Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview


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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • TGC Announces the Carson Center for Theological Renewal. Collin Hansen writes “This new initiative fosters spiritual renewal around the world by providing excellent theological resources for the whole church—for anyone called to teach and anyone who wants to study the Bible.”

  • What Does the Bible Say About Transgenderism? Kevin DeYoung writes “In short, the Bible teaches that God made us male or female, and no matter our own feelings or confusion, we should act in accordance with the biological reality of God’s good design. Transgenderism falls short of the glory of God and is not the way to walk in obedience to Christ.”
  • What is Casual Dechurching, and Is There Hope? On this episode of the As in Heaven podcast, Jim Davis and Michael Graham welcome Patrick Miller to discuss the meaning of casual dechurching. They provide insights into why roughly three-quarters of those who have dechurched fit this category. You’ll learn how we can better engage this group of people and why there’s tremendous hope that many of them will return to church.
  • The Lies I Used to Believe: Transgenderism Is Normal. In this video, Rosaria Butterfield shares how the gospel changed the way she thought about gender.
  • What If I Feel Abandoned by God? In this video, Sinclair Ferguson gives practical, biblical, and pastoral advice and encouragement for those who feel like God has deserted them.

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • How to Pray for Your Enemies. John Piper writes “Jesus gives numerous examples of the kinds of behaviors involved in loving our enemies. The first mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount after the command to love is prayer.”
  • Practically, How Do We Abide in Jesus? John Piper writes “Abiding in Jesus—in his love and in his word—is trusting that he really is loving us at every moment and that everything he has revealed about himself and his work for us and our future with him is true.”
  • On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time. Kevin DeYoung writes “Spiritual disciplines are great (and necessary) when the goal is to know God better. Spiritual disciplines are soul-crushing when the aim is to get our metaphysical workout in each day, knowing that we could always exercise more if we were better Christians.”

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BOOK REVIEWS and NEWS

Devoted to God’s Church: Core Values for Christian Fellowship by Sinclair B. Ferguson.  Banner of Truth Trust.  200 pages.  2020
****

This book, by respected theologian Sinclair Ferguson, is about what it means for Christians to be members of a church. Some wonder if it is important to be members of a church. This would be a good book to read to help address that question. The author tells us that being a Christian, by definition, involves belonging to the church—and that, in turn, means belonging to a particular church.
Ferguson tells us that family is what the church is. Through faith in Christ, we become members of his family, and when we become church members, we are saying ‘I too am a disciple of Jesus.’
Among the topics covered in the book are church membership, worship, discipleship, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, service, witness, and evangelism.

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BOOK REVIEWS ~ More of this review…
BOOK NEWS ~ Links to Interesting Articles
BOOK CLUB ~ Truths We Confess by  R.C. Sproul
I’M CURRENTLY READING…. Continue reading


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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Should We Exercise “Pronoun Hospitality”? Tim Challies writes “It’s a question each of us will have to face if we haven’t already—should I use another person’s preferred pronouns?”
  • Can I Still Have Joy in Seasons of Doubt? On this episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper responds to the question “My question for you is about how much joy I can hope to experience in the Christian life as someone who struggles seasonally with doubt. Sometimes I struggle with doubts about whether God exists or whether God is good, based on all the evil that I see on the news. Or I doubt whether God has a plan and purpose for my life. These doubts come and go. They’re seasonal. None of them extinguishes the smoldering flax that is my faith. The doubts do not stay long, and they do not overwhelm me. So, my question for you is this: Can I ever hope to have deepening joy in God in seasons when I also struggle with doubts like these? Or is joy in God simply impossible when doubts are present?”

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Why You Should Take Drastic Measures against Sin. In this short video, John MacArthur tells us “When our Lord talked about sin, he was very serious.”
  • The Priority of Purity. John MacArthur writes “Incredibly, many churches today proudlyignore the sin in their midst in the name of tolerance, unity, and love—proving only that they have no true understanding of what the Bible means when it talks about unity and love.”

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Do I Have to Stop Shopping at Target? Courtney Reissig writes “We all must recognize it’s not our job to compel people toward our position when Scripture doesn’t. You might feel free to shop at Target, but if your friend in Bible study doesn’t, it’s not your job to change her mind, and vice versa. It’s your job to love her and not to do anything to cause her to stumble—which could mean not inciting a debate about the merits of Target shopping.”

  • Not Dead Yet: Fighting Nine Fears of Old Age. In this message, John Piper states “I have nine fears we will walk through together, and I’ll give you biblical antidotes for those fears. These antidotes will work through faith, and without faith they won’t work. But by faith they will work, and fear will be overcome, and we will go to be with Jesus in due time without walking in fear during our last season.”

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • Giving Thanks for Harry Reeder (1948 – 2023). Kevin DeYoung writes a tribute to Harry Reeder, who died on May 18. Albert Mohler adds “Every age needs heroes and heroines, models, and mentors. The Church needs examples of faithful ministry and the encouragement of tested ministry. Christ’s flock must be fed the meat of God’s Word and tended by faithful pastoral shepherds. Dr. Harry Reeder was such an example, a quintessential encourager, and a true pastor.”
  • Tim Keller died on May 19 after battling pancreatic cancer for three years. Here is a tribute from Don Carson. Here is one from Michael Kruger, from Kevin DeYoung and another from Collin Hansen.

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THIS & THAT: A Gathering of Favorite Articles and Quotes

  • AI, Man and God. Mathematician, bioethicist and Christian apologist Professor John Lennox is interviewed by John Anderson on the current and future impacts of artificial intelligence technology.

  • What if I Feel Deserted by God? What encouragement would you give to a Christian who feels deserted by God? In this video, Sinclair Ferguson points to a prescription, a remedy, and a great prognosis for Christians.
  • Should You Accommodate an LGBT Person’s Requests? Alan Shlemon writes “There’s no moral principle that elevates relationships to a point where they trump your deeply held beliefs. Therefore, there’s no duty to accommodate every request made by a friend or family member who identifies as LGBT.”
  • Jesus’ Teaching on Marriage and Gender. Many people are rejecting the teaching in Genesis about the boundaries of marriage and gender. But Jesus didn’t reject it. On this episode of the Things Unseen podcast, Sinclair Ferguson shows that Christ’s way is the only way for God’s image-bearers to flourish.

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