Category: Links

Links for the Weekend (2026-09-18)

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

Andrew Wilson writes about happiness and joy: why do they exist? How do we find them? He explains how we find ultimate joy in God’s presence.

But it’s Solomon’s father, David, who goes even further. He declares that beyond dwelling in any physical structure, being in God’s presence and the joy it brings is the only thing he wants in life: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple” (27:4). God’s presence is so delightful that when you experience it, you don’t want anything else.

A Replacement for Judas: Acts 1:15–26

Jeffrey Stivason explains how the way the apostles replaced Judas highlighted God’s appointment.

At first glance, Acts 1:15–26 is a puzzling passage. Luke devotes twelve verses to the replacement of Judas Iscariot! That is unexpected. Even more surprising is the method by which the apostles make their replacement decision. After identifying two qualified men, they cast lots to determine who would become the twelfth apostle. Did you hear that? They cast lots.

Mustang Grape

Our poem of the week: Mustang Grape, by Kate Bluett. This poem is about a vine growing in Texas and also about desire for the Lord.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Those Who Hope Are Transformed. 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 (2026-09-11)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

It’s Not Too Late to Make This a Great Year of Bible Reading

Tim Challies encourages us not to give up on the year if our devotional life hasn’t gone like we wanted. He offers suggestions on how to make the most of the rest of the year with regard to prayer and Bible reading.

By the end of August, many people have come to admit that the dreams they had for Bible reading that year have not been realized. Maybe that’s your reality. Maybe you set out strong in January and kept up the habit through the first half of the year, but then summer came along, routines were disrupted, and things haven’t been the same ever since. Or maybe you planned to read through a daily devotional but didn’t enjoy it as much as you thought you would. Maybe you found your reading plan was just a bit too heavy for the realities of your life. Maybe you got sick and couldn’t read for a time, or had a baby and have had to build entirely new routines. There could be any number of factors. 

I simply want to encourage you not to surrender the rest of this year. In fact, I want you to believe that you can still make this an extraordinary year of reading your Bible. However, for that to be the case, you will need to take a bit of time to consider how to read, what to read, and how to either form a new habit or re-form an old one.

How to Treat Sexual Thoughts

Alan Noble provides advice for dealing with impure, sexual thoughts.

For some of us, impure sexual thoughts come up often, for others, hardly at all. That’s just how God designed us. But society clearly wants us thinking about sex all the time, and more importantly, society wants us to engage and dwell on those thoughts. It appeals to our sexual passions. Because that’s how we are led to buy more products and services. As a result, for some Christians, their interiority can be crowded with impure thoughts daily. And they may hate themselves for it. They may experience shame. Regret. Self-loathing. Distrust of self. And also a feeling of helplessness. The thoughts just keep coming. How do you stop them so you can pay attention to what’s in front of you, to who is in front of you? How do you love your brothers and sisters in Christ by thinking of them in holy, respectful, familial ways?

How to Pray When You Feel Like You Pray the Same Thing Every Day

If you’re wondering for some practical tips on including Scripture in your prayer life, this article is a good resource.

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 (2026-09-04)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Advice for a Young Bride

Melissa Edgington writes about how dependence in marriage should be embraced, not discarded.

If I could give advice to a young bride today, after three decades of experimentally learning how to live a life that’s hopelessly and gloriously intertwined with a man’s, I would urge her to embrace her dependence on her husband. I would tell her not to just embrace it, but to revel in it, enjoy it, and celebrate it as one of the great joys of married life.

6 Reasons to Study the Bible

Glenna Marshall offers six compelling reasons to study the Bible.

We study the Bible not to become smart but to become wise in the things of God. We study the Bible to know the ultimate author, hear what he has to say, walk closely with him, and reflect him to the world around us. When we open our Bibles to observe, take notes, pray, ask questions, and search diligently, we will be transformed as our minds are renewed by the inspired words of God.

Pleading My Righteousness?

Have you wondered how to handle the occasions in the psalms when the author asks God to deal with him according to his own righteousness? Dan Crabtree offers advice.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called How to Enjoy Your (Vain) Life. 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 (2026-08-28)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Engaged but Not Alarmed

Dan Cruver writes about following the news of the day without being consumed by it.

Our confidence in Christ means we need not come to the news as anxious citizens or loyal partisans or helpless doomscrollers. We read as those whom Christ has chosen, redeemed, and forgiven according to the riches of God’s grace — as those included in God’s purpose to unite all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:4–10).

