Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Christina Gonzalez Ho: What Would Lecrae Do?
“What moves me is not the idea that someday my own work might be noticed by someone more famous. It’s the thought that a sincere, intelligent, and profound artist like Kendrick Lamar, someone who’s seen no end of good ideas and interesting art, might find something in straightforwardly Christian music that gives him pause, that makes him reconsider.”
2. Timarie Friesen: Gone Are the Dark Clouds
“I want friends to know that Jesus is for them but maybe not in the way they supposed, for the message of the gospel proves Jesus is more than a good teacher or an example to copy. Instead, the gospel allows us to know the God of the universe because of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection—but it takes courage to explain. Specifically, courage to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins.”
3. Caleb Davis: Does the Bible Say Anything about Going to Church?
“Where did the idea of going to church originate? Some of the typical culprits suggested are Constantine, American business models, old people, or pastors desperately in need of jobs. But whose idea is it, really?”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. John Piper: The Underground Translator: William Tyndale (c. 1494–1536)
“William Tyndale gave his life so British commoners could know the Bible — not in Latin, but in their own mother tongue.”
2. Gospelbound Podcast: How Heaven Changes Your Life on Earth
Cameron Cole joins Collin Hansen to discuss his heavenward story, how he envisions heaven, the biggest barriers to living the heavenward life, and more.
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book review: Tracing God’s Story: An Introduction to Biblical Theology by Jon Nielson. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Steve S. Chang: Hidden Strengths of Asian American Leadership in the Church
“We should think counterintuitively. Instead of merely counting those traits that we believe provide an inherent advantage in ministry, we should also recognize those qualities we have traditionally viewed as unimportant, which can be just as useful for the kingdom.”
2. Jeff Jou: Cultivating Spiritual Disciplines
“The counter-cultural, counter-human-nature, counter-works-righteousness grace of Jesus Christ is what gives us the foundation and bedrock we need to cultivate spiritual regularity.”
3. Tom Sugimura: Showing Teens a More Excellent Way
“To parents and church leaders, teens often seem disengaged. Yet they are still listening and watching as we faithfully plant the gospel seeds and pray for God’s new life. So, let us never despise our youth, but show them instead a more excellent way: “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).”
4. TGIF: Roundup for October 4, 2024
The Sins of the Elderly and the Sins of Youth / Called to Kenya’s Chinatowns / Preaching to a Divided Nation / Being Mentored by the Prince of Preachers / Contemporary Christian Is One of Music’s Fastest-Growing Genres. Why?
5. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
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