10 Most-Read Articles of 2020
With 2020 concluding, we wanted to look back on the most-read articles published at GCD this year. It’s no surprise that our most-read articles capture the issues and challenges of this last year. From the Coronavirus pandemic to the racial injustice and violence experienced in the United States, to the divisive nature of the cultural moment we are in, these articles are a clear snapshot of the year behind us and an exemplary depiction of how the gospel of Jesus Christ comes to bear on all of life.
We hope that you have been well served by GCD in 2020 and will look forward to continuing to press on in our mission to “cultivate writers and resources that make, mature, and multiply disciples of Jesus.”
#10. How Not To Be Afraid of the Coronavirus by Jonathan Dodson
At the beginning of the pandemic’s spread in March, Jonathan served us by writing about overcoming the fear of the virus’ spread with a confident faith that serves and blesses others.
#9. It is Not Well With My Soul by Yana Conner
Yana provided a helpful lament and outcry for us to process injustice and pain in the midst of a difficult year. Her tender but raw words help us “find a song that helps you, in faith, to carry on.
#8. Three Leadership Lessons for All of Us by Brianna Lambert
Brianna taps into the reality that all of us are leaders on some level or another. By drawing us into the book of Deuteronomy, she develops three lessons that will equip and empower each of us to lead well in our respective spheres.
#7. Pastor, Why Aren’t You Preaching About What’s Happening? [Part 1] by Benjamin Vrbicek
Benjamin’s first entry in this two-part series wrestled with the common challenges pastors face, and that is speaking to every issue, tragedy, and current event facing our congregations. His pastoral wisdom and experience help guide us through the mine-field of what to say and when. And here’s Part 2.
#6. Happy Valentine’s Day to the Man Who Assaulted Me by Hollie Fortkamp
In this riveting article, Hollie demonstrates the kind of forgiveness and love Christ brought to us. By showing her attacker a “defiant, resilient, fierce love that fights to defend what is good. Not an artificial love stamped on chalky candy, but real love, the kind that lays its life down for its friends and sets people free.”
#5. Receive the Day by Yanna Conner
As the Spring lockdown set in for many in the United States, Yana wrote to help us see the purposes of God in the midst of lost days. With a Biblically drawn perspective, she helps us embrace the moments God has given us and see them through a new light.
#4. The Great Life and The Ordinary by Heather Morton
In this Christmas Eve article, Heather encourages us to reset the expectations of our lives, not based on how much notoriety and fame we receive, but on how we “redirect the spotlight” of our lives onto Christ.
#3. The Wisdom in Restraining Our Lips by Lara d’Entremont
With this year carrying so many quick “hot takes” and vitriolic energy towards those we would misunderstand or disagree with, Lara points us to the ancient wisdom of being “quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry.” With practical understanding, she points out how we can speak in society and online well with restrained lips.
#2. Why I Stopped Sharing My Personal Testimony by Laura Powell
In this article, Laura Powell challenges the conventional wisdom of sharing a personal testimony in evangelism. Instead, she encourages readers to consider sharing the actual evidence of the resurrection and the real facts of the Christian faith, instead of merely anecdotal concepts.
#1. The High Stakes of a Hard Heart by Jen Oshman
Our most-read article this year had to do with the heart, or more directly, our hard hearts. Jen Oshman has brilliantly diagnosed the disposition of attitude that sits within so many today, a hardened heart. She graciously helps apply the gospel to heart-hearted lives and states, “Those who profess Christ but refuse the accountability and edification of his community will fall away. Hard hearts alienate us from the life of God. Hard hearts are eternally condemning.” It’s a sober warning for us as we head into 2021.
