Year: 2025

Links for the Weekend (2025-08-01)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

A Christian Vision for Exercise

David Mathis has recently published a book on a theology of exercise, so this article represents some of the fruit from that project. I found all of these helpful and thought-provoking.

God made us remarkably flexible as humans. We are the kind of creatures who think and feel, and also move and act. Unlike other creatures, God made us for contemplation and for exertion, for pausing to ponder and for then acting in the world to accomplish tasks.

God designed us for rhythms of life: not always being on the go, not always being on the stay. We glorify God by reflecting on him and rejoicing in him and representing him in the world. We meditate and move. Typical human life includes both. God made us to be thoughtful and fruitful, to experience emotions and take up agency in the world.

That Bible Verse Is Not About Immigration

A few politicians have used Bible verses in recent public comments, but (surprise!) they have not always used these verses well! Here’s an article explaining why we need to read the Bible in context.

Christian publishing, much of Christian music, and maybe the majority of Bible studies are afflicted with this same bad habit. Christian bookstores are full of “Bible promise” titles filled with de-contextualized verses meant to directly apply to the reader. But how many books of Bible curses are there, though the Bible includes those, too? How many Americans, in the habit of “verse plucking,” gladly claim Deuteronomy 28’s national blessings, but don’t read on about the national curses for disobedience that directly follow? How many Bible studies ask the question, “What does this verse mean to you” before truly wrestling with, “What does this verse mean?” 

Expecting Peace When There is No Peace

Alan Noble has written a thoughtful article about the teaching that we need to feel a sense of peace in order to be right with God.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times in my life I have gone astray by listening to my feelings of anxiety and distress and assuming that they were signs from God that I was not at peace with God. It’s taken me many years to begin to internalize the reality that I am always already at peace with God, because he has made peace with me when his Son died on the cross for my sins. Yes, there are daily opportunities for repentance, but I remain justified, redeemed, and loved even in my sin.

Thanks to Cliff L for his help this week in assembling the links!

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-07-25)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

You Don’t Need Another Prayer Technique

Cassie Watson writes about her use of techniques in an effort to grow in prayer. And she explains why “humble dependence” was much more helpful than techniques.

Jesus also encourages us to imitate the persistent widow (Luke 18:1–8). What kept her coming repeatedly to the judge for help was that she was desperate. She knew she was powerless to resolve the situation on her own, and she knew who did have the power. Jesus wants us to come to our Father with this kind of desperate dependence because we know his character. We can humble ourselves under God’s hand and bring our anxieties to him who cares for us (1 Pet. 5:7).

How can I care for my elderly parents without burning out?

Here’s an answer to this question in video form (a transcript is also available). This should be helpful for all caregivers, regardless of the age of those being cared for.

First and foremost, remember that you are a finite human being. You may be exercising sacrificial love, but you do it as a person with limitations of your own. Sometimes caregiver burnout—that is, running low on the spiritual, relational, and physical resources that fuel daily life—sometimes that happens because we somehow think we can and must transcend our finiteness. But God calls you to serve others in deep dependence on him with an awareness of your finiteness. You are not the Messiah, nor am I. But we do draw our strength from the One who is the risen Lord and Savior.

Our First Sandcastle

Our poem of the week: Our First Sandcastle, by Tom Busillo. This sonnet is about an encounter on a beach, with a heartbreaking final line.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called How to Abound in Hope. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

How to Abound in Hope

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Names in the Bible are significant, none more than the names and titles of God. The biblical authors emphasize one of God’s strengths or an aspect of his character by the names they use for him.

In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul is no exception. Among others, he refers to “God our Father” (Romans 1:7), the “immortal God” (Romans 1:23), the “living God” (Romans 9:26), the “God of endurance and encouragement” (Romans 15:5), and the “God of peace” (Romans 16:20). Each title or description of God is both informed by and informs the context in which it is used.

I have been writing about hope for some time now, so I was quite drawn to Paul’s use of “the God of hope” in Romans 15:13.

Why Jesus Came to the Jews

After writing about church unity in the previous chapters, in Romans 15:8 Paul starts to address the inclusion of the Gentiles among God’s people.

He writes, “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs” (Romans 15:8). Because God promised a deliverer to the Jewish people, and because God keeps his promises, Christ came to Israel first.

However, part of showing “God’s truthfulness” involved the Gentiles “glorify[ing] God for his mercy” (Romans 15:9). Though God’s promises were given to Israel, they have never been limited to Israel. One of God’s earliest covenant promises mentioned blessings in Abram for “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3).

The Gentiles Will Hope in Christ

Note the way Paul quotes the Old Testament in a crescendo in Romans 15:9–12. He layers promises and exhortations to reach the final truth about the Gentiles.

