Darryl Dash's Blog, page 18

Share in Suffering (2 Timothy 2:1-10)

Big Idea: Share in suffering for the sake of the gospel.

As you may know, we don’t have a fancy car. Our car has two rare features: a CD player and a manual transmission. But otherwise, our car has no cool features.

I occasionally rent cars. And here’s what I’ve found: some of the new cars are pretty cool. One of the things that I notice is all the driving modes that these new cars have:

Eco ModeSport ModeComfort ModeIndividual ModeAll-Terrain or Off-Road ModeSnow or Winter ModeAdaptive or Smart Mo...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Beware the Anesthetized Life

Is it possible that in all our therapeutic attempts to anesthetize ourselves from feeling pain, we’ve also numbed ourselves to the experience of joy?

Will You Love Jesus in Five Years?

Our hearts and desires are not givens but pliable and plastic. We are ever shifting and re-forming in tiny increments that snowball over time.

In Defense of a Rule of Life

In a recent article, Phoenix pastor Erik Coonce critiqued the idea of a rule of ...

In Defense of a Rule of Life

I had just finished speaking about the habits that every Christian needs to develop to grow. Every believer needs to be in God’s word. Every believer needs to pray. Every believer needs to be part of a local church. Every growing Christian practices these habits. Usually, when a believer stalls, I find that they’ve let go of one or more of these habits.

But it’s not enough to know what habits to practice. We have to go farther and decide how to practice these habits.

The conference leader assemble...

Where Does Your Help Come From? (Psalm 121)

Big Idea: Jesus is the helper of his people now and for eternity.

We’ve been looking at psalms of courage this summer, and we’re finally at the end. We’re also at one of my favorite psalms of all.

The question is: where will you turn for help when life gets hard?

This is a question that’s highly relevant to some of you, because you need help, and you need it yesterday. You have bills you can’t pay, problems you can’t solve, relationships that need help. There’s a group of us here that are at the en...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

A Short FAQ on Sex and Gender

In this first FAQ, we answer three important questions: what does it mean to be a person? Should we distinguish between gender and biological sex? And lastly, how can we help a person whose biological sex is ambiguous?

What to Cover in a New Members’ Class

What needs to be taught and shared in this class? A lot could be said, but I believe the following must be said.

Who Is Supposed to “Be Still and Know That I Am God”?

Who is God t...

I Want an Old, Tattered Bible

One of our church’s members has an old, tattered Bible. I asked her once if she had considered sending it away to be rebound. She looked at me, shocked. She could never bear to be away from her Bible for that long, she said.

I got thinking about her Bible. There was a day that I had an old, tattered Bible too. That’s changed now, but I want to go back.

From One Bible to Many and Back Again

The biggest reason I gave up my old, tattered Bible is that I changed versions, not just once but a few times....

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

I Used To Dream Big Dreams

Now, if I dream at all, it’s not of plaudits and trophies and not of awards and accolades. Rather, it’s of being faithful and finishing well.

The Weary Missionary: Four Ways We Endure Discouragement

Especially in a cross-cultural setting, where trials take on new dimensions and missionaries can easily question God’s call, we need to learn the discipline of joyful endurance.

The Loss of Intellectual Curiosity — and Why It’s Dividing th...

One Old, Good Book

We don’t make enough money to go to fancy restaurants often. Once in a while, though, we manage to either get a good deal or we get invited to a restaurant that’s out of our price range.

When the food comes out, I often look at what’s served and have two thoughts. First: amazing presentation! Second: that’s it for what I just spent? I often feel like I’ll have to stop at McDonalds on the way home to get a bit more food.

But then I begin to eat the meal and realize that it’s on a whole other level ...

When People Oppose You (Psalm 56)

Big Idea: When people oppose you, remember that God is greater and cares for you, and then give thanks to him.

Psalm 56:4 asks an interesting question: “What can flesh do to me?”

The answer is, actually, a lot. Take this psalm, for instance. It was written by David, and people were doing a lot to make his life miserable. Verses 5 and 6 say:

All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life....

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

From Prospect to Retiree: Supporting Every Pastor on His Journey

The five categories are Prospects, Players, Injured Players, Suspended Players, and Retired Players. Each category has specific conditions and needs that require proactive, preventative, and personal care.

If You Confess

We might describe healthy confession in four parts.

Sanctification Explained Simply

Sanctification isn’t a stairway upwards to higher and higher rungs of holiness. No, sanctificati...