Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview

THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

Leave a comment

  • How to Care for Sufferers. On this episode of the The Everyday Pastor podcast, Joni Eareckson Tada joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to share lessons she’s learned about enduring hardship and give practical advice for pastors who wish to care for sufferers well.
  • How Can Isaiah Comfort Christians Today? In this video, Derek Thomas describes the comfort Christians can find in the book of Isaiah.
  • Is There a Right Way to Pray? Joseph Harrod answers this question in this episode of Honest Answers.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More interesting article links
  • Favorite Quotes of the Week

  • Restoring a Repentant Adulterer. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to a question that can be summarized as “How and when does a church wisely restore the repentant? As a pastor, what fruit were you looking for? What were your steps forward? How do those who are spiritual ‘restore him in a spirit of gentleness,’ as Paul says in Galatians 6:1?”
  • The Glorious Riches Awaiting You. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Personally, I struggle with interpreting Ephesians 1:18. ‘[I pray that] the eyes of your hearts [may be] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.’ Namely, is this about what God is going to inherit in us, the saints? Or is it about what we as poor, empty-handed people are going to inherit? Do we inherit from him? Does he inherit us? What’s the inheritance and who inherits it?”
  • When Your Best Years are Behind You. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “I’m seeking advice from Scripture on how to trust God when it feels like my best years are behind me. Nine years ago, God blessed me with my dream job, and my wife and I had the incredible opportunity to go on a mission trip to Japan — a country we love dearly. Life was full of excitement, and I was eager to see what God would do next. However, that job ended several years ago, we haven’t returned to Japan, and my health has declined significantly. Now I’m wrestling with feelings of depression and apathy about where my life has landed. How can I find joy and satisfaction knowing that physically, vocationally, and ministerially, things may never be as good as they once were? How can I continue to trust God in the midst of this season of loss and uncertainty?”
  • Trusting God After Losing Everything. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question ”We lost our home in the California fires this past November, and many others lost their homes in the much larger fires in the Los Angeles area in January. In the face of this devastation, we are struggling with worry about the future — whether we’ll be able to rebuild, whether insurance will cover our losses, and what will happen when our equity is exhausted by these fires. I’ve been praying for wisdom, and I’m deeply thankful that God hears our prayers and gives generously without reproach. However, in the midst of so much uncertainty, I’m still grappling with anxiety about how we move forward and what the future holds. Could you offer guidance to those of us struggling with fear about our future in times of deep loss?”
  • Is it Wrong to Get a Little Drunk Sometimes? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “I’m a Christian teenager trying to get closer to God, and I’ve been wondering if getting a little drunk every so often, for fun or to help with some pain, is sinful. When I’ve been drunk, I’ve stayed in control and haven’t done anything bad. I even pray for God’s help in making good decisions. I’ve never been so drunk I forget things or act crazy, and I don’t intend to. Is it still sinful to do this even if I don’t do anything wrong or out of hand?”
  • Are My Struggles Personal or Demonic? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Thank you for taking my question on Ephesians 6:12. It reminds us that ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood’ (NIV) but against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. In real life, how do we apply this when we’re facing tangible, everyday struggles — whether relational, emotional, or mental — where the people involved seem like the problem? When we feel attacked by others’ words or actions, how do we discern the spiritual roots behind the conflict, especially when it feels personal? How do we respond in a way that reflects Christ’s love and truth, without treating others as the enemy? How can we fight invisible battles while dealing with visible consequences in our relationships, work, and personal lives? And how do we balance all of this, without seeing demons lurking around every corner or reducing every tension to just interpersonal struggles? How do we maintain that balance?”

  • Re-Open the Windows: The Challenge of the Secular in Our Generation. Os Guinness writes “It is time to face up to secularism. It is time to weigh the full devastation of secularization. Let us confess our spiritual, intellectual, and cultural poverty in light of such challenges, just as we put our trust in the God who is greater than all and can be trusted in all situations.”
  • The Bondage of the Will: A Conversation with Robert Godfrey and Stephen Nichols. Can you turn to God by your own free will? Are you able to earn your salvation by partnering with His grace? These are some of the vital questions Martin Luther addressed in his classic treatise The Bondage of the Will. They are questions that still demand an answer today. Recently, Ligonier Teaching Fellows Robert Godfrey and Stephen Nichols joined Ligonier President, Chris Larson, to discuss Luther’s classic defense of God’s sovereignty in salvation and its continued relevance for the church today. The video begins at the 15:33 mark.
  • When the World Seems to Be Winning. Robert Godfrey writes “Christ is growing His kingdom. He’s using strategies that may surprise us, but He will accomplish His purpose so that we will shine forth as righteous in our Father’s kingdom.”
  • Tim Keller: Gospel Ministry Challenges Idolatry. In this message from the 2009 Gospel Coalition National Conference, Tim Keller introduces gospel ministry through the lens of 2 Timothy, highlighting the critical but often implicit task of confronting idols.


  • We are secure, not because we hold tightly to Jesus, but because He holds tightly to us. R.C. Sproul
  • It is easy to bring a man to the river of regret, but you cannot make him drink the water of repentance. Charles Spurgeon
  • We write Jesus’ name upon our banner, for it is hell’s terror, heaven’s delight and earth’s hope. Charles Spurgeon
  • Repentance is a characteristic of the whole life, not the action of a single moment. Sinclair Ferguson
  • All of Holy Scripture, from beginning to end, points solely to Christ as our source of grace and truth. Martin Luther
  • The louder Satan roars, the more proof you shall have of Christ’s love. Charles Spurgeon
  • Many of us fail to understand that our limitations are a gift from God, and therefore good. This produces in us the burden of trying to be something we are not and cannot be. Kelly Kapic
  • Unconditional love does not equal unconditional approval of my behavior. Christopher Yuan
  • To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot liked being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. Tim Keller

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

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Coram Deo ~

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading