Wrongful Fear Comes from Unbelief [Family Worship lesson in Mark 4:35–41]

Who can Jesus be? Mark 4:35–41 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus can only be YHWH God. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: In this passage, Jesus demonstrates His divine authority over nature by calming a violent storm, revealing His identity as the sovereign Lord who commands even the forces of creation. The disciples’ fear of the storm gives way to profound awe when they realize that the One Who stills the winds and waves is also the One who cares deeply for them, as evidenced by His willingness to endure human weakness and suffering for their salvation. Their question, 'Teacher, do you not care?' exposes a subtle but dangerous unbelief—the assumption that God’s power is not matched by His personal concern—yet Jesus responds with gentle rebuke and grace, inviting them to trust in His care, which is fully secured in His sacrificial death. The devotional underscores that true faith is not the absence of fear, but the recognition that God’s love and power are most fully revealed in the cross, where His care is proven beyond doubt. The response to doubt, therefore, is not merely intellectual assent, but a return to the cross, where Christ’s compassion and sovereignty are eternally confirmed.

2026.05.21 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 4:35–41

Read Mark 4:35–41

Questions from the Scripture text: Whose idea was it to cross over to the other side of the lake (Mark 4:35)? What size boats were they in (Mark 4:36)? What happened to the boats (Mark 4:37)? Where was Jesus (Mark 4:38)? What do they ask Him? How does Jesus stop the storm in Mark 4:39? Whom else does He rebuke in Mark 4:40? What does He rebuke them for? What do they fear even more in Mark 4:41? What do they ask?

Who can Jesus be? Mark 4:35–41 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus can only be YHWH God. 

In this passage, we learn what to fear and what not to fear.

Just as God was the One Who “picked the fight” that led to the situation with Job, so now it is Jesus Who initiates the situation with the boats (Mark 4:35-36). The disciples are about to become witnesses of astonishing power (over nature in this passage, and over demons in the next one, cf. Mark 5:1–20). 

Because we know the greatness of what Jesus is about to do, we should be particularly impressed with Mark 4:38: our Savior needs sleep. Our Creator needs sleep. Our God needs sleep! He’s exhausted—so tired that even the storm doesn’t wake Him. The disciples have to do that, themselves. The disciples seem to know that Jesus could do something about the storm. Perhaps He could pray. Perhaps He would give them some instruction, as He had with catching fish, that would astonish with the effectiveness of His wisdom. 

Sadly, it is not His ability that they question. In Mark 4:38, they do not doubt His power, but His care. But are we not, often, like they were? Do we not sometimes, in prayer, cry to the Lord, knowing that He can do something, but secretly doubting, in our hearts, that He will do anything? The Lord’s question is valid for us: why are we so fearful? How is it that we have no faith? So… let us not fear our circumstances. After all, we have an almighty and all-loving Savior who rules and overrules in everything that happens to us!

But let us also learn to fear. It is one thing to heal diseases, and even to command evil spirits, but it is something else altogether to command the very creation. At the end, they fear exceedingly (Mark 4:41). Before, they had merely thought they were dying. Now they realize that they are in the very presence of God (cf. Psalm 65:7, Psalm 89:9, Psalm 93:4). They know the answer to their question: Who can this be that wind and sea obey Him? We know Who He is. He is YHWH! And the most amazing thing isn’t that He would be so tired that we find Him asleep on a pillow in a boat. The most amazing thing? It is that we would find Him dying on a cross, and bearing God’s wrath for us!

Of what circumstances have you been afraid? How is Jesus more fearful than those? How can this be the greatest possible comfort to you?

Sample prayer:  Lord, forgive us for when we have been afraid of circumstances, as if You either were not strong enough, or did not care enough, to work those circumstances to our good. Grant that we would be amazed that Jesus, YHWH Himself, became a sleep-needing man, so that He could suffer and die on the cross for our sins. And, make us to know that He rules over all creation for our good, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP180 “Christ Shall Have Dominion” or TPH291 “O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”

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Judgment Begins at God’s House [2026.05.17 Evening Sermon in Zephaniah 1:4–7]

Those who are near to God must reverently and ruthlessly eliminate all manmade worship.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The sermon, from Zephaniah 1:4–7, confronts the peril of spiritual complacency within God’s people by emphasizing that divine judgment begins with the household of God, warning that outward religious affiliation and ritual observance do not guarantee safety. It exposes the danger of syncretism—blending authentic worship of YHWH with manmade practices—revealing that such compromises are not mere additions, but acts of apostasy that betray a heart turned from God. The call to silence before the Lord underscores the need for reverent humility, urging believers to listen to God’s Word rather than rely on human traditions or self-generated religious expressions. The passage portrays the Day of the Lord as a sacrificial judgment in which the unrepentant, even within the covenant community, become the offering. Ultimately, the message is a sober exhortation to genuine faith: true worship is found only in Christ, Whose righteousness alone makes believers acceptable to God, and requires constant dependence, repentance, and a posture of listening rather than self-assertion.

