• Call it Racism, Not “White Supremacy”. Samuel D. James writes “All variables equal, I think it’s a mistake for Christian social justice advocates to adopt the mainstream practice of talking about “white supremacy” and “whiteness” instead of sticking with “racism.””
• 9 Things You Should Know About Mainline Protestantism. Joe Carter writes “Who exactly are mainline Protestants? Here is what you should know about the faith tradition that once dominated the American religious landscape.”

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More interesting article links
• Favorite Quotes of the Week

• How Tim Keller Seeks to Pray Without Ceasing. Based on the example of John Calvin, who prepared five prayers for five times of day, Tim Keller shares the prayers he uses.
• Why the Church Is Vitally Important for Every Christian. Stephen Nichols writes “God has ordained the church, a fellowship of the flawed, to carry out his purpose and will in the world. When we consider the biblical teaching on the church, we realize the church is vitally important for growing in Christ. Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected to the church.”
• Host as You Are: Practicing Hospitality as a Family. Rosaria Butterfield looks at six touch points for children’s central role in Christian hospitality.
• 4 Ways to Fight Sexual Temptation. Garrett Kell writes “When you face temptation, you enter a battle even more dangerous than having a rattler striking at your face. The Scriptures liken Satan to a closely crouching snake or lion who is provoking passions within us that war against our souls. We must choke temptation to death—it is the only way out. What follows are four ways to fight when temptation strikes.”
• My Shame, Your Shame, OUR Jesus. Scott Sauls writes “Shame keeps us preoccupied with ourselves and inattentive to God and the needs of others. It tells us falsely that we must fix ourselves before we can start loving others.”
• The Modesty Conversation We Need to Have. Megan Hill writes “Standing at the rack of shorts and swimsuits, we have an opportunity for discipleship. The real question is not about how shortor how low (though we may have to answer those along the way to be truly helpful); it’s about identity.”

• What Does the Church Most Need Today? Robert Godfrey writes “Again in our time, the church must be called to listen to the Word of God. The churches of America too often seem interested in following other voices than the voice of God.”
• Can Our Loved Ones in Heaven See Us During Important Times in Our Lives? Randy Alcorn writes “It’s odd to me that so many assume people who are now in the present Heaven are completely ignorant of what’s going on here on Earth where the great drama of redemption is unfolding—wouldn’t we think they’d be more enlightened, not less? From what we see in Scripture, it appears people in Heaven have at least some idea of what’s happening here.
• Understanding Providence. Derek Thomas writes “Few things distinguish Christianand secular worldviews with greater clarity than the doctrine of providence. This doctrine insists that everything that happens does so because God wills it to happen, wills it to happen before it happens, wills it to happen in the way that that it happens.”

• Does the Bible Say I Am Unique? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question, “Does the Bible say I am unique compared to others? I can’t find any specific Bible verses to confirm it, and yet I’ve heard it affirmed by trusted preachers. But is it biblical? Is human uniqueness defensible from the Bible?”
• What is Worldliness? What does it mean to be worldly? From one of the Ask Ligonier events, Derek Thomas corrects some common misconceptions about the sin of worldliness.
• Can I Marry a Woman Half My Age? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper answers a question that reads in part “There is a young lady I am friends with, and I find myself thinking about her a lot. She’s exactly half my age. I am old enough to be her father. Is such an age gap acceptable among believers?”
• How Can I Be Saved? There is only one way to be saved from the coming judgment and be reconciled forever to God: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. From one of the Ask Ligonier events, Derek Thomas beckons every listener to come freely to the all-sufficient Savior.
• How Much Media is Too Much Media? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question, which reads in part “So how do I live in a space that does not share my convictions, with love and grace — and especially when it comes to screens?”
• Does the Holy Spirit Fill Us at Our Conversion, or Must We Invite Him? Is a person filled with the Holy Spirit when he comes to faith in Christ, or do Christian converts still need to invite the Spirit to fill them? From one of the Ask Ligonier events, Robert Godfrey explains the Spirit’s work in the life of a believer.
• Will I Suffer More If I Follow Jesus? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions “Why would he cause pain to someone who trusted in him completely? Why would he allow them to suffer in ways that may injure their faith in him? Why believe if it just opens us to more suffering?”

Other Links of Interest:

• The Gospel Coalition 2022 Women’s Conference The Gospel Coalition 2022 Women’s Conference will be held July 16-18 in Indianapolis. The theme will be Remember Your Joy: Salvation Stories in the Old Testament. Speakers include Jackie Hill Perry, Nancy Guthrie, Courtney Doctor, Jen Wilkin, Melissa Kruger, John Piper and more.
• From the NBA Finals to Entrepreneurs Everywhere with Monty Williams. On this episode of the Faith Entrepreneurs Podcast, Phoenix Suns Head Coach Monty Williams shares his story, the highs and lows of being a professional coach and reveals just how similar coaching is to being an entrepreneur.
• In Christ. Recently, I’ve been re-listening to Sinclair Ferguson’s excellent Ligonier teaching series Union with Christ. You can watch the first message, “In Christ”, free.
• The Life and Legacy of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. This curated course is designed to introduce the contours of the life and legacy of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Each section of the course includes a video segment and related reading to enhance the student’s understanding of the video contents. The following short videos by Steve Lawson and John Piper quickly introduce the biography of Spurgeon.

• The only thing of my very own which I contribute to my redemption is the sin from which I need to be redeemed. Sinclair Ferguson
• You are more sinful than you could dare imagine and you are more loved and accepted than you could ever dare to hope. Tim Keller
• In heaven, I don’t know if all our questions will be answered, but it seems to me that once we see Jesus face to face, we won’t feel the need to ask many questions. Burk Parsons
• More often than not, the reason your life is out of control is because you’re afraid of giving control of your life to God. Tim Keller
• It is not enough to believe the Gospel with your head. It must become operational in your heart. Tim Keller
• It is hard to sense the Spirit’s presence in any particular moment. However, with hindsight it is amazing to see his work. Tim Keller
• God knows both the things that you are facing and the condition of your heart as you face them and gives you mercy that is form fit for both. Paul Tripp
• We all want real community but only on our own terms, only when it’s convenient, and only when no one demands anything from us. Real community takes love. It takes patience and time. It takes courage. It takes risking our hearts being broken. It takes sacrifice. Burk Parsons
• If you look down at the poor or stay aloof from their suffering, you have not really understood or experienced God’s grace. Tim Keller