Darryl Dash's Blog, page 56

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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?

A Pandemic of Disunity

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...

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...

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.

Think Little

“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...

When Pastors Declare Victory Too Soon

I came across an article I submitted to Leadership Journal twenty years ago. Leadership Journal, now defunct, was legendary back then, and not just for the comics (the first thing I’d read). Unlike other periodicals, I kept them. I had a row of them in my library.

I submitted an article called “The Youngest Member.” It was about me, a young pastor then, leading an older church.

They turned me down.

I opened the document again recently out of curiosity, and was pleasantly surprised. ...

Saturday Links

Curated links for your weekend reading:

Yes, Preaching Really Does Change People

The faithful preaching of God’s Word accomplishes much.

Ephesians 2 Wrecked My View of Preaching

When we open the Word of God to the people of God, our longing is that Christ himself would come and make himself known to the hearts of those listening—that he would be preaching, and that he would be what people remember.

Pastor – Preach with Understanding

Pastors should be men who live in the world b...

Has Everyone Gone Crazy?

“Has everyone gone absolutely crazy?” my friend asked.

I understood where he was coming from. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen prominent pastors discredited, polarization within the church, and an increased focus on politics. I’ve watched with alarm at many developments. It’s hard not to get a little disillusioned.

But disillusionment isn’t the answer. The answer’s to refocus on three things: our ultimate hope, faithful dead guys, and unknown servants.

Our Ultimate Hope

I ofte...