Tag: The Gospel Coalition

Links for the Weekend (2026-05-29)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest

Trevin Wax highlights prayer as an essential evangelistic activity, and he offers three practical suggestions.

A couple years ago, John Dickson and I were giving guest lectures for a course at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford. One of his observations stood out to me: Praying is the most frequently enjoined gospel-promoting activity in the New Testament.

Not preaching. Not giving. Not going. Praying.

I tend to think of prayer as what we do before the real work of evangelism begins, or as a last resort when we run into difficulty. But ever since Dickson made that observation, I keep finding that emphasis on evangelistic prayer everywhere I look in the New Testament.

The Dangerous Days Past Middle Age

Michele Morin writes with some warnings for those in the second half of life. She points out three temptations particular to this age.

I can easily be fooled into mistaking apathy for godly serenity. I might take comfort in the absence of “fiery” sins like lust and anger — yet I may be blind to the pride, selfishness, and slothfulness that have crept into their place. Time can make us lazy, and we’re all subject to its subtle drift. Perhaps the sifting question for the aging Christian is, “Am I killing sin, or have I just traded one destructive path for another?”

I Am Not Enough for My Kids

Amy Medina writes about the determination she needed when going through the adoption process and how she took that same determination into parenting.

But what I discovered is that bringing them home, as challenging as it was, was the easy part. Raising them is much harder. And I’ve slowly, incrementally, had to accept this hard truth: Determination is not enough. I am not enough for my kids. 

I can’t bind up all the wounds. I can’t protect them from all the bad things. I can’t make them love the things I love. I can’t keep the bullies away. I can’t always stop them from being the bully. I can’t force a (sincere) apology. I can’t change DNA. I can’t create motivation. I can’t make this world fair. I can’t keep them safe all the time. I can’t manifest love and security into their hearts. And of course, I can’t always be the kind, patient, and wise mother I imagined I would be. 

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Work: For Legacy or Joy? 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 (2026-05-22)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

The Will of God Isn’t a GPS

Trevin Wax advises that God’s will is more like a map than a GPS.

Some Christians come to the Bible expecting semimystical guidance—a verse that will signal to you exactly what job to take, a story that will help you know whether to move, a constellation of circumstances that tell you to lean further into the right romantic relationship. Others wait for a perfect peace, a gut feeling, or a dream. Doesn’t Jesus say our heavenly Father takes note of every sparrow that falls? Surely he cares about our every step.

What We Lose When We Don’t Study the Bible Ourselves

Glenna Marshall explains the benefits of studying the Bible, even when (maybe especially when) it is difficult.

The purposes of study require that we do the work of study. We cannot expect spiritual growth without living closely to Scripture. We cannot hope for a deeper understanding of God and his redemptive story while refusing to learn the Person or the story. We won’t grow closer to the Lord if we refuse to engage with his chosen means of revelation. The things we desire to take from Bible study will only come through studying the Bible. A deepened affection for the Lord and a heart that reflects Christ come from a life saturated with Scripture. Because God’s word is living and active, regular study will (over time) shape you to look like Jesus, to love what he loves, and to hate what he hates.

Three Truths to Combat Your News Anxiety

If paying attention to the news is making you anxious, Paul Sadler has some truths from the Bible to offer comfort.

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 (2026-05-08)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

The Modern Flattening of Sin—and What We Lose

Trevin Wax has written about how our descriptions of sin have changed and how this affects our view of the work of God in salvation.

When we recast sin as primarily a matter of feeling far from God rather than being in an objective state of rebellion against him, the solution gets altered. We no longer need a physician who prescribes a cure for a dying patient; we go looking for a therapist who helps us understand our feelings. “Is our nature truly impaired,” Sanders asks, “or are we simply suffering the consequences of false beliefs about ourselves?”

Want to Share the Good News? Ask Good Questions

Sharonda Cooper has an article for Crossway about the power of questions in evangelism. She provides some helpful examples!

A third reason to ask questions is to learn the person’s perceived area of greatest need. Oftentimes people think love and acceptance are their greatest needs. Sometimes they prize financial success or independence. Maybe they long for freedom from fear and anxiety. Whatever that deepest craving might be, your job is to find it. You want to know what keeps this person up at night. Probing that area uncovers pathways to present Christ as the answer to that person’s soul sickness.

Eventide

Our poem of the week: Eventide, by Sally Thomas. This sonnet is remarkable, a description of dusk by the sea. The hymn Abide with me runs through the poem.

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 (2026-05-01)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Aim High. Repent Often.

Christians are often called “hypocrites.” Trevin Wax wrote an article “to distinguish between the kind of hypocrisy Jesus excoriates and the stumbling attempts of sincere believers to live according to his commands.” This one is worth reading a few times.

