2026.01.28 Hopewell @Home ▫ Deuteronomy 28:15–29:1

Read Deuteronomy 28:15–29:1

Questions from the Scripture text: What might they not do (Deuteronomy 28:15)? What, then, will the curses do to them? Where (Deuteronomy 28:16)? In what work (Deuteronomy 28:17)? And what fruit (Deuteronomy 28:18)? When (Deuteronomy 28:19)? Who will do this (Deuteronomy 28:20)? In what ways? To what extent? At what pace? Why? What will YHWH make the plague do (Deuteronomy 28:21)? Until what? With why seven things will YHWH strike them (Deuteronomy 28:22)? Until what? How much of creation will be cursed for them (Deuteronomy 28:23)? What will happen to what was supposed to give them life (Deuteronomy 28:24)? What will YHWH do between them and their enemies (Deuteronomy 28:25-26)? With what sort of plague will YHWH strike them (Deuteronomy 28:27)? And with what else (Deuteronomy 28:28)? So that they end up in what condition (Deuteronomy 28:29)? What efforts will He frustrate (Deuteronomy 28:30)? What possessions (Deuteronomy 28:31)? And whom, most grievously (Deuteronomy 28:32)? So that who benefits from what was theirs (Deuteronomy 28:33)? Unto what end (Deuteronomy 28:34)? What will He do to them themselves (Deuteronomy 28:35, cf. Job 2:4–7)? What will YHWH do to them politically and religiously (Deuteronomy 28:36)? Wit what result (Deuteronomy 28:37)? How will their produce be cursed (Deuteronomy 28:38-40, Deuteronomy 28:42)? Including especially what (Deuteronomy 28:41)? How will they relate to the foreigner (Deuteronomy 28:43-44)? What will these curses do to them (Deuteronomy 28:45)? On account of what? For what purpose (Deuteronomy 28:46)? From what failure does their disobedience proceed (Deuteronomy 28:47)? So whom will YHWH make them serve instead (Deuteronomy 28:48)? And whom will YHWH bring against them (Deuteronomy 28:49-50)? To do what (Deuteronomy 28:51)? Until what? What will they do to them (Deuteronomy 28:52)? Until Israel does what to whom (Deuteronomy 28:53-57)? So, what must they observe (Deuteronomy 28:58)? And fear? Or else what will YHWH bring upon them (Deuteronomy 28:59-61)? Leaving them in what condition (Deuteronomy 28:62)? Why? What will YHWH then rejoice to do (Deuteronomy 28:63)? What will YHWH do to them politically (Deuteronomy 28:64)? Religiously? What will YHWH give them in exile (Deuteronomy 28:65)? What will their mindset be (Deuteronomy 28:66-67)? Where will YHWH take them (Deuteronomy 28:68)? How? For what? How does Deuteronomy 29:1 summarize all the blessings and curses? 

What does every sin deserve? Deuteronomy 28:15–29:1 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these fifty-five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that every sin deserves the wrath and curse of God.  

There are five times as many curses in chapter 28 as there are blessings. This is because, in the administration of the law, under sinful prophets, priests, and kings, they will indeed break the covenant and bring themselves under the curses. The way that this happens is found at the heart of the passage in Deuteronomy 28:47: “you did not serve YHWH your God with joy and gladness of heart.” It is this thankful, glad zeal that produces the obedience that the Lord seeks. When they fail to obey, YHWH will make their curses to come upon them, pursue them, cling to them, and overtake them (Deuteronomy 28:15, Deuteronomy 28:21-22, Deuteronomy 28:45). This is what we deserve, but Christ has taken the full curse that we deserve, for all who will believe in Him.

What do you deserve? What is the only way for you not to suffer it?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we have often failed to serve You with joy and gladness of heart. We have not done according to all Your law, and we deserve Your wrath and curse. Forgive us and cleanse us, w ask through Christ, AMEN

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “What Blessedness” or TPH51C “God, Be Merciful to Me”

His Love of Her Love [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 4:8–15]

What does Christ think of His church on their wedding day? Song of Songs 4:8–15 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ delights in His church’s presence with Him, and in her He takes great pleasure. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional unfolds the profound intimacy between Christ and His church, portrayed through the Song of Songs, emphasizing that the Lord’s greatest delight is His bride’s love—expressed in heart, word, and deed. Central to this union is the image of the bride as a sealed garden and fountain, a private, sacred space of divine pleasure, yet one that overflows with life-giving fruit for others.

