Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
Connie Leung Nelson: Helping Teenagers Practice Good Emotional Stewardship
“God is patient with his people in their messy, sin-stained emotions. We help our kids deal with their emotions by continuing to point them to this truth about God.”
Tom Sugimura: The Permanence for a Lifetime
“The ring’s circular shape symbolizes the never ending love you have promised to each other. So may these rings provide the constant reminder of your wedding day and your commitment before Christ.”
Seth Troutt: How To Repent of Your Insecurity
“Insecurity isn’t itself sinful, but it is downstream from sin: from living a fractured life, resisting our adopted status given by the Father, and from allowing disordered fears to supersede our fear of God.”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
Ask Pastor John: Are Raised Hands in Worship Just Showing Off?
“You can be as boastful about keeping your hands down in worship as lifting them up. You can be as boastful about keeping your voice silent in a prayer meeting as you can about praying out loud. The solution is not in the behavior; the solution is in the heart.”
J.T. Reeves: Tolkien Prophesied the Smartphone
“We keep our precious, precious pieces of plastic as our closest companions. It’s starting to turn us into digital wraiths.”
Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: Friend of Sinners by Elyse Fitzpatrick, Why We’re Feeling Lonely by Shelby Abbott, Chosen by God by R. C. Sproul, ESV Reformation Study Bible by Ligonier, 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
SLP EP 12: Authenticity in a Curated City: Jason Min on Citizens LA and Gen Z
Wilson Wang interviews Jason Min, lead pastor of Citizens LA (downtown Los Angeles), about pastoring a predominantly Asian American church in the heart of LA. Jason reflects on planting four months before COVID, how that “reset” shaped Citizens’ identity, and how they navigate LA culture – trend-setting, creative, image-driven – while resisting its idols of celebrity, hustle, and consumerism. They also talk about silence and solitude, emotionally healthy spirituality, authenticity, and the unique role Asian American churches can play in the wider body of Christ.
SOLA Network: Pastor’s Resource
We’re excited to launch the Pastor’s Resource page — a curated collection of counselors, coaches, consultants, and organizations committed to caring for ministry leaders. Our hope is to provide trusted, gospel-centered partners who understand the unique challenges many pastors and ministry leaders face, especially in the Asian American church context. If you or someone you know is in ministry, we hope this becomes a lifeline of encouragement and care.
Micah Hsu: The Forgotten Fruit
“Oh my goodness, this is so unhelpful,” I announced, after reading a portion of Martin Luther’s Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians. In the section about the fruit of the Spirit, Luther offers a whole paragraph of exposition for each fruit. But for goodness, he writes a single, pithy sentence: “A person is good when he is willing to help others in their need.” “Really?” I thought, “Is that all it takes?”
Hannah Wang: Kindness, Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense
“Sharing your faith is hard. Sharing your faith with people who grew up in a Buddhist culture is even harder. But to share your faith with people you have not fully reconciled with, people who have hurt you and know you too well, requires a certain level of strength and love that can only come from above. Beneath my mother’s persistent attempts to reach out to her parents for years—despite countless failures and the lingering hurt of the past—is kindness.”
TGIF: Roundup for January 9, 2026
Being a Christian Writer is Costly / The Great Omission / How Far Does an Elder’s Authority Go? / From Sermon to Article / We Have Smartphones — Why Memorize Scripture?
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