Welcome to Hopewell!: A Truly Loving Heart? [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 17:16

Monday, September 22, 2025

A Truly Loving Heart? [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 17:16–20]

Why isn’t love enough? Proverbs 17:16–20 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that love, without wisdom, isn’t even loving. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Pastor's devotional explores the critical importance of a teachable heart, contrasting it with the folly of those who possess an unteachable, incompetent, and crooked heart. Drawing from Proverbs 17, it argues that true love and genuine help stem from a heart shaped by wisdom and fear of the Lord, rather than self-proclaimed understanding or prideful attempts to elevate oneself. The message cautions against defining love through personal desires or offering assistance that enables sin, emphasizing that a righteous character, humility, and adherence to God’s law are essential for fostering genuine love and avoiding strife and destruction.

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CURRENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

▫Midweek Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, October 22. 6:30p in the Chapel. (see the Prayer Meeting Folder) We will hear a sermon from Proverbs 18:13–21 then PRAY until around 8 p.m.

▫Monthly Men’s Breakfast, Saturday, October 25, 7a in the Fellowship Hall

▫Children’s Catechism for October 26. Q23 What covenant did God make with Adam? The covenant of works. [CC 23 Simply Explained: “The Covenant of Works”]

▫Shorter Catechism for October 26. Q107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s prayer teach us? The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen, teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power and glory to Him. And in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen. [WSC 107 Simply Explained: “The God Who Shapes Our Prayers”]

▫Memory Verse for October 26, Matthew 24:3–4, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.”

▫Songs for public worship on October 26: ARP23B, ARP35A, ARP96B

▫Session Meeting, Wednesday, November 5, at 8p.m. in the Pastor’s Study.

Weekly Schedule: Study, Worship, Fellowship, and Pray with Hopewell!

Each Lord's Day
9:50a - Free full breakfast during…
10a - Sabbath School for all ages
11a - Public Worship (current series: Matthew)
1p - Coffee/Fellowship Time
1p - Catechism Class
1:15p - Shared Food Fellowship (there's always plenty, so come!)
2:50p - Memory Verse Recitations and Song Requests
3:00p - Psalm/hymn Sing
3:45p - Evening Sermon (current series: Song of Songs)

Wednesdays
6:30p in the Chapel - Midweek Prayer Meeting for all ages. We hear a sermon from Proverbs and then join all together in prayer led by men, before splitting into groups and individuals for intercession, thus balancing being led in praying corporately together with giving everyone an opportunity to pray out loud and covering our requests list.

Every Day in Your Home
You are the most important individual on earth in your and your children's spiritual lives!

Scripture teaches us that shepherd-teachers and every other member of the church are given as gifts from Jesus to help us grow up into Him. But there is nothing that anyone else can do that will substitute for daily worship of Him, by those means that He has appointed, through which He works in us by His grace.

The Hopewell at Home daily devotional guide is a weekly publication that comes alongside to facilitate personal and family devotions. Freshly written every week by a pastor who knows those entrusted to his spiritual care (Heb 13:17), it not only enables you to see the meaning of the text by asking simple, inductive questions, but also gives a sample exposition and application for you to use for yourself, as a couple, or as a family.

Other Service, Fellowship, and Worship Opportunities
The ministry of the Gospel at Hopewell focuses especially upon those church activities started and commanded by Christ Himself. While formalized/programmed events can be useful to get us going, our elders encourage us to take the initiative ourselves.

Some examples have included a ladies' book club, sidewalk ministry at Planned Parenthood of Nashville, and a ladies' fellowship tea put on by some of the youngest ladies in the congregation.

What ministries will you be starting, or are you already participating in, that you will use to encourage the rest of the church in walking with the Lord?

Men's Breakfasts
Led by one of our elders, on the 4th Saturday of each month, men ages 1-121 gather for breakfast at 7 a.m. and read and discuss some profoundly helpful Scripture or scriptural book. We’re currently studying Building a Godly Home, v1: A Holy Vision for Family Life by William Gouge—the first volume of a masterfully exposited and applied treatment of Ephesians 5:21–6:9.

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