Darryl Dash's Blog, page 54
November 16, 2021
Reasons to Pray for — and Possibly Come to — Toronto
I can think of a few reasons not to move to Toronto to pastor or serve.
It’s expensive. It’s the second most expensive city in Canada. It’s still fairly low on the list compared to other cities, but most people who live here would tell you it’s costly, which makes it hard for churches to find pastors.
It’s secular. Jared Wilson recently tweeted:
One thing I’ve learned in traveling to preach the last 12 years is that every city in America is the least churched, most diverse, fastest...
November 13, 2021
Saturday Links
Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Collin Hansen about his book Rediscover Church on Gospel for Life podcast.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Give Them God: What the Church Really Has to Offer
Let’s consider three aspects of ministry — preaching, music, and fellowship — and why God must be the centerpiece of all three, and how fake substitutes are inadequate solutions that only shortchange guests and members.
The Joy of Living in a World Gone Wrong
The point of life is not to f...
November 9, 2021
A Diet of Wisdom
I dipped my toe in the cesspool of negativity last week.
I didn’t mean to. I made the mistake of checking social media responses to something I’d written. A little later, I started listening to a podcast about fitness and health. The format of the podcast is to take a popular book and writer and tear them down. The hosts are witty, caustic, and, it turns out, they also have some beefs with Christianity too.
In both cases, I felt something in me come alive. I get the attraction of engag...
November 6, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
I Was Discipled by … the Church
God never gave me a spiritual father who would play Paul to my Timothy, but I’m not sure that’s very common anyway.
Instead he gave me his very body. I was discipled by the church.
Like the Railways, Some Churches Will Need Subsidising in Perpetuity
We need gospel-hearted subsidy if we are going to see the church flourish in certain communities.
Mesmerized by The Phone, Missed My Daughter
Last week, I was me...
November 2, 2021
Play the Long Game
I’ve tried to figure out the logic of Paul’s concluding sentence in 1 Corinthians 15 for years.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)
It’s a fine and encouraging ending to the chapter, but I struggled to see exactly how Paul got there. I understood it, but I felt like I was missing something in the development of Paul’s thought.
But I think I get i...
October 30, 2021
Saturday Links
Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Kevin Halloran about his book When Prayer is a Struggle on Gospel for Life podcast.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Growing in Godliness One Step at Time
Although God can transform someone drastically and quickly, his normal course is slow and steady.
The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way
I have read sentences I can’t escape — and I don’t want to escape them. They have helped me in deep and lasting ways.
The Pastoral Virtue of Playfulness
A ...
October 26, 2021
The Cosmic Significance of a Local Church
It’s a small comment, and a puzzling one in an already challenging passage. “That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels,” Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:10.
Where does one even begin with a verse like this?
In the larger context, Paul addresses how Christians should surrender their rights for the good of the church. This particular section deals with a mix of issues: gender identity, class distinctions, whether or not a church gathering i...
October 23, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Cultivating a Gracious Climate in Your Church
What are some ways to cultivate a climate of grace in your church?
If an individual Christian does not show love toward other true Christians, the world has a right to judge that he or she is not a Christian.
You May Not Be as Far from Other Christians as You Think
It’s easy to assume the signals indicate a person is either on this side or that side, when, in reality, th...
October 19, 2021
How to Take Smart Notes
We’re blessed. We have so much information at our fingertips that it’s staggering.
A few years ago, I decided to purchase The Spurgeon Collection on Logos. It’s 86 volumes containing over 3,500 sermons, his biography, and other writings. Within minutes I had the bulk of his lifetime’s work sitting on my computer. That’s not to mention the other 5,700 resources I own on Logos, the 4,800 books I own on Kindle, or the thousands of paper books I own.
Our challenge isn’t accessing good info...
October 16, 2021
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Micheal Bird about his book Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible on Gospel for Life podcast.
“Don’t Think Big. Think Little”. I wish Christians would adopt this mindset.
Dear Pastor … Your Shepherd Doesn’t Care How Big Your Church Is
Christ isn’t calling us to grow his church. He will do that. He is calling us to be faithful.
How the Neighborhood Church Could Make a Comeback
I b...
