Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Timarie Friesen: Start at Revelation
“Open the year by reading Revelation. You’re invited into the story as a friend, one who’s dearly loved by God because of Christ Jesus. Consider the larger redemptive story of the Bible and look for Jesus as you read Revelation. You’ve been running the race of the Christian life, and Jesus is there with you. The Holy Spirit comforts you through the unknowns of a new year when present-day events shroud clarity. Fix your eyes on Jesus by reading Revelation as you start your new year.”
2. Mia Staub: Your Likes Are But Dust
“There’s nothing wrong with building good habits. But the right workout routine, the right diet, the best skin—even the dog and the house and the spouse—can’t fix the dissonance between right now and the ideal life.”
3. Lewis Guest IV: God’s Word in Your Mouth: Finding Your Voice in Preaching
Voice refers not only to the sound, pitch, volume, tone, or timbre of your vocal cords. Voice implies the essence of who you are. God’s word finds expression in the distinct personhood of the preacher. Here, then, is my working definition of voice, building from Brook’s description of preaching: your voice is God’s word preached through who you truly are.
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. Tim Challies: Thoughts on Digital Libraries in 2025
“I would never say that electronic libraries are right for everyone or the best option in every situation. I would never say they are without drawbacks. Yet, many years after making the shift, I would say that it was right for me and that I am glad I did it.”
2. Conor Sweetman: Poetry Can Pull You Into the New Year
“There is a way to praise God by merely existing—as the planets, mountains, and rabbits do in their simple glory. Then there is a way to praise God through our unique human faculties of imagination and creativity. With poetry’s way of bringing these faculties to life, we have the opportunity to channel these gifts in a way that glorifies God’s grandeur.”
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: NIV Study Bible by Zondervan, The Long Road Home by Sarah Walton. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Tom Sugimura: Wisdom Along Ancient Paths: Reading Biblical Narrative
“Sin’s corruption turned our God-given imagination toward guilty despair, lustful fantasies, anxious thoughts, and uncharitable judgments. Only stories resonating with biblical truth can renew our vision of godly relationships, heavenly glory, and hope-filled community as the church.”
2. Tiffany Chu: Many Voices, One Mission: Aaron Lee’s Faith Journey to Publishing
“Our book is titled A Letter to the Asian American Church, but we are well aware that others will be reading – and we hope they can learn from our stories and perspectives.”
3. SOLA Network: On Kindle Now! A Letter to the Asian American Church
Last year we published our first book, A Letter to the Asian American Church, and at the start of 2025 we are proud to announce that it is now available on Amazon Kindle!
4. TGIF: Roundup for January 3, 2025
Honor Your (Elderly) Parents: How Adult Children ‘Make Some Return’ / Zion, the City of God / An Invitation Written in the Stars / Is Sharing the Gospel on Social Media Still Worth It? / Top Ten 9Marks Podcast Episodes from 2024
5. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
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