• What Comfort Does the Doctrine of Providence Bring to Christians During Difficult Times? In perfect wisdom and might, the Lord moves all creatures and events to accomplish His sovereign purpose. From Ligonier’s event Made in the Image of God, John MacArthur expresses the comfort of God’s providence when we face trials of many kinds.
• Are You Hopeful for Another Spiritual Awakening in Our Day? Can we hope to see another great awakening to the gospel in our lifetime? From one of Ligonier’s live events, R.C. Sproul and Derek Thomas provide global and historical perspectives on the Lord’s work in causing resurgences of the Christian faith.
• How Do I Find Hope in Suffering? In this episode of the Gospel Coalition biblical counseling series, Paul Tripp answers the question, “How do I find hope in suffering?”
• What is a Biblical Church? What constitutes a biblical church? From one of the Ask Ligonier events, Derek Thomas sets forth several classic marks of a true church that are derived from principles in God’s Word.
• Is Social Media All Negative? In this video, Tim Challies provides counsel on how a Christian can use social media for God’s glory.
• Is God Disappointed in Our Mistakes or Disobedience? Sin is no mere mistake. It’s a willful act of disobedience against the holy, righteous God. In this Q&A video from Ligonier’s 2016 National Conference, R.C. Sproul and Michael Reeves warn of the seriousness of sin.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More interesting article links
• Favorite Quotes of the Week

• Black Lives Do Matter, But the BLM Organization Opposes Christian Values: So, What Should We Do? I appreciated this lengthy article from Randy Alcorn. It’s an in-depth treatment of a significant issue, and includes links to articles and videos.
• What You Should Know About the 2020 Democratic Party Platform. Joe Carter writes “Why should Christians care about a document that few non-politicians will ever read? Because of the influence the two major party platforms have on public policy.”
• Stepping Away From Un-Christian Politics. Scott Sauls writes “Will we be disciples of a partisan platform, or will we be disciples of Jesus, who is King of kings and whose kingdom is not of this world? I pray it will be the latter, not the former.”
• A Biblical Critique of Secular Justice and Critical Theory. This is a long article from Tim Keller that offers a biblical critique of secular justice and Critical Theory.
• Covid, Christians & the Civil Magistrate. In this article, Keith Mathison addresses the way in which Christians respond to the ever-changing information and directives, especially those coming from the civil magistrate. He writes “I know church leaders and individual Christians are having to think through everything they read and hear and make decisions for their families, churches, and others based on this information. It’s very difficult, and a lot of different questions have arisen.”
• Not White Fragility—Mutual Responsibility. George Yancy writes “We need solutions that pull us together, not drive us apart. That’s the only way out of the racial alienation that’s poisoning our society.”
• J.I. Packer. J.I. Packer went home to be with the Lord on July 17. Here are a few resources on Packer:
  • An Evening Conversation with J. I. Packer – An Interview by Mark Dever
  • John Piper interviews J.I. Packer.
  • Remembering J.I. Packer. On this special episode of the Pastors Talk podcast, Jonathan Leeman asks Mark Dever to reflect on his friendship with J. I. Packer.
  • A Seriously Happy Puritan: Praising God for J.I. Packer. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper reflects on the life and legacy of J.I. Packer.

