Coram Deo ~

Looking at contemporary culture from a Christian worldview


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A New Song About the Value of Our Work

One of my passions is writing and speaking about the value of our work. How Christians do their work for the Lord, serving Him, no matter what that work is.
Recently, CityAlight released a new five song EP, titled Hear the Hallelujahs Roar. One of the songs on the project is titled “My Labour Is Not In Vain”, a beautiful song written by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Tiarne Tranter and Michael Farren, with Tranter singing lead vocals.
The first verse of the song is:
My work in Christ is not in vain
My labor will not fail
For when I toil in Jesus’ name
His purpose will prevail

This verse is based on 1 Corinthians 15:58, which reads:

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

It is of such comfort to know that the work we do in Christ is not in vain. Some believe that it is only the work of a pastor or missionary that is of value, but that is not the case at all. All work done serving the Lord is of value.

The second verse of the song is:

The tasks that You have set for me
I may not understand
Yet I will follow where You lead
I trust Your sovereign hand

Have you ever felt that the work you were doing was of no value, that it was worthless? You may not understand why the Lord has you doing that work, but we are to trust him and follow Him where He leads us.

The chorus of the song is:

So may all I do, be it great or small
Bring glory to Your name
In Your grace alone I will carry on
Your promise to me remains
My labour is not in vain

The chorus brings 1 Corinthians 15:58 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 together. 1 Corinthians 10:31 reads:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

That verse is similar to Colossians 3:23, one of my favorites regarding our work, which reads:

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

The remaining two verses encourage us to seek the lost, just as the Lord searched for us, to persevere, for soon we will be home at rest in our work, complete in Him.

This is a wonderful new song about our work, be it great or small. May all we do bring glory to His name. Our labor is not in vain.  You can watch the video for the song here.


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Pour Yourself Into Your Grandchildren in Retirement

There are many ways that you can serve the Lord in retirement. One way is to pour yourself into your grandchildren. My wife Tammy and I were not blessed with children. However, over the years we have had a special relationship with nieces, nephews and now grand nieces and nephews.
In his book An Uncommon Guide to Retirement, Jeff Haanen writes that reconnecting with family is a genuine joy of retirement. He tells us that for many, serving kids, grandkids, and aging parents is central to a sense of vocation in this season of life. In his book Retiring Well, John Dunlop tells us that we must talk to our grandchildren about God frequently. God can use us as a means for them to come to faith, learn to fear him, and do what is right. He adds that involvement with family may be the greatest way we can glorify God in retirement. Continue reading


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Eleven New and Upcoming Albums You Might Be Interested In

I love music in a variety of genres, so here is some new music that I want to share with you:

Sing! The Great Commission World Tour Live – Keith & Kristyn Getty and Friends

A live album has been released from the annual Sing! conference each year since the conferences began in 2017. This is probably my favorite of all of those releases. It is billed as Sing! The Great Commission World Tour Live, as it includes songs from Sing! events in Belfast, Singapore and Sydney, in addition to the Sing! Conference in Nashville.
The album features sixteen songs and two readings, with contributions from Keith and Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, CityAlight, Chris Tomlin, Andrew Peterson and more. Continue reading


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My 2022 Favorites


As I have done for several years now, I am going share my favorites in a variety of categories for 2022. All items listed were released or took place in 2022, except for books, which reflect books that I read in 2022, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!

Movies

Top Pick: Top Gun: Maverick. Here’s my review.

The rest of my top ten films, in order, were:

  • Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • King Richard
  • The Fabelmans
  • Where the Crawdads Sing
  • Elvis
  • Jurassic World: Dominion
  • Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for my favorite books, music, TV, blog, podcast, app, conference and resource… Continue reading