Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
“I am finding that it is sometimes even harder to believe in God’s providence when looking back at a hard, weary season. It is then that I feel insufficient for the question, “What has God been teaching you?” I don’t fully know yet. Yet I know he works good. I know the good he brings is not dependent on my awareness of it. I know he wastes nothing―even my imperfect faith.”
Related: Look for Beauty by Ashley Kim
Ben Christenson: Confessions of a Bad Host
“WHILE IT MIGHT SOUND CLICHÉ or even self-aggrandizing, I try to think about hosting as something to offer up to God rather than something grand that I am doing. For my guests, I hope to carve out a very human space in a dehumanizing culture. And for myself, I accept that my ego will take some body blows. It’s not always pleasant, but like any hard experience, there are also moments of joy, growth, and satisfaction at a job well done.”
Related: Rethinking Hospitality in Our Churches by E.L Sherene Joseph
Connie Leung Nelson: Parents of Teenagers, Don’t Forget to Maintain The Connection
“While it’s true that our teens have packed schedules and they’re less keen to spend time with mom and dad, we parents need to be aware of what’s in us that can contribute to disconnection too.”
Related: Every Tribe and Tongue: A Book Review of The Jesus I Wish I Knew in High School: Asian American Edition by Aaron Lee
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
Luke Simon: The Gen Z Worship War
“Well, not a war so much as a slow and worrisome sorting of men and women into different corners of Christianity.”
Related: Worshiping in the Waiting by Carissa Samuel
MaryJanice Davidson: ‘A Holy Haunting’ Wins the 2025 BookLife Prize
“Reverend Sam D. Kim’s unconventional work on spirituality is the winner of this year’s BookLife Prize.”
Related: How to Understand People Who Doubt: An Interview with Sam D. Kim by Aaron Lee
Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book reviews: New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp, Athens and Jerusalem by Gerald L. Bray, The Lord’s Supper by John W. Kleinig, Eric’s Greatest Race by Tim Challies. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
Bobby Suh: The Opportunity for Renewal After the Perfect Storm
Are you willing to give the greatest portion of your resources–your leadership, finances, and time–toward intentional discipleship?
SOLA Network: In Case You Missed It: Recapping AALC Interviews
Looking back before AALC 2026.
Faith Chang: To Those who Feel the Pull of Hopelessness
For Christians, hope is not wishful thinking. It is recognizing what is and will be true, even if we haven’t seen it yet. It is anchored on God’s character and the death and resurrection of Christ in whom all God’s promises are “Yes!”
TGIF: Roundup for May 30, 2025
I Have a Baby Face. It Shouldn’t Discount My Leadership. / What Does Trouble Do? / Tell the Truth About Children / Could Scrolling Become the New Smoking? / What Does God Think of Your Church’s Worship?
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