Darryl Dash's Blog, page 67
October 6, 2020
Hoping for Happiness
When I was a kid, my role models were serious. They smiled occasionally, but when they talked about God they stopped smiling. God is serious. To become holy, I guessed, meant that one stopped caring about happiness.
I was confused. The Bible talked a lot about joy and gladness, and so did the songs we sang. But I didn’t see a lot of that as I looked around me.
I made sense of things by focusing on the verses that talked about denying ourselves, although I still wondered about all the o...
October 3, 2020
Saturday Links
Curated links for your weekend reading:
Stop Eulogizing The Local Church
Stop eulogizing the church. Jesus has already overcome death, hell, and the grave, and he has no intention of allowing death to come calling for his bride.
Don’t give up pastor. You have permission to be the pastor you always wanted to be.
There are some things a pastor can do that can contribute to more happiness in the ministry. Here are a few.
September 29, 2020
The Next Big Thing
A guest post by Ashley Hibbard
30 years ago, Church Leadership was going to fix our problems and get us moving in the right direction so all the people would come to Jesus.
20 years ago, seeker churches were going to make church fun and cool and all the people would come to Jesus.
10 years ago, the anti-church “just get together and hang out” folks were going to round up all the people who thought church was boring and bring them to Jesus
And today we’ve got disciple-making movem...
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...
