Darryl Dash's Blog, page 28

October 17, 2023

Faithfully Present

Faithfully Present

I had a sad moment this week.

We had our real estate agent come to our condo to take a look as we begin to think about selling our place. We’ve lived in only a few places since we got married 32 years ago, and by far, this is our favorite. To think of selling this place fills us with some sadness, even though we know it’s time.

Honestly, sometimes I want to be able to inhabit more than one place at a time.

I’m glad I had just read Adam Ramsey’s book Faithfully Present: Embracing the Limits of Where...

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Published on October 17, 2023 02:00

October 14, 2023

Saturday Links

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

How Joni Eareckson Tada Blessed Me (Forty Years Ago)

For all she has done publicly, I suspect her greatest impact may be through personal interactions.

Lust, Idolatry and the Power of a Stronger Desire

Both Moses and Jesus bind commands about true worship, idolatry, and lust together.

A Point-by-point Response to the Film “Cessationist”

Sam Storms responds in part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six (with more to come)

When Being Affirming I...

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Published on October 14, 2023 02:00

October 10, 2023

Forgetting Our Family History

Forgetting Our Family History

“Hobbits have a passion for family history,” we read in The Fellowship of the Ring. That can be a good thing; we’re a lot better off when we remember lessons from the past.

But a passion for family history won’t do much good if we forget it in times of trouble.

When the band of hobbits approached a rock-chamber, they found old bones, empty jars, and broken pots, all signs of a troll-hole. At first, they wondered if the cave had been abandoned, but they soon discovered the presence of three large t...

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Published on October 10, 2023 02:00

September 30, 2023

Saturday Links

Saturday Links

I’ll be taking a week off. God willing, I’ll post again on Tuesday, October 10.

Curated links for your weekend reading:

TGC Announces The Carson Center for Theological Renewal

Today the Center launches with thousands of Bible and theology resources available and ready to search. But with translation projects underway and new resources under development, we’re just getting started.

The 28 Most Important Bible Events — and Why They Matter

Understanding the most important Bible stories will help you get...
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Published on September 30, 2023 02:00

September 26, 2023

A Pastor’s Last Message to the Church

A Pastor’s Last Message to the Church

Last Sunday, Liberty Grace Church celebrated its tenth anniversary. I also concluded my ministry as founding pastor. Last week, in my weekly email, I sent a final message to the church.

In January of 2022, I received a copy of a friend’s last email to the church he pastored. That pastor — Pete Blundell — had some great things to say to his church as he finished his ministry there. I liked his email so much that I sent it out to Liberty Grace Church at that time.

I never could have guessed that, tw...

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Published on September 26, 2023 02:00

September 23, 2023

Saturday Links

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Attack at Dawn: The Spiritual War Against Ordinary Devotions

Ordinary devotions are nothing less than war.

Wander Away to Her

In a blur of married and modern life, are we still awake to our beloved? Will we never pause to really see her who is beside us on this grand adventure?

The Secret to Loving Your Wife Better: Love Jesus Better

After two decades of marriage, I have noticed a pattern: when I am closer to Jesus, I am usually closer to my wife.

You Probably Ha...

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Published on September 23, 2023 02:00

September 19, 2023

Marriage is a Steel Trap

Marriage is a Steel Trap

The date was 1990. I was a newly engaged seminary student. Just a few weeks earlier, I’d proposed to Char, and she’d accepted. We were planning our wedding which was going to take place just a few months later.

I sat in the seminary classroom near the back. The subject: marriage counselling. The professor: a Christian counsellor. Notebook open, pen in hand, I couldn’t wait to learn about the journey I was about to begin.

I wasn’t prepared for what he said.

“Marriage is a steel trap,” he said.

I look...

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Published on September 19, 2023 02:00

September 17, 2023

Good News, Satisfying News, and Unfinished Business (Ezra and Nehemiah)

Good News, Satisfying News, and Unfinished Business (Ezra and Nehemiah)

Big Idea: God is committed to his people, and It’s satisfying when God’s people respond. But God’s people continue to fail, but hope is coming.

We’re at an inflection point today, both in our journey through the Bible and in the story of the church.

This year, we’ve been journeying through the story of the Hebrew Scriptures, and what a year it’s been.

We’ve seen a lot.

We’ve seen how this world began, and how it went wrong:

how God created of this world as good and beautifulhow we ruined the world th...
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Published on September 17, 2023 15:00

September 16, 2023

Saturday Links

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Death and Dying: A Catechism for Christians

With the advent of MAID or euthanasia becoming legal in Canada, Christians need to re-examine how they think about death and dying. To that end, we hope that this catechism will help you and your church more clearly understand what the Bible says about death and dying—especially as the eligibility criteria for MAID continues to expand.

Man Shall Not Live by Online Bread Alone

We must never think an online worship ser...
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Published on September 16, 2023 02:00

September 12, 2023

The Best Part About Speaking at Dozens of Churches

The Best Part About Speaking at Dozens of Churches

In 2012, I began the process of starting a new church in Toronto. In the early years, I spoke almost every weekend at churches to raise financial and prayer support. It paid off: many churches and individuals supported us. Later on, years later, I met people who told me, “I pray for you and your church every day.”

Over the years, I’ve had the honor of returning to those churches and giving them updates.

To my surprise, I began speaking at churches for another reason. Liberty Grace Church started m...

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Published on September 12, 2023 02:00