Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
1. David Mathis: Jesus Showed Up: The In-Person Visit of the Incarnation
“He rescued us as only God-with-us could do.”
2. Katie Faris: Encouragement for Moms Who Don’t Always Feel Gentle
“God doesn’t get frustrated, throw up his hands in disgust, or give up on you. He gently leads you.”
3. Benjamin Vrbicek: Jesus Is Unashamed to Take Awkward Family Christmas Photos
“Jesus is Immanuel, the real God with the real us—a story so unlikely and awkward that it becomes beautiful again.”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
1. Todd R. Hains: ‘Sing, Dear Children’: Luther and the Joyful Noise of Christmas
“‘Sing, dear children!’ Luther told his household. ‘Sing of the dear newborn little baby!’ This is the fitting response to the incarnation.”
2. Ask Rooted: How Has the Lord Comforted You in Sorrow as a Parent at Christmastime?
Mike Ruamthong: “Walking through the holidays as a newly divorced single parent was painfully disorienting… But it was in that ache that the grace of the gospel became more tangible to me than it ever had, even in seasons when life felt put-together.”
3. Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: How to Lead Your Family by Joel Beeke, Meet the Puritans by Beeke, Pederson, and Jones. Find me on Substack. Listen to our TGIF playlist on Spotify. Join my Asian American Worship Leaders Facebook group.
Featured This Week On SOLA Network
1. Keith Fong: Christ, Everlasting Father
“This promised child, this given son, is destined to reign as the Son of David, to reign over Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
2. Faith Chang: The Eucatastrophe Of Human History: An Advent Reflection
“This is what captures my heart at Christmas—that the story of Christ’s birth, like the whole of the Christian claim, is not one of denial. Our faith is one that is meant to be tested in the face of real life in the real world. The “thrill of hope” we feel of the incarnation comes in the context of deep darkness.”
3. Yung Kim, Christy Hyun: Parents in Desperate Need of the Gospel
“In those early years, my wife and I had unknowingly fallen into a trap, but God was merciful to us. Our greatest legacy isn’t raising kids who think their parents are perfect; it’s raising kids who know exactly where to go when they realize they aren’t. When our kids witnessed their parents in tears, falling at the feet of Jesus, we stopped being their “moral examples” and we became fellow brother and sister running to be with Jesus; together.”
4. TGIF: Roundup for December 19, 2025
When Christmas Finds You Far from Home / Rejoicing in the Light Amid the Night / You Are in the Circumstances in Which You Can Best Serve / Transformed Together / Answering Your Questions on Guilt and Shame
5. SOLA Network: TGIF Subscription
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