• How Do I Glorify God in My Daily Life? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “I’m just wondering how to be happy in the Lord in the right way to bring him the most glory. How do I do all things to glorify God?”
• 5 Questions About Retirement. John Dunlop shares these helpful questions for those thinking about retirement.
• Don’t Quit the Everyday Work of Marriage. Paul Tripp writes “Here is what I have told couples again and again. It is what I have endeavored to live in my own marriage as well. The reconciliation of a marriage must be a lifestyle, not just the response you have when things go bad.”  
• Pursue Integrity Relentlessly. John MacArthur writes “How high is the moral and ethical standard set by God’s law? Unimaginably high.”
• Internet Outrage, Public Shaming, and the Modern-Day Pharisee Phenomenon. Scott Sauls writes “What if instead of condemnation, we became known for giving benediction? What if instead of being on the hunt to catch people doing wrong, we went on the hunt to catch people doing right? What if instead of looking for someone to curse, we started looking for someone to bless? What if instead of naming people according to their worst behaviors and features, we named them according to their best and most God-reflecting ones?”
• You Will Regret Giving In: What to Do When Tempted. Garrett Kell shares four ways to fight when temptation strikes.
• Rosaria Butterfield on Hospitality. On this episode of the Ministry Network podcast, Rosaria Butterfield discusses hospitality. In part 2, Rosaria discusses hospitality in the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Don’t Adjust Your Conscience to Fit the Culture. R.C. Sproul writes “We find new ways to view sinful behavior as acceptable, both as individuals and as a culture.”
• 12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Posting Something Online. Mark Dever writes “What might be some indicators to consider before you publish a blog, Facebook status, or tweet? I want to offer 12 brief questions to ask. Think of them as indicator lights, the kind a pilot checks before takeoff.
• Don’t Take It from Me: Reasons You Should Not Marry an Unbeliever. Kathy Keller writes “Over the course of our ministry, the most common pastoral issue that Tim and I have confronted is probably marriages—either actual or proposed—between Christians and non-Christians.”
• Why Mentoring is Better Than Asking Alexa. Melissa Kruger writes “We need one another in the Christian life. Take the time to pursue older believers. Seek their wisdom, enjoy their presence, and invite their pursuit. Life is better when we grow together.”
• 4 Suggestions for Finding the Right Mentor. Ron Edmondson tells us that if we want to find a mentor, we’ll have to be intentional.
• How Do I Wage War Against My Self Pity? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “I struggle with self-pity, and often self-justify my self-pity by rationalizing it in my own head. Have you experienced this too? If so, what are the best arguments you have made from your flesh to justify your own self-pity? And what biblical arguments do you use to make war against those selfish arguments?”
• 4 Reasons for Hope in Suffering. Paul Tripp writes “Even though the Bible doesn’t answer your specific why questions—the kind of questions every sufferer asks—it does unveil why God allows hardship into the lives of his children. There is tremendous comfort in the purpose of God revealed in Scripture. God lovingly clues us into his purpose so that in the middle of our suffering we have reason to hope.”

• The State of Glory. Sinclair Ferguson writes “I thought, this must be what the resurrection body in the state of glory is like. No longer weak, but powerful; obedience no longer a struggle against the world, the flesh, and the devil—but natural, the smooth and happy tempo of a sin-free world.”
• David Platt on Matthew 28. In this short video David Platt invites us to consider what it means to obey the Great Commission as disciples of Jesus today.
• Ask Ligonier with Steven Lawson. Steven Lawson recently participated in a live online Ask Ligonier event to answer biblical and theological questions.
• The Image of God Restored. The whole story of the Bible reveals the way God has prepared to restore His image-bearers to Himself. From Ligonier’s event Made in the Image of God, Sinclair Ferguson examines the extent of the sacrifice required for this restoration to take place.
• Viewing Heaven. On episode 12: “Viewing Heaven” of the Revealing Grace podcast, Bryan Chapell looks at Revelation 21.

• God Shed His Grace on Thee: A Conversation with Michael Medved about the American Story. On this episode of the Thinking in Public podcast, Albert Mohler and Michael Medved talk about Medved’s most recent books The American Miracle and God’s Hand on America.

• We love until we are betrayed. Jesus continued to the cross despite betrayal. We love until we are forsaken. Jesus loved through forsakenness. We love up to a limit. Jesus loves to the end. Dane Ortlund
• The purpose of prayer is the glory of God. H.B. Charles Jr.
• Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. John Wooden
• In a world that often seems out of control, it’s comforting to know that your Lord has things under his control. Paul Tripp
• Beloved friends, it was never about the “victorious Christian life,” but always the victorious Christ. Our calling isn’t to impress Jesus with anything; but to rely on his everything. Scotty Smith
• We might think we are doing the right thing by speaking against injustice, but if we do this without having all the facts and spread misinformation, we are sinning. Even if we are doing it in favor of a right cause. Daniel Darling
• God doesn’t call you to do what no human being has the power to do. No, he calls you to be a willing tool in his mighty hands. Paul Tripp
• Jesus invites us to come to him as we are, but this must never be mistaken for an invitation to stay as we are. Scott Sauls
• There is ultimately no such thing as unanswered prayer. If the answer at first is “no” or “not yet,” it is because he gives us what we want in ways better than we asked. Tim Keller