  • There will be praise (by Israelites) “among the Gentiles” (Romans 15:9).
  • Gentiles are called to rejoice “with his people” (Romans 15:10).
  • The Gentiles are exhorted to “praise the Lord,” that “all the peoples” would extol him (Romans 15:11).
  • Finally, the Messianic promise mentions the “root of Jesse” who will “rule the Gentiles,” and “in him will the Gentiles hope” (Romans 15:12).

This hope in Christ connects to the beginning of the passage, that Jesus came to the circumcised so that “the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:9). The gospel message came first to the Jews and then spread to the Gentiles; this was a message that brought hope for people who experienced the mercy of God.

Abounding in Hope

We cannot understand what it means to refer to God as “the God of hope” without this context in Romans 15.

First, this title labels Jesus as God. The Gentiles would hope in the root of Jesse, which refers to Jesus. By using “God of hope” in the next breath, Paul underlines Jesus’s divinity.

Additionally, God is the one who brought all prophecies and promises to fulfillment. The presence of Gentiles in the church at Rome shows “God’s truthfulness”—he sent his son, showing mercy to countless people, as he said he would.

Further, God is the one who can “fill” us with joy and peace, so that by the Holy Spirit we can “abound in hope.”

It may be tempting to think this “filling” is passive, like a donut being filled with jelly. And while such filling will not happen without God’s work, as with many aspects of the Christian life, our seeking and God’s providing go hand in hand.

We abound in hope, therefore, by looking to the God of hope. We seek joy and peace in believing what he has said. In this context, this means we read and rehearse his promises. We envision a world in which these promises all come to pass, and we rejoice at the peace present in that world. We can rest when we are convinced that our promise-keeping God keeps his promises.

I see a lot of pessimism and cynicism in the world today. These attitudes can breed deep discouragement and anger. But there is no need for Christians to be trapped in this whirlpool.

When the God of hope fills us with all joy and peace in believing what he has said, we will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). May it be so for us all.

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Links for the Weekend (2025-07-18)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

‘Oh How I Love Your Law’ My Tribute to John MacArthur (1939–2025)

Long-time Bible teacher John MacArthur died earlier this week. I suspect many in our church have been influenced by his teaching. This article is John Piper’s tribute to MacArthur.

The Bible was not just interesting. It was better than the best. It was immeasurably precious. There is a kind of affection that happens when you feel — not just know — that the person you are talking to really means it when he says God’s words are “more to be desired . . . than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10).

Tim Keller on the Struggle with Prayer and the Pathway to Enjoying God

Matt Smethurst writes about how Tim Keller learned to pray and how important that became to him as he aged. This article also offers some guidance from Keller about prayer.

It is therefore impossible to have a rich prayer life apart from careful attention and glad submission to God’s word. Otherwise, we will end up talking to a figment of our imagination—in essence, praying to an idol. But if we hope to anchor our life in “the real God,” we must pray in accordance with who he’s revealed himself to be. Keller puts it frankly: “Without prayer that answers the God of the Bible, we will only be talking to ourselves.”

Psalm of the Flood

Our poem of the week: Psalm of the Flood, by Bethel McGrew. This sonnet comes from being overwhelmed and not knowing where to turn but to God.

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-07-11)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

Bible Reading Blues? Study Your Stop

Katie Laitkep has written a wise article about Bible reading. She thinks we can get closer to fixing the problem of not reading our Bibles when we confront why we’re not reading.

Most of us are great at getting started. The particular hobby or habit doesn’t matter much. We buy the outfit, order the supplies, and set off with all the enthusiasm in the world. Sound familiar? A few months ago, you started the year strong. You began reading the Bible, but then you lost momentum. You lost focus. And somewhere along the way, you literally lost the printed copy of your reading plan. Who wants to dig through the trash for a piece of paper buried under raw meat scraps and a banana peel?

Teach Your Teen About Christian Freedom

This article draws from Martin Luther’s writing on Christian freedom and applies it to teenagers. (This is relevant for non-teens as well!)

But while Luther did write about matters of conscience in On Christian Liberty, his treatise accomplished much more. Luther wrote to help believers find wisdom and true freedom by living in accordance with their Christian identity. The twofold path to freedom he described is biblical, and it’s worth teaching to Christian youth today.

Still Seventeen

Our poem of the week: Still Seventeen, by Claudia Gary. This is a stunning sonnet that offers a warning to those who long for eternal youth.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called The Lord’s Prayer Is Changing Me. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

The Lord’s Prayer Is Changing Me

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

At the beginning of the year, I decided to focus on my prayer life. As the calendar turns over, Christians often recommit to more Bible reading. I’m no perfect Scripture reader, but I read/listened to the whole Bible last year and I’ve known for a while that my prayer life needs attention. So this year I wanted to grow in prayer while still taking in the Bible.

