Darryl Dash's Blog, page 85
September 25, 2018
The Glory of Preaching
Some books provide a comprehensive guide to preaching. Others specialize in one aspect of homiletics. The Glory of Preaching does a little of both, but it aims to do more: to remind us of what’s really happening when we someone stands up to preach. In short, it's a theology of preaching applied.
Whenever a human being, Bible in hand, stands up before a group of other human beings, invites the gathered assembly into a particular text of the Bible and as faithfully as possible tries to say agai...
September 22, 2018
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Why Millennials ARE Coming to Church
There have been plenty of articles about why Millennials – those twenty somethings – are not coming to church.
Well, in our church at the moment plenty of Millennials ARE coming.
Reflecting on the Rewards and Risks of Going on the StartUp Business Podcast, Part 1
‘Fascinating’ and ‘terrifying’ are the words that come to mind when I think about my experience of being recorded for days on end.
September 20, 2018
On Marketing a Book
It’s been a tricky time for me. My book How to Grow came out on August 7. (See how I just promoted my book?) It’s my first time marketing a book, and like many authors I’ve struggled with the process.
A recent tweet by Justin Taylor captures my dilemma.
Tweet by Justin TaylorThe quote-tweet response of gratitude to a compliment is just as bad as retweeting a compliment. pic.twitter.com/rURYk1rbP8
— Justin Taylor (@between2worlds) September 18, 2018
When is marketing okay? And when do we...
September 18, 2018
Gay Girl, Good God
It’s hard to have a discussion about the Christian view of sex these days. Christians have always held to a different set of beliefs and practices around sex compared to culture. In the past, many considered Christians to hold the more moral view. Now the Christian view is seen as intolerant and immoral against gay people and other sexual minorities.
Even within the church, any consensus that may have existed around sex has long disappeared. My Facebook feed informs me of ministry colleagues...
September 15, 2018
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
Pastor, Have You Been With Jesus?
Sure, you know how to handle to text. But can people tell that you have been with Jesus?
Pastor, Include More Prayer in Your Church Service
Many churches need to repent of prayerlessness, especially in corporate worship.
Confessions of a Reluctant Complementarian
My marriage isn’t ultimately about me and my husband, any more than Romeo and Juliet is about the actors playing the title roles. My marriage is about reflecting Jesus...
September 13, 2018
Two Seemingly Contradictory Truths About Habits
Two things are true about habits. If we ignore one or both of these truths, we’ll suffer. Our challenge is to hold both of these truths in tension.
The two truths: we need habits, and yet they’re not the point.
We Need HabitsAccording to some, we live almost half of our lives by habit. We tend to think that some people are good at this and some aren’t. The truth: we all live by habit. We need them, or else we’d have to rethink everything all the time.
The trick is to choose habits that put u...
September 11, 2018
Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, Wife of Charles H. Spurgeon
I've long been a fan of Charles Spurgeon, the famous preacher of 19th-century London. But I've never paid much attention to Susannah Spurgeon, his wife, until reading Susie, a new book by Ray Rhodes.
I should have paid attention sooner. Susie helps us appreciate both the Spurgeons. I not only know Charles better now, but I'm convicted and encouraged by Susannah's example.
Susie and MarriageCharles and Susannah obviously enjoyed a strong marriage. Charles became her pastor when he moved to L...
September 8, 2018
Saturday Links
Links for your weekend reading:
The First Two Minutes Matter Most
Determine right now that when the service ends, you will do your utmost to give the first two minutes to someone you don’t know or to someone you don’t know well.
Why You Should Go to Church Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Friends, do you realize how vital it is to gather here together on the Lord’s Day, Sunday after Sunday?
Should We Make Our Children Go to Church?
We can’t be that surprised if our children drift off from the...
September 6, 2018
A Prayer for Overwhelmed Pastors
It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the Fall. Summer was nice, but it’s so short, and we don’t always feel ready for the busyness of September. So I’m praying a prayer for pastors who feel the weight of responsibility this time of year, and who may be limping into this next season of ministry.
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A Prayer for JoyI pray that your Fall will be filled with joy.
First, I pray that you will find joy in your relationship with God. I pray that you will be struck again with the wonder that God has saved y...
September 4, 2018
How Bold Is Your Prayer List?
I know. I don't think bold and prayer life are terms that belong together. But maybe that's a problem.
That's my conclusion after wrestling with part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount recently.
Hodgepodge?Matthew 7:1-12 isn't the easiest passage to understand. It seems at first like a series of unrelated thoughts with no apparent structure. Jesus bounces from the command not to judge, to the command to be discerning, to a section on prayer, to the Golden Rule.
"Here in 7: 1– 12 one is tempted to...
