The Harm of Wrath and Jealousy [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 27:3–4]

Pastor teaches his family a selection from “the Proverb of the day.” In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us about the great harm that is done by foolish wrath and jealousy.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Remedy for Anger [Children's Catechism 94—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 94—especially explaining what the Bible teaches about how to avoid angry passions to keep the sixth commandment.

Q94. What does the sixth commandment teach us? To avoid angry passions.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Father's Word-Work in His Children [Family Worship lesson in James 1:19–27]

How do believers reflect the character of their Father of lights? James 1:19–27 prepares us for the second serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God works in believers by His implanted Word to make them humble, gentle, steady, pure, and fruitful.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Anti-fretting Medication: Yahweh As Hope, Happiness, and Help (2022.01.19 Prayer Meeting sermon in Psalm 37:1–11)

Those who prefer God's glory to their own (i.e. the meek) will be immeasurably happy.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Dealing Well with Distress by Meditating upon Predestination (Family Worship lesson in Psalm 4:3–8)

What are the dangers when we are distressed, and how should we deal with them? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Psalm 4:3–8 prepares us for the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us that when we are in distress, we are in danger of fuming anger, unbelieving scheming, and ungrateful despair; but the Lord has granted unto us to deal with these by meditating upon the sweet doctrine of predestination.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Defeating the Deceptiveness of Pride and Passion by Devotion to Principle (Family Worship in 2Samuel 3:12–39)

How would the Lord bring David the kingdom? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. In these twenty-eight verses, we see Abner’s pride in having positioned himself powerfully to consolidate the kingdom under David. The Lord does do it by using Abner—at his funeral? And we see Joab making show of concern about kingdom security, although the text makes clear that he is really being moved by fleshly revenge. Still, the Lord uses him—by humiliating him as the second-mourner-in-charge at the funeral of the man he murdered! Ultimately for David, the Lord used his commitment to do what is right before the eyes of the people to give him favor in the eyes of all the tribes through an action that ended up being exactly opposite what usually happens during regime-change.

Responding Rightly to Distresses by Resting in Christ and His Righteousness (2021.01.27 Prayer Meeting Lesson in Psalm 4)

Some respond to distress by betrayal, some by fury, and some by despair. But we must respond by remembering our God's character, commitment, and consistency as He takes us for Himself in Christ and His righteousness.

The Cosmic Battle for Believer's Mouths, Hearts, and Vocations (2020.09.27 Evening Sermon in Ephesians 4:25–30)

The Holy Spirit and the devil are at war. Wherein does this battle rage? Not in the stuff of movies but in the stuff of everyday life: congregational life and worship, marriage, parenting, and vocation. But in these six verses specifically, we see the necessity of both "putting off" and "putting on" in godly speech, godly anger, and godly labor.

Prayer, Worship That Frees from Bondage to Earthly Desire (Jam 4:2–3, 2020.06.03 Prayer Meeting Devotional)

Being controlled by earthly desires disappoints us, debases us, and defiles us. But prayer as true worship satisfies us, strengthens us, and sanctifies us.