One Last Shot Over the Left Field Wall. Andy Andrews writes a tribute to Hank Aaron, the home run king, who died January 22 at age 86. My favorite Hank Aaron memory took place at a 1965 game at Busch Stadium 1 (also known as Sportsman’s Park) in St. Louis. My Dad, Mom, brother Mike (age 6) and I (age 8) were attending the game between the Cardinals and the Milwaukee Braves. Cardinal pitcher Curt Simmons got Aaron out throughout the game with a big lollypop pitch. Aaron was frustrated, but ready for the pitch late in the game, and crushed the ball out of the park. But Aaron was so anxious to hit the pitch that he actually stepped out of the batter’s box and was called out. Read about it here.

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• We Have a New President – A Christian Response. Scott Sauls writes “One of the chief ways we honor God is in the way we respond to those He places in authority over us. Whether we agree or disagree with our authorities, showing honor and respect is presented in the Bible as a non-negotiable. In showing honor and respect, we also honor and respect God, who, in His own wisdom and for His own purposes, ordains who will lead and who will follow.”
• Could our Current Political and Cultural Chaos be Leading to a Spiritual Awakening? Philip Douglass, one of my favorite professors at Covenant Seminary, writes “Our politicians and cultural leaders will not alone solve the problems of our society any more than they were able to do so in years past. It will take another Awakening like the ones we experienced in the late 1940s and 1950s and again in the 1970s, except this renewal must be initiated and sustained by planting new churches.”
• COVID Vaccines and Fetal Cells: What’s Ethical and What Isn’t? Randy Alcorn provides biblically relevant information and resources to examine related to the COVID-19 vaccines.

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• Can I Take a Vaccine Made from Aborted Babies? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “Should committed pro-lifers get the fast, available, cheap vaccines made from aborted cells? Or should they wait?”
• We Must Find a Better Way to Talk About Race. Kevin DeYoung shares three suggestions on what it might look like for Christians to talk about race in a more constructive and more helpful manner.
• Evangelicals and Race Theory. In this length article, Carl Trueman writes “This brings me to the most serious problem with the way today’s conversation about race is happening: It is not happening.”
• Come Let Us Reason Together. Kevin DeYoung writes about the division in the church over issues such as racism, COVID-19 and the 2020 presidential election, and offers some helpful suggestions about what to do and how to be discerning.

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• Vaccines and the Christian Worldview: Principles for Christian Thinking in the Context of COVID. Albert Mohler writes “Reasonable Christians and Christian parents will differ over whether or not to take the vaccine. But, speaking personally, I will take this vaccine as soon as it is available to me. I will take it not only for what I hope will be the good of my own health, but for others as well. I will seek to encourage others to take the vaccine. Encouragement, however, is very different from coercion.”
• The Cult of Christian Trumpism. Michael Horton writes “While worrying about secularists outside, many of us have failed to reckon with the secularization right under our noses, as the rich cuisine of biblical faith is traded for a mess of pop-culture stew. This idolatry inhibits the church’s work of evangelism in myriad ways.”
• 9 Things You Should Know About Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. Joe Carter writes “Here is what you should know about the person who will be the first woman, first African American, and first Asian American vice president in the history of the United States.”

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• Are Masks a Conscience Issue? Erik Raymond writes “I do not believe that conscience is a valid reason for refusing to wear a mask to church. Christians should save the conscience for conscience issues. Instead, call this what it is: civil disobedience.”
• The FAQs: What You Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccines. Joe Carter shares this helpful information about the COVID-19 vaccines that were recently approved and should be available soon.
• The FAQs: Are Fetal Cells Being Used in COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments? Joe Carter writes “Here is what you should know about fetal tissue cells and the ethical concern about using them to develop therapeutics and vaccines.”
• The Role of Technology and Media in the Sexual Revolution. Watch this short video from Carl Trueman, related to his acclaimed new book The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.

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• John Piper on Critical Race Theory. John Piper recently addressed the subject of critical race theory in two parts on the Ask Pastor John Here is part 1, and here is part 2.
• 4 Reasons to Wear a Mask, Even if You Hate It. We have linked to this helpful article from Brett McCracken previously, and with the surge of COVID-19 cases in our country, it seems appropriate to do so again.
• A Direct Threat to Christian Education – The Human Rights Campaign Demands that the Biden Administration Deny Accreditation to Christian Colleges and Schools. Albert Mohler writes “The accreditation of Christian colleges and schools has just been directly targeted by the nation’s most influential LGBTQ organization. The Human Rights Campaign has recently issued a document directed at the incoming administration entitled Blueprint for Positive Change 2020. This is an undisguised attempt to shut down any semblance of a Christian college or university that would possess the audacity to operate from a Christian worldview.”

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• Destined for the Beauty of Diversity. Irwyn Ince writes “The sad truth is that many churches have not only been content with division and stratification across racial, ethnic, and economic lines, but have been complicit in fostering that division.”
• What Do We Owe a President? Denny Burk writes “All of this means that we must offer support whenever a President pursues policies that promote righteousness and that oppose evil. And we should oppose him whenever he fails at the same.”
• 9 Things You Should Know About President-Elect Joe Biden. Joe Carter shares what you should know about the man who it appears will be the 46th president of the United States.

• God Is Enough for You and the Emptiness You Feel. In this two-minute video, Nancy Guthrie talks about how so often we see emptiness in our lives as our biggest problem. But when God looks at the empty place, He sees it as His greatest opportunity. This is especially applicable to the difficult year many of us have experienced.

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• Series on Learning through Differences: Politics and the Local Church. In this video, pastor Mark Dever discusses the important issue of unity within the local church—unity that comes without uniformity.

• Lessons from the Puritans in Grieving the Loss of a Child. Nancy Guthrie shares three truths that Puritan pastors impressed on those grieving the loss of a child.
• Breathe in the Happiness of Heaven. Randy Alcorn writes “Experiencing daily happiness in Christ isn’t wishful thinking. It’s based on solid facts: God secured our eternal happiness through the cross and resurrection. He dwells within us, and He intercedes for us. Nothing separates us from His love.”

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