Darryl Dash's Blog, page 13

What to Expect (Revelation 6)

Big Idea: Expect to suffer in this world, and put your hope in Jesus.

When we had our children, one of the most helpful books we bought was called What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Yes, they had this book even back then. It was such a helpful book to understand what was happening at every stage of the pregnancy.

This passage could be titled “What to Expect as a Christian.” This chapter helps us understand what life in this world will be like. This chapter will help us have accurate expectation...

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The Ministry of Small Things

In the pursuit of meaningful service for Christ, oftentimes the little things are the big things.

The Greatest Beauty I’ve Ever Seen

Truly, I have seen wonders more beautiful than tongue or scribe could ever tell. And yet none of this represents the greatest beauty I have ever seen. There is something more wonderful, still, something that delights my eyes and thrills my heart.

A Prayer Meeting Like That Does Not Scare The Devil

So of...

Intellectual Depth Matters in Ministry

I still laugh when I think about an exchange I had with a border guard. “Why are you entering the United States?” he asked. I told him I was attending a study group to learn more about the Bible. He then asked how long I'd been a pastor. When I said over 30 years, he replied, “What could you possibly have to learn about the Bible?”

Knowing Scripture involves lots of study. It includes learning hermeneutics, languages, textual criticism, biblical theology, knowledge of the Ancient Near East, syste...

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What Are Your Plans For This Year?

I have no plans.
And yet God…

The Radiance of Real Holiness

When we encounter sanctity, we’re drawn not to the saint but to the Savior.

iPhones, Idolatry, and Evil Spirits

If Satan wanted to invent a way to steal our attention, render our awareness of God obsolete, and control the message we live by, could he do any better than the intensely addictive iPhone and the algorithms that control what we encounter?

The Pleasure That Def...

Thankful in All Seasons

There are a lot of things that I struggle with in winter. I don't love the cold. I don't love the gray skies. Most of all, I find myself struggling with the shorter days. I really miss sunlight during winter.

For years, I've grumbled about winter. I've even joked that we all get one season to complain about, and I've chosen winter.

If I'm honest, my complaining begins in September, as the first signs of fall come, and ends in May, when I see the first glimpses of spring. But this year, I've change...

Our Greatest Need (Revelation 4)

Big Idea: Our greatest need is to know God, love God, delight in God, and make much of God.

We have something in common, you and I. We want to know what truly matters in life. We aim to build our lives around something meaningful, something that will endure. We don't want to reach the end of our lives and realize we wasted them chasing things that don't matter.

But that's not all. We want the same for our kids. We want to steer them away from distractions and dangers. We hope they invest their liv...

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How I Am Getting My Mind Back This Year

Stop letting information, data, and technology lead you. Become human again.

What Does the Bible Say About Remarriage?

Less than we hope, it turns out, when it comes to remarriage after a divorce.

Three Errors to Avoid With Your Bible Reading Plan

Hearing from God is incredibly important, so I hate to see someone become discouraged in their attempt to start reading the Bible. To help out, I want to give three errors that I...

Ready for Turmoil

Are you ready for what's coming?

2025 is expected to be a turbulent year. We have a change in government in the States that promises to be disruptive. World events are not very encouraging. It feels like our societal fabric is falling apart. Pick up the news, and things are anything but stable or ordinary.

George Friedman believes we are experiencing an unprecedented convergence of two significant historical cycles in American history. The first is an 80-year cycle of significant institutional and...

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How Healthy Is Your Soul?

To get started, we might focus our attention on six of the most important areas of the Christian life: our heart, our habits, our hope, our enemies, our friends, and our neighbors.

The Best Seats at Church

The subject of seating doesn’t sound very spiritual. But Jesus tells us it is.

Forget New Year's Resolutions. Do This Instead.

I think a better way to grow is with a monthly dashboard.

Five Vows I Have Made

This morning I opened the fro...

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The Collected Best Christian Books of 2024

Here are the ones that appeared repeatedly and, in a more subjective sense, seemed to generate the most positive buzz throughout the year.

Best of 2024: The Rise of Hyperpleasures

Hyperpleasures, then, are not new. What is new, however, is the broadening of our hyperpleasures with the rise of our technological advances in the 20th and 21st century.

When the Growing Is Slow

So as I sit by the Christmas tree that is now g...