Darryl Dash's Blog, page 61
May 4, 2021
The Chicken and Egg of Church Planting
Truth often exists in tension. One example is which comes first in church planting: evangelism or the church. The answer is both.
Here’s why.
Evangelism Precedes Church PlantingJ.D. Payne writes: “Biblical church planting is evangelism that results in new churches. There are many ways to plant churches; however, the model in the Scriptures is one that begins with evangelism and ends with those new churches following the Lord in obedience.”
In other words, don’t start with a chur...
May 1, 2021
Saturday Links
Podcast: In the latest Gospel for Life podcast, I talked to Jared C. Wilson about Discipleship and Gospel-Driven Ministry.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Christianity Can Be the Safest Space for Truth-Seeking Intellectuals
Christianity has an opportunity to again become the most fertile intellectual ground — as it was for most of the last 2,000 years (until fairly recently).
Please my brothers and sisters. Join me in:
giving more care to your ...
April 27, 2021
Cross-training for Pastors (and Everyone Else)
If you’ve played sports, you’re probably familiar with the idea of cross -training. It’s training in sports other than your main one. Your preferred sport develops only some muscle groups. To counteract that imbalance, it’s best to engage in other activities that eliminate that imbalance.
Cross-training is important for pastors too.
In his book The Art of Pastoring — a great book to read if you’re a pastor — David Hansen observes how much he benefited from reading certain kinds of theo...
April 24, 2021
Saturday Links
Workshop: I took some training with Stu McLaren a few years back, and it was excellent. If you’ve ever thought of developing a membership site, you may be interested in some training he’s offering. (affiliate link)
Curated links for your weekend reading:
The 10,000 Hour Rule in the Christian Life
...Whether or not you think the 10,000 Hour Rule is true or false, there’s no question that committing to hard work, engaging in deliberate practice, and getting a head start makes a difference.
April 20, 2021
Beware the Deadly Weed of Cynicism
When I was in my thirties, I became cynical.
I think it began with reading some books that were critical of church. I’m not sure. Soon I became a critic of the church while leading a church. I called it subversive back then; I think I’d call it disingenous now.
I became what Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned us against:
The man who fashions a visionary ideal of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, s...
April 17, 2021
Saturday Links
Podcast: I enjoyed talking to J.T. English about his new book Deep Discipleship on the Gospel for Life podcast.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
If you feel tired and disoriented today, please know you’re not alone. Before this weariness passes, I recommend you lean into the moment and take stock of your life and ministry in two ways.
4 Predictions for the Post-Pandemic Church
I offer four predictions of what American church will look like in a p...
April 13, 2021
Ignore the Noise and Shepherd the Flock Among You
I need this reminder as much as anyone.
I’m finding it easy to get distracted with the news and controversy. Never before in history have we had so much information available to us, and most of it is unhelpful. A lot of it is downright dangerous.
Last weekend, I came across another controversy and felt myself getting sucked in. I needed the reminder of 1 Peter 5:2: “Shepherd the flock of God that is among you.”
I’m a shepherd of a particular flock. God has given me, along with other...
April 10, 2021
Saturday Links
Contest: Enter to win four great books on discipleship from Gospel for Life.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
I shall use technology to love God and love others. My guiding questions, every time I reach for my phone, will be: What for? Why now? What else?
Why We Should Not Entirely Emulate Our Favorite Preachers
We should have our preaching heroes and learn from them, but we should not entirely emulate their methods. Here are a few reasons why.
April 6, 2021
Noticeably Better Preaching
Preaching is a demanding task. We know what’s at stake when we preach. We know how important it is that we immerse ourselves in this task, and demonstrate progress in how we preach and live (1 Timothy 4:15).
I’ve often felt like I need to improve my preaching skills. I’ve read countless books and studied under some great preachers. And one of the best resources I’ve found is an online course called Noticeably Better Preaching by Rick Reed.
Dr. Reed is President of Heritage College and ...
April 3, 2021
Saturday Links
Podcast: I enjoyed talking to Jen Pollock Michel about her book A Habit Called Faith on the Gospel for Life Podcast.
Curated links for your weekend reading:
“Part of my responsibility is to send younger pastors into the land that I cannot go—the future.”
The Great Leadership Challenge of 2021
It certainly is my job — and that of many people reading this — to shepherd the people of God with courage, to guard against timidity, to stand firm in the perfe...