2026.01.27 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 4:8–15

Read Song of Songs 4:8–15

Questions from the Scripture text: What invitation does Song of Songs 4:8 give? What does the Bridegroom say that the bride has done (Song of Songs 4:9)? How? What does He say about her love (Song of Songs 4:10), even compared to what two things? What two things does He superlatively praise in Song of Songs 4:11? How does He describe her in Song of Songs 4:12? What does He call her, here, for the third time (cf. Song of Songs 4:10, Song of Songs 4:11)? What plants does He describe as flourishing in that garden (Song of Songs 4:13-14)? What water sources does it have (Song of Songs 4:15)? 

What does Christ think of His church on their wedding day? Song of Songs 4:8–15 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ delights in His church’s presence with Him, and in her He takes great pleasure. 

The wedding has taken place, and now He calls her “spouse” in five consecutive verses (Song of Songs 4:8-12). This passage on her beauty begins with an invitation, “Come with me” (Song of Songs 4:8a). Now that they are married, He insists that she always be with Him—no matter from how remotely (verse 8b–f). Their being together should be the great desire of the bride, because it is the great desire of the Bridegroom (Song of Songs 4:9). 

The church is Christ’s great love and desire. And, the first thing He loves about her is… her love (Song of Songs 4:10)! He loves, in her, what we began the song by hearing that she loves in Him (cf. Song of Songs 1:2–3). He loves her perfumes, her graces/adornments, which constitute likeness to Himself. Thirdly, He loves her praise, the fruit of her lips (Song of Songs 4:11). It all drips richly, sweetly, like honey—her prayers, her songs, her preaching; it is not superficial or light but thick and rich. He loves the worship that is the fruit of her lips. Indeed, not just on the lips, but even when it is still under the tongue—He loves the worship of her thoughts, her heart. Finally, He loves her actions, the garments with which He has clothed he (cf. Revelation 19:8). 

In the last four verses of our passage, the church is Christ’s garden (Song of Songs 4:12, cf. Isaiah 58:11; Jeremiah 31:12). Just as great palaces would have a royal garden for the delight of the king, so she has been prepared for Him. She has come out of the wilderness, and now she is a garden. She is “enclosed,” “shut up,” and “sealed,” because she has only one object of all of her devotion, affection, and obedience. These proceed from her continually, as from a fountain or a spring. The garden is developed in Song of Songs 4:13-14, and the spring/fountain in Song of Songs 4:15, expressing the great variety, preciousness, and usefulness of what Christ produces in His church. His pleasure is all her aim, but from her riches, He offers much to the world.

How are you responding to Christ’s desire for the presence of His church? To His taking pleasure in her?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for Your marvelous work in Your bride, the church. We rejoice to see Your delight in her on Your wedding day. Keep working in us by Your Spirit, and make us delightful for You to delight in, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP45B “Daughter, Incline Your Ear” or TPH471 “The Sands of Time Are Sinking”

A Wedding Invitation [2026.01.25 Evening Sermon in Song of Songs 4:8–15]

The Lord Jesus appeals to His own delight in us, as He invites us to come with Him and look to Him.

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

He Cannot Deny Himself [2026.01.25 Morning Sermon in Matthew 26:57–75]

Jesus confessed Himself to be Lord, so that by His grace, we also can

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

Wisdom’s Grace-Formed Values [2026.01.21 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 20:29–21:3]

As God's grace makes us wise, we come to value maturity, chastening, God's sovereignty, and God's judgment.

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

What Every Sin Deserves [Children's Catechism 37 Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 37—especially explaining how God opposes all sin with all of His glorious being.

