The Way Back from Backsliding [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 5:2–8]

What do the backslidden need? Song of Songs 5:2–8 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the backslidden need Christ’s Word, Christ’s grace, Christ’s ordinances, and the prayers of Christ’s people. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional from Song of Songs 5:2–8 illustrates the tension between the believer’s awakened heart and the lingering lethargy of the flesh. It emphasizes that while Christians possess a new nature that longs for Christ, spiritual complacency and self-justification can lead to a state of spiritual sleep, where even the voice of the Beloved is met with excuses—inconvenient or unpleasant—against deeper communion. Christ, in His grace, does not merely knock but actively reaches through the latch of the door, symbolizing His direct, transformative work in awakening the heart, even when the response is delayed or imperfect. The passage warns of the consequences of backsliding, including the loss of spiritual assurance, the painful discipline of faithful shepherds, and the temporary removal of spiritual evidence. Yet, it ultimately points to the hope of restoration through repentance, prayer, and the intercession of the church. The call is clear: believers must resist spiritual lethargy, embrace the means of grace despite inconvenience, and actively pray for revival, both personally and corporately, so that the church may once again be filled with the presence of Christ, Whose love is both the source and the goal of all spiritual life.

2026.02.17 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 5:2–8

Read Song of Songs 5:2–8

Questions from the Scripture text: What is the contradictory condition of the bride (Song of Songs 5:2a)? What does she hear (verse 2b)? What is He doing (verse 2c)? What does He call her (verse 2d–e)? What does He ask her to do (verse 2d)? Why (verse 2f–g)? What is her first excuse (Song of Songs 5:3a–b)? What is her second excuse (verse 3c–d)? What does the Bridegroom do in Song of Songs 5:4a–b? How does her heart now respond (verse 4c)? What does she do in Song of Songs 5:5a? To do what? What does she get on her hands and fingers (verse 5b–c)? From where (verse 5d)? What does she finally do in Song of Songs 5:6a? What does she find (verse 6b)? What failed at the memory of His words (verse 6c)? What two things does she now do (verse 6d–e)? With what results? Who find her, where (Song of Songs 5:7a)? What do they do to her (verse 7b)? In what other role (verse 7c) do they do what to her (verse 7d)? Whom, then, does she address (Song of Songs 5:8a)? What does she hope they will do (verse 8b)? What does the bride ask them to tell Him (verse 8c)?

What do the backslidden need? Song of Songs 5:2–8 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the backslidden need Christ’s Word, Christ’s grace, Christ’s ordinances, and the prayers of Christ’s people. 

This passage treats a similar situation to Song of Songs 3:1–5, but much worse. She is experiencing the conflict of having a new nature (the awakened heart, Song of Songs 5:2a), but being spiritually sleepy and lazy (cf. Matthew 26:40–45; Romans 13:11–14). 

The Lord knocks and calls, as He often does by His Word, piling up affectionate addresses to her (Song of Songs 5:2d–e), and reminding her of what He is willing to endure to be with her (verse 2f–g). 

But she responds with those horrible excuses that come from wayward hearts: as if it is too much trouble and unpleasantness to avail ourselves of fellowship with Christ (Song of Songs 5:3)! 

Blessed be Christ’s grace, He responds more directly and insistently, beginning to open the door Himself (Song of Songs 5:4a–b), with the effect that her heart is now moved (verse 4c). 

But, though she finds unmistakable evidence of it being He Who has done so (Song of Songs 5:5), she does not immediately find Him (Song of Songs 5:6a–b, cf. Song of Songs 3:2). 

This time, when the watchmen find her, they strike her until she feels the sting of their ministry (Song of Songs 5:7a–b)—possibly in faithfulness, and possibly lacking some tenderness. In their role as keepers of the walls (verse 7c), they take her wedding veil (verse 7d)… something that happens either by loss of assurance or overt discipline. 

So, she avails herself not only of the public ordinances represented in “about the city” in verse 7, but of the prayers of the members of the church (Song of Songs 5:8). 

Those who are spiritually backslidden do well to ask those church members (v8a) who are finding to Christ (verse 8b) to pray for them (verse 8c). 

O, dear reader, the Lord give you to resist spiritual slumber, and to respond immediately to all of His knocking and calling. 

