Category: Links

Links for the Weekend (2025-10-31)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Fear is Not a Sin

Ed Welch writes about fear and our response to it. He emphasizes Jesus’s compassion in caring for those who are fearful.

Fear and grief are part of most every day. We do not apologize for them; we speak them. Then Jesus immediately responds with his most intimate words and promises. Fear and anxiety, in turns out, are first steps to knowing God’s kingly authority over all things and his heart of compassion for you.

Why We Need to Talk About Body Image in Women’s Discipleship

Andrea Lee is a counselor and she write about the importance of addressing body image for women.

When want to change our bodies, it’s because we think it’ll get us something we value. We may want to lose weight so we’re noticed and praised. We may want to have strong, defined muscles so we’re seen as powerful. We want something that we believe a “better” body can get us. It’s not always wrong to seek changes in our bodies, but we need to consider our motivation. The reason we want to change our bodies tells us something about who or what we worship.

Plant in Peace

Our poem of the week: Plant in Peace, by Ashlyn McKayla Ohm. This is a poem meditating on a famous passage in Jeremiah 29.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Never Leaving, Never Forsaking. 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-10-24)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

What is Your Busyness Doing?

Many of us feel too busy. But, as Alan Noble explains, some forms of busyness can have seriously negative spiritual consequences.

It seems to me that busyness is deceptive. It often starts out virtuous, a courageous effort to manage the daily affairs of your life for the sake of your loved ones and to honor God—in the model of the ant. But the rhythms of hustle can overtake you. They can be seductive. There is a numbness that sets in when you are busy. Your mind is preoccupied with obligations and must-do’s and planning for the future so that sins, conflicts, problems, and issues in your life that aren’t directly related to your busyness get submerged, ignored. What started out virtuous seems to take up more and more space in your consciousness. You begin answering emails at all hours of the day. You check your phone constantly. You feel the need to stay “plugged in.” You feel uncomfortable when you aren’t actively doing something “productive.” This is acedia. And it’s tied to the refusal to believe that God is sovereign over all creation.

Who Are the Righteous Mentioned Throughout the Psalms?

Admit it—you’ve wondered who the Psalms are referring to when they mention “the righteous.” Christopher Ash is here to help.

First, we struggle to know what to make of it when psalmists claim to be righteous, sometimes in quite strong terms. For example, the prayer “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness / and according to the integrity that is in me” (Ps. 7:8) rather alarms us. What if the Lord did judge me according to my righteousness? He would find it severely wanting. Dare I pray this?

In an Artist’s Studio

Our poem of the week: In an Artist’s Studio, by Christina Rossetti. This is a sonnet about an artist and his love/subject.

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 (2025-10-17)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

We Need To Talk About Jealousy

Andrew Wilson has written a very helpful explanation of the distinction between envy and jealousy. Among other things, this explains why God is legitimately described as jealous!

The point is much sharper when we consider things from God’s perspective. Having taken the Israelites out of Egypt and carried them through the wilderness, how could he greet his people building idols and worshiping foreign gods with anything but fierce jealousy? That is how lovers react when they are betrayed—and the greater the love, the greater the betrayal and the greater the jealousy.

When Community Becomes an Idol

Lauren Cox writes about a time when she was new to an area and without many friends. The Lord taught her a lot about community and idolatry.

Without community, though, I felt more depleted and vulnerable than I had anticipated. I struggled to find joy in my everyday life, which always came naturally to me. My sense of inner security and peace felt shaken. I struggled to resist the enemy’s lies that because I hadn’t made many friends, I was unloved, not enough, or had lost my touch in this season of life. And after weeks and months of this ache, I began to wonder if this was something bigger than simply missing my loved ones in different cities.

How Can I Increase My Love for God’s Word?

Kenneth Berding looks to Psalm 119 for help on how to grow in our love for the Bible.

These are wonderful words! But they also highlight a tension many of us feel. We don’t always feel love for God’s Word. Many of us read it out of duty (which is fine on its own)—and even benefit from our reading—but would really love to increase our love for God’s Word.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called The Negations of Heaven. 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-10-10)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Sin Is More Dangerous Than You Think

Here’s an excerpt from a Paul Tripp book, reminding us how dangerous sin is and then giving hope for sinner.

