Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview


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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

  • Faith & Work: How Do I Affirm Goodness in the Workplace?  In this episode of TGC Q&A, Missy Wallace answers questions about why work matters.
  • When Your Boss Expects You to Lie. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions “My high-pressure job requires me to mislead clients to meet quotas. That’s the blunt reality. Jesus says in Matthew 5:37that my ‘yes’ should be a firm ‘yes.’ I should mean what I say. To mislead is evil, and I don’t think any good can come from being evil, as Paul says in Romans 3:8. And if I am a new creature in Christ, I should not lie to others, as Colossians 3:9 says it. I tell my children all these things. So, how do I live out this life of honest virtue in such a cutthroat industry that requires coercive practices? Is it permissible to be reserved and not always forthright with clients about what I know? If I refuse to compromise, I risk losing my job, and my family depends on my income. How do I navigate ‘small’ daily compromises without losing my integrity?”

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More links to interesting articles
  • The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
  • Faith and Work Book Review ~ The Redeemed Man, edited by Joel Beeke, Richard Phillips and Paul Smalley
  • Quotes from the book Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Work by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels

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Are Business and Church Leadership the Same?


I spent nearly 38 years as a leader at a Fortune 50 organization and have been a leader in my church for nearly 30 years. Is leadership in the business world and the church the same? No, not exactly. How are they different and how are they similar?

Qualifications for church leaders (pastors, elders) that are listed in the Bible in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-8, are almost all character traits, with only “able to teach” being a skill qualification. At the same time, many of the elders in our church have been business owners or successful in the business world. So, we have seen that there is a connection between leading in the business world and in the church. Continue reading →


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Song of the Saints (Deluxe Edition) – Phil Wickham
****

Song of the Saints by Phil Wickham was one of my favorite albums of 2025. Wickham is back with a massive 18 song Deluxe edition, bringing the entire Song of the Saints project to 34 songs. The Deluxe edition includes live recordings, collaborations, remixes, as well as songs that were not on the original album, such as “It Really Is Amazing Grace” (with Crowder), “Fear Has No Power” (Live), “It’s Always Been You (HGHTS Remix)”, “Psalm 8 (Hallé)”, “Everyday Hallelujah”, and “God is Good” with Cain.
In addition to the Crowder collaboration, the new project features collaborations with Lauren Daigle, Brandon Lake, Elevation Worship, Jamie MacDonald, Chris Tomlin, and Michael W. Smith.
This new edition is an excellent companion to the original album release.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More of this review and a review of Jamie MacDonald
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Finished Work by Matt Maher

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

BOOK REVIEW:
Thirty Second Theology: Questions and Answers to Build Your Faith by Sinclair Ferguson. Christian Focus. 164 pages. 2026
*** ½

Sinclair Ferguson is a respected Reformed theologian. He has written books at a level for seminary students, lay persons, and some for children. Some years back, he wrote a book similar to this one for children, titled The Big Book of Questions and Answers. He writes that Thirty Second Theology is a more grown-up version of those questions and answers, geared not for children but for teenagers. Although each question and answer will take only about thirty seconds to read, you can certainly think on the answers for much longer. Each question also includes a short verse to memorize, along with related readings from the Bible.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~What Is Wrong with the World? The Surprising, Hopeful Answer to the Question We Cannot Avoid by Tim Keller
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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My Approach to Reading

I’ve always enjoyed reading, most likely getting my love of reading from my parents, both of whom loved books, though neither my brother nor sister are big readers. My wife Tammy enjoys reading, so on a nice summer evening in Illinois, with the sun going down, mosquitoes biting, birds at the feeder, and crickets chirping, you might just find us out on the patio with the glow from our Kindle and iPad screens illuminating our faces.
I expect to read about 50 books this year. How many books you might read will depend on a number of factors, such as your love for reading and the amount of time you have available for reading.
Here are 6 thoughts on my approach to reading: Continue reading →


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My Review of the Movie “Coyote vs. ACME”

Coyote vs. ACME, rated PG
***

Coyote vs. ACME is an entertaining film that blends animation and live action, based on the lovable loser Wile E. Coyote. The film is directed by Dave Green, and written by Oscar nominee Samy Burch (May December), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Jeremy Slater, adapted from a 1990 New Yorker article by Ian Frazier.
We are told that this film is “based on a true story”. After years of misery pursuing the speed demon known as the Road Runner – Wile E. Coyote, a longtime consumer of ACME products, is at home nursing his latest wounds, when he sees an ad for a law firm, and decides to sue the ACME Corporation, which is owned by Foghorn Leghorn.
Wile E. enlists the help of a law firm specializing in personal injury cases (called Avery, Jones & Maltese, a nod to three of the Looney Tunes’ chief architects, Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, and Michael Maltese), headed by Kevin Avery, played by Emmy nominee Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth, 30 Rock), whose specialty is getting small settlements for cartoon characters who have had limbs and such blown off  by faulty products. Kevin’s niece Paige Avery, played by Lana Condor, is his intern who recently graduated from law school.