But, when you don’t, the Lord give you His grace that moves your heart to seek Him in both: His public ordinances, and the prayers of His people.

When has the Lord awakened you, and you let the moment pass? By what means are you correcting that?

Sample prayer:  Lord, come, we pray, and knock to us and call to us by Your Word. Give us to rise and open to You. Make us to persevere until we find You. Grant that We would look for You in Your ordinances, even if we are wounded in that pursuit, and give us to avail ourselves of one another’s prayers. Make our hands to drip with the myrrh of knowing that it is You Who pursues us, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

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

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.

The Wicked Man’s Grief-End [2026.02.11 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 21:10–18]

The wicked's opposite wishes, works, and way brings him to the opposite end of the righteous—glorifying God by being destroyed by Him forever.

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

Diagnosing Our End [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 21:20–29]

How do the righteous and wicked come to different ends? Proverbs 21:20–29 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the righteous and wicked come to different ends, because God sees and rewards the life of Christ in the righteous, and the death of sin in the wicked. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional presents a profound contrast between the righteous and the wicked, rooted in the heart's condition and its implications for worship, character, and eternal destiny. Drawing from Proverbs 21:20–29, it emphasizes that the righteous, grounded in faith and the Spirit of Christ, inherit lasting treasure, victory, life, and enduring honor. In contrast, the wicked are defined by pride, laziness, deceit, and hardened hearts—traits that render even their religious acts abominations to God because they lack genuine faith or a transformed heart.

2026.02.16 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 21:20–29

Read Proverbs 21:20–29

Questions from the Scripture text: What is in the dwelling of the wise (Proverbs 21:20a–b)? What does the foolish man do with it (verse 20c)? What does the righteous man follow (Proverbs 21:21a)? What does he find (verse 21b)? What is the wise man able to do (Proverbs 21:22)? What is the man in Proverbs 21:23a guarding? With what effect/result (verse 23b)? What sort of man does Proverbs 21:24 describe? What else is he like (Proverbs 21:25-26)? With what result for him (Proverbs 21:25a)? Why (verse 25b)? How is the righteous opposite (Proverbs 21:26b)? What else is the man like (Proverbs 21:28a)? With what result for himself? And what result for the lies that he tells (verse 28b)? What else is the wicked man like (Proverbs 21:29a)? What does the righteous do instead (verse 29b)? What does God think of the wicked man’s worship (Proverbs 21:27)? 

How do the righteous and wicked come to different ends? Proverbs 21:20–29 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the righteous and wicked come to different ends, because God sees and rewards the life of Christ in the righteous, and the death of sin in the wicked.  

We come now to the fourth and final section of chapter 21, a climactic description of the righteous and the riches to which he comes, and the victory that he has, in Proverbs 21:20-23. Then, in Proverbs 21:24-29, we see the wicked in four different aspects of his fleshliness, centered around his greatest problem: he cannot draw near to God through sacrifice, because he is wicked in himself. If the life of Christ in you, then Proverbs 21:20-23 is what you look like: wise and prudent, not a person who wastes resources (Proverbs 21:20). Because you love the Lord and seek righteousness, you will possess the very things that the wicked desired but could not obtain: treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise.  Proverbs 21:21 describes what he finds, along the way of the correct path: life and righteousness, and even honor—not only from others, especially from the saints, but especially from God Himself. In addition to treasure and prosperity (Proverbs 21:20-21), the righteous also obtain victory (Proverbs 21:22-23). 

The wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold (Proverbs 21:22). The saints overcome, even by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and by loving not their life, even unto death. Yet they are kings and priests to their God. And even in this life, there are often providential examples of wisdom, of overcoming might and strength. This victory, of course, is also over the grave, over sin and death, and over hell. Whoever guards his mouth and tongue (Proverbs 21:23) does so only through union with Christ, justification in Christ, and sanctification by the life of Christ. No one can tame the tongue by human effort. Yet this is one of the great results of God’s grace in the believer: the guarding of the mouth and tongue. Thus, the believer keeps his soul from trouble—in this life and the next.

