This week Thomas Sugimura explained The “Problem” (and Proclamation!) of Christmas, I shared My Favorite Asian American Christian Books I Read in 2022, and Hannah Chao revealed SOLA Network’s Hidden Gems of 2022. Happy New Year!
We recently hit 400 subscribers on our YouTube channel! Our Most Popular Videos is a good place to start. Check out our Author Interviews and The Asian American Church playlists. In case you missed it, you can find all of our Advent Devotions on Substack.
This newsletter is one of the many ways you can keep in touch with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more, check out my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group and TGIF Playlist on Spotify. You can reach me on Twitter and Instagram.
Enter to win this wonderful book! Read my review. Thanks to Reagan Rose for providing this book for our giveaway, in partnership with my newsletters for @diveindigdeep and FCBC Walnut.
Articles From Around The Web
1. Ray Ortlund: 5 Myths about Porn
You aren’t stuck with porn. The One who made you can recreate you as a person standing tall, walking in integrity, lifting others up. Why repeat this past year? Your gracious Savior is offering you freedom in this new year. Why not go for it?
Related: How to Help Someone who Struggles with Pornography: An Interview with Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes by Tim St. John
2. Will Standridge: 10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year
“It is easy to lose sight of what is important in your planning and program to impress instead of disciple.”
Related: Serving in Asian American Youth Ministry: An Interview with Pastor Danny Kwon by Daniel K. Eng
3. Joanna Kimbrel: Why I’m Staying on Social Media
“By God’s grace, I’ve become increasingly aware of social media’s potential for evil as well as good. My prayer is that I’ll walk wisely through the world of social media for God’s glory and the good of others.”Related: Telling Her Own Story: An Interview with Ruth Chou Simons by Aaron Lee
In case you missed it, you can find all of our Advent Devotions on Substack!
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. TGC Bible Commentary: 1 Timothy by Paul Jeon
“Rather than being a manual that offers random nuggets for a variety of theological and practical issues, the letter coheres around the rhetorical aim of discrediting the false teachers.”
2. Dive In Dig Deep: 2022 Book Awards
Inspired by Tim Challies, here is my collection of 30 links around the 2022 year in books! Featuring Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, and more.
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: Jesus Through the Eyes of Women by Rebecca McLaughlin, Take Heart by David Powlison, and Biblical Reasoning by R. B. Jamieson and Tyler R. Wittman. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
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Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Hannah Chao: SOLA Network’s Hidden Gems of 2022
“As the year draws to a close, I’d like to highlight some of my favorite articles this year that didn’t make it to the most-viewed articles of the year and yet were so powerful to me. I hope these hidden gems will be an encouragement to you as we enter the new year!”
2. Aaron Lee: My Favorite Asian American Christian Books I Read in 2022
“I was blessed to see the work that God is doing through books. Here at SOLA Network, we are happy to support Asian American authors and their ministry of words.”
3. Daniel K. Eng: An Untraditional Bible Reading Plan
“While a traditional plan restricts me to the task of ‘getting through’ the reading, a one-book-a-month approach allows me to slow down and investigate something I find interesting or confusing.”
4. Patreeya Thorn: A Letter to the Lonely
“For many of us, the longing of Advent is very real. Because while we may have places to go or people to see (perhaps less so this year), there is nothing like the insistence that all must be merry and bright to illuminate the hardest parts of life.”
5. Tom Sugimura: The “Problem” (and Proclamation!) of Christmas
“This Christmas, proclaim the good news that Jesus takes away any fears related to your sins or sorrows. Jesus offers you peace with God and peace in your relationships, then fills you with his joy even in a fallen world.”
6. TGIF: Roundup for December 23, 2022
Is Christmas a ‘Western’ Holiday in Asia? / Lessons for Missions from the Ministries of John G. Paton and Wang Ming-dao (王明道) / Gleanings from Ruth: An Advent Reflection / Faithful Disobedience: The State of Christianity in China with Hannah Nation / MacArthur and His Successor
7. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
Get our TGIF installments delivered straight to your inbox for free every Friday. Subscribe today so you never miss out.
General disclaimer: Our link roundups are not endorsements of the positions or lives of the authors.