I am using Trevin Wax’s Psalms in 30 Days. This book outlines three prayers each day (morning, midday, and evening) that structure prayer around Scripture, confessions, and historic prayers of the church. And, of course, the readings cycle through all 150 Psalms in 30 days.

This little prayer book has been a remarkable help to my spiritual life. Though I have not consistently prayed three times every day, I have finished the book and started it again. The structured prayers—far from making my prayer life stuffy or hollow—have given me needed words and momentum.

The most surprising effect of this prayer book has been my interaction with the Lord’s Prayer. Wax has included the Lord’s Prayer in every prayer time. When I first realized this, I was surprised. I was convinced that the Lord’s Prayer (or personal, ad hoc prayers that draw on the same categories) was meant to be prayed daily. But three times per day seemed…excessive, maybe?

But I have grown to love praying the Lord’s Prayer frequently.

The Beauty of the Lord’s Prayer

Here are five things I love about this prayer.

I am part of something larger. I pray this prayer as an individual, but the prayer contains several collective pronouns: “Our Father,” “Give us this day our daily bread,” “forgive us our debts,” “lead us,” and “deliver us.” This is a prayer for all of God’s people.

I need daily bread and daily forgiveness. I need daily bread because I rely on God to supply me with everything. I need daily forgiveness because I sin against God and others so often. These facts are obvious, but this prayer reminds me what is true (and humbling).

Lead us NOT. I love the phrasing in the sixth petition. This might have been phrased “do not lead us into temptation.” The traditional phrasing is much better in my mind: “lead us not into temptation.” That “not” is disruptive and definitive. It reminds me that God leads me and that because of the ways my feet tend to walk, I desperately need this leading to be away from temptation.

The evil one is real. Wax follows the CSB translation in the sixth petition: “deliver us from the evil one.” This reminds me that the devil is a powerful enemy from whom I need protection and deliverance.

I am longing more for God’s kingdom. As I repeat the first and second petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (“Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”), I cannot help but long for these things to be true. What would it look like if I hallowed God’s name more? How can I help others so that God’s will is done more completely and immediately on earth?

Prayer Affects Us

This is the biggest effect the Lord’s Prayer has been having on me—shaping my desires to match the Lord’s. I’m a work in progress, but by God’s grace I think I’m pointing in a good direction, since this is one of the ways prayer is supposed to change us.

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Links for the Weekend (2025-07-04)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

Where to Find Your Happy Place

How do we explain joys that serve no specific function? Andrew Wilson offers an explanation centered in the presence of God.

In the same way, joy in this world is located wherever God is present, in Christ by his Spirit, rather than wherever painful things are absent. It could be in a Galilean boat battered by the waves; it could be in the sorrow and confusion of an upper-room farewell, in the injustice of a Jerusalem kangaroo court, in the stocks of a Philippian jail; it could be in the isolation of exile on the island of Patmos. As sad as the circumstances may be, if God is present then delight is available. Joy is found through presence, not just absence. Happiness is more about the presence of Christ than the absence of crisis.

Did God Forgive Me If I Don’t Feel Forgiven?

John Piper tackles two related questions in this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast (the transcript is available). Can someone who turns away from Christ return and be forgiven? Also, what should we do if we struggle to feel forgiven?

Dear friend, rehearse the mercies of God over and over. Never take your eyes off of Christ crucified, because Romans 5:8 tells us that’s where God spoke most loudly about his love: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” That’s where he puts it on display. So, don’t take your eyes off the love of God in Christ crucified.

En Pointe

Our poem of the week: En Pointe, by Lesley Clinton. This poem celebrates dance and the transcendence of art.

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-06-27)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

Honoring God With Your Body: More Than a Health Goal

Staci Eastin helps us think about caring for our bodies in a way that glorifies God.

Our bodies are not projects to perfect, but gifts to steward. The way we eat, rest, and move isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. As Paul reminds is in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and we should honor God with them. Our bodies are the means by which we carry out the acts of service he has called us to. Our bodies allow us to enjoy the good gifts he gives us.

The Freedom of Being Seen by Christ

Alan Noble takes us to the Samaritan woman in John 4 to discuss the freedom that is found in being known completely by Jesus.

But like the Samaritan woman, we are free to be seen by Christ and unburden ourselves before him because he has already seen all that we have ever done and all that has ever been done to us and he loves us. He desires us to repent and mature in holiness. We never have to be ashamed or afraid of bringing our problems before him. We stand revealed before an all-knowing God who has also died for us because he first loved us. Perfect love and perfect knowing meet in Christ. And so the desire to be known and the fear of being known no longer need to be held in tension for the Christian. It’s resolved in the deity of Christ.

