Friday Review (4/17/26)

Each week we compile a list of helpful articles from other sites, in a variety of categories, for youth workers to read, reflect on, and/or discuss with parents and volunteers. If you have any articles you’d like to suggest, we’d love for you to share those in the Youth Pastor Theologian Facebook group. That’s a great way to bring them to our attention and to discuss them with like-minded youth workers! (Inclusion in this list does not imply complete agreement with the publishing source, but we have found these articles to be beneficial.)

Youth Ministry

Ask Rooted: How Do I Get My Small Group to Talk?, from Rooted

Small groups can be uncontrollably loud or painfully silent. Loud groups can be redirected into mostly productive conversations, but what about the quiet groups? What can you do when small group feels like pulling teeth?

Biblical & Theological Studies

The Iranian Church Persists, by David Yeghnazar (Christianity Today)

The Iranian church is courageous, generous, and growing through a commitment to witnessing. This does not mean the church is perfect, nor that every Iranian Christian is perfectly or consistently courageous, generous, or bold. Believers in Iran are, like us, fallen human beings who must rely daily on God’s grace to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Have You Eliminated Submission from Your Life?, by Casey McCall (One Thing Necessary)

I’ll show my cards. I do not believe it’s wise for any human being, at any life stage, to live completely free from life-on-life submission to authority. Whether it’s a pastor, spouse, friend, or mentor, we all need at least one person in our lives who has the authority to deny us our desires.

Do Eunuchs in the Bible Signal an Endorsement of Transgenderism?, by Alan Shlemon (Stand to Reason)

It’s surprising, but some Christians attempt to support the transgender movement using Scripture. They can’t legitimately use the Bible to bolster their position, though. Instead, they try to force the text to fit their narrative. One common approach is to claim the biblical passages about eunuchs signal a trajectory towards transgender inclusion.

Cultural Reflection & Contextualization

Michael Wear: Christians Don’t Need Less Politics — They Need Better Politics, by John Taylor (RELEVANT)

The coalitions they once trusted don’t feel quite as trustworthy, the culture wars have turned public life into a loyalty test and many believers are looking at the political landscape wondering where, exactly, faithfulness is supposed to fit. Beneath that disorientation is a harder question: How do you engage faithfully in civic life without confusing politics with salvation?

Not Everything Needs to Be Useful, by Chris Martin (FYI with Chris Martin)

The most common case I see others make for the proliferation of AI—in Christian circles and otherwise—is how integrating artificial intelligence into our lives and work will “lead to levels of productivity and utility that mankind has never seen in its history.” And I just don’t think that’s necessarily a good thing.

Pastoral Ministry

When You Are Offended in Church, by Stephen Kneale (Building Jerusalem)

Let’s also assume that your offence is entirely legitimate and justified. Somebody has been a colossal pillock and everybody would agree. What are your options? As I judge it, you only have three. I will lay them out below and then highlight one common, but untenable and unacceptable, position.

Family & Parents

5 Biblical Men Every Boy Should Know, by Amy Davison (Mama Bear Apologetics)

True biblical manhood is the act of submitting oneself to God while loving those around us like Christ. No beards required. To get your boy on the right path, let’s look at a few men in the Bible who model what it means to be a man.

Raising Children Who Love the Church, by Tim Challies

I recently tried to think back to consider some of the principles we found helpful as we raised children who actually wanted to go to church. Because I am a relentless and unashamed gleaner of the wisdom of others, these were all principles we observed or solicited from other families, then applied to our own. I hope you’ll find them helpful as we did.

5 Meaningful Ways to Tell Your Daughter She’s Beautiful, by Kristen Wetherell (Crossway)

And yet, if I’m not careful, I can subtly communicate to my little girl two things: that beauty is only skin-deep and that beauty is the only thing that matters. The world unabashedly shouts these messages already, so how can we counter them as we seek to raise our daughters in the faith? How can we tell her she’s beautiful in ways that really matter?

From YPT this week

137: Is Youth Ministry in the Bible?

We’ve all heard people say “Youth Ministry isn’t even in the Bible” as if it’s blatantly obvious. But is it?! This conversation highlights what the Bible says about youth ministry, along with three core convictions necessary to have a biblical youth ministry.

Teaching Difficult Passages: 1 John 5:16-17 and the “Sin that leads to death”, by Mike McGarry

Does 1 John 5 teach that we can out-sin God’s grace? This article summarizes the different interpretations and presents a case for interpreting this as a warning against giving students false-assurance of their salvation.