Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

Monthly Archives: April 2021


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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS


The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith? (Revised and Expanded Anniversary Edition) by John MacArthur. Zondervan. 385 pages. 2009 
****

At the beginning of 1978, John MacArthur began preaching through the Gospel of Matthew, verse by verse, a series which eventually lasted seven and a half years, comprising 226 sermons. After completing that series, MacArthur wrote this now modern-day classic to distill his observations about how Jesus proclaimed His own gospel, and to take a hard look at the truths He included in the gospel message. His chief goal was to take an honest and in-depth look at Jesus’ gospel and His evangelistic methods. He knew that the book would be controversial, as he wrote it in part as a response to an already-existing controversy.
He writes that there is no more important issue than the question of what gospel we ought to believe and proclaim. He tells us that he is convinced that our lack of clarity on the most basic matter of all — the gospel — is the greatest detriment to the work of the church in our day, and nothing matters more than what Scripture says about the good news of salvation. He writes that the theme of the gospel according to Jesus is that He came to call sinners to repentance.

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BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~ Providence by John Piper
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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My Favorite Christian Apps

Apps are becoming more and more popular. I use a few on a daily basis, and the last three conferences I’ve attended – Sing!, Ligonier National Conference and the Gospel Coalition National Conference – have all used a helpful app designed to increase the experience for the conference attendees. Here are my favorite Christian apps that I use:

Ligonier. My favorite app is from Ligonier Ministries. I’m amazed at the amount of free content that is included on the app. The app includes:

  • Daily Renewing Your Mind broadcasts
  • Daily videos and devotional readings
  • Ligonier Conference messages
  • Popular articles from Tabletalk magazine
  • Posts from the Ligonier blog
  • More than 50 free teaching series, including The Holiness of God and Chosen by God

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THIS & THAT: A Weekly Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Many Out of One? Carl Trueman writes “By choosing to reject its ability to foster unity as an institution, with ceremonies rooted in notions of shared identity, Columbia is a microcosm for what is happening in the nation.”
  • They’re Coming for Oral Roberts University, and that Means They Are Coming for You Too. Albert Mohler writes “The only question that remains is this: Will your school capitulate or stand firm in the truth of God and the promises of his Word? Whether you realize it or not, you are making that decision right now.”

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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 

  • Crush Your Career Podcast. Check out Dee Ann Turner’s new Crush Your Career She is a leader worth following.
  • How You Can Make It Without Faking It. Jacqueline Isaacs writes “Success is not overstating your expertise. It is deeply understanding how God made you and seeking wholeheartedly to use your gifts and talents to bring glory to God, rather than bring attention to yourself.”
  • Talent: Use it or Lose It. Howard Graham writes “Have you ever seen someone waste their God-given talents? It’s brutal to see someone who is full of potential and possibility not use their talents, gifts, and opportunities. Do you ever wonder how you can use your own gifts and talents in more meaningful ways?”
  • Motherhood as Vocation. Kate Harris writes “Defining motherhood as a meaningful part of God’s work gives it honor.”

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  • More links to interesting articles
  • The Top 10 Faith and Work Quotes of the Week
  • My Review of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch
  • Snippets from the book Work and Worship: Reconnecting Our Labor and Liturgy by Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson

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Living with Purpose in 5 Key Areas of Your Life

Ask most people how they are doing today and you’ll likely hear “Busy, really busy”. It’s almost a “badge of honor” these days to say that you are busy. And I don’t doubt for a minute that you are. Think of how much of each day is already committed (work, sleep, chores, errands, meals, etc.) and you realize that you don’t really have a lot of spare time. You’re probably doing the best you can. You may feel that you are chasing your tail, putting out fires all day, and it’s all you can do to keep your head above water. And don’t even get me started on the impact of technology, which was supposed to make our lives easier, but now we are constantly “connected” with our smart phones buzzing and beeping, calling us to check our social media feeds dozens (or more) times each day.

Understanding this, you might find that it is hard to live a life for Christ. How can you move from a scattered life to an integrated one? In other words, how can you intentionally live a life that matters, one that has purpose? Continue reading →


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Let There Be Wonder (Acoustic) EP – Matt Redman
****

Matt Redman released Let There Be Wonder, one of my favorite albums of 2020, in January, before the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. He recently released this six-song EP Let There Be Wonder (Acoustic), featuring five songs from that album, plus his classic “Blessed Be Your Name”. What holds all of these stripped-down songs together is that they are all about Jesus, and praising his wonderful name.
Even if you are familiar with these songs, I think you’ll enjoy these new versions. What really stood out for me was the use of strings on these songs. The EP was produced by Steve Marcia, who had the idea to use a string quartet as a signature sound for this project. Recorded during the lockdown, we hear four different string players who recorded themselves in four different locations, with beautiful results. I also enjoyed the backing vocals.
Below are a few comments about each song:

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

Journey to the Cross: A 40-Day Lenten Devotional by Paul Tripp. Crossway. 184 pages. 2021 
****

 

I’ve enjoyed several of Paul Tripp’s devotionals over the past few years, my favorite being his New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional. His latest devotional gives us 40 readings, some in poetry form, leading up to Easter. Each reading begins a short statement, which may have originally been one of the author’s tweets. He suggests using this devotional as your stimulus and guide as you stop, consider, mourn, confess, pray, and give your heart to thanksgiving.
Through these readings, and the “Reflection Questions” included at the end of each selection, we follow Jesus on his journey to the cross. The author writes that the horrible, public sacrifice of Jesus should ignite not only our celebration, but also our mourning.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~ Providence by John Piper
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading →


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My Review of NEWS OF THE WORLD

News of the World, rated PG-13
** ½

News of the World is a slow moving, though beautifully filmed western, which features solid acting performances by Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. Though the film received four Oscar nominations (sound, production design, original score and cinematography), I found it to be too slow and predictable to recommend.
The film was directed by Oscar nominee Paul Greengrass (United 93), who worked with lead actor Hanks in Captain Phillips. The screenplay is by Oscar nominee Luke Davies (Lion), and is based on the 2016 novel by Paulette Jiles.
The film is set in 1870, a few years after the Civil War. Captain Jefferson Kyle Tidd, played by two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump, Philadelphia), is a veteran of three wars, including the Civil War. He is a decent, but lonely man. He speaks of a wife in San Antonio. He rides in a wagon from town to town in Texas dramatically reading from newspapers the latest news of the day to gatherings of people who are willing to pay a dime to hear it.
As he is in transit between towns, he comes across a wagon on its side. He sees a man who has been hung, and he notices a blonde-haired girl running away. Continue reading →


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THIS & THAT: A Weekly Roundup of Favorite Articles and Quotes

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More interesting article links about Christian Living, Great Q & A, Theology and Recommended Resources
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

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