YHWH, Alone, Our God [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 5:6–7]

What is the great thing in all of life? Deuteronomy 5:6–7 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the great thing in all of life is to be devoted to, and dependent, upon the Lord as our own covenant God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

OUR God's Law [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 5:1–5]

How are we to receive God’s law? Deuteronomy 5:1–5 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we are to receive the law from our covenant God, through our covenant Mediator. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Reasoning for the Sabbath [Westminster Shorter Catechism 62 — Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 62—especially explaining how the phrasing of the Sabbath commandment implies that we are to be thoughtful and reverent about it.

Q62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment? The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, His challenging a special propriety in the seventh, His own example, and His blessing the sabbath day. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Holy and Reverent Lips and Life [Westminster Shorter Catechism 54—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 54—especially explaining how we are to conduct ourselves in the holy fear of God in His worship, and in our lives.

Q54. What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Contending for Christ's Lordship [Family Worship lesson in Jude v1–4]

What could be more important than enriching one another in our common salvation? Jude v1–4 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 must contend earnestly for faith in a Jesus Who is our Master, both as our God and as our King. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Gospel-Strengthened Obligation to the Law [2024.09.22 Sabbath School in WCF 19.5—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 19.5, about how the gospel makes us more obligated to the moral law, not less.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Drawing Near to God in the Fear of God [Westminster Shorter Catechism 50—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 50—especially explaining how treating God as God means drawing near to Him only in the way that He says to.

Q50. What is required in the second commandment? The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in His Word.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Covenantal Morality [Westminster Shorter Catechism 45—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 44—especially explaining how the ten commandments, while obligatory to God from all creatures, are only possible for and especially obligatory upon His covenant people.

Q44. What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us? The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Setting the Stage for Keeping the Law [Westminster Shorter Catechism 43—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 43—especially explaining how God puts His own law into context for His people.

Q43. What is the preface to the ten commandments? The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

God's Good, Useful Law [Children's Catechism 104—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 104—especially explaining how Jesus uses His law to teach us rightly about ourselves and Himself.

Q104. Of what use are the ten commandments to us? They teach us our duty, and show our need of a Savior.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Dead Men Keep No Commandments [Children's Catechism 103—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 103—especially explaining how the remaining of the dead, former self within the believer means that even he does not keep God’s commandments perfectly in this life.

Q103. Can any man keep these ten commandments perfectly? No mere man, since the fall of Adam, ever did or can keep the ten commandments perfectly.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Happy with the Lord [Children's Catechism 102—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 102—especially explaining how being happy with the Lord Himself is at the heart of the law.

Q102. What does the tenth commandment teach us? To be content with our lot.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

All Morality in Just Ten Words [Westminster Shorter Catechism 41—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 41—especially explaining how the Ten Commandments are a wondrous summary of all morality.

Q41. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Learning What to Obey and How [Westminster Shorter Catechism 39—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 39—especially explaining how our duty includes not only obedience to God’s law but attendance upon Him in the means of His grace in order to keep His law.

Q39. What is the duty which God requireth of man? The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to His revealed will.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Why the 6th Commandment Is 6th [Children's Catechism 93—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 93—especially explaining how the sixth commandment connects loving God with loving those whom He created in His own image.

Q93. What is the sixth commandment? The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

True Love [2024.04.17 Midweek Sermon in Romans 13:8–10]

True love is unto God first, defined by God's law, and determined by God's providence.

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

Knowing that We Know Him [Family Worship lesson in 1John 2:3–11]

What does walking in the light look like? 1John 2:3–11 prepares us for the second serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that walking in the light looks like loving the brethren.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Who Can Perfectly Keep God's Commandments [Shorter Catechism Q82 Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 82—especially explaining and applying how Adam could have kept God’s commandments but didn’t, the last Adam did perfectly keep them in His people’s stead, and the last Adam’s people genuinely but imperfectly keep them now, and will perfectly keep them forever.

Q82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word and deed.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Heart and the Law's Heart [Westminster Shorter Catechism 79 Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 79—especially explaining and applying that the tenth commandment concludes the second table of the law by showing just how much the heart is involved in all of the commandments regarding our neighbor, and it concludes the law as a whole by showing how the second table is an application/extension of the first.

Q79. Which is the tenth commandment? The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s. (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)