As we finish up our October focus on worship, creativity, and art, it is fitting that Kanye West’s “Jesus Is King” album would be trending. SOLA editor Hannah Chao saw it coming, and asked in her newsletter “Does it matter that Kanye is a Christian” before the album was released.
Hannah and I recorded a podcast about writing newsletters, journals, and blogs. We also revealed our recent favorite SOLA articles and shared what God has been teaching. This was first made available to our SOLA newsletter subscribers. If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please tweet me @musicgoon or email me at aaron@musicgoon.com.
We will give away one more book bundle from our article SOLA Book Recommendations for College Students (and Beyond), so follow us on Facebook and Instagram to find out how you can have the opportunity to win.
Link Roundup
1. Eugene Park: Kanye West: From ‘I Am a God’ to ‘Jesus Is King’
The Gospel Coalition (TGC) published this article from our friend Eugene Park, associate pastor of True North Church in Palo Alto, California and former member of our SOLA Conference planning team.
2. Olivia Wakamoto: Why Can’t God Save Kanye?
UChicago Grad student Olivia Wakamoto writes on Medium examining Paul, pride, bias, and belief.
3. Ryan Zhang: Hope for Hong Kong
Pastor Ryan Zhang considers Hong Kong his second home, and in this article for TGC he calls Christians to offer hope in the gospel of a heavenly king and kingdom.
4. Steve Bang Lee: 3 Blind Spots of the Young Christian Leader
SOLA contributor and college pastor Steve Bang Lee shares from his own experience and gives suggestions for seeing more clearly.
Weekend Recommendations
1. TGC Podcast: Evangelizing Youth in a Selfie Age
A 45-minute panel with Jackie Hill Perry, Cameron Cole, Glen Scrivener, and Stephen Um from TGC’s 2019 National Conference.
2. Russell Moore: Loneliness
In this 10-minute video, Russell Moore reflects “on Jesus’ rhythms of withdrawal and community, examine people’s responses to loneliness, and provide guidance for addressing the loneliness in our lives and the lives of those around us.”
3. Aaron Lee: Book Reviews
This week I reviewed The Feasts of Repentance by Michael J. Ovey and Aging Gracefully by Tim Challies.
From SOLA
1. Hannah Chao: Reformation Day: Reflecting on the 5 Solas
“To help explore these Five Solas, we have complied 5 reflections from our SOLA Council members. We hope that these essays will give you more glimpses of the beauty of God’s grace upon us.”
2. Justin C. Ha: At the Crossroads with Christ
“As a young adult Christian, this news concerns me. I’m concerned not because these influential figures have expressed doubts; honest challenges to our faith can refine our understanding of the truth. Rather, I’m concerned because they may represent how our generation perceives Christianity — a set of good, moral beliefs. But the Christian faith cannot be grounded in agreeable principles or persuasive arguments. It must be found in the person of Christ.”
3. Irene Paek: Jesus Made Me Walk On Water
“But through the storms and turbulence of my life’s situation, Jesus was calling me to trust him and step out of the boat and onto the waves with my friends, my job, and most importantly in my relationship with my parents. Here are three truths that I learned through Matthew 14 that I hope will encourage you to get out of the boat, even you are in difficult storms and seasons.”
4. Aaron Lee: They Do All Their Deeds to be Seen by Others: 4 Resolutions for Creative Christians
“I record, upload, and share videos on YouTube of our Sunday worship music sets. I record my teachings and distribute them on podcasts. I have an Instagram dedicated to Bibles and books. I am writing this article that you are reading. What would Jesus have to say about my online platforms? Here is Jesus’ word of warning for those who serve on stage and a call to caution for those who display themselves in the digital realm.”
5. Thank God It’s Friday: Weekend Roundup
In case you missed it, here are some headlines from last week: ‘We don’t just study’: Inside Asia’s bloody history of student-led protests, Tim and Kathy Keller on Dating, Marriage, Complementarianism, and Other Small Topics, True Luxury, and Andrew Peterson on Why Artists Aren’t Better Than Everyone Else.
6. SOLA: TGIF Subscription
Get our weekly TGIF weekend roundups delivered straight to your inbox for free. Subscribe today so you never miss out.