Baptism a Seal of Regeneration [2026.05.17 Sabbath School in WCF 28.1.e—Hopewell 101]

Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church; but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of the world. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

A Stronghold in Trouble [2026.03.22 Morning Sermon in Nahum 1:7]

The LORD displays His glory in the justice of His wrath, but especially in the mercy that He shows to those whom He has chosen in love.

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

Hearts from God That Turn to God [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 30:1–10]

How can God’s people return to Him? Deuteronomy 30:1–10 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s people return to Him by the work of His sovereign grace. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Deuteronomy 30:1–10 reveals God’s covenantal grace as patient, personal, powerful, prosperous, and persevering, illustrating how divine mercy responds to human failure with sovereign compassion. Though Israel will have broken the covenant and been scattered to the farthest corners of the earth, God promises to gather them, circumcise their hearts, and restore them not by their own effort but by His divine initiative. This restoration is both corporate and individual, demonstrating that true repentance and obedience are gifts of grace, not human achievement. The passage anticipates the fulfillment of God’s promises in Christ, the true Root of David, through Whom the church—both visible and invisible—is preserved, prospered, and ultimately glorified. The enduring nature of God’s covenant, secured by Christ’s faithful obedience, assures believers of His unwavering commitment to His people, even in the midst of judgment and exile. Thus, the passage calls all who are far from God to cry out for His grace, trusting in His power to turn hearts and sustain faith to the end.

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.

Which Promise Is to You and to Your Children?

Hopewell Herald – February 14, 2026

Dear Congregation,

Next week, we’ll read the following in Deuteronomy:

Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Deut 30:5–6

In v5, the Lord says that He will prosper and multiply His people more, after the exile, than He had before the exile. But, historically, we did not see this until the grafting in of those elect from among the nations.

It is helpful for our understanding of God's dealing with covenant children, in the administration under Moses, that His promises to them were not only visible/externally covenantal, but internal and spiritual: "YHWH your God will circumcise the heart of your offspring, to love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

And it is helpful for our understanding of God's dealing with covenant children, under Christ, is that this "and the heart of your descendants" aspect of the promise has a focus especially on the time in which the visible church would be prospered and multiplied "more than your fathers."

When it included children, under Moses, it was the covenant of grace.

And under Christ, the covenant of grace still includes children!

When the apostle says, "For the promise is to you and your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call," (Ac 2:39), he is saying exactly what Deut 30:5–6 says.

Spirit-baptism includes this circumcision of the heart. It corresponds to water baptism, just as the Lord's gracious work of heart-circumcision corresponded to the covenant sign that He had commanded upon covenant children.

Deut 30:5–6 was solving the problem of a people who could not circumcise their own hearts, as commanded in Deut 10:16. And, on the day of Pentecost, there was this wonderful proclamation that Jesus provides, by His Spirit, the repentance that the baptism of John could only announce to us that we need it. Christian baptism announces that Jesus actually gives it.

This hope He gives us for ourself. This hope He gives us for our children.

Looking forward to holding fast to our hope in Him together in worship tomorrow,

Pastor

Audio lessons to help you prepare for the Lord’s Day:

▪Theology Simply Explained — CC39, An Exchange of Heart 
▪Theology Simply Explained — WSC16, We Sinned in Him with Whom We Fell
▪Song of Songs 5:1, “Glorious Answer to Prayer”
▪Deuteronomy 29:22–29, “Give to God What Is God's”
▪Ecclesiastes 11:7–10, “How to Live Your Blink of a Life”
▪Matthew 27:45–54, “Truly This Is the Son of God”
▪Song of Songs 5:2–8, “The Way Back from Backsliding”

 

LORD'S DAY – February 15, 2026 

9:50 a.m. Breakfast Line Opens

10 a.m. Sabbath School
We are preparing our minds and hearts for public worship by studying our Confession of Faith from Scripture, affirming that Scripture is our only ultimate authority, but also discovering that what we confess is thoroughly Scriptural.

11 a.m. Public Worship

▫Children’s Catechism for February 15. Q39 What is a change of heart called? Regeneration. [CC 39 Simply Explained: “An Exchange of Heart”]

▫Shorter Catechism for February 15. Q16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression? The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression. [WSC 16 Simply Explained: “We Sinned in Him with Whom We Fell”]

▫Songs for public worship on February 15: 
TPH403 [mp3], ARP22A [mp3], ARP22B [mp3]

Scripture Text for first portion of worship service
Song of Songs 5:1

Scripture Readings and basis for confession of sin and petition for help
Deuteronomy 29:22–29
Ecclesiastes 11:7–10

Sermon Scripture text and topic

We will be hearing the sermon from Matthew 27:45–54 about “Truly, This is the Son of God!”

Lord’s Supper! (Please see the section at the end of the Worship Booklet on how rightly to prepare for and take it).

1 p.m. Coffee Fellowship and Catechism Class

1:30 p.m. Fellowship Lunch

▫Memory Verse for February 15, Matthew 27:54, So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

3:00 p.m. Evening Praise and Preaching
We will be singing at least ten Psalm selections and hearing the sermon from Song of Songs 5:2 about “How Jesus Awakens the Church”

Hopewell this Month

Hopewell’s Presbytery Prayer Focus for February
Madison-Monrovia ARP in Harvest, AL

February Psalm of the Month
ARP22A My God, My God

Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, February 11, Midweek Prayer Meeting. 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel. We will hear a sermon from Proverbs 21:10–18 then pray until 8 p.m.
• Saturday, February 28, Men’s (and future men) breakfast, 7a in the Fellowship Hall
• Tuesday, March 5, Diaconate Meeting, 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 18, Session Meeting, 8 p.m. in the Pastor’s Study

An Exchange of Heart [Children's Catechism 39—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 39—especially explaining how regeneration is when God exchanges your old, dead heart for a new, living one.

Q39. What is a change of heart called? Regeneration. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The lesson centers on the theological concept of regeneration as the essential, divine transformation of the heart. It emphasizes that regeneration—being born again through the Holy Spirit—is not a human effort or a result of faith, but the prior work of God that enables faith itself. Drawing from Scripture, particularly John 3 and the new birth, it argues that a dead and sinful heart cannot produce belief without first receiving new spiritual life from God the Father. Ultimately, the lesson affirms that only through this divine renewal can one be made holy and enter heaven, highlighting the necessity of God’s sovereign grace in transforming the heart.

Why We Need Another Adam [Family Worship lesson in Hosea 6:4–7:16]

What remedy is there for those who are like Adam? Hosea 6:4–7:16 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty-four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our own repenting is so riddled with sin like Adam, that our only hope is another Adam, the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Who Do You Say that Jesus Is? [2025.03.02 Morning Sermon in Matthew 16:13–17]

You must receive a miraculous work of God in Your heart, so that you can believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God

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

Defiled to the Core [2025.02.02 Morning Sermon in Matthew 15:1–20]

What comes from us is unclean, so we must have Christ, and what comes from Him, by His Spirit.

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

What Defiles a Man [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 15:1–20]

How can a man be clean before God? Matthew 15:1–20 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twenty verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a man must have his heart changed and purified, which only Christ can do. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Wisdom's Competing Offer [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 9]

What does wisdom offer? Proverbs 9 looks forward to the sermon in this week’s midweek meeting. In these eighteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that wisdom offers true conversion and eternal life from God Himself. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Ears to Hear and Hearts to Understand [2024.12.08 Morning Sermon in Matthew 13:9–17]

We must be given a new nature in order to know and trust in Jesus.

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

Ears to Hear, Hearts to Understand [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 13:9–17]

What is an indicator of spiritual life? Matthew 13:9–17 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that spiritual life responds to the Word by hearing it, taking it in, prioritizing it, and multiplying it. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Elementary, Foundational Doctrines [2024.11.10 Evening Sermon in Hebrews 5:12–6:3]

The way that Christ commands His church to operate is a foundational doctrine, together with basic doctrines of God and salvation.

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

Saved from What Is in Us by What Is in God [Family Worship lesson in Ephesians 2:1–7]

How does grace prepare the “faith” part of our salvation? Ephesians 2:1–7 helps us prepare to hear 2:1–5 proclaimed in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that there is a resurrection that must come before faith. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Good Things Only from Good Hearts [2024.10.27 Morning Sermon in Matthew 12:33–37]

The necessary evidence of a changed heart is a mouth that is full of good things about Jesus.

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

Turn Away from Yourself to Christ for Life! [2024.09.08 Evening Sermon in Numbers 21:4–9]

Because there is nothing good in ourselves, we must be born again, and God has raised up His Son so that those dying of their own wickedness may turn away from themselves, to look to Him instead, and live!

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

Childish Arrogance and Wicked Resistance of Unbelief [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 11:16–24]

What should we say about an unbelieving generation? Matthew 11:16–24 looks forward to the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that those who hear the gospel but don’t repent are childishly arrogant and wickedly resistant. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Love, by God's Word, for God's Servants [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 119:121–128]

How should we respond, when we see others breaking God’s law? Psalm 119:121–128 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 we ought to plead with God, as those who belong to Him, and desire Him to conform us to His Word, in consistency with His own character. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Solidarity with What Is of God [Family Worship lesson in 1John 5:18–19]

What is the great battle? 1John 5:18–19 prepares us for the second serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that, whether in our heart or the whole world, the great battle is between what is from God and what is under the sway of the devil.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)