Thank God it’s Friday
This is excerpted from my TGIF column at SOLA Network.
Articles From Around The Web
Katelyn Fredenberg: Bright Hope for Facing the Unknown
“Most young, healthy couples don’t imagine that these words will be tested in a hospital room just a few years into marriage. Yet there we were, staring at the fleeting reality of life, and I realized I had promised to love and care for my husband “in sickness and in health”—and I had no idea how to do the former.”
Tom Sugimura: Stay and Rest Awhile
“Jesus knows that this life comes with its own weariness and burdens, so he taught us how to find our rest in him. As God the Son become man, he shows us how to keep our focus in a world of demands. Still, I’ve learned the hard way, often when my health or relationships suffer, that the work of ministry requires rest. I’ve had to practice saying ‘No’ in order to say ‘Yes’ to what is better.”
Andrew Hopper: Why Every Christian Should Care About Adoption (Even If They Never Adopt)
“Adoption is beautiful, but it is also hard. And like every adoptive family experiences, there were moments early on when the weight of the calling felt heavier than we expected. Despite the difficulty, one truth kept rising to the surface even in the hardest moments: Adoption is first and foremost a gospel issue, not a personal one. I care deeply about adoption, not simply because I am an adoptive father, but because I am a Christian. And that distinction changes everything.”
Books, Podcasts, Music, And More
Joel Beeke: The Puritan Library: A Look at the Books That Shaped Them
“The Puritans were such able theologians and physicians of souls because they were so committed to carefully studying Scripture in deep conversation with the best of church history. Mining the wealth of their forebears meant reading carefully, and always in the light of God’s word, early church fathers, medieval theologians, the Reformers, and their contemporaries. Those who want to follow in the footsteps of Puritan pastor-theologians can sit down in libraries like theirs, reading the works they read in the same prayerful and humble spirit.”
Trevin Wax: In Praise of Artists Who Refuse the Hot Take
“There is something about social media that convinces everyone they’re an expert on everything . . . and that everyone else is waiting to hear their opinion. The platforms train us in this direction before we’ve even said a word.”
Aaron Lee: Related Works
Book Reviews: ESV The Biggest Story Holy Bible for Kids TruTone by Crossway, Invisible Grief by Drew Hensley, With Him by Kyle Fox, Draw Close to Jesus by Heidi Chiavaroli. 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
Asian American Parenting Podcast: Episode 22: Creating New Family Rhythms
“Danny and Monica discuss the idea of family rhythms and their importance for teenagers and parents, especially with teenagers, from both a biblical perspective and also supported by current research. They acknowledge that while it is not always easy to establish these with teenagers for parents, that they are not only important but are very impactful. They follow up this discussion by considering ways parents can structure and establish these rhythms with their teenagers.”
Faith Chang: To Those who Feel the Pull of Hopelessness
“For Christians, hope is not wishful thinking. It is recognizing what is and will be true, even if we haven’t seen it yet. It is anchored on God’s character and the death and resurrection of Christ in whom all God’s promises are ‘Yes!’”
“The Church has both the responsibility and the opportunity to help Gen Z faithfully navigate a changing world while being anchored in an unchanging God.”
Grace Hsu: When Faithfulness Means Leaving
“I attended a Christian international school for ten years, which means I experienced my fair share of seeing people move on. But one particular departure stands out to me from all those years.”
TGIF: Roundup for January 16, 2026
Helping Teenagers Practice Good Emotional Stewardship / The Permanence for a Lifetime / How To Repent of Your Insecurity / Are Raised Hands in Worship Just Showing Off? / Tolkien Prophesied the Smartphone
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