Daniel Darling's Blog, page 33
November 9, 2017
The Way Home: Kyle David Bennett on spiritual disciplines
What do personal, spiritual disciplines have with our life on mission in the world? How does personal righteousness affect our activism? Kyle David Bennett, professor at Caldwell University and author of Practices of Love: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life of the World[image error] helps us see the connection between vertical piety and horizontal relationships.
Show Notes
Twitter: @kyle_d_bennett
Website: kyledavidbennett.com
Book: Practices of Love: Spiritual Disciplines for the Life of the World [image error]
October 30, 2017
Christianity Is Not a Plastic Smile
Today Lookout Magazine published my latest piece on Christians and a theology of suffering:
There is a country song I like to play around the house that always irks my wife. Josh Turner croons, “Everything is fine, fine, fine.” Angela detests it because she says that this is my go-to answer whenever there is a problem at home. While I won’t stop playing Josh Turner, I have to acknowledge that she is right.
Everything is not fine. Though we are redeemed, rescued, chosen, forgiven, and risen, we still live. On mission. In the world. We are already in the kingdom of God and not yet experiencing the full reality of this world’s restoration and renewal. This is why our teaching, our preaching, and our conversations should reflect the world’s brokenness.
Christianity is not a plastic smile. It is Jesus visiting us in the midst of our mess, walking us through our temptations and brokenness. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who prepares a table for us in the midst of our enemies. When we drink from the cup and eat the bread on Sunday, we are acknowledging Jesus’ victory even as the war rages around us.
Sometimes those of us who live semi-comfortable lives in the West are tempted to speak as if conversion to Christianity will usher in a panacea. But Jesus offers no such short-term salve. He promised his disciples a life of peace, but also a life of suffering (John 14-16). Both Peter and James assured their audiences that suffering accompanies walking with the Savior. But we press on, we cling to the goodness of Jesus’ victory over sin and death, knowing that even a lifetime of pain is but a fading dot on the timeline of eternity (Romans 8:18-31). We look to Jesus’ victory over death as our hope.
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you (2 Corinthians 4:6-12).
We draw from the deep well of gospel hope, believing the words Jesus whispered to Martha, Lazarus’ sister: “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
This is the essence of real faith. We are triumphant and victorious, but we are also not afraid to face death, to talk about death, to lament over this most bitter of enemies. In this, we show the world around us that God has visited us in the midst of our brokenness and offers us himself.
You can read the whole thing here.
October 24, 2017
The Church on the Ground Versus the Church In Your Head
I’m over at Southern Seminary Equip today talking about the reality of shepherding. Here is an excerpt:
You envisioned, in your first ministry, leading with the help of a robust elder board, made up of guys who read Calvin, together, on the weekends. You were going to launch a human trafficking ministry in your first year, an apprenticeship program in your second year, and, if all goes well, a church planting initiative in your third.
But the church on the ground seems vastly different than the church in your head. One of your elders wonders why you don’t let the congregation know who you think the antichrist is. The other thinks projecting music on the wall is a slippery slope toward Laodicea. And yet another wants to show Carman’s patriotic video from 1980 on the Sunday before the the Fourth of July. None of your ecclesiology books covered this.
I’m exaggerating these situations . . . but only slightly. The Carman thing really happened to me. The truth is, there is the church in your head, the ideal congregation you envision and there is the church on the ground, the real, flesh-and-blood collection of brothers and sisters you are called to serve.
You can read the whole piece here.
Photo credit: Les Haines
October 23, 2017
On My Nightstand
Books, for me, are therapy, a way of relaxing from the pressures of the world. My habit, lately, has been to physically read books on theology and the Christian life and to listen, via audiobook, history and biography. I’m almost always in the middle of reading a book and listening to a book. George Will recently discussed this kind of rhythm in a radio interview and I think it suits me pretty well.
Currently, these books are in my book pile:
From Weakness to Strength by Scott Sauls
The b[image error]est thing I can say about my friend Scott is that he preaches a beautiful gospel. I read everything he writes. This book is a unique leadership book in that it doesn’t offer new systems or productivity hacks, but a vulnerable and biblical look at leadership. Scott’s premise is that leadership in the kingdom of God is upside down: humility and weakness lead to spiritual strength. As I am reading, I’m being freshly convicted about new idols and encouraged by the way God can use me in my brokeness. In my view, Scott is offering a 21st century version of one of my favorite leadership books, Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders.
