Darryl Dash's Blog, page 17

That You May Be Glorified in Him

Sometimes a phrase in Scripture jumps out at me even though I’ve read it many times before.

One of them is 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12:

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most of this prayer, which is part of the opening to the letter, is typic...

The Church That Lost Its Love (Revelation 2:1-7)

Big Idea: The sign of a faithful church is enduring love for Jesus.

I don’t know if I have a favorite church in the Bible, but if I did, it would probably be the church in Ephesus.

Let me tell you what I like about it.

Here’s what we know about the church in Ephesus. Ephesus was the fourth-largest city in the Roman Empire. When John wrote Revelation, the population would have been about 225,000. It was an urban center, a world-class city.

It was a major financial center, and home to the Pan-Ionian g...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Clearing Up Confusion About Humility

Don’t get high. Don’t put yourself in the center. Instead, put others there. Get low and off-center.

How (and Why) to Greet like Paul

Here’s how (and why) to greet like Paul.

Why Gen Z Men like Me Are Staying in Church

At church, Gen Z men are still being called to sacrifice in a culture that taught them to live for themselves.

Grief and Gratitude When a Church Ends

Not every ending is a failure because longevity may not be God...

Failure Happens Slowly Before It Happens Suddenly

In 2017, I ran a bunch of races: 5Ks, 10Ks, and half-marathons. I had a blast. I’d finally trained well and was enjoying my new hobby.

Near the end of the season, I bought a new pair of running shoes. Soon after, I found myself injured. I went to the physiotherapist. “How did this happen?” I asked. I figured she would blame the new pair of shoes. Instead, she told me the truth. “This injury has been slowly developing for the past 50 years.” The injury revealed itself suddenly, but it had been slo...

What's Happening in the World? (Revelation 1:9-20)

Big Idea: To really understand what’s happening in the world, we need to see the presence of the risen and glorified Jesus.

What’s really going on in the world? It really depends on where you get your news.

I follow an account on social media called All Sides. The tagline is, “Tired of media bias? Expose yourself to different perspectives.” It covers news stories, and then gives examples of how the left, right, and center cover those stories. It’s fascinating to see the same news stories, the same...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Lessons from Mark Dever’s 30 Years at Capitol Hill Baptist Church

Asked what his vision for ministry was, Dever gave an answer that has become a staple of his ministry: preach, pray, love, and stay.

Is There a Better Way to Respond When Sin Is Exposed?

When someone we esteem sins, it’s okay to say nothing online. In fact, it is usually better when we don’t. Instead of posting, pray.

The Complexity of Calling

I find it very helpful to think of our "calling” as Ch...

Slow and Costly in a World of Fast and Cheap

First, the algorithms took over.

Some algorithms are beneficial. I enjoy seeing Amazon’s recommendations based on the purchases I’ve made. Sometimes I discover new accounts I want to follow. The algorithms are a serendipity machine, sometimes allowing me to discover things I wouldn’t have on my own.

However, we have lost something valuable within the algorithms. We’re not seeing what we’ve chosen to see. We’re seeing what social media wants us to see, and it’s not always beneficial.

Now, A.I. is ta...

Why We Need Revelation (Revelation 1:1-8)

Big Idea: We need to learn what’s really happening in the world so we can live with God’s blessing.

We’re beginning a journey today that is going to take us all the way into next year. We’re starting one of the most interesting and challenging books of the Bible. We are embarking on our journey through the book of Revelation.

Revelation is going to seem unfamiliar. Someone’s said it’s like entering a foreign country. It’s full of symbols that are hard to understand. It’s a sensory book. Someone’s ...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

They Knocked Down a Church in My Neighborhood

Why do I mourn the loss of this one church building? Two reasons.

Satan’s Schemes are No Match for God’s Providence

While Satan thought he had pulled off a huge victory in preventing Paul from returning to Thessalonica, he was instead defeated by the providential turns in Paul’s life and ministry.

Go Into All The World And Make Friends

Friendship is one of the primary goals and richest rewards of missions.

Why Paul Is...

Breaking the Anger Chain

I felt furious.

We shared a car. Every night, my wife would call me to tell her to come pick her up at work. I would drive 15 minutes to her office and wait. Again. As the minutes ticked on the clock, I’d feel my blood pressure rise.

I didn't get why I had to stop my day and drive for 15 minutes when she just needed to take an elevator and press a button. I shared my feelings honestly with Charlene, but that didn’t help. She didn’t have much to say.

The Anger Chain

Back then, I really felt like the ...