God's Workmanship for God Works [Children's Catechism 51—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 51—especially explaining how God gives a new heart that loves and does holiness.

Q51. What is sanctification? It is God's making sinners holy in heart and conduct. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Sanctification is God's ongoing work of making believers holy in both heart and conduct through union with Christ. Besides both positional sanctification, and covenantal sanctification, it is especially the transformative process whereby believers, renewed by grace, grow increasingly dead to sin and alive to righteousness.

The Holiness Needed for Heaven [Children's Catechism 38—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 38—especially explaining how you must be holy either to enter heaven, or to be happy there.

Q38. Can anyone go to heaven with this sinful nature? No; our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) The lesson emphasizes that no one can enter heaven with an unregenerate, sinful nature, as holiness is essential for communion with God. Drawing from Hebrews 12:14 and Jesus’s prayer in John 17, it distinguishes between positional holiness—being set apart to God through union with Christ—and the ongoing, transformative holiness that sanctifies believers by God’s truth. This moral and spiritual renewal is not optional but necessary, for heaven is a realm of perfect purity where sin cannot coexist; without it, the glory of God would be torment rather than blessing.

The Jesus Who's Coming Quickly [Family Worship lesson in Revelation 22:12–17]

What is Jesus’s message to us? Revelation 22:12–17 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word read in the public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus’s message to us is to come to Him for life. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary from the transcript: Pastor's devotional emphasizes the imminent return of Jesus, portraying Him as the eternal, rewarding, redeeming, sanctifying, returning, and welcoming God. Drawing from Revelation 22, the message highlights the promise of reward for those who obey His commandments, entering into a holy union with Him and gaining access to eternal life. It underscores the importance of personal holiness, urging listeners to come to Chris for forgiveness and escape from practices and ideologies that oppose God, and to actively participate in welcoming others to Christ, ultimately joining the chorus of the Spirit and the Bride in anticipating His return and freely receiving the water of life.

An Almighty Covenant to Sanctify [Family Worship lesson in Genesis 17:1–8]

What do believers who have been stumbling along in their own strength need? Genesis 17:1–8 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers need to be turned away from themselves to the Lord Who covenants them to Himself—and Himself to them.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Evening Prayer in Distress [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 141]

How should we pray when we are in danger of sinning? Psalm 141 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we should pray against our sin as those who come to God smelling like the worthiness of Christ, confident that He will finish the work of making us to be like Christ. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Triumph of the Promise [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 1:6–18]

How is God’s covenant administered among His people? Deuteronomy 1:6–18 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God’s covenant is administered, among His people, through the service of God-given leaders.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Triune Doxology and Dependence [Family Worship lesson in Jude 24–25]

Why should we glorify God? Jude v24–25 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we should glorify God because He is glorious, and because He has determined especially to glorify Himself by bringing us to glory.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Baptized into Christ! [2024.11.17 Evening Sermon in Romans 6:1–11]

By His Spirit, Christ has baptized believers into Himself, so that they are dead to sin and death but alive unto God.

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A Need That We Should Always Pray For [Children's Catechism 120—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 120—especially explaining how we should always be praying for our sanctification.

Q120. What is the sixth petition? And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.(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)

An Almighty Covenant to Sanctify [Family Worship lesson in Genesis 17:1–8]

What do believers who have been stumbling along in their own strength need? Genesis 17:1–8 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers need to be turned away from themselves to the Lord Who covenants them to Himself—and Himself to them.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Learning Loving Sanctification [Family Worship lesson in Jude 20–23]

How are we supposed to apply this letter? Jude v20–23 looks forward to the second serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we apply the book of Jude by pursuing growth first for ourselves, and then for others. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Path and Pleasure that Divert from Death [2024.09.11 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 2:10–22]

Apply your heart to wisdom, and come into the path and pleasure that God will use to deliver you from death

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Taking Heaven by Force [2024.09.01 Morning Sermon in Matthew 11:7–15]

The Christian faith is a battle for life.

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Entering Heaven by Force [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 11:7–15]

Why did John need help? Matthew 11:7–15 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 every believer in this life still needs help from Christ, because the path to glory is a battle that requires zeal and strength and perseverance. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Christ’s Power in Preaching [2024.08.25 Morning Sermon in Matthew 11:1–6]

Christ, our Prophet, preaches Himself to us to save and sanctify us.

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Grace to Sinful Autonomy [Family Worship lesson in Numbers 20:14–21:3]

If God has already determined what will happen, what should we do? Numbers 20:14–21:3 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nineteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must trust God to do His own almighty work, while sustaining us by His grace in the duties that He has assigned to us. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

What Jesus Does by His Preaching [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 11:1–6]

How can faith in Christ be strengthened in hard circumstances? Matthew 11:1–6 looks forward to the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ strengthens us in hard circumstances through the preaching of His Word. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Assurance Combats Sin [2024.07.28 Sabbath School in WCF 18.3.o—Hopewell 101]

We continue to study the Scriptures behind the sound and sweet doctrine of our church's Confession of Faith. This week, we learned from WCF 18.3o about how assurance combats sin.(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)