Posts by Daniel Darling
If we are all priests, then this is our calling:
Martin Luther, in his commentary on 1 Peter 2, writes this about the implication Peter’s declaration that all believers are priests: A priest must be God’s messenger and must have a command from God to proclaim His Word. You must, says Peter, exercise the chief function of a priest, that is, to proclaim the wonderful…
Read MoreGod’s Adjustment Bureau
Several years ago, I sat with a trusted counselor, seeking wisdom on how best to counsel a friend crushed under the weight of his upbringing in an abusive home. With tears, I poured out my frustrations at my friend’s parents, whose hypocrisy and heavy-handedness had warped the soul of their son. The counselor’s response reset…
Read MoreWhat Pastoring Taught Me About Spiritual Growth
As a lifelong Christian, I’ve always known the importance of spiritual growth. But when I became a pastor, suddenly my ideas about this were bigger than simply what was going on in my life. As an undershepherd of God’s people, now the spiritual growth of other people is my concern. You could argue that this…
Read MoreIs there something wrong with our love?
I’ve been preaching through the book of 1 Peter for our Exiles series at church on Sunday mornings. It’s a powerful book. Just this Sunday I preached on 1 Peter 1:22-25 where Peter calls the church to a deep kind of love. What struck me most about this chapter is a simple, seemingly throwaway line,…
Read MoreYour Jehoida Moment
Few have entered the world with such a dramatic story as Joash. Born in the midst of a bloody revolution in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Joash barely escaped the edge of the sword wielded by his Grandmother, Athalia. Athalia was a ruthless monarch, who clawed her way to the throne after her husband’s death…
Read MorePeggy Noonan on Abortion
This is a memorable quote from the always eloquent Peggy Noonan: The Democratic Party is the party of abortion; it supports the widest possible interpretation of choice, and is heavily funded, literally, by the abortion industry. Abortion involves the killing of children. Sometimes Democrats speak of it, publicly, in such a way that it sounds…
Read More5 Ways Pastors Can Encourage Working Men and Women
Yesterday America celebrated Labor Day, the holiday reserved as a tribute to American workers. This is a good time to discuss ways pastors and vocational ministry leaders can encourage working men and women in their congregations. This is an oft-neglected, but essential part of ministry, because most Christians who attend church on Sunday don’t draw…
Read More5 Attitudes Toward Someone With Whom You Disagree
We live in a generally uncivil world (because we are fallen creatures) and we are in the midst of an uncivil season (Campaign 2012). I don’t buy the idea that this is the “most negative campaign we’ve ever had.” One only needs to read biographies of the American founders (unless written by David Barton) to…
Read MoreThe Echo Chamber of Leadership
Unless you were living under a rock (in which case I envy you, actually), you read, heard, or watched the brouhaha surrounding Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, a staunchly prolife candidate who conflated issues of rape with abortion. What he said on TV was not only horrific, it offended a lot of people and essentially…
Read MoreWanted: 10 Book Bloggers
I’m continually working to get the word out about my book, Real, Owning Your Christian Faith. I really believe in the message of this book: that those who grew up in the faith are as desperate for God as those who haven’t. So, I’m looking for ten bloggers willing to blog about my book this way: 1)…
Read More5 Things Love Isn’t
Perhaps there is nothing the human heart craves more than true love. We are wired to love and be loved. The problem is that we don’t actually understand what love really is. We get all kinds of definitions from the culture and from our own feelings. In fact, I think it’s helpful to think a…
Read MoreMax Lucado on the Presidential Election
I so enjoyed Max Lucado’s recent message on the election. To sum it up: don’t freak out, God is in charge. This is a biblical challenge to all of us. Take time to view it:
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