The mission of Grace Family Ministries is “Advancing the Cause of Christ to the Ends of the Earth…Beginning Right at Home.” At the heart of this mission is our passion to serve as a catalyst to:
- Magnifying God’s Glory & Grace… Through Revitalized Church & Family Life
- Strengthening Church & Family as Co-Champions… of the Next Generation
- Mobilizing Church & Family to Engage Culture… with the Biblical Worldview & Gospel of Grace
Undergirding these dynamics are the following 10 biblical convictions that are key to intentionally passing on a resolute faith to the next generation. This is “My Top 10 List for Revitalizing Church & Family Life” in the New Year and beyond.
- Sovereign Majesty of GOD’s Holiness – Is.6:1-8; 40:1-31; 57:15; Ps.145:3-4; Rom.11:33-36; 1 Tim.1:17
“What this country needs, what the Church needs, more than we need anything else is the restoration of a vision of the Most High God. I pray more for this than I pray for anything else. That the glory of God might be revealed again to this generation so the Presence of God will be so overwhelming, so humiliating, so humbling, so wonderful, so glorious that it will turn us wrong-side-out and all our thought-up jokes will go down the drain & all our self-confidence will disappear & we will stand or kneel or fall down in the Presence of this Holy God & cry, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.’”[1] – A.W. Tozer
2. Sufficiency & Preaching of GOD’s Word –Ps.19:7-11; 119:105; 1 Cor.1:21-2:5; 2 Tim. 3:16-4:5
“The most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; & as it is the greatest & the most urgent need in the Church, it is the greatest need of the world also.”[2] – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“Faithful biblical exposition requires timely application that draws out the message & presses it upon the people & not merely Bible-survey, analysis, or commentary which is not even to be considered true preaching at all.”[3] – Michael Eaton on Lloyd-Jones & preaching
3. Supremacy of GOD’s Grace for Life & Ministry – Rom.5:20-21; Eph.3:1-10; Phil.2:12-13; Titus 2:11-14
“Grace is God’s free & unmerited favor shown to guilty sinners who deserve only judgment [His wrath]. It is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against Him.”[4] – Jerry Bridges
“Salvation by grace through faith alone in the Person & finished work of God’s Son & living by grace through disciplined sanctification is at the heart of this age of grace to the praise of God’s glory in Christ Jesus.”
4. Security of GOD’s Saints in Christ –Rom.8:31-39; 2 Cor.2:14-16; Eph.1:3-14; 2:4-6; 5:8
“Understanding what GOD has given us ‘in Christ’, where GOD has placed us ‘in Christ’, & who GOD has made us ‘in Christ’ will liberate our hearts from the falsehood of feeling inadequate, insecure, & inferior to face the challenges of life. By God’s grace, our hearts & lives will be free to do what GOD has called us to do because of who He has called us to be ‘in Christ’ to the praise of His glory.”
5. Solid Theology of GOD’s Design for the Family – Gen.1:26-28; 2:15-24; Matt.19:4-6; Eph.5:15-6:4
“The only hope for America is a Biblical reformation, spiritual revival, & revitalization of the church & family beginning on the grassroots level right at home through the Irreplaceable Nature of 1. Manhood, 2. Marriage, 3. Fatherhood, & 4. a Multiplied Legacy to the praise of God’s glory in Christ Jesus.”
