Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (17): Care for the Poor Among Brothers in Grace [2023.01.01 Sabbath School]

Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (17): among those who are brothers in being purchased by grace, we receive one another's poverty as a providential assignment to be instruments and images of that grace.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Danger of Lying to the Spirit (Family Worship lesson in Acts 4:36–5:11)

Why did Ananias and Sapphira die that day? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Acts 4:36–5:11 prepares us for the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that when God the Holy Spirit is working savingly and fruitfully in the church, we are in danger of trying to fake His work for the eyes of men, rather than seeking Him to produce fruit in us that brings Him praise. But, He Himself is a sure help in the face of this danger.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Proper Purpose of Things (2021.12.21 Family Worship lesson in "The Proverb of the Day")

Pastor leads his family in a selection from "the Proverb of the day." In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that those whose hearts are closed to the poor have the ears of God closed to their prayers. Pastor teaches his children why this is so: believers have been brought to God to know that their own purpose, and the purpose of all that they have, is the service and enjoyment of God Himself. Since Christ Himself in our place is the only reason our prayers can be favorably heard, if we bear symptoms of being outside of Christ, we should expect that our prayers are not favorably heard—however much God's providence might correspond to what we wanted.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)