OpenTheo

Moving Past Despair

May 5, 2021
Life and Books and Everything
Life and Books and EverythingClearly Reformed

When you consider the prospects for Christians right now, you might think they would be in despair. And you might be right. There is a lot of evidence that things are not going well. Kevin, Collin, and Justin look at several specific phenomena that would cause despair. And then they give us things that we can do now to move from that despair and into hope. Plus, there are some great book recommendations!

Life and Books and Everything is sponsored by Crossway, publisher of Rejoice and Tremble: The Surprising Good News of the Fear of the Lord by Michael Reeves. 

Rejoice and Tremble examines the difference between sinful and godly fear and corrects the negative perception of the fear of God. It is part of a series created in partnership with Union School of Theology to teach Christians to delight in God, grow in Christ, serve the church, and bless the world.  

For 30% off this book and all other books and Bibles at Crossway, sign up for a free Crossway+ account at crossway.org/LBE

Timestamps: 

Have you heard of Michael Reeves? [0:00 – 3:56] 

Life & Football & Everything [3:56 – 7:22] 

How’s COVID-19 going? [7:22 – 25:41] 

Reasons for Current Earthly Despair [25:41 – 44:54] 

* Declining Fertility Rate 

* Declining Church Membership Rate  

* Cultural Institutions Aligned Against Christianity 

* The Speed of the Collapse 

* Race Relations Getting Worse  

Now what do we do? [44:54 – 1:01:56] 

Books & Everything [1:01:56 – 1:15:29] 

Books and Everything: 

Uprooted: Recovering the Legacy of the Places We've Left Behind, by GraceOlmstead  

A Holy Baptism of Fire and Blood: The Bible and the American Civil War,by James Byrd  

Churchill: Walking with Destiny, by Andrew Roberts  

Surviving Religion 101, by Michael Kruger 

The Life of John Murray, by Iain H. Murray  

Survival and Resistance in Evangelical America: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest, by Crawford Gribben  

The Soul of Abraham Lincoln, by William Eleazar Barton 

Gilead, by Marilyn Robinson 

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001, byGarrett M. Graff 

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