For the past several years I’ve gone to a Milwaukee Brewers game with my brother and a few of his friends. It’s always a nice time. This past week on our annual trip we saw the Brewers beat up on the Washington Nationals. Of course, since the Brewers are in first place ahead of my Cardinals, I had to cheer for the Nationals (but to no avail). Here’s a picture I took from just behind the foul pole before the game, which gives you a good idea of what Miller Park looks like:

Have you ever been to Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL? What a wonderful venue for a music concert! We recently went to hear James Taylor, and you can see some photos and read more about it at http://coramdeotheblog.com/albumandconcert-reviews/.

~ THIS AND THAT ~

PCA NEWS:

• I attend a PCA (Presbyterian Church in America) church. Here’s a helpful article on how to tell the difference between the PCA and the PCUSA: http://thegospelcoalition.org//article/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-the-pca-and-pcusa
• Speaking of the PCA, I enjoyed this article from a Teaching Elder (Pastor) attending his first General Assembly. Read it here: http://www.reformation21.org/blog/2014/06/observations-from-my-first-pca.php
• And one more PCA related article, here’s another recap of General Assembly from Jason Helopoulos: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/06/26/pca-general-assembly-2014-report/

MUSIC NEWS:

• Singer/songwriter John Hiatt will release Terms of Surrender on July 15. The title song can be purchased now at iTunes.
• Michael Card has a song included on the new album Uncle Donald’s Niagra Brand Tonic Elixer. The song is “Lo! and Behold!” Here’s a link to the album on Amazon.com.
• I recently saw that Trip Lee, Reach Records rapper is serving as a Pastoral Assistant at Capitol Hill Baptist Church where Mark Dever is Senior Pastor. Trip is in the process of recording his follow-up to 2012’s The Good Life.

IN THE NEWS:

• I recently saw the first trailer for Christopher Nolan’s (Inception, Momento, Batman trilogy, The Prestige) new film Interstellar. The film is due to be released November 7 and will star Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and more. Here’s some information about the film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1
• Here’s an update on Ligonier Ministries’ outreach at the World Cup – http://www.ligonier.org/blog/truthatthecup-update-brazil/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=ligonierministriesblog
• I enjoyed this cartoon from World Magazine:

PRACTICE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS:

• The MLJ Trust announces a daily sermon podcast of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. You can sign up for the Podcast by either clicking on the following link MLJ Podcast, or going to the lower right section of the sermons page on the website: MLJ Sermons. They will be starting with Romans, and one of the best MLJ sermons on the Apostle Paul, called, simply, “A Man Called Paul”.
• Dr. Don Kistler recently returned from northern California where he preached five messages on the doctrine of the church. The messages are: 1. Why Is the Church Important? 2. Christ’s Faithfulness to His Church 3. Mutual Ministry 4. Protecting the Flock 5. Church Growth, God’s Way The messages are available at the website of Christ the Redeemer Presbyterian Church of Eureka, California at: http://www.christtheredeemerrpc.com/sermons.htm

TOLLE LEGE ~ TAKE UP AND READ!

• During the busy summer month of July, Crossway wants to help you get in the Word and stay in the Word! Join them for Women of the Word Month, a 31-day campaign to encourage and equip you for Bible study aimed at both your head and your heart. Read more here: http://www.crossway.org/group/women-of-the-word
• And speaking of Crossway, they have released The Psalms, ESV. Find out more about this new release here: http://www.crossway.org/bibles/the-psalms-esv-tru/

GREAT ARTICLES AND RESOURCES:

• Kevin DeYoung continues his summer mini-interview series with David Wells. Check it out here. http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2014/06/27/books-bio-and-such-david-f-wells/
• The Aquila Report is a good resource. Check it out at http://theaquilareport.com/
• Here’s an interesting article from Tim Challies on the lessons he’s learned from false teachers: http://www.challies.com/articles/lessons-ive-learned-from-false-teachers
• Here’s the latest in a series of articles on the doctrine of predestination from Ligonier Ministries. This one is titled: Predestination: How Does it Reveal the Glory of God”. Read it here.
• R.C. Sproul writes about sin in his article “Sin is Cosmic Treason”. Read it here: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/sin-cosmic-treason/

PROBING QUESTIONS:

•  Do you live life looking in the rear view mirror, or always looking towards the finish line?  Thabiti Anyabwile recently posted this four minute video clip from Propaganda entitled “Be Present”.  He wrote that “this piece has ministered to me and challenged me more than any other spoken word piece I’ve ever heard”. Watch it here.
• Are we praying for revival in our own spiritual lives? Are we praying for the salvation of the nations? Are our churches setting aside a specific time for focused — even extraordinary — prayer for a global awakening through the advance of the gospel? Do we long for the Lord to move among us as he moved among those who came before us?” This article from Desiring God titled “History Could Happen Again” states: “Knowing how God has worked in the past can help us ask some key questions of ourselves in the present. Read the entire article here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/when-revival-doesn-t-tarry
• Do you need seven good reasons to stop looking at porn now? Read Tim Challies article here: http://www.challies.com/articles/7-good-reasons-to-stop-looking-at-porn-right-now
• Do you want all of life to be impacted by the gospel? Here’s a prayer from Scotty Smith: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2014/06/23/a-prayer-for-wanting-all-of-life-to-be-impacted-by-the-gospel/

~ UPDATED PAGES ON THE BLOG ~

BOOK REVIEW:

• Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What That Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung

 

INTEGRATING FAITH AND WORK:

• Check out this article “Work is a Glorious Thing” by John Piper:  http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/work-is-a-glorious-thing
• Read the review of Andy Crouch’s book ~ Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling

 

ALBUM AND CONCERT REVIEWS:

• James Taylor and his All-Star Band at the Ravinia Festival June 27

 

Quotable
There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than the fact that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that it really amounts to this–that because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do, that you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will abound all the more to the glory of grace. That is a very good test of gospel preaching. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel.   -D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (listen to 1,600 sermons from Lloyd-Jones at http://www.mljtrust.org/)

Quotable -Tweeted by Dr. Albert Mohler
“Mr. Whitefield, don’t flatter them, I fear that half of them are going to hell with their eyes open.”–said by a pastor to George Whitefield

Quotable
God doesn’t invite people to be saved. He commands them. -RC Sproul

Quotable
The reason God knows the future is because he plans the future and accomplishes it. -John Piper