6. Singing of GOD’s Praise & Inter-Generational Worship – Ps.96:1-9; Eph.6:1; Titus 2:1-10
“Worship begins with God. We live in an alarmingly self-oriented society, where the bottom line to every choice we make, from relationships to religion, seems to be: ‘…but does it make me happy?’ If we’re not careful we can bring this attitude into church, & even into our worship. We can come looking for the experience, for the ‘warm feelings.’ Although we have many new songs that effectively describe our feelings as we worship & respond to God, we need more songs that are about HIM.”[5] – Stuart Townend, co-author of “In Christ Alone”
“Children being in church together with their parents for worship is both the biblical pattern & historical precedent. Churches should therefore intentionally call parents to bring their children to church.”[6] – Rob Rienow, “Visionary Church”
7. Scheduled Priorities of GOD’s Time Restructured – Ps.90:12; Eph.5:15-17; Col.4:2-6
“Concern should be high for home & family because the world turns on the home & the church. These are two divinely appointed agencies recognized in the New Testament. A church bulletin listed activities for every night of the week. The pastor placed it under my nose & said, ‘Look at that, Hendricks, something going every night!’ ‘Are you proud of that?’ I asked. ‘I wouldn’t be. What if some family wanted to build their home life? On exactly what night of the week would you suggest they do this?’”[7] – Howard Hendricks, “Heaven Help the Home!”
8. Salt & Light Moral Back-Pressure of GOD’s Truth – Rom.13:11-14; Phil.2:15-16; 1 Tim.2:1-7
“Just about every thinking person acknowledges that massive & powerful forces [of secularization] are reshaping our world & fundamentally altering our culture. Christians, therefore, cannot be silent. We see the gathering storm & understand what it means—& what we are to do.”[8] – Al Mohler, “The Gathering Storm”
“The culture war has come to us; we didn’t seek it, but win or lose, we must stand against it without losing our testimony for the gospel. All throughout history, Christians have been called to faithfully represent Christ in the midst of a pagan culture. I argue for faithfulness to Christ & His church above all other loyalties, whether we can stop the moral & spiritual freefall of our culture or not. We are given the privilege of standing for Christ with grace & strength, even at great personal cost. If we have faith to believe it, this is a day of great opportunity.”[9] – Erwin W. Lutzer, “The Eclipse of God”
9. Stalwart Faithfulness of GOD’s Providence in History – Josh.4:19-25; Ps.78:1-8; Pr.14:34
“There’s a paradox at the center of what’s been called American exceptionalism. It’s that a significant part of what makes us exceptional is that in some sense we are a nation with a mission beyond ourselves & beyond our borders. We are a nation with a mission to the rest of the world.”[10] – Eric Metaxas, “If You Can Keep It”
10. Stewardship Responsibility of GOD’s Mission – Is.45:22; Rom.15:15-21; 16:25-27; 2 Cor.5:9-6:2; Eph.3:8-9; 1 Tim.2:3-4
“What sustained John Paton in his missionary zeal? No doubt he had a love for the people. He was certainly burdened for them & had compassion on their souls, knowing that without Christ they were certain to go to hell. As important as compassion is for those who do not know God, I suggest this will not sustain a missionary zeal, whether it be for missionaries serving on the field or for Christians in western churches who pray & support various missionaries. Something more is needed…
Only a zeal for the true & living God to receive His due, to receive the glory & adoration which alone belong to Him, will sustain a missionary or a world mission’s commitment in a local church.”[11] – Allen M. Baker
Check This Out: May our great God & Savior bless you with greater wisdom, vision, & courage as you prayerfully consider these dynamics that have the potential to revitalize your church & family in the new year & beyond to the praise of His glory in Christ Jesus.
[1] Tozer, A. W. (2006) Fellowship of the Burning Heart. Alchua, FL: Bridge-Logos.
[2] Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (1972) Preaching and Preachers. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[3] Lloyd-Jones, D. M. The Christian in an Age of Terror. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal Publications.
[4] Bridges, J. (2008) Holiness Day by Day. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
[5] Leeman, D. & B. (2022) Our Hymns, Our Heritage. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.
[6] Rienow, R. (2021) Visionary Church. Nashville, TN: Randall House.
[7] Hendricks, H. & J. (2003) Heaven Help the Home Today. Colorado Springs, CO: Life Journey.
[8] Mohler, Jr., R.A. (2020) The Gathering Storm. Nashville, TN: Nelson Books.
[9] Lutzer, E. W. (2024) The Eclipse of God. Eugene, OR: Harvest House.
[10] Metaxas, E. (2016) If You Can Keep It. New York, NY: Viking.
[11] Paton, J. G. (2013) John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth.
