Standing Together in Saintly Service [2024.07.03 Midweek Sermon in Romans 16:1–2]

Believers have been consecrated by God to serve Him and each other.

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Servant-Saints Serving a Servant-Saint [Family Worship lesson in Romans 16:1–2]

Why should we serve each other? Romans 16:1–2 prepares us for the midweek sermon in the prayer meeting. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that saints have multiple reasons for serving each other. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Christ’s Welcome to ALL the Nations [2024.05.22 Midweek Sermon in Romans 15:8–12]

When we welcome one another in order to see all God's elect brought to worship Him, we are participating in that purpose for all things that is Christ's own aim.

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Entrusting Our Dignity to Christ [2024.02.11 Morning Sermon in Matthew 5:38–42]

Christians ought to be like Christ in entrusting their own interests entirely unto the Lord.

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Sovereignly Arranged Service unto the Saving God [2023.07.16 Morning Sermon in Acts 22:22–23:10]

Believers are freed to serve God with a clear conscience by the confidence that the Lord orders literally everything for their good—including and especially for their service to Him.

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Fit for the Service of the High King [Family Worship lesson in 2Timothy 2:20–22]

How does a believer who loves the Lord advance in usefulness to the Lord? 2Timothy 2:20–22 looks forward to the second serial reading of in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that by rejecting short-sighted cravings and pursuing instead righteousness, faith, love, and peace, believers crave the Lord from single-minded hearts that are thus prepared for every good work.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Following Christ in Serving One Another [Biblical Theology of the Diaconate #37, 2023.06.04 Sabbath School]

Just as Christ humbled Himself and gave Himself for us, so we respond to Him by humbling ourselves and serving others—in dependence upon His grace and demonstration of His grace—even (and in some cases, especially) in material things.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Running and Finishing Our Own Race with Joy [2023.05.07 Morning Sermon in Acts 20:22–25]

Christians should live their lives as limited-time assignments from the Lord Who died for them and sustains their life.

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How to Finish Our Race with Joy [Family Worship lesson in Acts 20:22–25]

How does God enable ministers to do minister the Word faithfully? Acts 20:22–25 looks forward to the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God enables ministers to minister the Word faithfully by compelling them by His Spirit to serve the Lord with our life, because our race for the gospel of grace ends soon. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Weaponizing Our Whole Self in Service of Our True King [Midweek Sermon in Romans 6:12–13]

Christians must give their whole self, for this whole life, entirely to God for righteousness.

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Christ's Own Ministry to Comfort Those Made Poor and Miserable by Sin [2023.04.09 Sabbath School Lesson, Biblical Theology of the Diaconate #29]

Having considered Christ's servant character, we considered a few instances in the gospels to see the compassion/service in His earthly ministry, which would be a template for the character and conduct of the church.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Servant-Character of Christ [2023.04.02 Sabbath School Lesson, Biblical Theology of the Diaconate #28]

We need Deacons to oversee our diaconal service, because all Christians must serve diaconally as followers of the Christ Who came as a servant.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Justified into a Condition of Servitude to the Lord and Subjection to the Christ [2023.01.04 Midweek sermon from Romans 5:1]

Having Jesus means having a Lord and a Christ, which means being a creature, a slave, and a subject.

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Justified into a Condition of Peace and Servitude [Family Worship lesson in Romans 5:1]

What is the condition of being justified like? Romans 5:1–2 looks forward to the devotional in this week’s midweek meeting. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the condition of being justified is not just a legal standing but a condition of peace, service, strength, joy, and hope.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

What Believers Want (2): To Participate in God's Working in Others (2022.05.18 Midweek Sermon in Romans 1:11b–15)

God's people should highly value participation in God's work in one another's lives.

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Sustaining Grace Strips Excuses, Exposes Rebellion, and Sweetens Service (Family Worship lesson in Exodus 4:10–17)

Why do Moses’s responses kindle Yahweh’s wrath against him? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Exodus 4:10–17 prepares us for the first serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the fact that we are weaklings who must be sustained by sovereign grace strips away our excuses against serving God, exposes our rebellion against serving God, and sweetens our service to God by dependence upon Him and fellowship with Him.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Serving and Needing the Lord Jesus (Family Worship in Luke 10:38–42)

What can we learn from Martha here? Pastor leads his family in tomorrow’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. In these five verses, we learn that by God’s grace, when others refused Christ, Martha welcomed Him—may we too serve Christ and be identified with Him when it becomes unpopular and costly! But, she came to be focused upon the “muchness” of her serving, which distracted her from the Christ Whom she had welcomed. Mary knew that she needed Him, and Martha showed her own need of Him by being worried and troubled about many things. We, too, need Him and can recognize when we are focused upon the muchness of our own service by when we are distracted from Jesus and His words, when we are irritated with others for not serving as much as we do, and when we are worried and troubled about many things.

Have You Missed God's Best?: the Persistence of His Promises (2020.10.25 Morning Sermon in Genesis 35:9–15)

God's forgiveness in Christ means that the repenting believer can be sure not only of that forgiveness, but also of ongoing blessing and purpose in his earthly life, and perfect blessing and service in his eternal life.

Purchasing Time for Jesus by Self-Awareness and Scripture-Awareness (2020.10.25 Evening Sermon in Eph 5:15–17)

The apostle commands us to purchase time for our good Lord during the present evil age. The purchase price is the effort that it takes to be aware of ourselves and aware of God's Word.

John 21:20-25 - "Follow Me"

An audio recording of a sample family worship lesson in today's Hopewell @Home Passage. In this last devotional in the Gospel of John, Jesus and Peter are walking along the beach and Peter gets distracted from following Christ by comparing his service and circumstances to someone else's. But John directs our attention back to Christ: the God-man who loved us and gave Himself for us.