It's All About Christ [Family Worship lesson in Ephesians 1:1–2]

What is Ephesians all about? Ephesians 1:1–2 prepares us for the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Ephesians, and all of salvation, is all about the Lord Jesus Christ, and God’s glory in Him. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The opening verses of Ephesians reveal a profound theological framework centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ as the eternal foundation of all divine purpose, redemption, and Christian identity. Throughout the epistle, every theme—from justification and the church’s unity to Christian living and spiritual warfare—flows from and points back to Christ, Who is the sovereign, ascended Lord and the ultimate object of faith, love, and worship. The entire letter functions as a divine invitation to live in continual dependence on Christ, whose glory is the purpose of creation and the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.

2026.04.25 Hopewell @Home ▫ Ephesians 1:1–2

Read Ephesians 1:1–2

Questions from the Scripture text: Who wrote this letter (Ephesians 1:1)? What is his title? Of Whom is he an apostle? How did this come about? To whom is he writing—what title does he give them? What else does he call them? In Whom are they faithful? What two-part blessing/greeting does the apostle pronounce upon them (Ephesians 1:2)? From what two Persons does the apostle pronounce these?

What is Ephesians all about? Ephesians 1:1–2 prepares us for the morning sermon in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Ephesians, and all of salvation, is all about the Lord Jesus Christ, and God’s glory in Him. 

Immediately, in the opening of Ephesians, we know that this is going to be a glorious book about Jesus Christ!

This letter has been particularly precious to the church throughout the ages:

• For its unfolding of the eternally loving and powerful plan of God to save His elect. Unto His glory in Christ. (chapter 1)
• And for its exposition of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Only in Christ. (Ephesians 2:1–10)
• And for its teaching about reconciliation of believers to God and to one another. Both in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:11–22)
• And the gathering in of the reconciled into one church. In, and accomplished by, Jesus. (chapter 3)
• And the gift to the church by the ascended Jesus of the officers of Jesus who train the members of the body of Jesus in the Word of Jesus so that they can all minister to one another. (Ephesians 4:1–16)
• And the transformation of believers into their new characters. Conforming them to Jesus. (Ephesians 4:17–5:4)
• And the great war that is waged between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of Jesus—primarily in the ordinary spheres of life. (Ephesians 5:5–6:9).
• Only by the power of Jesus and the armor of Jesus. (Ephesians 6:10–22).

Do you recognize the pattern? What is the theme of this wonderful book about salvation, justification, reconciliation, evangelism, the church, Christian living, and Christian warfare? That all of these things are only for Jesus’s glory, only by Jesus’s power, only through Jesus’s method, only by faith in Jesus, and entirely in fellowship with Jesus!

So, it is no surprise at all that Jesus is central to the blessing at the end of the book (Ephesians 6:23–24). And here in Ephesians 1:1–2, even in the “customary” greeting, Paul tells us.

• That he is an apostle. “Of Jesus Christ.” 
• And he is writing to those who are saints and faithful. “In Christ Jesus.”
• And greeting them with grace and peace. “From… our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He’s setting us up for the entire letter: that all of our salvation (like his apostleship) is “by the will of God.” That our being set apart in the church, and growth in godliness, is “in Christ Jesus.” And that both the grace by which we wage the warfare, and the peace in which we are reconciled to God (as not only His allies, but His children!), come from “God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And of course, at the very heart of all of this. Is Jesus!

In what parts of what Ephesians teaches do you most need to grow? How does it connect to Jesus?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You for Your eternal grace to us in Christ. Thank You for this letter. Please bless this portion of it, and all of the rest of it, unto us, so that we would live by grace, through faith in Him, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH448 “Union with Thee”

Living Today with Eternal Joy [2026.04.22 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 24:13–22]

Live as someone who has a joyful present, now, already, in Christ, because you are living in the certainty of your eternal life in Christ.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The sermon centers on the imperative to live with eternal perspective, grounded in the fear of the Lord and the reality of divine judgment. Proverbs 24:13–22 emphasizes that true wisdom—like honey to the body—is sweet and nourishing to the soul, as a gift from God, ultimately found only in Christ. The believer is called to reject both fear and envy of the wicked, recognizing that God’s justice will prevail and that only hope and joy in Christ are eternal. With God's work focused on believers' eternal joy, they must pursue holiness, refusing even to gloat over the wicked's fall. Ultimately, the message calls for a life anchored in the gospel of Christ, Who secures eternal blessedness and enables present joy in the certainty of eternity.