Q37. What does every sin deserve? The wrath and curse of God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Every sin, by its very nature, incurs the righteous wrath and eternal curse of God, as clearly taught in Galatians 3:10 and Deuteronomy 27, where the moral law demands perfect, continual obedience—failure to uphold even one commandment brings divine condemnation. The consequence of sin is not merely punishment but the eternal reality of God's infinite, unchanging glory being opposed to the sinner forever, a state vividly described as the lake of fire, where existence itself is saturated with divine judgment. This terrifying truth underscores the desperate need for a Savior, for no one can be justified by works of the law; all are under the curse by default. The good news is that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, bore that wrath and curse in full on the cross, absorbing the eternal death that sin deserves so that those who place their faith in Him are freed from condemnation.

How Pride Self-Destructs [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 21:4–8]

How can one live righteously? Proverbs 21:4–8 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that one must be made righteous in order to live rightly. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on the profound danger of pride, warned against by Proverbs 21:4–8, which contrasts the haughty heart that exalts itself above God with the humble heart that submits to divine sovereignty. It warns that a proud, unrestrained spirit leads to hasty, unjust actions—such as gaining wealth through deceit—that result in spiritual poverty and self-destruction, as such pursuits are described as fleeting fantasies destined to vanish like vapor. In contrast, the diligent and humble person, whose life is rooted in dependence on God, experiences lasting fruit, not because of personal merit, but by God's grace. The passage underscores that truly righteous living comes not by self-will or self-justification, but in being made pure through Christ, Whose righteousness begins to work itself out in the believer's life. Ultimately, the choice is clear: will one’s life be ruled by self or by God? The eternal consequence hinges on this functional kingship—whether one exalts oneself or surrenders to the Lord, whose justice will prevail and whose kingdom will last forever.

2026.01.26 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 21:4–8

Read Proverbs 21:4–8

Questions from the Scripture text: What three things are sin (Proverbs 21:4)? What ensures plenty (Proverbs 21:5a)? What ensures poverty (verse 5b)? What might someone do (Proverbs 21:6a)? What is wrong with these treasures (verse 6b)? What is such a person actually seeking? What will the violence of the wicked do (Proverbs 21:7a)? Why (verse 7b)? What sort of path does a wicked man take (Proverbs 21:8a)? What sort of work does a pure man do (verse 8b)?

How can one live righteously? Proverbs 21:4–8 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that one must be made righteous in order to live rightly.  

The wicked do not take God into account. So, they have an eye, heart, and hand problem. Their eye is lifted up (Proverbs 21:4), meaning that they look down upon everything. YHWH hates such eyes (cf. Proverbs 6:16–17). Their heart is audacious because unrestrained by humility. Coming from such a heart, everything they do is sinful—even plowing. Pride is a recipe for making yourself, your heart, and all of your actions guilty before God.

So, there are those who have a diligence that proceeds from humility before the Lord. This will always lead, ultimately, to plenty (Proverbs 21:5a). But then there are those who are hasty to get rich (verse 5b), and therefore willing to sin to obtain it (Proverbs 21:6a). But whatever treasure they obtain is a vanishing vapor (verse 6b), because they can only ultimately obtain poverty (Proverbs 21:5b) and death (Proverbs 21:6b). Whatever they thought they could get from others by this sin, it only destroys them (Proverbs 21:7a), because they provoke God to His face (verse 7b).

The wicked live from out of their guilt, so all their ways turn out to be crooked (Proverbs 21:8a). But those who are pure—having been justified through faith in Christ, and being made like Him by His Spirit—will instead work what is right. The condition of our heart determines both the nature and the fruit of our works.

What is the condition of your heart? How do you “look” at things? In what ways, then, do you walk?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for teaching us about Yourself, and about ourselves. Grant that we would be humbled before You, and made right with You through faith in Christ. Thus, both forgive us and make us the pure ones who work what is right, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP119I “According to Your Word, O LORD” or TPH51C “God, Be Merciful to Me”

2026.01.25 Lord's Day Livestreams (live at 11:10a and 3p)

ANY WHO CAN MAKE IT SAFELY ARE STILL GATHERING. To tune in for the Lord's Day streams, we recommend that you visit the livestream page. If we still have electricity and internet, we will livestream it.