The God Who Extends His Family [2026.05.17 Morning Sermon in Ephesians 1:5–6]

Predestination is God's pleasure to give us pleasure.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The sermon unfolds Ephesians 1:5–6 as a profound meditation on divine predestination, not as a cold decree but as the loving, sovereign act of God the Father, rooted in His eternal joy and pleasure in the Son. It emphasizes that predestination is about the gracious purpose to adopt believers as sons through Jesus Christ, culminating in their full conformity to His image and eternal fellowship with Him. The central message is that this doctrine, far from being a cause for pride or defensiveness, should inspire deep joy, worship, and delight in God’s infinite grace—especially in the Father’s pleasure toward us in Christ, where we are accepted not by our merit but by His divine favor. The preacher calls the congregation to embrace predestination not as a theological abstraction, but as the sweet, life-giving reality of being eternally loved, adopted, and made pleasing to God through union with Christ. Ultimately, the doctrine is presented as the very means by which God glorifies His grace and invites all who believe into the eternal delight of His presence.

Baptism a Seal of Regeneration [2026.05.17 Sabbath School in WCF 28.1.e—Hopewell 101]

Baptism is a sacrament of the new testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible church; but also, to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in his church until the end of the world. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

All Parts of the Body Necessary [Family Worship lesson in 1Chronicles 7:1–19]

What should we do about those who don’t really seem to be as much a part of the church as others? 1Chronicles 7 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nineteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God has a special care for the inclusion in His church of those among His people who seem weak or unworthy. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage presents a detailed genealogical record of several tribes—Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, and Manasseh—emphasizing their numbers and valor, not for pride but to affirm God’s sovereign blessing and purpose in every lineage. Though some tribes were small or marginalized, such as Issachar or Naphtali, or descended from concubines and daughters without male heirs, the Chronicler highlights their inclusion and significance as part of God’s unified people. The central theological theme underscores the divine order of the body of Christ, where every member, regardless of perceived status or size, is essential and valued according to God’s will. This historical account serves as a pastoral reminder to the post-exilic community that no part of God’s people is expendable, and all are vital to His covenant purposes. Ultimately, the passage calls for humility, unity, and trust in God’s wisdom in assembling His church, where every individual, by divine design, contributes to the whole.

2026.05.20 Hopewell @Home ▫ 1 Chronicles 7:1–19

Read 1 Chronicles 7:1–19

Questions from the Scripture text: Whose descendant do 1 Chronicles 7:1–5 trace? What do 1 Chronicles 7:2 and 1 Chronicles 7:5 especially note about them? In what quantities? Upon what sort of men does 1 Chronicles 7:3 focus? And what are the ones in 1 Chronicles 7:4 ready for? In what quantity? How? Whose descendants to 1 Chronicles 7:6-12 trace? What do 1 Chronicles 7:7, 1 Chronicles 7:9, and 1 Chronicles 7:11 all note about their quantity and quality? To whose descendants does 1 Chronicles 7:13 refer? What is the only thing that it notes about them? The rest (cf. 1 Chronicles 5:23–26) of whose descendants do 1 Chronicles 7:14-19 trace? Whose particular case is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:15 (cf. Numbers 26:30–33; Numbers 27:1–11; Numbers 36:11; Joshua 17:3–6)?

What should we do about those who don’t really seem to be as much a part of the church as others? 1 Chronicles 7 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nineteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God has a special care for the inclusion in His church of those among His people who seem weak or unworthy.  

There is a principle, in these four genealogies, that no group of the people of God are unessential. 

Issachar was an almost-forgotten tribe to the rest of Israel, but the Chronicler insists, twice, that they were a great company of “mighty men of valor” (1 Chronicles 7:2, 1 Chronicles 7:5). He adds that their troops were ready for way, by God’s blessing them not only with wives, but specifically wives who bore them sons (1 Chronicles 7:4). 

Benjamin had been swallowed up in Judah, but three times, the Chronicler insists that they were a great company of “mighty men of valor” (1 Chronicles 7:7, 1 Chronicles 7:9, 1 Chronicles 7:11).