On Being a Self-Critical Christian

Chris Martin reflects on being overly critical and how he has grown in this area. He also ties this to his tendency to be self-critical. He ends with some helpful Scriptural reminders for those who have a critical spirit.

I can’t point to any single reason I’ve become less critical over the years. Surely the Holy Spirit has helped, convicting my heart in times of Bible reading and prayer (and through friends). Some of my growth is probably attributable to general maturity—as one ages he tends to get less fiery, I think. And no small portion of it can likely be credited to becoming the father of two young girls in the last six years. I would say being a girl dad has softened me more than just about anything—the Holy Spirit has certainly used this in his molding of my heart.

Creation Groans

Our poem of the week: Creation Groans, by Kate Bluett. This poem reflects on Romans 8 and imagines all that will be one day different in creation.

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 (2026-08-21)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Weakness Isn’t Our Enemy

Sarah Walton reminds us that we were created as dependent creatures; needing help from others isn’t a sign that we’re doing something wrong!

We dislike needing help. We resent our physical limitations. We’re frustrated by our emotions, disappointed by our failures, and unsettled by circumstances we can’t control. We despise the weaknesses that expose how little power we actually possess.

But perhaps we’re fighting the wrong battle. Weakness isn’t our enemy. Weakness is one of God’s greatest invitations.

If you seek your calling, look about you.

Reagan Rose helps us think about our present callings (in contrast to our possible future callings). Often, what God is calling us to right now is evident around us!

It’s easy to get so preoccupied with looking to the future that we neglect faithfulness in our present responsibilities. It’s easy to miss the glory of the mundane. But all of our responsibilities are important as we do them as worship unto the Lord and love to our neighbor. 

Are you seeking to be holy as He is holy, reflecting the image of Christ in whatever roles or responsibilities you have right now? Whether you are working a job, studying for school, serving in church, or doing the dishes, your calling is to be maximally faithful to the task He’s given you. 

How To Show Hospitality When You Live in a Small Home

From his experience, Tim Challies offers some advice on how to show hospitality in a small space.

First, don’t be ashamed of your house. We are all prone to judge one another by visible symbols of wealth like cars, clothes, and houses, and we knew that people would draw conclusions about us based on the size of our home. But we understood this to be the Lord’s provision for us and never wanted to be ashamed of what he provided. So we chose to be as thankful for our small house as anyone could be of their big one, and every bit as unashamed of it.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Ecclesiastes As Invitation. 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 (2026-08-14)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

When God’s Plans Seem Inconsistent With His Promises

Kirsten Black writes about how the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac reveals the nature of faith. God will keep his promises even when we can’t see how that may happen.

Enduring faith trusts the character of God, even when his actions defy logic. Lasting faith believes who God says he is, even when experiences suggest otherwise. Sincere faith accepts that we cannot see the full picture. We can be certain, however, that we have a faithful God who knows and understands every aspect of what he is doing. He sees the beginning, the end, and everything in-between.

Cruising Downstream, Laboring Upstream

Tim Challies uses an analogy about canoeing on a river to help us understand growing in holiness.

You may know from experience that it is easy to take a boat downstream and much harder to take it back up. You certainly know from experience that it is easy to follow sin downstream and much harder to change your course to pursue holiness. As long as you go with the flow of your own desires, the ways of the devil, and the movement of the world around you, life is easy. You can stow your paddle and simply coast. But when you choose to turn toward the Lord, when you decide you will labor toward the Heaven he has secured for us rather than coast to Hell, you quickly learn that you are in for a struggle.

How to Fight Laziness

John Piper explains a proverb about laziness and points to our hope of transformation.

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 (2026-08-07)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

You Are Not Enough (And That is Not Failure)

Hannah Hagarty writes about realizing her insufficiency and God’s sufficiency, especially in parenting. She urges us to reject simple parenting formulas and to rely on God’s grace.

Perhaps in frustration you’ve thought, “I have tried everything and all that I have left is prayer.” You may have underestimated the magnitude of speaking to the Father on behalf of your kids but you’re about to discover how powerful it is. The God who is sufficient to transform a human heart is the same God who actively pursues the lost lamb till it’s found.

