Darryl Dash's Blog, page 28
November 25, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
That Bible Verse You Don’t Like and What to Do About It
When I come across a Bible verse I might not immediately like, here are three reminders I give myself to keep things in proper perspective.
Why the Church of England’s Same-Sex Marriage Vote Breaks My Heart
The Church of England’s vote to bless same-sex relationships will ultimately harm those it means to help: people like me who experience same-sex attraction.
November 21, 2023
Know Your Work
It’s a relief to know that God has given us certain work. I’m responsible to get that work done, but I can then ignore a lot of things that aren’t my work.
I’m responsible to know and love God. It’s my daily work and joy to cultivate my love for God and to know him and serve him better. He’s given me resources that I want to use for his glory.I’m responsible to my family. I’ve promised to love my wife, and God has given me children (and now a grandson) to love and serve.I’m part of a church. We h...November 19, 2023
Don’t Miss Out (Hebrews 3:1-4:13)
Big Idea: Israel only got a sample of what we get to enjoy, so don’t miss out on Jesus and all that he's given us.
I feel like I know you well enough to share a fairy advanced Bible reading technique for the Hebrew Scriptures. It goes by the acronym HCTBSS. Sound complicated? Here’s what it means: How could they be so stupid?
Here’s how it works. We read a story in the Old Testament. For instance, we read in Numbers 13 about the time that Israel approached the land that God had promised them from ...
November 18, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
4 Things to Remember When Talking About Your Church
It never fails that when I’m at an event for pastors, during side conversations or breakout sessions, brothers start talking about sheep biting or wandering. Sometimes, the conversation remains innocent. But many times, it turns into sarcastic grumbling. These things ought not be so.
How to Use Prayer Meetings to Promote Catholicity
Pastor, what kind of culture are you working to create for how your church re...
November 14, 2023
The Influential Mentor: Learning from Howard Hendricks
Hang around me long enough and you’ll probably hear me talk about Haddon Robinson.
Haddon Robinson was author of Biblical Preaching, one of the best books on how to prepare a sermon. He taught hundreds how to preach. He served as seminary president and professor.
But what struck me most about Haddon was his character. He was brilliant at his craft, but he was even more impressive because he was a godly and humble man.
The same could be said for another man I never had the privilege of meeting: Howa...
November 12, 2023
Why Jesus Came and Suffered (Hebrews 2:5-18)
Big Idea: Jesus became one of us to do what we couldn’t do for ourselves.
Ten years ago, I had to store my library. If you know me, you know what a big deal that was. So my library went into boxes, and for ten years my books were stored in a basement where I couldn’t access them.
Two years ago, I found room to unpack my library. And so I pulled them out of storage and began to sort which ones I wanted to keep and which ones I wanted to shelve. I knew it was a big job. I figured it would take a day...
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...