Naphtali might have been considered by many to be second-class, having descended from one of the maid-servants (like Gad, Asher, and Dan). But the Chronicler includes them, in his genealogy of the people of God, with specific mention of their mother, so this cannot be brought against them as a disqualification. Their name, too, was upon the high priest.

Finally, Manasseh was not only split in half, east and west, but his share was endangered by the providence of Zelophehad having only daughters. They became a special test case for how much God insists upon none of His people losing their place or share among the visible church (cf. Numbers 27:1–11, Joshua 17:3–6). 

So, whether these people, themselves, might have felt like outsiders; or, whether others had some reason for not including them among the people of God, this part of 1Chronicles pushes strongly against that.

It is a similar principle to 1 Corinthians 12:12–27. God has arranged the members of His body as pleases Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:18). In all of His providence, and even superintending our own choices and vows, it is He who has arranged the Church, and its congregations, as they are.

This means that we must not forsake participation in the body because we feel like outsiders (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:15–17, Hebrews 10:19–25). And, we must not disregard the importance of any others who are part of the body (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:21–26). 

So, let us look to God for blessing to make us strong and fruitful, as He did for Issachar and Benjamin. And let us not despise anyone for the path by which God brought them into the body, as with Naphtali. And, let us insist that even those believers who are hindered by unique situations, would yet have their full share among the body of Christ, as with half-Manasseh and the daughters of Zelophehad.

Of whom, in the broader church, or in your local church, do you tend to be forgetful? What are some reasons why you might feel like you are not part of the body, or why you might not participate in it? Whom do you know to be in a circumstance that endangers them of being thought of or treated as an outsider? What are you doing to make a point of including them?

Sample prayer: Lord, we praise the wisdom and generosity in which You have arranged the members of Your body, just as pleased You. Thank You for the reminder, from 1Chronicles, that You are often blessing and using parts of the body that we don’t even notice. Forgive us for how we have absented ourselves from the body because we felt like outsiders. And, forgive us for how we have not regarded others as essential to the body. We thank You for the special provision that You made for the daughters of Zelophehad. And, we ask for Your forgiveness for how we have not made special effort to include those whose situations endanger them of exclusion from the body. But You have welcomed us in Christ, so please forgive us in Christ, and make us to be like Him in the welcoming of others, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP51B “From My Sins, O Hide Your Face” or TPH456 “Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners”

Life-long Lesson about Laziness [2026.05.13 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 24:20–34]

The wise keep reminding themselves of wisdom, because they know the dangers of folly.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon) Summary of the transcript of the audio:The sermon draws a powerful moral and spiritual lesson from Proverbs 24:30–34, using the image of a neglected field to illustrate the devastating consequences of laziness and spiritual complacency. It emphasizes that true wisdom is not merely intellectual but involves constant vigilance, learning from both Scripture and the observable world, which reflects God’s governance and the ongoing effects of the Fall. The passage reminds that the world is under a curse, human hearts remain corrupted, and even small lapses—like the excuse of 'a little sleep'—can lead to irreversible ruin, as seen in the parallel of David’s sin. The preacher warns against self-deception, urging believers to recognize that God’s discipline, though painful, is evidence of His love, and that growth in wisdom requires continual dependence on Christ, who exemplified perfect diligence and teaches us through His Spirit. Ultimately, the message calls for a life of intentional, God-centered diligence, rooted in humility and the recognition that no sin is too small to be ignored.

Miserable Non-Comforters [Family Worship lesson in Job 2:11–13]

What makes Job so alone? Job 2:11–13 prepares us for the opening part of public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Job’s worst loneliness is not having gospel-speaking friends. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage portrays a profound moment of human suffering and the inadequacy of worldly wisdom in the face of deep grief, as Job’s friends arrive after a long journey to mourn and comfort him. Though they weep and tear their robes, their silence for seven days and nights reveals their inability to offer genuine comfort, not out of indifference but due to the depth of Job’s anguish and their lack of gospel-centered truth. Their failure highlights the contrast between human attempts at consolation and the divine comfort found only in the gospel of Jesus Christ, Who Himself endured forsakenness to provide eternal solace. The passage calls believers to move beyond superficial sympathy and instead be filled with the transformative, Christ-centered comfort that can sustain others in any trial. Ultimately, Job’s suffering becomes a shadow of Christ’s own, underscoring that true comfort comes not from human wisdom but from the faithful character of God revealed in His Son.