One of the most devastatingly dangerous powers of sin is its ability to deceive. Sin is an evil monster masquerading as your best friend. It is a grim reaper masquerading as a life giver. Sin is darkness masquerading as light. It is foolishness masquerading as wisdom. Sin is disease masquerading as a cure. It is a trap masquerading as a gift.

Are My Motives for Studying the Bible Right?

In this short video (with transcript), Michael Reeves discusses good and bad reasons for studying the Bible.

It is possible to study theology and to study the Bible with a wrong motivation. And we see this in John 5:39, where Jesus speaks to Jewish leaders and Pharisees, and He says, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that you have life in them, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.” And so, it is possible to study the Scriptures and study theology and not come to Jesus for life, but to think that there is life to be had in the mere growth in intellectual knowledge.

Two Stones

Our poem of the week: Two Stones, by Jesse Graves. This is a sobering sonnet about gravestones.

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 (2025-10-03)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Shatter Your Kid-Centered Kingdom

After moving back to the U.S. as an overseas missionary, Jen Oshman was confronted by the kid-centeredness of many parents (including herself).

Overseas we had few options for the kids’ schooling and activities. We adjusted to that reality, but I confess often skimming Facebook with a twinge of jealousy as I saw my friends’ kids in ballet, piano recitals, sports games, school plays, and summer camps. Now that we were back in the States, I wanted them to have all of those experiences to make up for lost time.

Aileen’s Picks: Books for the Littlest Ones

Tim Challies’ wife Aileen runs the Early Years program at their church. Here are her recommendations of good board books. (This might be helpful for parents, grandparents, or anyone wanting to bless a family with little kids.)

While there are many wonderful children’s classics that certainly have their place, I began to ask why we weren’t being more intentional about the stories we offered. Wouldn’t it be better to fill these early teaching moments with books that reflect God’s truths?

Tractor Sonnet

Our poem of the week: Tractor Sonnet, by Marie Burdett. This is an enjoyable poem about the work of a farmer on a tractor.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called How the Gospel is Dismantling My Critical Spirit. 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-09-26)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Rise with the Sun: A New Song with CityAlight

Tim Challies teamed up with CityAlight to write a song connected to his latest book project. This link has the video and the lyrics.

“Rise with the Sun” is meant to call Christians to marvel at the wonder of what God does each Sunday as saints across the world rise and gather together to worship God. As a new day begins, Christians begin a chorus of praise that soon circles the globe until my church and yours join in. “There’s a song that’s sung through the nations,” says this song. And God means for each of us to “Join in the song and sing out his praise.”

When a Holding Pattern is Your Homework Assignment

Laura Patterson writes about anxiety and faith.

I never told my children to eat their tomatoes as a moral issue of right and wrong. Instead, I wanted to use the food on their plates as a training ground to teach them that their preferences, their likes and dislikes, are flexible. I wanted them to learn that they could teach themselves to prefer things they didn’t previously like. This training, I prayed, would be helpful in the future as they tried to line up their affections with the priorities of the kingdom of Christ—a matter of great moral consequence.

The ‘2 Roads’ Approach to Evangelism

Joe Carter writes at The Gospel Coalition about an approach to evangelism that combines the Romans Road presentation with a new method using texts from Ephesians.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that will always work, I want to recommend a framework that presents two powerful evangelistic pathways—the Romans Road and the Ephesians Road—and demonstrates how this combination can work together to create a more complete and compelling gospel presentation.

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 (2025-09-19)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Struggling to Keep Up in Motherhood? Let the Spirit Set Your Pace.

Aimee Joseph writes about keeping in step with the Spirit when it comes to motherhood.

Make no mistake about it, motherhood has always been a massive job. I love how G. K. Chesterton captured its staggering scope: “A woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute.” While motherhood’s scope hasn’t changed much over time, its pace has. Aided by technology, compelled by memes, and informed by influencers, modern motherhood feels like a frantic race. The amount of things a mom and her family are expected to do in a day, a week, or a year make our days so full that I’ve often had to double my desired pace to barely keep up.

4 Ways the Church Helps You in the Fight for Purity

It’s all too easy to think that one needs to battle for sexual purity by themselves. Garrett Kell points us to the church for help.