This won’t be easy for Coyote. ACME is a huge organization, with plenty of money and a corporate attorney named Buddy Crane, played by Emmy nominee John Cena (Heads of State, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?). Kevin doesn’t have any motivation for taking on ACME and his law school classmate Crane. Will Coyote be able to get justice for being the victim of faulty ACME products? Is there more to the story?
The enjoyable film has nostalgic cameos by Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Tasmanian Devil, and many more.
The film includes humor, some heartfelt moments, violence and some minor adult language.
Having grown up watching the Coyote’s fruitless pursuit of the Road Runner, we really enjoyed this film, which creatively uses cartoons along with the live action.


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Announcing the Release of Our Book Use Us Up, Lord! Finishing Well for Our Good and His Glory

We are excited to announce that our new book Use Us Up, Lord!  Finishing Well for Our Good and His Glory is now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!

Here’s a description of the book:
We all want to finish well in life. But what does finishing well actually look like? Is it measured by external things like wealth, status, power, prestige, leisure and comfort?  Or is it more like stewardship, sacrifice, serving others and living flat out for God?
Consider this book to be your companion on your journey towards completing a life well-lived. At times the journey will be pleasant, and at other times very hard, but we will walk beside you along the path.
The book will take you from retirement to glory, and what you may encounter along the way. We address subjects such as retirement, stewardship, relationships, calling, learning, being “used up” for the Lord, care for the body, looking back on our lives, loss, suffering, aging, legacy, end-of-life decisions, dying in faith, and more.
At the end of each chapter are helpful “Questions for Reflection” for you to go deeper with the material in that chapter.

Here are a few excerpts from the book’s endorsements:
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My Review of the Movie ~ Never Stop Chasing

Never Stop Chasing
***

Never Stop Chasing, a documentary, directed by Ken Cole (Tornado Chasers), follows extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer and his crew as they intercept violent tornadoes. Cole is a filmmaker and meteorologist who has worked alongside Timmer for more than two decades. The film has been described as a 20-year reckoning with obsession, loss, and the relentless pull of violent weather.
Reed Timmer is probably today’s best-known storm chaser. His maverick persona and armored storm-chasing vehicle, the Dominator 3, directly inspired the character of Tyler Owens, played by Glen Powell in the 2024 summer film Twisters.
Timmer, who has a Ph.D. in meteorology, has spent two decades chasing storms. He brings an intimate insider’s perspective to a story that is as much about grief and mortality as it is about adrenaline. Continue reading →


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My Review of the Movie Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day, rated PG-13
***

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is an exciting and entertaining action film. Due to the action violence and adult language, it would be best for teens and older.
The film, which follows 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (The Glass Castle, Just Mercy), and written by Emmy nominee Chris McKenna (Community), and Emmy nominee Erik Sommers (American Dad!). The film had an estimated budget of $225 million, and after two weeks had already grossed $1.7 billion worldwide.
Dr. Strange’s spell erased Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, (also in the theaters in his role in The Odyssey), from the memory of everyone who loved him, particularly MJ, played by two-time Emmy winner Zendaya (Euphoria), and his best friend Ned Lees, played by Jacob Batalon.
Peter has been living an isolated life ever since, which is what he wanted. He wanted the world to forget he ever existed. After Aunt May’s death, played in flashbacks by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny),  he didn’t want to endanger the lives of anyone else he cared for. Continue reading →


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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • What About Pet Idolatry? Randy Alcorn has a forthcoming book in which he provides a biblical view on animals and pets. Here he answers a question about idolizing pets.

  • Is the Devil Real? During a live Clearly Reformed Q&A Event, Kevin DeYoung answered a range of questions presented to him by attendees.
  • Obedience Will Never Ruin Your Life. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “What would you say to a young single woman, a Christian, who is secretly considering an abortion because it would make life easier? This is where I find myself right now, and I never imagined it would happen to me, yet here I am, shattered and scared.”
  • Who is Jesus? During a live Clearly Reformed Q&A Event, Kevin DeYoung answered a range of questions presented to him by attendees.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

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