Darryl Dash's Blog, page 28

The Unwavering Pastor

I really like Jonathan Dodson’s book The Unwavering Pastor.

I like it because Dodson is honest. When I first read one of Dodson's books, it felt like he understood my experience as a pastor better than I did. Dodson knows a pastor’s heart, a pastor’s anguish, and a pastor’s temptations. He shares his joys and struggles, and it makes me feel less alone. It may do the same for you.

I like this book because it’s biblical. Dodson doesn’t just write from his experience; he brings the wisdom of Scriptur...

Don’t Stop Believing (Hebrews 5:11-6:12)

Big Idea: Spiritual sluggishness destroys faith, so keep growing to the end.

It doesn’t take much work to come up with examples of people who have fallen away from following Jesus. In fact, it’s become a bit of a thing.

Go on social media and use the hashtag #deconstructing, and you will come up with hundreds of posts. You can find books on how to deconstruct. Someone even tried to offer a course on how to deconstruct. And it’s a sensitive issue too. I read a post by a Facebook friend that lashes ...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

To the New and Nervous Scripture Reader

I heard you set a goal for the new year to read Scripture more faithfully. That’s great! But I was also told that now you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. You want to be in the Word, but you’re just not quite sure how that’s going to work. I get it; and if I could, I’d like to offer you a couple of pieces of advice.

My Bible Reading Feels Flat — What Can I Do?

What if I read my Bible, but I don’t feel anything in my affecti...

An Update on My Seven-Year Bible Reading Project

In case you’re interested, I thought I’d give you an update on my seven-year Bible reading project.

About the Project

I started this plan in 2021. My plan was inspired by Nate Pickowicz and his book How to Eat Your Bible:

Instead of plowing through a few verses and then speeding off to work, slow it down. Instead of laboring through the whole Bible in a year, go a little deeper. Instead of reading your Bible simply to check it off the chore list, change your mental approach—change your philosophy. ...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

5 Tips for Creating Healthy Bible-Reading Habits

Here are five simple steps to great Bible reading:

Reading Scripture Is a Walk in the Park: Bible Reading Plans for 2024

Here are some reading plans The Gospel Coalition’s staff have found helpful.

How Church Leaders Can Be a Nonanxious Presence

Just as anxiety can cascade through a system, so too can peace and stability.

Should Pastors Encourage Secular Therapy? A Guide for Christian Ministry

My goal in this articl...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

32 Random Thoughts About the Local Church

Hence, today I’ve got a long list of brief, random (and unsolicited) observations and pieces of advice related to the local church. I hope there is something here that benefits you.

“Baptism Now Saves You”

When such a person stands in the waters of baptism, we should also be willing to proclaim, “baptism now saves you,” even if we reluctantly have to follow it with a “but not like that.”

When A Pastor Falls

A pastor who ...

Top Blog Posts of 2023

Here, in order of traffic from highest to lowest, are a couple of lists of the top posts I’ve written over the past year.

Thank you for reading. I’m grateful.

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Top Posts at DashHouse

Don't Fall Into Ditches When It Comes to Preaching

We can’t afford to make the mistake of devaluing preaching or devaluing ministries other than preaching.

The Life a...

Longing for New Creation (Isaiah 35)

Big Idea: New creation will feature a rejuvenated world, changed humanity, and access to God himself, so take courage!

When I was studying to be a pastor, I was invited to speak to a primary school class at a Christian school. The topic was heaven. I had to stand in front of a bunch of kids and tell them what heaven is like.

It was awful. I knew heaven would be good, but I had no idea how to describe it. The thing about kids is that you can’t fake it in front of kids. They know if you don’t know w...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2023

This is the view of God’s mysterious providence from my little corner of the world.

Why the HR Mindset Can’t Condemn Genocide

An overemphasis on HR-style processes can lead an organization to forget the purpose is to serve people.

Practicing Faith in a Post-Faith World: Five Ways to Respond

How do we live by faith in a culture losing its faith?

The Wholehearted Pastor: Why Men of God Pursue Purity

The high calling God has given u...

Best Books of 2023

I get excited when people release their lists of favorite books from the past year. Here are some I’ve taken in:

The Gospel CoalitionFor the ChurchChristianity TodayTrevin WaxTim ChalliesAaron ArmstrongKevin HalloranRussell Moore

I’m sure they’ll be more.

Lists of books can be useful for finding good reads, but comparing our reading habits to others can be risky. I find this particularly true in my life this year. I wanted to read some demanding books this year, but never quite got to them, and tha...