Welcome to Hopewell!: You Must Be Born of the Spirit [Children's Catechism 40

Monday, February 16, 2026

You Must Be Born of the Spirit [Children's Catechism 40—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 40—especially explaining how only God the Spirit can give us a new heart.

Q40. Who can change a sinner's heart? The Holy Spirit alone. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The lesson centers on the divine sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in regenerating the human heart, emphasizing that spiritual rebirth—being 'born again'—is an impossible human endeavor but a miraculous work of God alone. Drawing from Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, it distinguishes between physical birth (flesh) and spiritual rebirth (Spirit), affirming that only the Holy Spirit can transform a dead, sinful heart into a living, spiritual one. The passage highlights God’s covenantal promise in Ezekiel 36, where He pledges to cleanse His people, give them a new heart of flesh, and indwell them with His Spirit, fulfilling His holy will for salvation. This spiritual renewal is visibly and sacramentally signified in Christian baptism.

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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.