Darryl Dash's Blog, page 27
November 11, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Church Planting: One Step at a Time
A new 9Marks Journal
Underrated People Every Church Needs
6 unsung heroes to thank God for
Jesus Is Better Than Working for Jesus
The heart of Christian ministry is the person and work of Christ, not the person and work of the minister.
We Aren’t Called to Listen to Everybody
There are only about four groups of people whose opinion I think matter (other than Jesus himself, of course).
Give yourself som...
November 7, 2023
Better Application
Application may be one of the hardest parts of preaching, even though it looks like the easiest. It’s easy to confuse applications that are certain for applications that are probable or even applications that are possible. Some things are commanded; many things aren’t, and the preacher had better not confuse the two.
It’s also easy to preach imperatives that aren’t based on indicatives. Obedience flows from grace; what we do comes from what Christ has done for us. It’s sometimes easy to issue com...
November 5, 2023
Why We Should Listen to Jesus (Hebrews 1:4-2:4)
Big Idea: Jesus is better than angels, so if you’d pay attention to the message of angels, you’d better pay attention to the message of Jesus.
I have a beef with people who say the Old Testament is boring.
Every time I start to read the Old Testament, I’m captured by the story all over again. In the first pages, you’ve got beauty, love, tragedy, judgement, murder, more judgment, a brand new start, grace, and God’s plan to rescue the world. And that’s just the first few pages! The first twelve chap...
November 4, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
75 Theses on Pastoral Ministry
After 10 years of pastoral ministry in the same church and years of serving church planters and pastors, I’ve compiled a list of things, or theses, I’ve learned—or wish I had learned sooner.
Leadership in the Church: Managers, Midian, and Moses
God isn’t waiting on the next Peter Drucker; he already has faithful elders.
Yes, plant churches. But do so after counting the cost. And then joyfully plunge forwar...
October 31, 2023
The Lies That Bind
Satan has one main strategy: deception. We tend to think that he works through bizarre manifestations, but he primarily works as a deceiver, and he’s very effective. Jesus said, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44).
We’re not always good at recognizing Satan’s lies, which causes great damage.
Canadian pastor Chris Quiring has w...
October 29, 2023
Who is Jesus? (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Big Idea: Because Jesus is incomparable, looking at him — really looking at him — can change your life forever.
Think of the greatest people who ever lived:
Isaac NewtonLeonardo da VinciWilliam ShakespeareAlbert EinsteinGutenbergWinston ChurchillMosesDavidWe could go on and on. Human history is full of great figures who have changed the course of history. Even though they’re gone, their names live on. Their contributions to the world continue to shape us today.
“Who are these people, even the great...
October 28, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Curating resources is a crucial way to shepherd souls and maximize your influence.
Common Fallacies in an Age of Outrage
In addition to developing biblical literacy, we can ask ourselves if we’re falling for fallacies. Here are seven that are common in our public discourse.
Outdo One Another: The Dynamics of a Distinctly Christian Marriage
What might mutual submission look like in a Christian marriage? In a nutshell, it is a marriage charac...
October 24, 2023
The Danger of Drifting and Neglect
Hedonic adaptation — our tendency to return to the same level of happiness regardless of what happens to us — is a gift. It allows us to endure hard things and still find peace despite the hardships of life.
But it’s also a challenge. Sometimes we take things for granted that should continue to amaze us. Hedonic adaptation is one of the reasons we read passages of Scripture and shrug, why we sing some of the amazing songs of the faith (“Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die fo...
October 22, 2023
The Antidote to Abandoning Your Faith (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Big Idea: The antidote to abandoning our faith is riveting our attention on Jesus, because there’s no-one like him.
Have you ever been tempted to walk away from Jesus and from the church?
Maybe you’ve experienced church hurt. In 2004, Ray Ortlund Sr. became the pastor of a 2,500 member church. “A group of people in the church made it their purpose that I would not be their pastor any longer, and they succeeded in their purpose,” Ray said. “It just about took me out.”
Ray and that church split ways ...
October 21, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
A Healthy Church Is a Messy Church
No church is perfect, and every church, if it’s growing and the Spirit is working, is messy.
While churches are independent and autonomous, they also are interdependent for the sake of those who don’t know the Lord. This is primarily accomplished through starting and strengthening churches.
The 5-Foot Bookshelf: 57 Great Books Every Christian Should Own
Recommended Christian books for those with lim...
