Darryl Dash's Blog, page 32
August 6, 2023
God Fights (Joel)
Big Idea: God fights for his people, but he will fight against those who reject him.
Have I told you what I really appreciate about people? I like people who care enough to fight.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like fighting. I hate it. I avoid argumentative people who love to start squabbles. I don’t have time for that. There’s a line from the movie 1917: “Some men just like the fight.” Avoid people like this. In fact, the Bible tells us to guard the church against people like this. “As for a person...
August 5, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Pastors aren’t managers, they aren’t CEOs, they are gardeners, they are shepherds.
Advice from a Retiring Minister
Some words of advice for young (and old) pastors from John Samuel after 37 years of church ministry.
You Don’t Know When Your Last Sermon Will Be
Every pastor will preach his last sermon — but unlike Jesus, most of them won’t know it. Here are a few examples from history.
What I’ve Learned
From Anglicans, Baptists, and Presbyter...
August 1, 2023
Personal Update
I have some personal news to share.
Concluding a MinistryOn Sunday, July 16, I announced that I’ll be concluding my ministry at Liberty Grace Church on our tenth anniversary Sunday at the end of September.
I still can’t believe this news. We knew this day was coming, but it’s still hard for me to grasp. From the beginning when we helped start the church, we knew that, with God’s help, I would one day find a successor to take over my role. We’ve had the privilege of seeing God work over the past te...
July 30, 2023
What Will New Creation Be Like? (Isaiah 65:17-25)
Big Idea: The new creation will be a place of joy and restoration, and we’re made to look forward to that day.
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 what you’...
July 23, 2023
Responding to Anxiety (Psalm 3)
Big Idea: Look to him, cry out to him, give him your problems, and then go to sleep.
When’s the last time you stayed up at night worrying about something?
I don’t have to think too hard to answer that question. A couple of weeks ago, we had a tense situation unfold with someone. It was awful. It involved an angry person, lots of stress, and some difficult decisions about how to respond. I went to sleep mostly okay, but then woke up less than three hours later and was up the rest of the night. I wa...
July 22, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
What to Do When You Don’t Enjoy Church
If you’ve ever wondered why sometimes church feels more like a burden than a blessing, here are five possible reasons why (and what you can do about them).
13 Principles for Teaching the Bible
Below are 13 principles for teaching the Bible every pastor and teacher sh...
July 18, 2023
Understanding and Trusting Our Great God
Sometimes a short question can lead to a profoundly life-changing answer.
Take the question, “What is God?” I can’t think of a more important question to ask.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism gives a succinct but rich answer: “God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” It’s one of those answers that almost anyone can understand, but we’ll spend eternity learning the truths contained in this short, simple sentence.
In ...
July 16, 2023
One Person Can Make a Difference
Big Idea: One person can make a difference by leading others to worship, trusting God in times of trouble, and repenting quickly when they sin.
Are you ready for some good news? It’s summer. I’m ready for some good news.
When things are bad, we have even more potential to do good. When things are bad, one person has the potential to bring change. One person can change the spiritual temperature of things. One person can make a difference.
As we work through the Bible this year, we’re in one of the l...
July 15, 2023
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
If we left the results to God, we would find that evangelism itself is simple.
How We May Have “The Apologist’s Creed” Wrong
Our resilience in the face of trials becomes the most powerful opportunity for outreach we have.
Hospitality Is an Everyday Endeavor
What if all of our interactions with people left them with a better sense of who Jesus really is?
When You Don’t Like Your Wife, Love Your Wife
Whether you feel loved or unloved, whet...
July 13, 2023
A Thought, a Quote, and a Resource
I love Threads, the new social media platform by Meta. I love it for two reasons. One: some cool people are on there that aren’t on Twitter. Two: I’ve stopped trying to keep up.
For a while, I created a list within Twitter and read pretty much every tweet in that list. No more. Threads has pushed me over the edge. I’m no longer trying to keep up, and it’s freeing.
Daniel Vassallo argues that we should use social media as serendipity machines. I’m starting to do that, and I like it better ...
