Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

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  • How to Find a Good Church. Ligonier President Chris Larson and Ligonier Teaching Fellows Robert Godfrey and Burk Parsons recently discussed how Christians can exercise discernment when looking for a faithful church. The program begins at the 14:18 point.

  • One of the Most Overlooked Arguments for the Resurrection. Michael Kruger writes “Even though Jesus was killed by the Romans, like all the other would-be Messiahs, his movement didn’t Indeed, it grew. It exploded. And these same followers of Jesus began to boldly proclaim that he was Lord and Messiah.”
  • The Awakening We Need: Why the Reformed Pray for Revival. Ray Ortlund writes “Revival is ordinary Christians experiencing extraordinary power from on high, so that the gospel gets traction in us and through us with astonishing impact. It cannot be scheduled — not by us, anyway. It is of God.”

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  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

  • Your Most Asked About Bible Verse. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question I could use your help in my struggle with Romans 9:22. It seems to me to imply that those who are not elect are not even given a chance to repent since they were born for destruction. Is this right, that many people are created with no chance of ever being saved?”
  • Should Confidence in Sovereignty Make Me Prayerless? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to a question that reads in part “The truth of your mantra that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him is something that resonates deep in my spirit. My question for you is this. Do you think a person can beso satisfied in God that it leads to prayerlessness? What I mean is a circumstance in which you feel so confident and satisfied in God’s purposes and designs in your life and others’ that you lack a desire to petition him.”
  • Should Rich Christians Downgrade Their Lifestyle? What does the Bible say about wealth and riches? Dr. Robert Plummer answers in this episode of Honest Answers.
  • The Gift of God’s God-Centeredness. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to a question that reads in part “In other words, God’s self-delight in himself seems to have nothing to do with his neediness, but it is the greatest gift conceivable to the creation! That God is self-sufficiently happy, in himself, is the best news in the world for us to hear. Am I following your line of thought here?”
  • God Delivers from the Suffering He Ordains. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Can you explain Psalm 71:20, and how important it is for us to see God’s sovereignty over our suffering as the ground for our confidence that he is powerful enough to deliver us, too? This seems profoundly important, and so counterintuitive to how I and many other Christians naturally speak of suffering.”  
  • How Can We Disagree with Non-Reformed Friends Without Losing Those Friendships? Sometimes when Christians embrace Reformed theology, they find that their friends are opposed to it. From one of the live Ask Ligonier events, Sinclair Ferguson considers how we may handle theological disagreements without losing friendships.
  • How Do I Forget My Sinful Past? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question I’ve been a follower of Christ for a while now,” she writes. “But my conscience still haunts me for all the really bad and dumb things I did when I was younger. Does that mean I am not saved? I’ve prayed for forgiveness many times, talked to pastors and even Christian therapists, but I don’tfeel forgiven because the guilt is always there, no matter how much I pray and seek God. I feel far from God and not sure what else to do.”

  • Regime Change? A Future Beyond Classical Liberalism and Its Legacy? — With Patrick J. Deneen. On this episode of the Thinking in Public podcast, Albert Mohler speaks with the David A. Potenziani Memorial College Chair of Constitutional Studies and Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, Patrick J. Deneen. They discuss Dr. Deneen’s most recent book, Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future.
  • The Habit Podcast: Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock Think Everything Matters. On this episode of the Habit Podcast, Andi Ashworth and Charlie Peacock speak with Jonathan Rogers about the idea of cultivating a life of the mind while being firmly planted in our flesh-and-bone, earthly existence. They talk about the ways that “Love can be the trustworthy basis of imaginative and creative good.” And we talk about Andi’s journaling practice, among other things.
  • 8 Edifying Films to Watch This Spring. Brett McCracken has compiled this helpful list of current or upcoming movies you might consider watching either at home or in theaters.
  • Love and Lent and the Stories of Our Lives. Steve Garber writes “But that is why a film like Forgotten Love is a gift. Beautiful and true, with extraordinary grace it offers a love that is born of sacrifice, a thousand choices forming a love that transcends time, rooted as it must be in commitment and hope… a little bit like Lent.”

  • Jesus Christ exchanged places with you. He came to live the life you should have lived and die the death you should have died so you could be reconciled to God, forgiven, and remade. Tim Keller
  • The Sabbath ought to be treasured for what it is: a gift of a day on which we enjoy, uninterrupted by leisure commitments or (if at all possible) by employment, the privilege of God’s presence, the study of God’s word, and the fellowship of God’s people. Alistair Begg
  • If Jesus was raised from the dead, it changes everything: how we conduct relationships, our attitudes toward wealth and power, how we work in our vocations, our understanding and practice of sexuality, race relations, and justice. Tim Keller
  • As for me, I have braved the sneer of men because I feared the frown of my Lord. Charles Spurgeon
  • God’s grace and forgiveness, while free for the recipient, are always costly for the giver. Tim Keller
  • Jesus Christ went more willingly to the cross than we do to the throne of grace. Thomas Watson
  • 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
  • If you are Christ’s, let me advise you to do four things. You belong to Jesus—obey Him; let His word be your law; let His wish be your will. You belong to the Beloved; then love Him; let your heart embrace Him; let your whole soul be filled with Him. You belong to the Son of God; then trust Him; rest on nothing or no one but on Him. You belong to the King of kings; then be decided for Him. Thus, even without being marked with a sign everyone will know to whom you belong. Charles Spurgeon
  • In heaven we shall see that we had not one trial too many. Charles Spurgeon

Author: Bill Pence

I’m Bill Pence – married to my best friend Tammy, a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis Cardinals and Illinois State University Men’s Basketball fan, formerly a manager at a Fortune 50 organization, and in leadership at my local church for thirty years. I am a life-long learner and have a passion to help people develop, and to use their strengths to their fullest potential. I am an INTJ on Myers-Briggs, 3 on the Enneagram, my top five Strengthsfinder themes are: Belief, Responsibility, Learner, Harmony, and Achiever, and my two StandOut strength roles are Creator and Equalizer. My favorite book is the Bible, with Romans my favorite book of the Bible, and Colossians 3:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 being my favorite verses and Romans 8 my favorite chapter of the Bible. Some of my other favorite books are The Holiness of God and Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul, and Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. I enjoy music in a variety of genres, including modern hymns and classic rock. My books Called to Lead: Living and Leading for Jesus in the Workplace, A Leader Worth Following: 40 Key Leadership Attributes and Applications to Master, and Tammy’s book Study, Savor and Share Scripture: Becoming What We Behold are available in paperback and Kindle editions on Amazon. Go to amazon.com/author/billpence or amazon.com/author/tammypence

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