Friday Review (1/6/23)
Each week we compile a list of helpful articles from other sites, in a variety of categories, for youth workers to read, reflect on, and/or discuss with parents and volunteers. If you have any articles you’d like to suggest, we’d love for you to share those in the Youth Pastor Theologian Facebook group. That’s a great way to bring them to our attention and to discuss them with like-minded youth workers! (Inclusion in this list does not imply complete agreement with the publishing source, but we have found these articles to be beneficial.)
Youth Ministry
New Year’s Resources from Rooted, (Rooted)
Happy 2023 from Rooted! As we enter a new year, make resolutions, and consider our goals, we hope the following articles and podcasts bless you and remind you to rest in the finished work of Jesus.
10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year, by Will Standridge (For the Church)
It is easy to lose sight of what is important in your planning and program to impress instead of disciple. Here are some somewhat random but important tips and priorities for you as a Student Pastor and your student ministry in the coming year.
Biblical & Theological Studies
Seminary Is Not For You, by Anna Stewart (For the Church)
Brothers and sisters, our theological education is not for us; it is for the local church. She needs our integrity just as much as she needs our theological aptitude. She needs men and women set on pursuing the deep things of God for her interests and the glory of the Triune God over and above their own interests (Philippians 2:4).
Read Scripture for Compounding Interest in 2023, by Tim Casteel (The Gospel Coalition)
I wish someone had told me to invest in regular Bible reading when I was younger. But just like investing your money, you can’t go back and do things differently. What you can do is start reading—and enjoying—the Bible today.
Stooping to Filthy Feet, by John Orchard (Evangelical Magazine)
The man on his knees, rinsing sweat from Peter’s athlete’s foot and getting between Judas’s toes to wipe away the dung was our Creator, who is before all things and in him all things hold together; the hands that washed those verrucae and blisters would one day be the only ones qualified to break the seals and open the gates to the New Jerusalem.
Pastoral Ministry
Hyper-Headship in Marriage, by Keith Evans (Gentle Reformation)
Such a disposition will not change over night, but the fruits of repentance will be obvious. Or they will not. And where change is not overt and enduring, may robust accountability and protection of Christ’s lambs be our primary concern.
5 Myths about Porn, by Ray Ortlund (Crossway)
This world breaks our hearts. But Jesus has come, and his kingdom heals our hearts. So let’s be defiant. Let’s get free of every lie, by God’s grace, starting with the fraudulence that pornography is.
Family & Parents
Winning Your Child’s Heart with Winsome Words, by Darby Strickland (CCEF)
Do we understand the impact of our words on our children? We utter words every day in all sorts of situations, often without intentionality. Sometimes, when we are using words to keep order and get things done, we lose sight of the power they possess.
Should I Prioritize Family or Work? Neither, by Michelle Myers (The Gospel Coalition)
And while I wouldn’t say I disagree with that order now, here’s what I’ve learned: whenever I try to seek the Lord and anything else (family included!), chaos follows—and quickly. If you try to prioritize loving God, being a good spouse and present parent, and finding fulfillment in your career, you’ll quickly find anxiety and discontentment.
I Can’t Put Them Down Yet, by Brianna Lambert (Looking to the Harvest)
I’m tempted to forget—tempted to dwell on my fears, troubles, and past sin. The work of the Lord often becomes drowned out by the latest worry that presses in on my mind. But when I gather with the saints, and pull that child upon my hip, I remember what’s been true for eleven faithful years and beyond.
For Adolescents, Social Media May Be a Brain-Changer, Researchers Say, by Madeline Holcombe (CNN)
It is possible that the results of the study point to social media changing adolescent brains, but it could also be that some of the students were already experiencing changes in their brain development that led to more social media use, Chaudhary said.
From YPT this week
Damar Hamlin, the Image of God, and Sitting Shiva Together by Alex Tufano
In a nonstop culture, this football game has reminded us all about the inherent value and dignity of human life… and it’s worth stopping everything to acknowledge.