Darryl Dash's Blog, page 64
September 26, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Becoming an Old Soul Christian
The world’s newness is vastly overrated. Be an old soul Christian.
If you walk intimately with God, you will experience His love, and it will flow toward those you are leading. It will change you and them.
How can we do something today without being overwhelmed by everything? Here are some suggestions.
Only Jesus can be Jesus....
September 22, 2020
Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Each Other Up
Some books deserve to be forgotten, or to be read for a short time. Others — fewer than you’d think — deserve to be read for decades. One book that deserves continued attention is Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Each Other Up by Larry Crabb and Dan Allender. It was first written in 1984, and I read it as a seminary student around 1990. I can’t think of a more timely book for today.
Understanding Encouragement
The first part of the book helps us understand what encourage...
September 19, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Evangelicals Becoming Catholics
Most, not all, evangelicals shy away from overly ritualistic or liturgical worship, yet in so doing we turn our services into performances and our time of singing into the latest play list of what’s new. We have lost a sense of history and heritage and have replaced the depth and breadth of historic Christianity with the surface effects of pop culture.
These are just four things that might, on the fa...
September 15, 2020
Churches: Consider Running Your Own Conference
For the past four years, a small group of local churches in London, Ontario has run their own conference, inviting speakers like Andreas Köstenberger, Jared C. Wilson, and Andrew Naselli to speak.
Just before the pandemic started, I interviewed Jude St. John, the pastor of West London Alliance Church, and the director for the conference, Nicki Cole, about their vision for running their own conference, and what other churches could learn from their experience.
What motivated you to start Co...
September 12, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Have we reached the Biblical threshold for civil disobedience?
If You’re Fighting the Culture War, You’re Losing
Is a warlike posture the proper response to an increasingly anti-Christian society?
Why Unhealthy People Crave Controversy
Sometimes we must be ready to “speak a word” into a controversy, but often what’s called for is for someone to model the different way of valuing his soul over having something t...
September 8, 2020
Preach the Word
I’ve enjoyed reflecting on Paul’s charge to Timothy, contained in 2 Timothy 4:1-2:
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
So much here to unpack.
The Stakes
Paul goes out of his way to raise the stakes:
It’s a charge, not a suggestion or an idea.It’s before God a...
September 5, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
3 Reorienting Truths for the Discouraged Pastor
Here are a few truths that can renew your perspective and give you hope as you keep your hand to the plow.
Pastor, Your Church Needs You to Take a Vacation
Everyone needs rest. Taking a sabbath is important. Taking a vacation is important.
The love that goes farthest starts with loving what is nearest.
When Looking for a Church, Beware the “Right Fit”
Let’s join and se...
September 1, 2020
Worth the Obsession
I’m always tempted to try to spread myself thin, to try to accomplish more than I should. The result is that I sometimes do a good enough job rather than giving something the care that it deserves.
I was challenged by a principle called “Do less, then obsess,” found in Morten Hansen’s book Great at Work:
Top performers did less and more: less volume of activities, more concentrated effort…
To work smart means to maximize the value of your work by selecting a few activities and applying ...
August 29, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Cool Christianity Is (Still) a Bad Idea
Better than the awkward desperation of “cool Christianity” is the quiet confidence of faithful Christianity.
What Could Be Wrong with ‘Church Planting’?
I’m not surprised that a relatively new missions strategy called the Church Planting Movement (CPM) has captured the imaginations of missions-minded people around the world.
How Hamilton Can Help Us Preach Better Sermons
Is there a way to make what ...
August 25, 2020
A Thought, a Quote, and a Resource
We all get too many emails. I regularly unsubscribe from as many as possible, but it doesn’t seem to stop the number of emails hitting my inbox.
But I look forward to getting a few. In fact, if I don’t spot them, I search for them. A while ago, I started thinking about what makes me look forward to the few email newsletters I enjoy receiving. Here’s what I came up with:
They’re short. They don’t take too much time to read and absorb.They’re informative and get me thinking. Their shortn...
