Daniel Darling's Blog, page 19

February 19, 2020

For the Dignity of All

Not long ago I was speaking in Washington, D.C., at an event on human dignity and brought my daughter, who’d just turned 13. When the event was over, we had a few days to take in the nation’s capital. I wanted Grace to see as much as we could fit in, so I kept us on a pretty tight schedule. Then one day, as we were walking to the Washington Monument, we passed a veteran—homeless and holding a crude sign asking for money. We rushed by, but a few steps later my daughter stopped and said, “Dad, we should help him.”


I responded with the usual excuses. “I don’t have any cash.” And “We’ll get him on the way back.” But Grace was undeterred.


“Dad,” she said. “He’s made in the image of God. We can’t just pass him by.”


She took some of her spending money for the trip and walked back to the man, gave him the cash, and said, “I just want you to know God loves you.”


I was undone. Here I had just finished speaking on the topic of human dignity and was writing a book on the same subject and yet had failed its very basic test. When given an opportunity to see the humanity of those in the shadows, those whom society is most tempted to ignore, I failed.


How easy it is to simply walk by.


Keep reading…


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Published on February 19, 2020 10:12

February 17, 2020

Halfway There

Just get ready,” a colleague whispered to me during a birthday party at work. “40 is great. 41 is … Well, you’ll see.”


I brushed it off with a laugh. Turning 40 struck me as an accomplishment. Four decades appeared to be the perfect age—old enough not to be foolish and young enough to still have energy and ideas and a career that seems upwardly mobile. Whenever I read the profiles of young leaders, they seem to be in their 40s. Right?


I’d always dismissed the idea of a midlife crisis—guys snapping and buying a Mustang, leaving their families, and starting over—as some cliché, hedonistic act of selfishness. I still think these decisions are foolish, but I no longer doubt the pathos that descends upon many of us when we hit midlife.


Read more of this recent piece I wrote for In Touch Ministries.


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Published on February 17, 2020 10:09

February 13, 2020

The Way Home: Courtney Reissig on the Psalms

Courtney Reissig joins me to talk about her love for the Psalms and how reading them has helped her through life’s highs and lows. Courtney is a writer, speaker, and blogger. She helps lead the women’s ministry at Midtown Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark.


This episode of The Way Home is sponsored by our friends at The Good Book Company.



Show Notes: 



Website: courtneyreissig.com
Twitter: @courtneyreissig
Book: Teach Me To Feel: Worshiping Through the Psalms in Every Season of Life [image error]

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Published on February 13, 2020 08:07

February 6, 2020

The Way Home: Beth Moore on her love for the Bible

Beth Moore joins me to talk about her love for the Bible and when she first realized she wanted to teach the Bible. She also shares how the church was a refuge for her as a child growing up in an abusive home.


Beth is the author of the brand new book Chasing Vines: Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life



Show Notes: 



Website: chasingvines.com and lproof.org
Twitter: @BethMooreLPM
Book: Chasing Vines: Finding Your Way to an Immensely Fruitful Life

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Published on February 06, 2020 04:00

January 30, 2020

The Way Home: Harold Senkbeil on pastoral ministry and shepherding

Harold Senkbeil joins me to talk about pastoral ministry, the decline in the concept of shepherding within the church, and his excellent book The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart[image error]I highly recommend this book!


Dr. Senkbeil serves as as Executive Director for Spiritual Care for DOXOLOGY, a recognized service organization of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.



Show Notes: 



Website: doxology.us
Twitter: @hlsenkbeil
Book: The Care of Souls: Cultivating a Pastor’s Heart [image error]

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Published on January 30, 2020 04:00

January 23, 2020

The Way Home: Briana Stensrud on refugees, immigration and human dignity

Briana Stensrud joins me to talk about refugees, immigrants, and a recent trip she took to the border of Mexico. She shares how Christians can engage on the issue of immigration and be fruitful.


Bri is the Director of Welcome. Her passion is to equip the Church to think Biblically and pragmatically about exercising a holistic, comprehensive pro-life worldview. Throughout her work in the pro-life movement, Briana continually faced questions from those concerned about immigrants and refugees. Understanding that many concerns were rooted in fear and misinformation she started a journey to re-discover God’s heart for the sojourner.



Show Notes: 



Website: welcomingimmigrants.org
Twitter: @BriStenz

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Published on January 23, 2020 04:00

January 16, 2020

The Way Home: Micah Fries on church leadership

Micah Fries joins me to today to talk about church leadership and his new book Leveling the Church: Multiplying Your Ministry by Giving It Away[image error].


Micah serves as our Senior Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tenn. Prior to serving at Brainerd, he was the Vice President of LifeWay Research.



Show Notes: 



Website: micahfries.com
Twitter: @micahfries
Book: Leveling the Church: Multiplying Your Ministry by Giving It Away [image error]

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Published on January 16, 2020 04:00

January 9, 2020

The Way Home: Marvin Olasky on journalism

Marvin Olasky joins me to talk about his passion for journalism and a Christian approach to writing and reporting. Marvin is editor-in-chief of WORLD Magazine.



Show Notes: 



Website: world.wng.org/authors/marvin_olasky
Twitter: @MarvinOlasky
Book:  Reforming Journalism [image error]

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Published on January 09, 2020 04:00

January 2, 2020

The Way Home: Lauren and Michael McAfee on the Bible

Lauren and Michael McAfee join me today to talk about their passion for the Scriptures. They are the authors of the book Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need[image error]



Show Notes: 



Website: laurenamcafee.com
Twitter: @LaurenAMcAfee and @MichaelMcAfee
Instagram: laurenamcafee and michaelmcafee
Book: Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected Yet Everything We Need [image error]

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Published on January 02, 2020 04:00

December 19, 2019

The Way Home: Steve Green on family, leadership, and Hobby Lobby

Steve Green, President of Hobby Lobby, joins me today to discuss the family business, what he learned about leadership from his father, and why he has such a passionate love for the Bible.


Steve is also chairman of the board for Museum of the Bible.



Show Notes: 



Website: newsroom.hobbylobby.com/team/steve-green and museumofthebible.org
Twitter: @museumofBible

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Published on December 19, 2019 05:00