Simon Cox Blog: One-on-One with Pastor Darryl Dash on ‘How to Grow’

Thursday, 30 August 2018

One-on-One with Pastor Darryl Dash on ‘How to Grow’

"We keep failing, but we also keep discovering God’s grace."

Ed: What inspired you to write How to Grow?

Darryl: My wife started working for a company that does online nutrition coaching. I know, it sounds sketchy! As I learned more about them, I realized that they knew the field of nutrition science very well. In fact, they’re widely respected. But they also had the ability to translate this knowledge into practical steps that people like me could take.

I felt convicted. I know theology, but I haven’t always done a good job of translating that into clear, practical steps that my people could take. I expected that they could just listen to my sermons and grow. I began to think through what it would take for me to blend theological depth with clear, actionable steps that people could take to grow.

Ed: How do you define growth? Is all growth spiritual?

Darryl: We’re whole beings. God designed us to grow in every part of our lives: spiritual, physical, relational, emotional, intellectual, and more. I love how Jeff Vanderstelt describes spiritual growth: “It is the ongoing process of submitting all of life to Jesus, and seeing him saturate your entire life and world with his presence and power.” It’s not about just one part of life. It’s about everything.

I saw this in the life of my wife, Charlene. When she began to develop good habits in her physical health, it spilled over into her spiritual life as well. In stewarding her body better, she grew in her capacity to care for her soul. We’re interconnected beings.

Ed: Why does growth tend to be an area of frustration and tension for people?

Darryl: I can think of a couple of reasons. First, we don’t know where to start. We think that growth should happen automatically, but we don’t have ...