God gives the church to help you resist temptation and draw you in a better direction, toward a better country. Our journey of faith is marked by the joyful assurance that God is with us and that soon we shall be with him. But this journey cannot be made alone; we make it together. You need other Christians, and they need you. Consider how God wants to use the fellowship of a church to help you fight sexual sin and endure in faith.

How is God Unchanging?

This is a short video from Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte on the topic of God’s unchangeableness, featuring Dr. Blair Smith.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called How Short, O Lord? 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-09-12)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Wrinkles That Testify

I love the way Beth Ferguson writes about Psalm 71 and aging. She writes about the challenges and joys of discipleship for those past mid-life.

The culture whispers that aging is a problem to be solved, a disease to resist. My social media often features the next miracle supplement, an exercise plan promising strength and mobility. There are many lists—do this, and don’t do that—for longevity. But Psalm 71 pushes back with a better vision: aging is an opportunity, a holy vocation, another chapter in the lifelong call to be a disciple of Jesus and to make disciples of Jesus.

How to Rightly Train Your Affections

Casey McCall writes about our affections—what they are and how we can faithfully shape them. (I thought his food analogies here were very helpful.)

I never told my children to eat their tomatoes as a moral issue of right and wrong. Instead, I wanted to use the food on their plates as a training ground to teach them that their preferences, their likes and dislikes, are flexible. I wanted them to learn that they could teach themselves to prefer things they didn’t previously like. This training, I prayed, would be helpful in the future as they tried to line up their affections with the priorities of the kingdom of Christ—a matter of great moral consequence.

Epiphany

Our poem of the week: Epiphany, by John Claiborne Isbell. This short poem is about the distance from us to God and what happens when God reaches 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-09-05)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

How can I trust God when he doesn’t answer my prayers?

Here’s another thoughtful CCEF video (with transcript) answering this hard question: How can I trust God when he doesn’t answer my prayers? Aaron Sironi directs us to the Psalms of lament.

Isn’t it amazing that the psalms of lament were written down and passed from one generation to the next by saints who went before us, who also suffered greatly and who were troubled, deeply troubled, and even shaken by the fact that God was not answering or helping them, that they experienced his silence and even distance? And the whole purpose of the psalms of lament is that we would grow and develop a deeper trust and a deeper faith in the Lord at those times and at those seasons when we cannot see or hear him.

Sola Scriptura: A Firm Foundation for Making Disciples

Here’s a good definition and explanation of sola scriptura as well as an explanation of how useful this doctrine is in our spiritual growth.

People rarely revel in foundations and are generally not wowed by soil walls or gravel footings. We don’t show off our concrete slabs to houseguests. Yet if our foundation crumbles, the entire house falls into ruin. Likewise, if we fail to stand firm upon God’s Word, the entire church will face disaster. Foundations are never flashy, but the foundation of sola Scriptura, Latin for “by Scripture alone,” has upheld disciple-makers generation after generation.

Everyday Pacing

Our poem of the week: Everyday Pacing, by Alyssa Strzalka. This poem is about a summer evening and being rooted to a particular place in the world.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Living Hope and the Resurrection of Jesus. 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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-08-29)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Love the Lonely Among You

Steve DeWitt writes about how the gospel is inherently welcoming and how this should propel Christians to embrace a ministry of hospitality.

Jesus said that radical love for one another would distinguish his disciples (John 13:35). The early church shook the world with its countercultural heart of hospitality, especially for the marginalized, orphaned, and abandoned. This ancient DNA is still embedded in the gospel today. So, it should trouble us when the lost and lonely who wander into our gatherings are overlooked.

Working with Faithfulness When Our Bodies Are Weak

Glenna Marshall reflects on chronic illness and faithful work in her context as a mother.

For many moms, our work—paid or not—must continue when we don’t feel well. How do we practice faithfulness in our work when we don’t have the energy or margin to tackle our normal tasks? Are we faithful on the days we feel strong and accomplished but unfaithful on the days we feel weak and need rest?

Analogia Entis (Sunlight)

Our poem of the week: Analogia Entis (Sunlight), by Phillip Yelverton. This poem describes a walk in the woods and the dreams dreamt along the way.

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