How to Read the Bible: 15 Tips for Beginners

Kevin Halloran has collected 15 pieces of advice for people starting out on reading the Bible. Maybe that describes you or a friend of yours!

You may have heard about the Bible for years, but now you want to open it for yourself—perhaps for the first time. You’re in the right place.

In the Bible, the God who made the universe speaks. He reveals who He is, why the world exists, and why humanity is broken. The Bible shows us how sin has separated us from God, and how in love, He sent his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and rise from the dead so we could be forgiven and reconciled to him.

I struggle with overeating. What should I do?

If you or someone you love struggles with overeating, you might consider this CCEF video by Mike Emlet. (There is also a transcript provided at that link.)

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article written by Meghan Watt called How Loss Informs Life. 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 (2026-07-31)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out

Tessa Lind shares an illustration from her very own property about hiding our sin.

And we can then begin anew. No more trying to remember which lies we told to which people. No more internal knots in our gut as we consider our past deeds. Instead, we can lay a pure foundation in our lives, building on the solid rock of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will never rot or decay. We will never experience unseen sinkholes. Those who have Jesus as their foundation will survive and receive a reward.

Aging Is a Series of Relinquishments

Barbara Lee Harper shares about growing older. I appreciated how she included promises from God we can cling to in our older years!

In our forties, suddenly our body chemistry changes. I never had problems with dairy products until I was forty. When I asked my doctor why I suddenly did, he just answered “hormones.” I also became allergic to penicillin and sulfa around that time, though I had taken them for years before.

It seems the older we get, the more we lose physically. Our energy diminishes. Our health may go downhill. Our looks melt into wrinkles and greyness. Our vision and hearing may become problematic. Eventually, we might have to give up car keys. Our decreasing mobility may require walkers or canes.

Meditation XXII

Our poem of the week: Meditation XXII, by MarK Rico. This poem uses the image of walking in the water at the beach to reflect on our relationship with 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 (2026-07-24)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Scattered

Melissa Edgington writes about being scattered in motherhood. I’m sure all parents can relate!

One thing I know about motherhood is that it never stops pressing me into my Savior’s side, whether I run to Him with a crushing hug of gratefulness and praise or I fall into His arms in desperation or even a longing for what used to be but isn’t anymore. While my family shifts and changes around me, Jesus stays right where’s He’s always been. When I’m scattered, He gathers. When I feel shaky, He reminds me there’s solid ground beneath my feet. When I’m teary-eyed in the kitchen, He fills my mind with good things. And when my children strike out into the world, He gets into the boat with them.

Five Myths That Keep You From Reading the Institutes

Have you read John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion? (I haven’t!) Anthony Faggiano thinks that some people resist reading this influential book because they have believed myths about it, and he’s here to correct those misconceptions.

I expected dry. What I found was closer to binge-worthy; I’d reach the end of a chapter and find it almost impossible not to begin the next. Six months later I had worked through the whole thing slowly enough to underline the key points, which turned out to be more than half the book.

Grave

Our poem of the week: Grave, by Kate Bluett. This poem puts the raising of Lazarus and the resurrection of Jesus together in the mind of one of the disciples. The last line is wonderful!

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called 10 Truths About the Holy Spirit from Romans 8. 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 (2026-07-17)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

God Believes In Rest. Do You?

Tim Challies wants to persuade you to rest.

But God also gives us rest for practical, physical purposes. He gives us rest because we are weak. He gives us rest because we are finite. He gives us rest because we need it and simply cannot thrive without it. We can do more good, bring more blessing, and better serve his cause if we rest. He gives us rest because he loves us, because he cares for us, and because he wants what is best for us. The fact is, God is a big fan of rest!

Did God Command Genocide in Deuteronomy 7?

Read this one with your Bible open! Andrew Wilson takes up the criticism that God commanded the Israelites to commit genocide as they entered the promised land.

Many people today find Deuteronomy 7 to be the hardest and most troubling chapter in the entire Bible. We may struggle theologically, with how to square these commands with the all-good and all-loving God we meet elsewhere in Scripture (not least in Deuteronomy itself!). We may struggle historically, with whether and to what extent Israel followed through on these commands in the books of Joshua and Judges.

Of hearts and wine and smartphones

Our poem of the week: Of hearts and wine and smartphones, by Thomas McKendry. This is the sort of poem that has you nodding your head to the evocative images throughout and then, at the end, you find your breath taken away.

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