Jesus reserved his sharpest words not for those who fell short but for those who wouldn’t admit their shortcomings. The Pharisees weren’t condemned for having standards too high. They were condemned for performing righteousness while concealing corruption—for polishing the outside of the cup while the inside was full of greed and self-indulgence.

The solution to hypocrisy, then, isn’t to lower your aim. It’s to be honest when you miss.

AI Is Coming For Your Systematic Theology

Tim Challies writes about a troubling trend of AI-produced books on systematic theology on Amazon. He introduces us to the sort of books he’s talking about, tells us why the prevalence of these books is dangerous, and advises us how to spot them. He also warns that this trend is likely to get much worse.

If you were to visit Amazon today and search for “systematic theology,” it would not take you long to find a host of similar works. Many of them have scads of enthusiastic reviews and feature realistic-sounding author bios that say things like, he “is a Christian author and teacher of systematic theology with a passion for making biblical doctrine clear, accessible, and meaningful for today’s readers.” Yet in reality, he does not exist at all, and the books under his name have been generated through nothing more than clever prompting of a Large Language Model.

How to Worship When God Feels Distant

Emily Jensen offers some biblical advice on how we can worship when it feels God is far from us.

Sometimes we’re tempted to hold off on praising God until we judge ourselves ‘faithful’ or have an emotional sense of God’s nearness. But the truth is that we were never faithful enough to begin with—we’ve always had to approach God humbly, by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). God hasn’t gone anywhere, and you don’t have to do a checklist of ‘right’ things before coming to him in worship.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called Why We Reread the Bible. 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 (2026-04-17)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

The Danger of AI Isn’t Misinformation. It’s Mis-Formation.

If not used thoughtfully, artificial intelligence has the potential to damage our spiritual formation.

The real issue is what habitual AI use does to us. It turns into muscle memory that, over time, will reshape basic Christian habits like what we pay attention to, what we expect, and where we look for counsel.

How Ben Sasse Is Living Now That He Is Dying

You may or may not be familiar with former U.S. Senator Ben Sasse. He is an outspoken Christian with ties to our denomination. He received a diagnosis in December that he is dying of pancreatic cancer.

This is a podcast episode he did with Ross Douthat of the New York Times. A good chunk of this podcast is about politics, artificial intelligence, and higher education. If you’re not interested in those topics, skip to about 55 minutes to hear Senator Sasse’s thoughts on his top priorities as he is dying. (There is audio, video, and a transcript available at that link.)

We Have Seen You

Our poem of the week: We Have Seen You, by Kate Bluett. This is a poem about believing in the resurrection of Jesus, whether we have seen it with our eyes or not.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article written by Meghan Watt called Good Stewards of God’s Grace. 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 (2026-03-20)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Embrace Your Life by Enjoying Quiddity

Come for the chance to learn a new word (quiddity!), stay for advice on enjoying life exactly where you are.

How do you become a deep person? You can hear it in the word itself—it’s the desire to mine, uncover, excavate. That doesn’t happen in 14 seconds. One method, then, is through reading great books, but it’s not the only way. Lewis presents a method available to any person at any point in his or her day—practicing attentiveness.

What Is Fasting?

Cassie Achermann has written a nice overview of fasting: what it is, where it shows up in Scripture, and why you might consider doing it.

I began fasting out of a sense of deep need for God. A Bible study I had worked through left me yearning for God to bring revival in my heart as well as in my church. I started small, skipping lunch once a week and instead spending that half hour praying. Not long after, I added a second day in the week. These weren’t aimless, wandering prayer times; I was asking the Lord urgently for help in two specific areas: first, for a breakthrough in an area of ongoing sin, and second, for spiritual revival in my church, where I’d been facing discouragement and difficulty for a while.

Righteousness

Our poem of the week: Righteousness, by Kate Bluett. This is a meditation on hungering and thirsting for righteousness, as Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount.

On the WPCA Blog This Week

This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called 3 Poor Reasons to Read the Bible. If you haven’t already seen it, check it out!

Thanks to Cliff L for his help in rounding up links this week!

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 (2026-03-13)

Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

Edgelords Won’t Inherit the Earth

This one is especially for parents or friends of young men or teenage boys. Joe Carter writes about this moment’s cultural figures who influence young men and contrasts it with a biblical perspective on being a man. He offers three ways for the church to help.

The tragedy of our moment is that young men are starving for such mature masculinity and often can’t find it because the platforms that dominate their attention are structurally hostile to it. When the loudest voices in a young man’s life are those modeling immaturity, he’ll assume immaturity is what strength looks like.

​​6 Tactics for Your Fight Against Sin

This article from Brad Wetherell presents some help in the battle against sin and temptation.

