Are you looking for an alternative to trick-o- treating celebration? One of our favorite things is to spend extra family time together, with a movie night! Come check out how we make our movie night extra special and a celebration our kids look forward to every year.

Four paraphrases float around my head regarding the task of the preacher in the sermon introduction. These four phrases will guide our conversation today about the sermon introduction:"Put a man in a hole"."The sermon introduction will set the stage for God's solution to the audience's problems" "You have about a minute to convince me to listen to your sermon or not"  "The best sermon applications begin during the sermon introduction" 

Each of these paraphrases summarizes different components or goals preachers aim for in their sermon introductions. 

I hope in giving a bit of a “behind the scenes” tour of how preaching texts are selected, you are better equipped to pray for those who have been called by God to deliver His Word to you in the task of preaching. I also hope that you develop a greater sense of wonder and awe of God who saves through His Word preached (Romans 1:16, Romans 10:14-15, 1 Corinthians 1:21, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, Acts 2:40-41, 1 Timothy 4:11-16, Jude 22-23). 

I assured my friend that there was nothing for him or the preacher to apologize for. As far as I could tell, the preacher had not uttered a single heretical word. He had not tried to place in the sermon things that did not belong there. Though repetitious and hard to follow, he spent most of his time repeating after Jesus. If that can even be called a mistake, there are certainly far worse.

It’s October, and around here that means we spend a good amount of time thinking, reflecting, and learning about the Reformation. In some regards the Reformation is no different from any other period in history. We don’t magnify or worship the Reformation, or seek to venerate the influential leaders of that time. We do, however, appreciate and recognize the uniqueness of the Reformation in the ideas, ideals, and ideologies that emerged from the period. Most notably, we are thankful for how God used the Reformation as a means to turn many back to the truth of God revealed in the scriptures.

Welcome to our Guest Post Series! This week we have a guest poem by Ali that is based off of Luke 13:18-19

We often publish posts and works by other writers. If you’re interested in having your ideas posted, please send us an email at redeemingfamily@gmail.com

This week we have introduced why Federal Vision is a big deal, reviewed some of the history, and proponents of Federal Vision theology, and provided a list of resources from various Reformed denominations reviewing, rejecting, and responding to Federal Vision. In this section, I’ll briefly provide a synopsis of the gross errors of Federal Vision theology.

Here are some of the resources I've collected over the years that detail the problems with Federal Vision (FV) and its proponents. The FV and New Perspective on Paul (NPP) are often linked together. They are, to use an American phrase - "kissing cousins".  

There are many ways one could categorize the history of Federal Vision. I have chosen to summarize these three periods of the recent Federal Vision movement: The shepherd period (1975-2002), the Auburn Avenue period (2002-2015), the Re-branding period (2016-present day)

At the end of part 1, we ended with a question, "Have you heard God's call like Samuel, and responded, 'Here I am Lord'?" In today’s discussion, we will consider how the Bible speaks about Salvation. This is sometimes called the order of salvation (or Ordo Salutis in Latin) and is often broken into three groupings - justification, sanctification, and glorification. God's effectual calling is first in the order of salvation. Salvation begins with God calling and intervening in our exile from Him and ends with God consummating the covenant blessing and glorifying those who will inherit the promise.

In our family, we’ve experienced what it’s like in our own sin to stir fear and lob accusations toward brothers and sisters in Christ. Federal Vision legitimately is an enemy of Christian fellowship. Our aim is to encourage and equip families to live out the truths of Biblical Christianity within their local context. On this topic of Federal Vision, the church, across multiple denominational lines, from varied reformed traditions, has spoken clearly, and with biblical warrant against this false teaching. This is not a “hobby horse” personal agenda or topic of special obsession for us at Redeeming Family.

In this piece, we will consider the Bible’s explanation that Christ is the last Adam. In part two, we will consider the ethical implications of Christ as the last Adam for our daily lives.

Sometimes having ideas challenged and tested can have a refining effect. Not only do I ask my usual questions in the study of the passage, but I would also take note of what an unbeliever, a skeptic, a doubter, or a completely new Christian might make in response to the text. This can help bring to light where the tension points are in a passage. Today we look at 2 views of 1 Timothy 2 with regards to false teaching and women in the church.

There are some sources that would date 1 Timothy earlier (such as the 50s) and 2nd Timothy later in the life of Paul. One of the difficulties in discussing the dating of 1 and 2 Timothy today is the prevalence of modernist and liberal scholars in the 1800s and 1900s who deny the authenticity of 1 and 2 Timothy as genuine works from Paul.

I am compelled to draw the following conclusion: "Less" is not "more" when it comes to worldly perspectives on time. More is more. Things valued are given "more" time and things of less value are given "less" time. Things valued are given "more" resources, and things of less value are given "less" resources. We have higher expectations, higher involvement, and higher attachment to that which we value "more" than that which we value "less".

Many will call the instructions and expectations for behavior written in 1 Timothy 2 “sexist”. But the labels of the ignorant or the apostate ought not to dissuade us from faithfulness to the Lord. Christ was Himself accused of all sorts of things, labeled and named a great many untrue things by the standards of His day. His family thought He was insane (Mark 3:21). The Jewish religious teachers claimed Jesus was possessed (Mark 3:30). Jesus taught that His people were blessed when “people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11). When on trial Jesus was accused of a great many things, although none of the accusations proved true (Matthew 26:59-60). By whose standard will we live? The ever-changing and swirling standard of contemporary finite culture, or the never-changing, ever-true standard of the living God?

Recently, this question was asked. “It seems in some ways Elijah was a type of Christ. In 1 Kings 17, he multiplied food and raised from the dead the son of a widow. Jesus feeds the five thousand and raises the son of a widow in Luke 7. Are there any other parallels, or possibly scripture that talks about this relationship more explicitly than Hebrews teaching on the types and shadows? And then do you have any resources that teach on the topic of Elijah being a type of Christ?” Read on to see Jacob’s answer.

The family is continually under assault in today's contemporary Western society. Even defining a family can be tricky today with as many "blended", "mixed", "multi-layered" and "modern" family units and styles as there are. We all know that "Yo Mama" jokes are a great way to alienate. But nowadays culture considers any sort of defined role within a family unit or structure as offensive, abusive, and evil, it's tough to put any concrete reason as to why "Yo Mama" jokes are offensive. If there are no mothers or fathers and we're supposedly all fluid anyway, these joke would not be offensive. When the most basic unit of the human experience is cast away, the society doing the casting is not long for this world.

I’m stoked to be studying 1st Timothy, and myself having old sin, old idols, and old pride taken down and out. I’m looking forward to how the Lord will humble me, grow my loyalty to Him, and find enlivened trust in God’s Word. Let me encourage you today to take your excitement, and read 1st Timothy. May you be informed, instructed, and inspired as you read and submit to God’s Word.