Category: Links

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. 

Links for the Weekend (2025-08-22)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Don’t Misread Proverbs

Jen Wilkin offers us some helpful tips on reading the book of Proverbs.

In our therapeutic, self-help age, we may be tempted to reduce it to a reference book for successful living. But by correcting a few simple misconceptions, we can access the poetry and richness (and yes, usefulness!) the book has to offer. Here are three guidelines to shift our perspective for a better reading.

Inner Experience as the Ultimate Sexual Authority

So many in our age use their inner experience to dictate their sexual ethics. Alan Noble offers a corrective.

What I was taught by the world was that my feelings were supreme. That love is over all. That love is an internal emotional that no one can challenge and is defined by the individual. That who you were attracted to and what you desired and who you loved were intimately tied to your identity which was and is profoundly sacred. I was taught all this by a thousand songs, a million movies, and a billion TV shows. Whatever my heart desired, my heart desired. End of story.

The Gamblers

Our poem of the week: The Gamblers, by Zina Gomez-Liss. This poem is about aging, family, and pastimes.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Training That Only Grace Provides. 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 (2025-08-15)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

6 Implications of Being Made in the Image of God

Here’s a short article at Crossway on some brief but profound implications of being made in the image of God.

The image of God means that all human beings have inherent worth and dignity. This is one reason abortion is wrong. A person is a person no matter how small, no matter her development, no matter his environment, and no matter her degree of dependence on another human being. Innocent human life must be protected, even when that life is old or sick, even when the person wants to end his own life. Because every human being is made in God’s image, descended from the same human pair, there is no place for racism, partiality, or feelings of ethnic superiority.

A Biblical Message for Aging Parents

This topic is necessary, though it may not be pleasant. Christians should think of (and plan for) the ways they will care for their parents as they age. (Aging parents should think about the ways they will be cared for, too.) This article offers some practical advice.

Aging parents must speak with their children about their expectations and plans for their sunset years. This includes discussing living arrangements, medical care, financial matters, and emotional needs. These conversations are not just practical—they are deeply spiritual and relational. Scripture calls us to live wisely and lovingly, and that includes preparing for the inevitable transitions of aging.

It is Finished

Our poem of the week: It is Finished, by Tania Runyon. This poem, written from the perspective of Jesus, urges readers to remember that his sacrifice is enough.

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 (2025-08-08)

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 We Help Our Kids Grow in Grace?

Andrea Hoglund emphasizes God’s role in our children’s growth in grace, and she advises parents to “bring them near” and “give them support.”

As parents, we raise little apple trees, souls that bear fruit only with time and patience. Yet how often do we, unlike the farmer, expect to find mature fruit too early as we scrutinize our children for signs of spiritual growth? For all our efforts to train our children well — opening God’s word, bowing in prayer, and worshiping with God’s people — we often find something is missing in the middle of it all: peace of mind.

Want to Grow in Wisdom? You Need Gospel Friends.

Courtney Doctor describes what she means by “gospel friends” and encourages us to seek out friends like this.

Think about whom you most often ask for advice. Do you have a group of friends you go to? Do you scroll social media to see what the “experts” say on any given topic? Do you ask your neighbor, mom, or aunt? What voices have the greatest influence in your life? To faithfully navigate the Christian life, we need more than good advice. We need gospel friends who help us walk in wisdom.

When God’s Promises Feel Untrue

Esther Liu offers some advice for when we read God’s promises in Scripture and they don’t feel true.

How many times have we read a passage of Scripture and had no idea how to make sense of it—not because it was hard to understand theologically or the language was confusing—but because it seemed to directly contradict our life circumstances? It left us wondering, “Does God keep his promises?”

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Contentment Doesn’t Come Through Comparison. 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 (2025-08-01)

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.