The Suicide of Uninstructed Living [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 7]

Why do we need to treasure and keep God’s Word? Proverbs 7 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these twenty-seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we need to treasure and keep God’s Word, because we would otherwise walk right into destruction. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Sweet Success in Life [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 119:97–104]

What is the best? Psalm 119:97–104 looks forward to opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s Word, by which God works, is the best. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Don’t Worry, Be Holy [2024.04.07 Morning Sermon in Matthew 6:25–34]

On account of trusting and treasuring God as Father in Christ, worrying is excluded from any rightful place in the life of a Christian.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 12: Getting Started and Conclusion [2024.02.11 Sabbath School lesson]

Chapter 12 and Conclusion of the book Battleplan for the Mind: Getting started (Pray; Own the difficulty; Persevere) and Growing (in holiness, love, joy, and self-control) (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 11: Enemies of Meditation (2) [2024.02.04 Sabbath School]

Contemporary obstacles to meditation(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 10: Benefits of Meditation [2024.01.21 Sabbath School lesson]

Eight benefits of Christian meditation: deeper repentance, strengthened resolve, inflamed affection, increased growth, comfort, joy, depth of maturity, and improved retention of God's Word.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 9: Reasons for Meditation [2024.01.14 Sabbath School lesson]

God has given us fellowship with Him in praise as the purpose of our existence, and as the daily means by which we pursue that purpose!(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 8: Choosing Subjects for Meditation (2) [2024.01.07 Sabbath School Lesson]

Some aspects of meditating upon sin, meditating upon God, and meditating upon eternity. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 7: Important Meditation Occasions

The Lord, Who gave His Word, works our lives according to the counsel of His will. We ought to meditate upon His Word in relation to the major events in our lives—especially spiritual events, such as the sermons we sit under, other parts of the public worship, and the administration of the sacraments.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 6: The Practice of Meditation (2) [2023.12.17 Sabbath School lesson]

The importance of consistency in biblical meditation, and counsel for how to do it.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 6: The Practice of Meditation (1) [2023.12.10 Sabbath School]

The best time for biblical meditation, the best place for it, and the importance of consistency in it.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 5: Deliberate Meditation [2023.12.03 Sabbath School lesson]

Believers must spend time that they set aside, each day, for dwelling upon the Scriptures in two ways: directly (expositionally understanding what the Bible says) and reflexively (applicationally understanding themselves in light of the Bible), so that they may respond well to the providence that the Lord brings into their lives.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Walking with God [2023.12.02 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald]

Hopewell Herald – December 2, 2023

Dear Congregation,

In last week’s Sabbath School class, we considered “Occasional Biblical Meditation.” The Bible teaches us to take occasions from God’s providence to meditate upon Scripture that is illustrated by that providence, or applies to that providence.

Christ and His gospel are the main message of the Bible. Biblical meditation that takes proper advantage of these occasions will dwell largely upon Him.

In my own spiritual life, it was having children that especially taught me to do this. Even carrying around a days-old infant, the daddy who had charge of her little soul didn’t want to waste a moment that could be improved for Bible instruction—specifically, gospel instruction.

We’d look in the mirror, and I’d tell her about the mirror of God’s Word. How it shows us ourselves rightly and shows us the Lord rightly.

We’d wash our hands, and I’d tell her about the cleansing of our guilt and of our remaining sin… and how washing the heart is even more important than washing the hands.

We’d prepare food, and I’d tell her about the bread of life that God gave from heaven, and also about preparing my Bible reading and thoughts to give her good food at family worship times.

We’d see and feel brilliant sunlight, and I’d tell her about the shining of God’s face upon us to give us light and life.

We’d see a bird and remember how God feeds it but treasures us much more.

We’d look at flowers and talk about how God clothes them, and how soon they would be dead, and how soon we also would be dead.

There wasn’t a moment of the day when there wouldn’t be some ready connection to a Scripture. And, of course, that Scripture would connect to another and then another.

It was a very pleasant way to live. How odd that the Lord decided to use my infant child to teach me this, when a full seminary education hadn’t quite taught me in the same way.

But sometimes the Lord does things this way, doesn’t he? In Genesis 5:21, God describes Enoch’s first 65 years as “Enoch lived.” But in Genesis 5:22, God describes the next 300 years as “Enoch walked with God.” What was the hinge upon which this turned? “He begot Methuselah.”

There is a good description of what it’s like to live life always thinking upon one Scripture or another: “walking with God.” It’s the way that families are supposed to walk together in our external conversation (Deu 6:7). And it’s the way that we are supposed to carry our hearts in our internal conversation before the Lord (Deu 6:6).

Is your life a walking with Him in this way?

Looking forward to our fellowship in the worship by His Word,

Pastor

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 4: Occasional Meditation [2023.11.26 Sabbath School]

Scripture teaches us to interact personally with God, by means of His Word, throughout our life—taking occasions from His providence to meditate upon Scripture that is illustrated by that providence or applies to that providence. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 3: Defining Biblical Meditation [2023.11.19 Sabbath School]

Biblical meditation includes both the setting of our affections upon the Lord and His Word, as well as the careful contemplating of His Word and how we intend to respond to it with our life.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Battle Plan for the Mind 2: Unbiblical Forms of Meditation [2023.11.12 Sabbath School]

Introduction, and part of chapter 2. True, biblical meditation contrasted from unbiblical forms of meditation. Proper meditation is to dwell upon that which comes from God in His Word—not to dwell upon that which comes from or appeals to our own hearts, and certainly not to dwell upon nothing at all lest our minds become easy prey.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How Christians Must Think of Themselves [2023.04.26 Midweek Sermon in Romans 6:11]

Christians are to concur with God's justifying and sanctifying declarations about themselves.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Learning to Hope in God Alone by the Failure of Other Hopes [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 62]

Where can we find hope, when false friends continually attack us? Psalm 62 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that with God Himself as our refuge, we have a power on our side that will not only save us from all attack, but even protect us in the day of judgment.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

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)

Meditation upon and Application of the Word of the God of the Peace (2021.08.01 Evening Sermon in Philippians 4:8–9)

The Lord's glorious Word is to be material for controlling the internal conversation of our hearts and minds, so that we may be transformed by it to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.(click audio title in player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)