Darryl Dash's Blog, page 43
December 20, 2022
Top Posts of 2022
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 DashHouseI’m no longer naïve. I’m not surprised when I hear of a Christian leader falling into sin. I have, however, learned three important lesson...
December 18, 2022
Two Things Christmas Gives Us (John 17:18)
Big Idea: The birth of Jesus gives us a radical encounter with God’s love and a profound repurposing of your life.
I’ve been preaching for 33 Christmases now. I’ve preached the gospel stories. I’ve preached the prophecies. I’ve preached Christmas from Hebrews and Revelation before. But I never noticed this Christmas passage until this week. There’s enough in one sentence to change your life.
The verse is very simple: “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18)....
December 17, 2022
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2022
Several of this year’s top theology stories negotiate that difference between citizenship in a nation versus responsibility to the world.
What Keepers Can Teach Us About the Hypostatic Union
Goalkeepers have a lot to teach us concerning the hypostatic union, the person/nature distinction evident in Jesus, and the kenosis of the Son of God.
Most Churches Plan to Open on Christmas and New Year’s Day
More than 5 in 6 U.S. Protesta...
December 13, 2022
Reading the Bible Better
We hear a lot of advice about how to grow spiritually. But what actions will make the biggest difference?
According to one study, reading the Bible is the number one action you can take to grow. “When it comes to reading the Bible, hands down, this is the input goal that has a direct impact on the total score of all the output goals, or discipleship attributes,” writes Daniel Im in his book No Silver Bullets, reflecting on a study by Lifeway Research. Im continues:
The more an individual did the i...
December 11, 2022
Jesus Changes Everything (Philemon)
Big Idea: Our relationship with Jesus changes our relationships with each other.
I’ve got a problem.
I took one of those personality assessments a few years back. It was very helpful. They divided people into four temperament types. One of the divisions was between abstract and concrete communicators.
Abstract communicators primarily talk about the inner world of ideas, beliefs, and ideals.Concrete communicators talk about the external world around them.Everybody does both, but most people will cho...
December 10, 2022
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Book Awards and Lists
From For the Church, The Gospel Coalition, Aaron Armstrong, Kevin Halloran, David Kaywood, Russell Moore, and Trevin Wax
Two Quotations on Slow Reading
There is power in reading slowly.
Does Sexual Self-Gratification Glorify God?
The best rubric for Christian ethical decisions about sex isn’t merely “Does the Bible forbid it?” but rather “Does the act fulfill the explicit purposes for which God created sex?”
December 6, 2022
Best Books of 2022
Books help make a good year.
Our problem these days isn’t that we can’t find good books to read. It’s the opposite: it’s almost impossible to keep up. You could read only the best books and still feel like you’re falling behind.
Here, in descending order, are the best new books I’ve read that were published this year (with Amazon affiliate links). At the bottom are some books that, from what I’ve read so far, seem like they belong on a list of best books from 2022, but I haven’t read them yet, as ...
December 4, 2022
We Need People (Colossians 4:7-18)
Big Idea: We need people to encourage us, serve with us, and serve.
I know we’re not even past Christmas yet, but in just 98 days, we’ll be watching the Oscars.
You know the drill. They’ll appoint an emcee or two who will try to entertain us. There will be performances and awards, lots of awards. And the awards will be followed by speeches, most of which will go something like this:
I can’t believe I’ve won. Wow. What an honor to be chosen amongst all the other people who were also nominated.
I wan...
December 3, 2022
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
It is not enough simply to accept obscurity, if it happens to be our lot. Rather, there is virtue in positively pursuing obscurity, in seeking anonymity and nonrecognition.
Self-Promotion and the Kingdom of God
The ultimate aim of the universe is not our supremacy but the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
We can learn a lot about the way de-conversions work through stories like Saruman’s.
November 29, 2022
Earth Filled With Heaven
In 2010, I took a three-month sabbatical. We started attending an Anglican Church during my sabbatical, and I discovered how much I treasured liturgy.
Liturgy had always been unfamiliar to me. I heard people criticize it as rote repetition and dead religion. But I had developed a hunger for something more, and I found it in the simple low-Anglican service I attended that summer.
Take the written prayers. I was used to extemporaneous prayer, which, when done well, can be helpful. When I began to ex...