Sunburn

Our poem of the week: Sunburn, by Ange Mlinko. This is a short poem about sunburn and the longing for snow.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called A Guaranteed Way to Grow in Biblical Hope. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here. 

A Guaranteed Way to Grow in Biblical Hope

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

When I sit down for breakfast, I don’t think much about my chair. My simple, wooden, dining table chair has always been solid, and I am far more concerned about spilling my tea or stepping on the cat than I am about my chair. The past sturdiness of my chair gives me confidence about the future sturdiness of my chair.

This track-record link between the past and the future is important when we as Christians consider God. As we seek out ways to grow in hope, in this post we’ll find instruction in an aside found in Romans 15.

The Context: a United People

In Romans 14, Paul warns against passing judgment on or despising others. He commands the people not to put stumbling blocks in anyone’s way.

As Romans 15 opens, Paul exhorts the people to please their neighbors, not themselves (Romans 15:1-2). He notes that Christ did not please himself but took reproach on himself for the sake of others (Romans 15:3). Paul quoted Psalm 69:9 to show the Romans that Jesus’s work fulfilled an Old Testament foreshadowing.

Here is the aside that follows this reasoning.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

I say this is an aside because while Romans 15:5 references verse 4 (see “endurance” and “encouragement”), the themes of unity and welcoming dominate the rest of Romans 15:5–7. This section of Paul’s letter is not primarily about how we use the Scriptures.

How the Scriptures Give Hope

However, what Paul writes here as an aside is quite interesting, particularly to someone who has been writing about hope for no small amount of time. We can learn several things from Paul’s comment.

First, what was written has been written for our instruction. The Law, the Writings, and the Prophets are not just dusty, historical documents. We are naïve and we need instruction, and the writings of the Old Testament give us just that.

Specifically, the result of this instruction is hope for God’s people. These writings should help us endure, and the Scriptures should encourage us to hope.

I’ve been defining biblical hope as the joyful expectation that God will keep his promises. If that’s correct, then we can make some sense of why Paul’s mind went to this comment after quoting a Psalm about Christ.

Paul notes that Scripture is being fulfilled in the way Christ did not please himself. The same God that kept this promise will keep all of his promises. And this is why we can have hope.

Much like the faithful wooden chair, when we see example after example of God keeping his promises, we can lean into other promises with expectation. We don’t need to question or wonder if he will come through. He is a promise-keeping God, so when he makes promises to his people, he will keep them. That’s who he is.

A Lens for Reading

Even though it is an aside in his larger argument, Paul provides us with a way to grow in hope. When we read the Old Testament, we can take note of the promises God makes to his people. Not all of these promises will have an obvious fulfillment found elsewhere in the Bible, but many will.

When we encounter such fulfilled promises, we can take a small moment to praise and thank God. Our future hope, ultimately, is based on his faithfulness and his unchanging nature.

Then, when we encounter a promise that is yet to be fulfilled, we can remind ourselves of the God who promised. And maybe, perhaps, our minds can run ahead a bit to imagine what the world will look like when he keeps this specific promise.

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Links for the Weekend (2025-06-20)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

Each Friday, I’ll post links to 3–5 resources from around the web you may want to check out.

Know Your (Teenage) Child’s Frame

Cara Ray wrote a helpful article about loving the teenagers in our families (and our churches!).

The changing teenage frame can be as mysterious as it is wonderful. As parents, we sometimes have mixed feelings about entering this season, which can be marked by tension and the tendency to pull away from one another. Knowing our teenagers’ frame and how God kindly remembers ours helps us move toward them as fellow strugglers and sufferers with compassion and grace. We don’t always know how to respond to our teens, but with God as our perfect Father and model, we can rest confident that everything will ultimately be “just fine.”

You Need Context When Reading the Bible

Here is an article explaining the different contexts that matter when reading the Bible. All are important!

Unfortunately, when we come to the Bible, we all too often do something very similar to what your friend did with your words: we take verses and passages from Scripture and rip them out of their proper context. Sadly, I believe that people tend to do this with the Bible even more than with other books that they read. Many times, people do this with good intentions. They are seeking to find a word of encouragement for their day, an inspiring quote for a friend, or a devotional thought to share with a small group, sports team, or business gathering. They read quickly, find a verse or verses that seem to work, and grab them and go, only to discover later that they wrongly interpreted verses by missing their broader context. Despite their good intentions, such disregard for context can often result in the abuse—and misuse—of the word of God.

Merry Mind

Our poem of the week: Merry Mind, by Sherry Poff. This poem, part of The Clayjar Review’s issue on mirth, asks the reader to think about what the mind of God must be like to have made some of the wonderful (and absurd) things on earth.

Note: Washington Presbyterian Church and the editors of this blog do not necessarily endorse all content produced by the individuals or groups referenced here.