Wise Motivations [2025.01.22 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 10:1–5]

Wisdom is motivated by whatever God promises to it.

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God's Ways for Us to Get Goods [Children's Catechism 98—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 98—especially explaining how material things are a good gift from God, when obtained (and employed) in the good ways that God has given us to do so.

Q98. What does the eighth commandment teach us? To be honest and industrious.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Transacting Business Before the Face of the Lord [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 11:1]

Pastor teaches his family a selection from “the Proverb of the day.” In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must consider our Creator and Redeemer, first and foremost, in how we transact our financial business(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC75 “God Forbids Thoughtlessness or Carelessness about Earthly Property or Prosperity”

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 75—especially explaining and applying God’s warnings against being thoughtless or careless of His goodness in earthly things to us or to others.

WSC75: What is forbidden in the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbor’s wealth or outward estate.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC74 “Enjoying and Participating in God’s Goodness to Us and Others in Earthly Things”

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 74—especially explaining and applying the duty to delight in and display the goodness of God by making use of the means and materials that He has provided to prosper ourselves and others.

WSC74: What is required in the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained, WSC73 — The Place of Property in God's Design for Our Lives

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 73—especially explaining and applying the progression in the Ten Commandments that brings us now to consider the right way of viewing, obtaining, and employing property.

WSC73: Which is the eighth commandment? The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (19): Pleasing God in Transactions & God's Love-Fostering Design for Slavery in Israel [2023.01.15 Sabbath School]

God, Who has given us ways of obtaining wealth that glorify Him via productivity and charity, abominates gaining wealth by scheming to take it from others. And God gave His people a way of helping one another materially that included a form of slavery that fostered love among master and slave.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Reinforcing the 8th Commandment: Laws to Punish Theft and Arbitrate Property Loss [2022.08.14 Evening Sermon in Exodus 22:1–15]

Personal responsibility extends to not stealing and to how we handle others' property.

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Penalties for Stealing and Property Damage [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 22:1–15]

What procedures and penalties did the Lord give Israel for addressing theft? Exodus 22:1–15 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these fifteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that before God, men must be respectful and responsible with others’ property. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Principles for Punishing Criminal Negligence with Life and Property [2022.08.07 Evening Sermon in Exodus 21:28–36]

Personal responsibility puts each man in charge of taking care of his own property in a way that guards the life and property of others.

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Thou Shalt Not Steal: Learning from God to Obtain and Use Good Things in a Good Way (2022.06.26 Evening Sermon in Exodus 20:15)

The God Who put His image in us has appointed to us our possessions and the right means of acquiring them.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Properly Responding to God’s Blessing in Material Possessions (Family Worship lesson in Exodus 20:15)

What is the proper relationship of God's provisions to the obtaining of those provisions? Exodus 20:15 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord's Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the God Who put His image in us has appointed to us our possessions and the right means of acquiring them.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Lord Whose Word Saves Us from the Wicked and Their Words (Prayer Meeting Lesson in Psalm 12)

Developments that make Yahweh’s poor ones cry out, v1, 8.
The words of the wicked, v2–4.
The words of Yahweh, v5–7.

The Great Reversal of Riches (2021.03.07 Morning Sermon in Genesis 47:13–27)

However much the Lord provides or takes away in earthly treasure, these great reversals anticipate that great reversal when we shall all see that earthly treasure is inherently worthless and heavenly treasure has infinite, inherent worth. There is a great reversal coming, and it will reveal the answer to the question: is money the chief end of your God, or is God the chief end of your money? One way to describe a believer is: someone who has discovered that he has nothing, but that Christ is everything, and who discovers that Christ has taken him to be His own… so that now he has everything!

Beware the Deceitfulness of Covetousness (Family Worship in Luke 12:13–34)

What does covetousness look like in our hearts? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. In these twenty-two verses, our Lord Jesus exposes that sometimes covetousness in our hearts is disguised as righteous indignation, sometimes as planning or preparedness, sometimes as celebration or enjoyment, and sometimes even as worry or anxiety.

Working Heartily and Lovingly as Slaves of Christ (Family Worship in Eph 6:5–9)

In what way is the Bible pro-slavery? Pastor leads his family in yesterday's "Hopewell @Home" passage. In these five verses, we learn that Christians should all be delighted to be the slaves of their perfect Master, Who is worthy of their sincere, diligent, cheerful, loving obedience in whatever role they have and whatever work they do.

Gladdening the Spirit and Fighting the Devil in Putting on and Putting Off (Family Worship in Ephesians 4:25–30)

Are you grieving the Spirit or gladdening Him? Fighting the devil or giving him opportunity? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” devotional. In these six verses, we learn that fighting alongside the Spirit in sanctification requires both putting off and putting on in every area.