We have come again to that one day a year in our country which is set aside – in name at least – for being thankful. But as children of the King, we are always to be thankful. The Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 1 Chronicles 16:34 tells us to give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
I love the holiday season, and Thanksgiving is really the kick-off for that festive time. Today, many will be gathering with family and friends, enjoying a turkey dinner and perhaps watching some football. Soon we might be joining many others searching for bargains as we begin our Christmas shopping and the decorating of our homes for Christmas. But before we get into the busyness of the season, let us take time to thank the Lord for all he has done for us this year. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17 that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Father, we pause to thank you for the many blessings that you have bestowed on us this year. Just a few of those for me are: Continue reading
Category Archives: Articles ~ Personal
The Value of Encouragement
I was recently attending a breakout session at the 2025 Gospel Coalition National Conference and the speaker brought up the value of encouraging a young pastor. That got me to thinking about the idea of encouragement. What are some situations in which you can offer encouragement to someone? Here are a few possibilities:
- To a co-worker struggling with the demands of the job
- To an exhausted young mom
- To someone dealing with aging
- To a friend who longs to move into a leadership position
- To a friend who is facing financial pressures
- To your pastor who is facing burnout
- To your spouse on just an ordinary day
- To a friend who has just received a devastating medical diagnosis
- To a student struggling with a class
- To friends who long to have a child but have not to date
Corporate Worship is a High and Holy Privilege
What do you think of when I mention church? Do feel a sense of obligation, or a duty? Was it more convenient for you and your family to sit on the couch in your pajamas and watch live streamed worship services during the pandemic? Do you find it easy to get out of the habit of going to church?
Some feel the need to be entertained at church through upbeat and catchy music, or perhaps a “relevant” sermon series on how to be a better parent or how to have a great marriage. But church is not for your entertainment. Church is not even primarily for evangelism. Church is a time for believers to gather together to worship a holy God.
“Oh, What High and Holy Privilege” is a new hymn written by Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Bryan Fowler, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa. Matt Boswell, Matt Papa and Kristyn Getty sing the song, which is based on Hebrews 10:24-25:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Continue reading
The Joy of Church Membership Interviews
A membership interview is one of my favorite tasks as an elder. It is here that I get to hear people’s stories by asking them how the Lord has worked in their lives. In other words, how did the Lord draw them to Him.
I see the beauty of local church membership. Not all churches have formal membership. I believe that the Bible supports church membership, but that is not what this article is about. Perhaps we can address it at another time.
Our denomination, a conservative Presbyterian denomination, takes membership seriously. To become a member, you need to complete an interview with two elders. I have been an elder in our denomination for nearly thirty years. In short, elders shepherd and rule (or lead). Our other ordained office is deacon. Deacons focus on service and mercy. Continue reading
We Have Lost Another Giant
As I write this, I’ve just watched the memorial service for John MacArthur. You can watch it here. I’ve written before about my appreciation for John MacArthur. You can read my article “Why I Love John MacArthur here.
The loss of MacArthur follows the recent loss of other giants in the Reformed/Evangelical camp. R.C. Sproul died in 2017 and Tim Keller in 2023. Sadly, there have also been men, who through their sin, have disqualified themselves from ministry. Among the giants still remaining are John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, and Alistair Begg, all of whom are in their 70’s.
As we considered the loss of MacArthur, I was talking to my long-time pastor about who the leaders of the future would be. With so many of the giants departing, who will take up the mantle? Who will be the next Charles Spurgeon, or Martyn Lloyd-Jones? His response was to look to the faithful pastors who labor in the local church. Continue reading
Beauty out of Brokenness by Tammy Pence
I’ve been dealing with vertigo – wicked stuff! – and the fear that goes along with it. Fill in the blank for yourself with the name of your trial, suffering, sin… “I have been dealing with _________ and it’s nasty.” The Psalms teach us to grieve our circumstances first and talk to God in our fears.
The Pacers’ star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton, suffered a torn right Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He underwent surgery but the injury is expected to sideline him for the entire 2025-2026 season. Everyone’s Facebook posts said to him, “You Got This!”…”you’ll be healed soon and be back on the court.” But wait, let’s look at it from his perspective. For almost all of his 25 years he has played basketball and been “All World” on the court. Now what? The first thing to do is to lament his situation, then he can move on to working on his inner man while his outer self is healing. Continue reading
Coram Deo Celebrates 27 Year Anniversary!
September marks the 27th anniversary of Coram Deo since beginning as a church newsletter in September 1998. It’s a church that we’ve attended since December, 1994 and I became an elder at in March, 1996. This was actually not the first newsletter that our young, small church had attempted.
A few things caused my wife Tammy and I to start Coram Deo. (See this article from R.C. Sproul about what Coram Deo means). First, people in the church knew we went to the movies each Friday night. They would often ask if a particular film was appropriate for their children or themselves to see as believers. Writing short reviews of the films was a way to get that information out. Continue reading
A Prayer for the End of Summer
Our Father in Heaven,
You created each of the seasons – spring, summer, fall and winter. Because You created them, I can imagine that you love them all equally. My personal preference, however, is summer, spring, fall, with winter a distant last.
I love the warm days of summer, with it staying light to nearly 9 pm in late June. My standard “uniform” in summer is a t-shirt, shorts and KEEN sandals. But where we live, I may only be able to enjoy the warm weather six months of the year, at the most. Continue reading
44 Years of Family Summer Vacations
We recently returned from our annual family summer vacation, this time from the Nashville/Franklin Tennessee area. This year marked 44 years since we have been vacationing with Tammy’s middle sister Teri and her husband Al’s family.
We started in 1981 at Tammy’s family’s childhood vacation spot, a rustic “resort” on Bull Shoals Lake in Theodosia, Missouri, which since 1959 is still run by the same family. Tammy’s family began vacationing there in 1966.
Over the years, we have vacationed at Turkey Creek Ranch several times, in addition to places such as Hilton Head Island, the Hamptons, Breckinridge, Colorado, the Orlando area, Door County, Wisconsin and others.
Continue reading
The Incredible Ministry of Charles Spurgeon
I have read several books about the life and ministry of the great preacher Charles Spurgeon, including the recent Spurgeon: A Life by Alex DiPrima. Our former lead pastor quoted Spurgeon so often in his sermons that after a while, he just began referring to him as “Spurgie”.
Spurgeon had an incredible ministry in London. So incredible, that when I first read about him, I thought that some of his accomplishments were legend, rather than fact. I first read about Spurgeon’s accomplishments in John Piper’s 1997 book A Godward Life, in a reading titled “Mountains Are Not Meant To Envy: Awed Thoughts on Charles Spurgeon”.
Piper tells us that Spurgeon preached as a Baptist pastor in London from 1854 until 1891 – thirty-eight years of ministry in one place. He died January 31, 1892, at the age of fifty-seven.
Here are some of Spurgeon’s incredible accomplishments. I’m trusting that you will be as amazed by this man as I am: Continue reading