Our Secular Age: Ten Years of Reading and Applying Charles Taylor by Collin Hansen[image error] 
I didn’t read the massive volume A Secular Age by Charles Taylor, but many voices that I respect have read and analyzed it. I love the way Collin Hansen convenes a broad spectrum of Christian leaders, like Karen Swallow Prior, Allan Noble, Bruce Ashford, Michael Horton, and others to offer substantive analysis of our age. The subjects covered are as varied as the contributors: preaching, art, politics, human flourishing, etc. This is a helpful primer as we work to be faithful to our callings on mission for God.
Grant by Ron Chernow 
I’m about [image error]to start this on audiobook. I love presidential biographies and few do it as well as Chernow. Earlier this year I read American Ulysses by Ronald White and thoroughly enjoyed it. I had to admit that as a native son of Illinois, I didn’t really know much about Grant as I should have. His reputation, over the last 75 years or so has taken a hit in a way that I think is both unfair and unfaithful to the historical record. White’s work and Chernow’s work helps correct some of this by presenting the whole story of the man who helped save the Union, who championed civil rights for minorities, and who was one of the most modest men who ever occupied the White House.
photo credit: Sam Greenhalgh
October 18, 2017
The Way Home: Dean Inserra On Evangelizing the Bible Belt
He planted a church, ten years ago, with a handful of people in his parent’s living room. Today, Dean Inserra is pastor of City Church the biggest church in Tallahassee. But his method is not what you’d think: City attracts people, not with killer coffee and cutting edge music, but by building relationships in the city of Tallahassee and by preaching the uncompromising gospel. Dean Inserra is a great friend. We chat about church planting, college ministry, and the ageless Tom Brady. Be prepared to learn and laugh.
Show Notes
Twitter: @deaninserra
Websites: deaninserra.com; citychurchtallahassee.com
October 12, 2017
The Way Home: Art Rainer on Ways We Can Handle Our Money Biblically
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who enjoy doing their finances and those who don’t. For those who don’t, like, me, we need help. Art Rainer, VP of Institutional Advancement at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written a helpful book, The Money Challenge. Art joins me to talk about ways we can handle our money biblically and how churches can teach sound financial concepts.
Show Notes
Twitter: @ArtRainer
Websites: artrainer.com
Book: The Money Challenge
October 6, 2017
The Way Home: Brett McCracken On the Blessed Awkwardness of Church Life
Most of us look for churches that make us feel comfortable, but perhaps the awkwardness of living in community with people different from us is part of God’s plan for our sanctification. Brett McCracken, journalist and author, joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Uncomfortable: The Awkard and Essential Challenge of Christian Community. Brett is a senior editor for the Gospel Coalition and also the author of Hipster Christianity and Gray Matters. He also writes regularly for Christianity Today and his website, BrettMcCracken.com. He lives with his wife in Southern California where he serves as an elder at Southlands Church.
Show Notes
Twitter:@brettmccracken
Websites: BrettMcCracken.com
Book: Uncomfortable
Evangelicals for Life: evangelicals.life. Coupon code: WAYHOME
September 27, 2017
The Way Home: Jimmy Scroggins on The Changing Nature of Evangelism
How is evangelism different in an increasingly secular culture? How can faithful Christians initiate gospel conversations? Jimmy Scroggins, lead pastor at Family Church in West Palm Beach, FL and author of��Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations joins the podcast to help us think through ways to talk about Jesus in everyday conversations.
Show Notes
Twitter:@jimmyscroggins
Websites:��jimmyscroggins.com
Church:��https://gofamilychurch.org/
Book: Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations
Evangelicals for Life:��evangelicals.life. Coupon code:��WAYHOME
September 21, 2017
Matt Carter on The Friendship Between Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson
A popular British pastor and a former American slave. How did this friendship between Charles Spurgeon and Thomas Johnson develop and how did it shape their��ministries? ��Matt Carter, co-author of a new book,��Steal Away Home,��joins the podcast to discuss his interest in the life of Spurgeon, the unusual��friendship��between popular pastor and former slave, and writing historical fiction.
Show Notes
Twitter:@_matt_carter
Websites:��stealawayhome.com; austinstone.org
Book: Steal Away Home
Evangelicals for Life:��evangelicals.life. Coupon code:��WAYHOME
September 15, 2017
The Way Home: Christine Hoover on Real Friendships in a Connected World
We live in the most connected time in human history and yet we maybe the most lonely people in human history. How do we develop real friendships that transcend the screen?��Christine Hoover joins us. She’s a gifted writer, speaker, and the author��of a new book, Messy Beautiful Friendship: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships.��
Show Notes
Twitter:@christinehoover��
Website:��gracecoversme.com
Book:�� Messy Beautiful Friendship: Finding and Nurturing Deep and Lasting Relationships
Evangelicals for Life: evangelicals.life. Coupon code: WAYHOME
