Darryl Dash's Blog, page 17

Trusting God in Crisis (Psalm 31)

Big Idea: In crisis, turn to God, remind yourself what’s true, and then you’ll be able to help others take courage in God.

Someone I know and respect went through one of the hardest crises of his life.

He had reached the peak of his professional career. He’d had a solid track record of accomplishments. But out of nowhere, a powerful group of people turned against him and forced him out of his job.

“It just about took me out,” he said.

And so, for a year, their agenda was simple: “to try not to die, ...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Is Temptation Sin? Not According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones

He considers it a Satanic deception to confuse temptation with sin, and this undermines the assurance of Christians that they are truly the children of God.

What Does the Bible Teach About Divorce and Remarriage?

What are the common evangelical views on divorce and remarriage, and how do we evaluate them biblically?

Does Your Baptism Matter?

When is the last time you thought about your baptism?

Does Christian...

How Marriage Shows the Beauty and Poetry of the Gospel

“It was the breakdown of marriage that broke everything,” writes Ray Ortlund.

God created gender. He created man and woman, and he instituted marriage. All of this was a gift meant for his glory and for our joy.

But things went horribly wrong in the garden. Yes, they sinned, but part of that sin was the breakdown in how marriage is supposed to function. Kent Hughes says, “Everything was upside-down. Eve followed the snake, Adam followed Eve, and no one followed God.”

Both sinned. Their sins are sim...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Heaven Remembered: Learning to Long for Home

You can learn to think well about heaven by enjoying all the good things in this life now, lifting them as high as your imagination can go, and saying, this, but better.

The Happiest Person Alive

We live in a time when a reacquaintance with God’s blessedness could prove extremely useful for pastors and their flocks.

What Does Psalm 37:4 Mean?

Do you want God? You will have God. Do you delight in God? You will enjoy Go...

Don’t Mess This Up

I’d flown to California. I was about to speak to a group of pastors and ministry leaders. As I made my way to the front to speak, the organizer whispered something into my ear: “Don’t mess up.”

I remember that as spectacularly unhelpful advice. If anything, it threw me off as I began to speak. I could have used some encouragement or a promise to pray for me as I speak. I wasn’t expecting what he said.

It’s not a great thing to say to someone as they get up to speak, but in many other ways, it’s no...

Gender in Everyday Life (Ephesians 5:25-33; 1 Timothy 2:11-15)

Big Idea: Embrace your gender in every area of your life.

I can’t say that many blog posts have changed my life, but one did. It’s a short one written way back in 2011. It’s just 124 words long, but it’s helped me a lot. Here it is:

Run to the tension. I've been teaching our leaders and our whole church to "run to the tension" as they lead and navigate relationships in our church and in our city. When conflict, tension, and difficulty show up, run to it. Face it. Deal with it. Lead through it now,...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Train Your Body in Light of Eternity

We often approach fitness and health from two extremes: apathy or obsession with our bodies. But the gospel of Christ frees us from either extreme and helps us focus our eyes on eternity instead of our waistlines.

No Problem Is Too Small for Prayer

Ask God for his help. Give him your burden. Surrender your problem. He wants you to ask.

Is Gentle Parenting Biblical?

Underneath this style of parenting are unbiblical foundationa...

On Making Friends Before You Need Them

I had a meeting yesterday. We had no agenda other than friendship. We have lots of reasons to meet. Our ministries are connected, but that’s not why we met. The primary reason we met is because he’s a friend.

We made the appointment a while ago and then it got moved. As often happens, the timing couldn’t have been better. I needed a friend today. He listened and encouraged me. He gave me needed perspective. He’s going to pray for me. It was time well spent.

Laura Vanderkam is right: people are a g...

Dignity and Differences (1 Corinthians 11:2-16)

Big Idea: Hold on to dignity, but don’t lose the differences between men and women.

There are passages that you love to preach. And then there are passages that are easy to preach. If you didn’t guess already, this is a passage that is difficult to preach. It’s written to a different culture at a very different time, and it’s difficult for us to read. There are so many exegetical issues to untangle. And yet I believe it has an important message for us today.

The Situation

Here’s the problem that th...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

The Power and Danger of Habit

Make human nature work for you, but be on guard, because it always wants to stab you in the back.

The Uselessness of Prayer

Prayer is useless, gloriously so, because prayer cannot be useful. Prayer is not an instrument, but an end.

What You Read Builds Who You Are

Sit at the feet of the wise, not fools.

Seven Reasons You Shouldn’t Ignore Beauty

Here are seven reasons why beauty matters.

My Body Is Not My Own

Oh, the paradox of this huma...