Last Sunday I had the honor to preach on Acts 10:34-43 which is one of the central pivotal moments in the book of Acts showcasing gospel faith extending from ethnic 1st century Jews to gentiles. The Holy Spirit moved in Peter (a Jewish blue-collar family man who was a disciple of Jesus) and in Cornelius (a God-fearing Roman Centurion from the Italian regiment). It was the Holy Spirit who brought this meeting between Peter and Cornelius about. It was the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the Gentiles, the very same Holy Spirit whom Peter had witnessed at Pentecost. Today, believers are indwelled by the same Holy Spirit that worked in the life of Peter and Cornelius.

One of the unique aspects of John as a person was the period of time over which we see his faith lived out. While some New Testament writers were inspired by God to contribute a single letter to the New Testament (like James, Jude, Matthew, and Mark) John was inspired to contribute multiple writings over multiple decades. While the Apostle Paul was used by God to write the greatest number of New Testament letters, John was used by God to write over the longest period of time and a wide variety of genres.  Throughout church history the Apostle John is believed to have written: The Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation.

Family Worship can be a profound blessing for the Christian family. Children grow to anticipate and expect that Family Worship will be a part of their day. At least mine do. It’s a habit.

I’ve become a big believer in the transformational power of habits. From my own personal experience, as well as reading Duhigg’s “The Power of Habit” or Earley’s “Habits of the Household”, I’m convinced that continual, consistent small growth and small changes will lead to larger and longer-lasting outcomes than obsessive but fleeting “cramming”.

Stories have always played a large part in our family. From picture books to chapter books to comic books to the greatest story of all. We have read stories with our children their entire lives. The stories have changed as they have grown and our children have increased, but reading stories has stayed the same. Today, we want to share with you on of our family favorite stories, written by Jacob.

The Thessalonian church had experienced violence due to their faith in Christ (Acts 17:5). In writing to these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the Apostle Paul and the team of Silvanus and Timothy, saw the coming day of the Lord Jesus as a source of encouragement and hope. If Christ’s return only brought the wrath of God, then all mankind should be terrified. But because Christ’s return brings salvation to those who belong to Christ, the day of Christ’s return is a day to long for, look for, and live for.

Many things will stay the same at Redeeming Family, but the location of our Free resources will change.

As a missionary, I was asked to speak at a church while the Pastor was gone on vacation. The pastor was a dear friend of mine, and I was humbled and honored at the opportunity to preach. I asked if there were any series or scriptures that the Pastor would like me to preach on, and it just so happened that the church was going through the book of Genesis and had come to the list of names in Genesis 11. My friend encouraged me that I didn't have to preach that passage if I didn't want to, I was more than welcome to pick another passage. Perhaps out of ignorance or some other motivation, I simply accepted the text and began studying the genealogical passage. This set me on a small quest that has over the years developed into a love of the lists of the bible. These lists have been a tremendous help in my faith, even as I have conversed, shared, and preached Christ crucified to many.

As soon as you read a word on a page, you begin interpreting it. Interpretation can be thought of as a mental exercise of putting communication messages you receive (via visual, audio, or other sensory receptors) into thought forms and recognizable patterns in your own mind.

I thought it appropriate to share some thoughts on the Lord's Table. Some may wonder "Why not simply quote a catechism or confession of faith?" While I love a lot of the historic documents of the church, many are (particularly those that arise out of the European Protestant Reformation) comparative in their nature based on the struggle of that era.

This piece also shows a woeful misunderstanding of a completed canon. This is besides any argument for continuations or cessations of apostolic gifts. This is just regarding the canon as it stood completed. Just because Christ expanded, and extended pieces of the Old Covenant in his teaching and establishing the New Covenant, doesn't mean we are to then extend or expand beyond the parameters Christ has laid out.

This week is a teachable moment regarding the good news of the gospel. The good news of the grace of God in Jesus Christ is so grand that even those who have the most disdain and evil intents towards Jesus are the very targets of Jesus' affection. The very ones who seek to mock most earnestly Jesus Christ are those for whom Jesus willingly died for to secure new life. I know this because I am the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:12-17)! Yet the son of God died for me! His death paid for all my sins. There is no more wrath awaiting me thanks to Christ (Romans 8:1) and because of his glorious resurrection, I know that sin and death have been defeated (1 Corinthians 15). This isn't just my "personal truth". This is the truth of all those who have been saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and it's true for all those who will come to saving faith in the future!

The Bible is the basis of our Christian faith. Many of us own a Bible and read our Bible frequently, listen to sermons, and attend Bible studies. But have you ever been taught how to study your Bible independently? I will admit that throughout my lifetime attending various churches and Bible studies I was never taught how to study my Bible.

Today we answer the question what is the difference between Convenental and Believers Baptism.

So what exactly is Baptism? Depending on who you ask, you will receive all sorts of answers. Today we will define Baptism from a Biblically Reformed understanding of Scripture and look at different scriptures referencing Baptism.

A look at Ephesians 4

Read and Sing Psalm 19 from the Trinity Psalter

This is a BIG question, what is the church? We will not exhaustively answer this question in this series. We will answer some questions in this series, but for the most part, it is actually our goal, hope, prayer, and desire, that this series will stir up questions such that we will diligently search the scriptures together. This series, in a sense, is not one that will end, as throughout the rest of your life you will be, as you already have been throughout your life to this point, learning and experiencing different answers to the question - what is the church? 

In this final section of Ecclesiastes, the Preacher lifts the curtain and reveals his end goal, which is the true nature of wisdom. I think that many people in the church don't want to hear about wisdom, but instead, they want to be told what to do. We confuse wisdom and law. You see, at the deepest part of human nature is the legalist, and he/she loves the law. This is because they believe that it's their adherence to the law that will save them and guide them in every single circumstance in life. But this is the very point that the Preacher is refuting. He is comparing books' demanding and exhausting nature to the dynamic and liberating nature of true wisdom.

Wisdom theology can be described as general observations about how God ordered the world in creation.  This ordered creation is reliable, regular, coherent and ethical, as seen and taught in Proverbs. If we link Ecclesiastes with wisdom, then we must connect “life under the sun” as coming from creation. However, Ecclesiastes 1:14-15 reminds us that this same creation has been made crooked by man’s rebellious sin:

Together Read: Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 And Rev. 21:18-20