Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (9): Joseph's Diaconal Ministry and the Beginnings of God's Israel [2022.10.30 Sabbath School]

As He brought Israel to its national/ecclesiastical beginnings, the Lord used blessing in material things, service in material things, and stewardship of material things to distinguish the people Who know Him and His grace.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

What Is This God Has Done to Us?—When Providence Provokes Repentance (2021.01.03 Morning Sermon in Genesis 42:8–28)

Often, one of God's loving and wise purposes in difficult providences is to provoke us to renewed repentance

Remembered in Love by the Sovereign Lord (2020.12.06 Morning Sermon in Genesis 40)

Friends forget us, but the Lord never will. In fact, when they do so, it is precisely because He is remembering us according to eternal, electing, effective love.

Hated Followers, Useful in the Hands of a Hated Savior (Family Worship, Gen 37:1–11)

Why does this passage place so much emphasis upon the increasing hatred and envy of Joseph by his brothers? Pastor leads his family in today's "Hopewell @Home" passage. In these eleven verses, we find the hatred and rejection of one through whom the Lord was saving the very ones doing the hating. After Christ had come and won our salvation, the apostles and evangelists proclaimed the hated Savior as the climax of a long line of those whom He had used in similar ways. Now, we can rejoice over His saving us, expect that He and we will be hated by others, and follow Him with joy and gratitude in whatever hatred we receive.