The Pilgrim’s Progress 2: Salvation Highway
Introduction Part One Slackers and Interlopers Right away, Christian learns that salvation is not for sissies! The sleeping men have for various reasons failed to take the faith seriously: can anyone relate? I must guard myself against presumption, or assuming that just because I’ve said or done certain things I don’t have to be on…
Read MoreRR Podcast 7: Douglas Bond on Reformation Tours
THE PODCAST Plenty of Americans dream of taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe…to see the Eiffle Tower, hear the chiming of Big Ben, and float along the romantic canals of Venice. But for many devoted Christians, the idea of a Reformation Tour never crosses their minds. Today, Douglas Bond tells us about the Reformation Tours…
Read MoreDangerous Journey, Part 3
Chapter 3: The Hill of Difficulty Today’s Theme: Lions on Chains Salvation is the beginning of the battle. In Chapter 3, Christian is now “free of his burden and light of foot,” yet suddenly two strangers appear to try him. And that’s only right, for Bunyan understood what C. H. Spurgeon so eloquently…
Read MoreDangerous Journey, Part 2
Chapter Two: The Interpreter’s House Today’s Theme: A Burden Lost, Heaven Gained In this section, Christian comes into the Wicket Gate, is taught by the Interpreter (or the Holy Spirit) spiritual lessons, and he loses his burden at the Cross. He also begins his journey anew, this time without the weight of his sin.…
Read MorePilgrim’s Progress: From the City of Destruction to the Cross
This is Part One of our read along of The Prilgrim’s Progress for high school age and up. Here’s the Introduction. The City of Destruction Something about Bunyan’s day that is very different from ours: everybody was a “Christian,” and almost everybody went to church. That’s why the Pilgrim’s dilemma is so hard for his…
Read MoreDangerous Journey, Part 1
Welcome to our Pilgrim’s Progress Read Along, part Redeemedreader.com’s Reformation Month celebration! We’ll be pursuing two tracks over the month of October, 2011–this one for younger kids and Janie’s read along for older kids and adults. See Pilgrim’s Progress: Introduction to read her commentary. (how to) READ HARD BOOKS If this book looks like something…
Read MoreThe Pilgrim’s Progress: Introduction
John Bunyan was a dissenting pastor of the mid-17th century: “dissenting” meaning that some of his biblical interpretations differed from those of the established (state-supported) Church of England. His views were not so different that they were something other than Christianity; he was most definitely a Christian. Where he differed from the established church was…
Read MoreAutism: Fiction and Fact
Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X Stork. Scholastic, 2009, 312 pages. Age/interest level: 14-up. Dancing With Max, by Emily Colson. Zondervan, 2010, 200 pages. Age/interest level: 18-up. How do I describe it? It is like listening to very loud music with headphones. Only the music seems to be coming from inside the brain.…
Read MorePilgrim’s Progress: Mission Adventure
A REFORMATION CELEBRATION Reformation Day has been celebrated in Germany, Slovenia, and in many Protestant and Lutheran churches around the world for centuries. Though admittedly a minor holiday within those church calendars, it falls on the anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of his 95 theses to the door of the cathedral of Wittenberg, Germany…
Read MoreLiving With Autism
Nobody knows yet exactly what causes it, or why it occurs more in certain income levels, or even quite what defines it, but autism becomes more of an issue with each passing year. It may be in your family or church or neighborhood, and your children have questions. Two well-received novels and one picture book…
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