The Family of God
Sermons on how men and women relate in the church
Husbands and Wives
August 28, 2022 • Walter Henegar • Hebrews 13:1–8
Hebrews 13:4 teaches that all Christians, whether single, married, widowed or divorced, are called to “hold marriage in honor” and to “let the marriage bed [sex]” be undefiled. This includes the bracing standard that God designed sex only for the marriage covenant between a husband and wife. Closer investigation of the context around Hebrews 13:4 reveals the surprising genius of God’s design, as well as the surprising grace of Jesus for all of us who repeatedly fail to meet his standards.
Fathers and Mothers
August 21, 2022 • Walter Henegar • Ephesians 6:1–9
Paul’s charge to children and bondservants applies to spiritual children as well: We should honor and obey our spiritual parents as if they were the Lord himself. Knowing how easily this challenge can be abused, however, God places firm limits on the authority of mothers and fathers. At the same time, Paul commends the limitless blessings of honoring and obeying them.
Daughters and Sons
August 14, 2022 • Walter Henegar • 1 Thessalonians 2:1–12
Every Christian has both the responsibility and the privilege to build up people who are spiritually downstream from us. Paul's example of how to do that is characterized by God's Gospel proclaimed with God's energy, humble accountability, God-pleasing, gentleness, self-giving, sacrifice, integrity, and muscular mentoring — exactly the way Jesus builds us up!
Brothers and Sisters
August 7, 2022 • Walter Henegar • Romans 16:1–16
Faith in Jesus adopts us into his family, giving each of us a vast number of brothers and sisters with whom we will spend eternity. Whatever additional roles we may have, this is the fundamental way that men and women should see each other in the church. Paul’s final greeting to the Roman Christians models ways that we: 1) commit to each other’s adoption, 2) celebrate each other’s differences, 3) respect each other’s accomplishments, 4) delight in each other’s names, and 5) honor each other’s gender.