The wicked, however, is marked by pride (Proverbs 21:24), laziness (Proverbs 21:25), greed (Proverbs 21:26), lying (Proverbs 21:28), and hard-heartedness (Proverbs 21:29). His character demonstrates that he is not united to Christ, so his sacrifices are a lying abomination to God (Proverbs 21:27a), Who sees plainly the wicked intentions of the wicked’s heart (verse 27b). 

What fruit is there in your life of belonging to Christ by faith? How are you battling against the remnants of the marks of the wicked in your heart and life? What have you already enjoyed from God? What will you yet enjoy? 

Sample prayer:  Our gracious God and our Heavenly Father, we thank You for setting before us life and death so clearly in this chapter. Give us grace to live righteously. Give us grace to live in union with Christ, so that we may not only know that we are already righteous before You in Christ, but also, by Your continuing work in us, be assured that entrance into glory is being abundantly provided for us. In the Lord Jesus, so produce in us the fruit of Your Holy Spirit as He applies Christ and His life and character to us. We ask in Christ's Name. Amen.

Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH464 “The Beatitudes”

2026.02.15 Lord's Day Livestreams (live at 10:10a, 11:10a, and 3p)

To tune in for the Lord's Day streams, we recommend that you visit the livestream page.

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

Truly This Is the Son of God [Family Worship lesson in Matthew 27:45–54]

What did Jesus do as Priest? Matthew 27:45–54 looks forward to the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus propitiated God’s wrath, an offers a once-for-all sacrifice, opening the way for us into the Holy of Holies. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Matthew 27:45–54 reveals Jesus, as the true Son of God and Great High Priest, Who willingly bears the full wrath of God for His people's sin—fulfilling the sacrificial system once and for all. Though mocked by humanity and taken lightly by onlookers, creation itself responds with awe—darkness, an earthquake, the torn temple veils and resurrected saints—testifying to the cosmic significance of Christ’s atoning death. The centurion and his guards, witnessing these supernatural events, are gripped with fear and confess, 'Truly this was the Son of God,' illustrating that genuine recognition of Christ’s identity comes not from human reasoning but from divine revelation and the Holy Spirit’s work. Jesus’s final cry, drawn from Psalm 22, reflects both His deep suffering and His intimate knowledge of God’s redemptive plan, culminating in His deliberate surrender of His spirit, affirming His divine authority to lay down and take up His life. The tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom signifies that Christ has opened the way into the true Holy of Holies. This all calls all believers to respond with holy fear, faith, and worship, recognizing Jesus as the eternal High Priest, in Whom alone we are holy and fit to approach God.

2026.02.14 Hopewell @Home ▫ Matthew 27:45–54

Read Matthew 27:45–54

Questions from the Scripture text: During what hours did what happen (Matthew 27:45)? At that point, how does Jesus cry (Matthew 27:46)? What does Jesus cry? What do some bystanders say about this (Matthew 27:47)? What does one do (Matthew 27:48)? What do the rest say (Matthew 27:49)? What two things does Jesus then do (Matthew 27:50)? What three signs occur in Matthew 27:51? And what great sign in Matthew 27:52-53? Who observe these things (Matthew 27:54)? What effect does this have upon them? What do they say? 

What does Jesus do as Priest? Matthew 27:45–54 looks forward to the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus propitiates God’s wrath, an offers a once-for-all sacrifice, opening the way for us into the Holy of Holies.

Though wicked men collude to mock Christ at His cross (Matthew 27:27-44, cf. Psalm 2), the creation responds both to His suffering (Matthew 27:45) and His death (Matthew 27:51-53). Jesus uses what strength remains at the end for a cry (Matthew 27:46) that both expresses His experience, and identifies it as a fulfillment of Psalm 22. Sympathetic bystanders are severely outnumbered (Matthew 27:47-49), but Jesus authoritatively dismisses His Spirit (Matthew 27:50), completing the once-for-all sacrifice that obsoletes the ceremonial law (Matthew 27:51a), opening the way to the true holy of holies, where He will serve as priest, upon the merits of His blood, forever. An unsympathetic people are redeemed by a sympathetic High Priest!

Does your response to Christ’s cross most resemble vain curiosity, sympathy, or believing wonder?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for offering the once-for-all sacrifice for us. Make us know that You are truly the Son of God, make our hearts tender, and bring us all the way to God with You, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

 Suggested Songs: ARP22B “Be Not Far Off” or TPH341 “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed”