- Missing Gods and ‘Apparent Magic’ in Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’. Brett McCracken reviews Christopher Nolan’s epic film The Odessey, a film we saw and enjoyed.
- Reflections on the Christian Life with Sinclair Ferguson, Robert Godfrey, and Ben Sasse. Recently, Ben Sasse hosted a conversation with Sinclair Ferguson and Robert Godfrey. In this episode of Renewing Your Mind, they discuss Christian worship, the church’s influence on the culture, and our calling to serve Christ amid suffering and weakness.
- Jen Wilkin Wants to Help You Age Wisely. On this episode of the Gospelbound podcast, Collin Hansen visits with Jen Wilkin about her new book Dust to Dust: Aging Wisely in an Anti-Aging World.
- What Does It Really Mean to “Age Gracefully”? In this video, Jen Wilkin shares how a Christian should view aging gracefully.
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- Favorite Quotes of the Week
- Does God Want Me to Forgive Someone, Even if They are Not Repentant? Robert Jones answers this question on this episode of Honest Answers.
- Why Good Men Fail God. On this episode the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper answers the questions “My questions are about 2 Chronicles 14–16. I’ve been thinking a lot about the trajectory of King Asa, especially in light of 2 Chronicles 16:9, where it says, ‘For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him,’ a precious text you explained really well two years ago in APJ 2064: ‘God Is Eager to Work for You.’ “What I struggle with is the contrast between the start and end of Asa’s reign. Early, he’s described as doing what was good and right in the Lord’s eyes (2 Chronicles 14:2). But near the end, he’s rebuked for relying on the king of Syria instead of the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:7–10). And then, when he becomes seriously ill, the text says he sought help from physicians but not from the Lord (2 Chronicles 16:12). He also seems angry and bitter when confronted. At the same time, 2 Chronicles 15:17and 1 Kings 15:14 say Asa was wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord all his life. So, how should we make sense of this? How can someone be described that way and still seem to drift or harden near the end? And what does Asa’s story teach us about finishing well, both for our own faith and for how we think about older believers whose lives maybe don’t end as spiritually strong as they were earlier?”
- If Jesus Returns Tonight. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions “Jesus repeatedly calls his followers to live with watchful expectation for his return. In Luke 12:35–36, he says, ‘Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home.’ He praises the servant who is found ready, faithful, and active when the master arrives at night. Obviously, we need physical rest each night, so it’s not a literal ‘staying always awake.’ Metaphorically, how should I be living today if I truly believe Christ could return tonight? What does staying dressed with lit lamps look like today?”
- How Do You Reconcile Covenant Baptism With The Reality of Wayward Children? During a live Clearly Reformed Q&A Event, Kevin DeYoung answered a range of questions presented to him by attendees.
- Surviving Financial Panics. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions “My company is going through another round of layoffs, and for the first time in my life, I’m looking at the possibility of an unemployment check. I’m paralyzed by fear and anxiety every time I look at my bank account. I’ve worked hard to provide a certain life for my family, and the thought of losing our house or not being able to afford what we need feels like a failure. It’s hard to sit in church and worship when all I’m thinking about is the next paycheck and how I’m going to survive if those stop. Honestly, it feels like God is a distant judge watching my ‘performance’ during this crisis. How do I stop being so anxious about money when the threat is so real? Is it even possible to be happy when you’re in financial ruin?”
- Why Does God Allow People To Suffer? During a live Clearly Reformed Q&A Event, Kevin DeYoung answered a range of questions presented to him by attendees.
- Doomscrolling Done Right. On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions “In Luke 13:1–5, Jesus responds to two tragic incidents where people are killed, apparently in very noteworthy events that spread around fast, like what we would think of today as trending, headline news. But then, oddly, he takes those stories and calls for repentance from all people. In this example, first, do you think God intends for us to see or read about tragedies of others as a normal part of life? And if he does, that seems to change how I view news on my phone. Second, the purpose for it: Why do you think Jesus connects the headline suffering others face with the need for repentance from those who are simply passive onlookers to that suffering?”
- Does God Owe You? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the questions which can be summarized “If I feed the poor because I am pursuing a future payout from God, have I not operationalized this into a business transaction of grace? If the promise of repayment is the sustaining power of the act, doesn’t the poor man become a mere tool to my reward rather than an object of my love? And how can seeking a divine ‘repayment’ be anything other than working for a wage?”
- The Sovereign God of Blessing and Calamity. R.C. Sproul writes “If God is God, then He is sovereign over all things”.
- Will We Regain Lost Relational Opportunities in Heaven? Randy Alcorn writes “Do you have family and friends you wish you could spend more time with? In Heaven you’ll have unlimited time.”
- Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense. “In this TGC Classic recorded in 2019, Paul Tripp weaves together his personal story, pastoral ministry experience, and biblical insights to encourage believers to cling to God’s promises when trials come and move forward with the hope of the gospel.”
- Planting a Church. In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the joys, challenges, and realities of church planting. Drawing from Matt’s experience planting River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, they explore everything from assessing a call to church planting and gathering a core team to fundraising, developing leaders, and cultivating a healthy church culture.
- What Makes God Most Glad? In this episode of the Crossway podcast John Piper discusses how we can learn much about God through considering what pleases God and what it means that the person who makes God most glad is himself. John Piper talks about how this view of God is far from being an egomaniac and how the Christian life changes when we keep this perspective in mind.
- Can a Believer’s Name Be Erased From The Book of Life? John Piper writes “The precious biblical truth that the saints will persevere in faith to the end and be saved is relentlessly opposed, generation after generation. Nevertheless, the truth endures, resting firmly on the sovereign faithfulness of God to complete the salvation of his elect.”
- The Life and Legacy of John Broadus — A Conversation with Professor Eric Smith. On this episode of the Thinking in Public podcast, Albert Mohler speaks with Associate Professor of Church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Sharon Baptist Church in Savannah, Tennessee, Eric C. Smith. They discuss his recent book, Between Worlds: John A. Broadus, the Southern Baptist Seminary, and the Prospects of the New South.
- In the Library: Ligon Duncan. On this episode of In the Library, Albert Mohler speaks with Chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary and the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Ligon Duncan. They discuss theology, higher education, church history, preaching, ministry, their doctrinal disagreements, T4G, and more.
- Preaching is not men teaching from the Bible. It’s God teaching from the Bible through men. Ian H. Murray
- One grain of faith is better than a gallon of tears. A drop of genuine repentance is more precious than a torrent of weeping. Charles Spurgeon
- The hour is coming when we shall be astonished to think what mere trifles were once capable of discouraging us. John Newton
- I do not understand how a man can be a true believer, in whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow and trouble. John Owen
- Ignorance of the Scripture is the root of all error and makes a man helpless in the hand of the devil. J.C. Ryle
- It is never humble to be hesitant where God has been clear. Mark Dever
- We are more sure to arise out of our graves than out of our beds. Thomas Watson
- If you felt yourself to be lovely, you could feel loved to a degree, but you could not be astonished with how loved you are. It’s precisely our messiness that makes Christ’s love so surprising, so startling, so arresting—and thereby so transforming. Dane Ortlund
- Every worship service we attend is an audience with the King of kings. R.C. Sproul
