Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

The Long Surrender – NEEDTOBREATHE
****

The Long Surrender is NEEDTOBREATHE’s tenth studio album, and the follow-up to 2023’s Caves. The album has a mostly stripped-down acoustic sound – with the exception of the more upbeat “Take Me Dancing” and “Growing Slow” – and features excellent vocal harmonies. All of the songs were written or co-written by Bear Rinehart. The album was produced by six-time Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton) and recorded at his Savannah studio.
The album’s lyrical content stands out, featuring references to Christian themes such as the Bible, Galilee, Heaven turning the weight of our sorrows into a crown, feet being planted on the rock of ages, being carried by God, being born again, wanting to be with God, and feeling the power of God. Other themes include home, worry and life out of control.
Here are a few comments about each of the twelve songs on this excellent new album, one of my favorites of 2026:

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “Pilgrim Way (Zayin)” by Stillcreek

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole, with Don Yaeger.  Dutton. 269 pages. 2023
***

This book is about the Savanah Bananas and what they call “Banana Ball”. The slogan for the Bananas is “Fans First. Entertain Always”. In the beginning, Jesse Cole had the persistent belief that if he could somehow get people to their ballpark in Savannah, they would have more fun than they had ever dreamed possible.
wWell, it’s working. The Bananas are selling out major league baseball and college football stadiums. A few weeks ago, they drew 102,000 fans at Kyle Field (the Texas A&M football stadium in College Station, Texas). The tickets are by lottery, and hard to get. I know this as we tried in vain to get tickets to the two August games at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Cole is the front man for the Bananas. His belief is that major league baseball had become too slow and boring (Note: this was before the pitch clock and other major league baseball rule changes). Baseball was no longer the game he grew up loving and playing.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review and a review of Everyday Hallelujah: Unlocking Deep Joy Through Everyday Acts of Worship by Phil Wickham with Matt Litton
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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New and Upcoming Music

I like music in a variety of genres, and perhaps you do as well. Here are nine new and upcoming releases that you might enjoy.

Still Waters: a LoFi Collection – Chris Tomlin and The LoFi Christian

The Lofi Christian is a music project and collective of producers that creates low-fidelity (lofi) instrumental beats, worship covers, and peaceful soundtracks designed for prayer, Bible study, work, and relaxation. They worked with Chris Tomlin to put together this collection of 15 familiar worship songs into a quieter setting. I’ve enjoyed listening to these songs through headphones while praying on my afternoon walks. The intent is to create an atmosphere of worship wherever you are. The songs are from different points in Tomlin’s catalog, from “How Great Is Our God” to “Holy Forever” and “How Good It Is” and “Doesn’t He (Deserve it All)” from his latest album The King is Still the King. This is a different way to listen to some much-loved Tomlin songs and it works well.

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • It’s Not Too Late to Make This a Great Year of Bible Reading. Tim Challies writes “I want you to believe that you can still make this an extraordinary year of reading your Bible. However, for that to be the case, you will need to take a bit of time to consider how to read, what to read, and how to either form a new habit or re-form an old one.”
  • No Fear of Old Age. Tim Challies writes “It is in old age that the fruit that began to grow in the younger days finally comes to its ripeness. The seeds that were planted many years before are seen to have grown and multiplied.”
  • 3 Marks of True Repentance. Matt Boswell writes “Repentance lies at the heart of the Christian message and forms the rhythm of the Christian life.”
  • A Reflection on the Five Love Languages. Russ Gehrlein writes “What is your love language? What is your spouse’s love language? These are good questions to ask ourselves.”
  • Rest as Sleep in the Third Third of Life, Part 2. Mark Roberts writes “If sleep is a gift from God, then we should feel free to ask for that gift, just as we would ask for other gifts from the Lord.”

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  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

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FAITH AND WORK: Connecting Sunday to Monday

Faith and Work News ~ Links to Interesting Articles

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  • More links to interesting articles
  • The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
  • Faith and Work Book Review ~ Strike the Flag: The Significance of Surrender in Leading and Serving Others by Kirk Billiter
  • Quotes from the book Working for Better: A New Approach to Faith at Workby Elaine Howard Ecklund and Denise Daniels

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My Review of the movie “Heart of the Beast”

Heart of the Beast, rated PG-13
***

Heart of the Beast is an intense survival film starring two-time Oscar winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in….Hollywood, 12 Years a Slave), as retired U.S. Special Forces military veteran James Belmont. The film was directed by David Ayer, and written by Cameron Alexander.
The film follows Belmont, who lives with his retired combat German Shepherd dog, Odin. The two have travelled to the far reaches of the Alaskan wilderness (the film was actually shot in New Zealand’s South Island), in a pontoon plane. The incredible bond between James and Odin is key to this story.
Both James and Odin are suffering from PTSD. Throughout the film James has flashbacks to when his fellow soldiers were lost in war. Odin too has nightmares.
One of the few characters in the film other than James and Odin is Watkins, played by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), who spends a day and night with Belmont and Odin. He leaves before daylight and we don’t see him again.
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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


Heaven on My Mind: Guest List Edition – TobyMac
*** ½

TobyMac’s Heaven on My Mind was one of my favorite albums of 2025. He recently released Heaven On My Mind – Guest List Edition, a seven-song expanded version of the album, comprised of six collaborations and a remix of the title song.

The seven songs on the Guest List Edition are:
“Heaven On My Mind” (with Forrest Frank)
“Lord It Feels Good” (with gio.) – the only previously released song.
“God Did It” (with Jamie MacDonald)
“Nothin’ Sweeter (Extra Sweet Version)” (with Jon Reddick)
“Oh My Soul (Psalm 103)” (with CeCe Winans)
“Campfire (That Very Love)” (with Third Day)
“Heaven On My Mind (Petey Martin Remix)”

Favorite songs:
“Heaven On My Mind” (with Forrest Frank)
“God Did It” (with Jamie MacDonald)
“Oh My Soul (Psalm 103)” (with CeCe Winans)
“Campfire (That Very Love)” (with Third Day)

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More of this review and a review of The Resurrection of a King by Tommee Profitt
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “Praise the Lord Forever” by Phil Wickham and Pat Barrett

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

BOOK REVIEW:
Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel by Matt Smethurst. Crossway. 347 pages. 2025 
****

Matt Smethurst writes that this book is not a biography of Tim Keller. He tells us that his aim is more modest – it is to synthesize and distill Tim Keller’s best teaching on the Christian life. The book seeks to show more than tell, to let Keller’s own voice feature most prominently and ring with coherent clarity.
Smethurst tells us that the book focuses on practical Christian discipleship—rather than Keller’s thoughts on more controversial theological or political matters. The target is Keller’s contribution to timeless, bread-and-butter aspects of everyday Christian living.
Smethurst writes that his aim in the book is to synthesize the master synthesizer. Drawing from nearly fifty years of sermons, conference messages, interviews, articles, books, and more, he works to draw out the best of Keller’s teaching where it shines brightest—biblical wisdom for everyday life.

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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Do You Have Regrets in Life?

As we strive to finish well in our lives, it’s helpful to look back on what has brought us to where we are, including the decisions we have made and the people who have helped us along the way.The process of looking back may occasionally lead us to feel some regret. These regrets might be very significant, such as who you married, or didn’t marry; how you raised your children; how you have handled significant relationships in your life; or perhaps vocational decisions you have made.
Perhaps you’re like Frank Sinatra, when he sang in “My Way”:
And now, the end is near
And so, I face the final curtain…
Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again too few to mention
My guess is that we all have at least a few regrets in our lives. Continue reading →


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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Rest as Sleep in the Third of Life, Part 1. This article from Mark D. Roberts is Part 1 of a two-part article on “Rest as Sleep in the Third of Life.” He focuses on rest in the form of sleep and how sleep is essential for third flourishing.
  • God Measures Success as Faithfulness. Randy Alcorn writes “Regardless of whether we are successful in the world’s eyes, and whoever we do and don’t please, let’s seek to please the Audience of One, whose “opinion” is truth and is ultimately the One that matters.”
  • 13 Tactical Steps to Take in Your Battle Against Sin. John Piper writes “It is both relief and heartache to know that all true believers have sin remaining in them in this life.”
  • Don’t Be Ashamed to Be Old. Tim Challies writes “If the time has come for you to be old, don’t be ashamed of your age, for you are simply joining company with many of the grandest things in all the universe.”

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  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

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