Extraordinary Vows and Redemptions [Family Worship lesson in Leviticus 27]

If God has prescribed His public worship, how can a believer respond to special providence or moments of inflamed love and thankfulness? Leviticus 27 prepares us for the evening sermon on the Lord’s Day. In these thirty-four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers may vow unto God to devote themselves to His service, but they must take these vows very seriously. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Prepared for Problems by Praise [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 107:1–22]

How does the Lord prepare us to look to Him in distress? Psalm 107:1–22 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these twenty-two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that praising God for His mercy to sinners prepares them to look to Him when they most feel their need of that mercy. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How Mature Christians Relate to Other Believers [Family Worship lesson in 2Timothy 1:3–5]

What thanksgivings, desires, and joys should fill believers’ prayers for each other? 2Timothy 1:3–5 looks forward to the second reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that believers are thankful for one another’s faith, desiring to see one another’s face, and rejoicing over one another’s fellowship.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (15), Why How We Think of and Use Wealth Is So Spiritually Important [2022.12.18 Sabbath School]

As we prepare for deacons to lead us in the service of God in material things, we discover that a right view of God will be expressed in our viewing and using wealth with trust, humility, gratitude, enjoyment, and generosity.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Biblical Theology of the Diaconate (11): Spiritual Needs Shown by Diaconal Needs in the Birth of Israel [2022.11.20 Sabbath School]

At the birth of Israel as a nation/church, spiritual need was exposed by diaconal need. And diaconal blessing was promised to spiritual faithfulness so that the goodness of the gracious God might be reflected and displayed in His gracious nation.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

True Encouragement Comes From Thankfulness in The Lord [2022.11.09 Midweek devotional in Colossians 1:3–8]

True encouragement comes from thankfulness in the Lord

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

Thankful for, Loving, Praying for, Inquiring about, and Edifying the Saints [Family Worship lesson in Colossians 1:3–9]

How do believers encourage one another? Colossians 1:3–8 looks forward to the devotional in this week’s midweek meeting. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that one of the ways that believers especially encourage one another is by thanking God with and for one another.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Living as if God Actually Exists and the Gospel Is Actually True (Family Worship lesson in 1Thessalonians 5:16–22)

Having given final instructions about loving one another (v12–15), what are the apostolic team’s final instructions about loving the Lord? 1Thessalonians 5:16–22 looks forward to the second serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that loving the Lord in everyday life should be continually joyous, obedient, and holy.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

What Repentance Reorients (Family Worship lesson in Acts 2:40–47)

What is so significant about the conduct of this first congregation of the gospel church? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Acts 2:40–47 prepares us for the morning sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the though the first congregation of the gospel church was composed so largely of those who had murdered Christ, the repentance that Christ gave them by His Spirit reordered their life priorities, financial priorities, time priorities, and heart priorities. Thus may all who come to Christ rest upon Him to do to them and in them!(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Delivered, Conveyed, Redeemed, and Forgiven! (Family Worship lesson in Colossians 1:13–14)

Why does praying for sanctification spill over so easily into pouring out thanksgiving? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Colossians 1:13–14 prepares us for the second serial reading in Morning Public Worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that our sanctification so that we can finally partake of the inheritance of the saints in light flows out of four glorious things that God has given us in Christ Jesus: deliverance, conveyance, redemption, and forgiveness.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Christ-Sized Thanksgiving for Christ-Sized Grace (Family Worship lesson in Colossians 1:3–8)

What should prayers of thanksgiving for other believers look like? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Colossians 1:3–8 prepares us for the second serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that biblical thanksgiving for other believers is Christ-sized thankfulness that rejoices over the measure of God’s grace, the means of God’s grace, and the ministers of God’s grace.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How Treasuring Christ Increases Thankfulness for and to One Another (2021.08.15 Evening Sermon in Philippians 4:14–17)

The fact that the apostle would have been content without the Philppians’ gift didn’t make him less thankful for the gift or for them, but on the contrary much more thankful! This is because his contentment comes from treasuring Christ above all, and the gift was evidence of the work of Christ in them, a reminder of the fellowship in Christ that they shared, and a means by which the gospel of Christ would advance and the glory of Christ in them would be displayed.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

How to Multiply Your Thankfulness by Infinity (Family Worship lesson in Philippians 4:14–17)

Is a thank-you still a thank-you if you were content without the gift? Pastor leads his family in today's "Hopewell @Home" passage. Philippians 4:14–17 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord's Day. In these four verses, the Holy Spirit teaches us how the contentment that comes from treasuring Christ above all makes our thankfulness for Christians' generosity not less but infinitely greater.(click audio title within player for a page where you can download mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Conduct Worthy of the Gospel: Standing Unitedly, Fearlessly, Thankfully (Family Worship in Philippians 1:27–30)

How can the Philippians gladden on another and their beloved apostle? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Philippians 1:27–30 prepares us for the afternoon exhortation on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, we learn that believers rejoice to see and hear of one another conducting themselves worthily of the gospel: standing unitedly, fearlessly, and thankfully.

The Lord Himself Is Our Portion and Our Power (Family Worship in Psalm 73)

What does thankfulness look like? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. In these twenty-eight verses, the Psalmist gets a glimpse of God’s glory and realizes that rather than an unrewarded servant, he has really been a wickedly ungrateful brute. But this God of infinite glory has also been to him a God of marvelous patience, and abounding generosity. In fact, God has given to sinners something greater than heaven and earth taken together: Himself. Himself as our portion and Himself as our power.

Fighting Sexual Sin, and All Sin, by Thankfulness and Reverence to God (2020.10.11 Evening Sermon in Ephesians 5:3–7)

The dear children of God ought not look like (and don't look like) the sons of disobedience. Those who are forgiven begin to think and speak and act in the way that is fitting for saints. And thanksgiving is a most fitting way of thinking and speaking, which thanksgiving also combats fornication, uncleanness, and covetousness.

From Coveting to Contentment (2020.10.02 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald)

Hopewell Herald – October 2, 2020 

Dear Congregation, 

In the evening sermon this past week, we heard that one of the ways that we are transformed as the Holy Spirit and the devil battle over our hearts and lives is our attitude toward wealth and work. 

This transformation from covetous to contentment, from grabbing to giving, is on great display both in the apostle Paul and in the Philippian church in one of the most famous (and most abused) parts of his letter to them: 

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:10–13) 

Our family is a little ahead in the M'Cheyne plan, so we came across that a couple nights ago, having just been in Ephesians 4:28 both at home and at church. We talked about the abuse of this verse, and how it was about contentment in little and contentment in much—and the irony of who tends to use it and when they use it. 

Contentment is such an important Christian grace. We see the depth of our sin in how, even when we have much, we cannot find it in ourselves to be content. 

But grace is so great that it can give us contentment in any condition. Such is the life and goodness of Christ that in Him we find the ability to be content even when we have little. 

In Christ, you can be content with much. In Christ, you can be content with little. You can be content in any circumstance—can do all things—through Christ, who strengthens you! 

Even more: in Christ, we begin to see circumstances completely differently. When we have more, we say, "Aha! An opportunity for Christ to be glorified in others' contentment and my generosity to them!" And when we have little, we say, "Aha! An opportunity for Christ to be glorified in my contentment and in their generosity to me!" 

Circumstances become a marvelous diversity of the variety of ways that we have opportunity to participate in bringing glory to the Redeemer! Praise the Lord Jesus! 

Looking forward to glorifying Christ together for His marvelous goodness both to us and in us, 

Pastor