripture says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).
E – Entrust every burden to His care.
Carrying everything alone is not strength. It is pride. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
N – Never waver in faith, even in trials.
Hard times do not disprove God. A renegade’s faith rests on His character, not on circumstances (James 1:6).
E – Empowered by the Spirit, not the flesh.
“Fake it till you make it” eventually runs out. The Spirit does not (Galatians 5:16).
G – Give glory to Christ in all things.
The culture says take the credit. A renegade sees every opportunity as a chance to point to Him (1 Corinthians 10:31).
A – Abide daily in His presence.
Independence is the world’s ideal. Jesus says, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
D – Depend on His strength, not your own.
The world says never show weakness. God says His power is made perfect in it (2 Corinthians 12:9).
E – Endure with hope, knowing He is faithful.
The default is to quit when it gets hard. Following Christ was never about comfort. It is about character (Hebrews 10:23).
S – Surrender, the ultimate act of reliance.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Surrender is not losing control. It is knowing who has it.
What this looks like at school
This is not a poster on the wall. It is the student who tells the truth when a lie would be easier. The athlete who gives glory to God over himself. The junior who admits she is overwhelmed and asks for help, or the fourth grader who notices the lonely classmate and makes a plan to sit with them at lunch.
None of that is rebellion for its own sake. Contrarians push against everything. Renegades push against the lies so they can stand on the truth.
The world needs Renegades
Our students will not stay in our hallways forever. They will walk into colleges, workplaces and neighborhoods that hand them the same script, only louder. We want them ready to recognize it, and to answer it with how they live their lives. In Christ, through Christ and by Christ alone.
The original Renegade
Jesus was a renegade in this sense. He upended the conventions of His day and unsettled the religious establishment and the secular world alike. Paul described the message of the cross as a stumbling block to some and foolishness to others (1 Corinthians 1:23). Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will, not the world’s, not what other people wanted him to do, and not his own. He calls us to do the same.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
That is what a Renegade is. You can hear the song “Where My Renegades?” on our YouTube channel.