When temptation comes, don’t think to yourself, “Sin is inevitable. Its pull is too powerful for me. What’s the point of fighting?” Instead, tell yourself, “Sin has lost its authority over me. I belong to Christ. Therefore, I will resist. I will not act as if sin reigns.”

Whatever Is

Our poem of the week: Whatever Is, by Sarah Chestnut. This poem is a wonderful meditation on Philippians 4:8.

Thanks to Leeanne E for her help in rounding up links this week.

    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 (2026-01-30)

    Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

    5 Reasons You Need Sabbath Rest

    The Sabbath helps to reorient our lives and hearts. Megan Hill urges us to pay attention to the Sabbath.

    The disruption of Sabbath rest is a chance to remember that even our schedules are under the Lord’s authority. Once a week, the Lord breaks into our routine and reminds us that our appointments and plans aren’t ultimate, nor are they prioritized according to our desires. When the first day of every week belongs wholly to him, it reorients every minute of every day that follows.

    Fruitful to the End

    Beth Ferguson writes about fruitfulness and aging.

    Years temper us; hardships deepen our prayers; losses refine our loves. Have you noticed that some of the most joyful people are not the youngest, but those who have walked with God for decades? They know storms, but they also know the One who calms them. Their laughter has layers, and their peace has been tested. Abiding through time transforms us. With age, we may not move as quickly, but in Christ we ripen more fully.

    Resources to Help You Meditate on Scripture in 2026

    Here is a link to a bunch of free resources to help you read, study, and meditate on the Bible. (It’s a Crossway link, so you’ll also find resources they want you to buy, too!)

    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 (2026-01-09)

    Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

    Gospel-Centered Resolutions

    This is a helpful explanation of how the gospel can reshape our approach to resolutions.

    The gospel challenges our normal approach to resolutions. Rather than starting with our desires, it reminds us that our desires are deceitful. We need to look elsewhere for our goals. Rather than telling us how to find value, the gospel reminds us that our value has been established by the blood of Jesus on the cross. Rather than telling us to try harder and be better to accomplish our goals, the gospel is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). A gospel-centered approach is simply truer. It is more life-giving. It is powerful. If you’ve given up on resolutions before, don’t lose hope. Instead, give up on “you-centered” resolutions and replace them with the gospel.

    5 Habits for Better Prayer in 2026

    This writer offers suggestions for mindsets toward prayer in the context of maintaining a relationship with God.

    Prayer is, first and foremost, being in our Father’s presence. One of the most common hindrances to prayer is the fear of not “doing it right,” like a student hesitant to attempt a tricky math problem. Yet prayer is about cherishing a relationship, not cracking a formula. It’s not the eloquence of our words but the posture of our hearts that the Lord considers.

    The Key to Finding the Author’s Emphasis When You Read the Bible

    Jon Nielson offers some suggestions to find the structure of Bible passages.

    This tool operates on the basis that every passage in the Bible has a clear structure, and the structure is important because it shows us the focus or thrust of the passage. In other words, the way the biblical author puts a passage together can show us what that author means to emphasize, highlight, and bring out for his readers. Very often, the structure of a passage is the main key to interpreting it well, understanding it rightly, and applying it faithfully to our lives. This is why the construction tool is so important—it helps us see what the biblical authors want us to see.

    On the WPCA Blog This Week

    This week on the blog we published an article I wrote called The Bible Is Not About You. 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 (2025-12-19)

    Posted onAuthorRyan Higginbottom

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

    Note: We will take a break from posting links next week (December 26) and will return with plenty of goodness on January 2, 2026. Merry Christmas!

    Make Repentance Part of Your Holiday Preparation

    This short Advent meditation, written by Betsy Childs Howard, helps us reflect on the call of John the Baptist: repentance is the best way to prepare for the kingdom of heaven.

    Repentance may be a kind of death, but it leads us to new life. The heart of the Christian faith isn’t making ourselves look better on the outside but having God truly cleanse our hearts.

    Cultivating Christmas Wonder

    John Stonestreet uses T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Cultivation of Christmas Trees” to help us think about Christmas. He urges us to cultivate wonder and expectant waiting.

    A childlike faith will allow us to see Christ’s birth in view of His death and Resurrection, as well as our roles as reconcilers in God’s unfolding story of reality. We thus can live in view of His return and triumphant reign. As Eliot put it, may Christ’s first coming fill us with hope for His second, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

    Four Advent Villanelles from Anna A. Friedrich

    Our poem(s) of the week: Four Advent Villanelles, by Anna A. Friedrich. All four of these are worth reading slowly and savoring.

    Thanks to Cliff L for his help in rounding up links this week!

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