True Strength, in God, Together [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 24:5–10]

Pastor teaches his family a selection from “the Proverb of the day.” In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that true strength is in the Lord alone, but is not sought alone, because the Lord’s means for our faith include a multitude of counselors. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional unfolds the profound truth that true strength in the Christian life comes not from self-reliance but from fearing the Lord. Every believer, is engaged in a spiritual warfare requiring God’s grace rather than human effort. The central message is that wisdom—the lived-out fear of the Lord—is the only source of true strength. In the church, Christ has given a vital network of counselors, where believers are built up through shared faith, Scripture, and the Spirit, fostering a life marked by praise, thanksgiving, and steadfastness. But watch out for the fool, who counsels scheming because scoffingly impressed with his own ideas.

Too Weak and Too Wicked to Escape [Family Worship lesson in Nahum 3:8–13]

Why does God call Nineveh’s attention to Thebes? Nahum 3:8–13 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we are too weak to endure God’s vengeance, and we are too wicked to avoid God’s vengeance. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Nahum 3:8–13 confronts the illusion of security in human strength, alliances, and geographical advantage by contrasting Nineveh’s presumed power with the fall of Thebes, a city once considered invincible. Though Thebes was fortified by rivers, alliances, and a long history of greatness, it was ultimately destroyed by Assyria, demonstrating that no nation, no matter how powerful or protected, can escape God’s judgment when it opposes His holiness. The passage warns Nineveh—and by extension, Judah—that their wickedness, especially their violence against image-bearers of God and their idolatry, makes them too guilty to escape divine wrath, and too weak to endure it. The vivid imagery of drunkards, trembling fig trees, collapsing gates, and people hiding in fear foreshadows the final judgment described in Revelation, where all humanity will face the wrath of God. The devotional calls the hearer to recognize that no one can stand before God’s indignation apart from Christ, Who alone provides righteousness and atonement. Thus, the urgent call is to repent of sin and cling to Jesus, the only refuge from the coming day of wrath.

2026.04.24 Hopewell @Home ▫ Nahum 3:8–13

Read Nahum 3:8–13

Questions from the Scripture text: What does Nahum 3:8 ask Nineveh, in comparison to whom? What was No Amon’s geographical situation? Who were her strength (Nahum 3:9a)? How great was this strength (verse 9b)? Who were her helpers (verse 9c)? But what happened to her (Nahum 3:10a–b)? And to her children (verse 10c–d)? And what, to whom else (verse 10e–f)? What three things will Nineveh have in common with No Amon (Nahum 3:11)? What are they trusting in (Nahum 3:12a)? But what will their “strength” be like (verse 12)? What will their warriors be like (Nahum 3:3a)? What will their defenses be like (verse 13b–c)? 

Why does God call Nineveh’s attention to Thebes? Nahum 3:8–13 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we are too weak to endure God’s vengeance, and we are too wicked to avoid God’s vengeance.  

What was Nineveh trusting in? They were hoping that they would be protected by the Tigris, on their west; and, their elimination of so many of their competitors; and, those they had cowered into alliance with them; and, their own formidable forces.

But they, of all people, should have known better.

Assyria themselves had humiliated No Amon (Nahum 3:8a, Thebes’s religious name) in the deep south of Egypt. Thebes had risen to glory 1400 earlier. The Nile was much more of a protection to them (verse 8b–f) than the Tigris was to Nineveh. And Thebes had alliances that were over 2000 years old (Nahum 3:9, cf. Genesis 10:6): Cush (modern Ethiopia and Sudan), Egypt (probably referring to lower/northern Egypt), Put (roughly modern Chad), and Lubim (roughly modern Libya).

The conquering of mighty and ancient Thebes was a massive victory for the Assyrians. By comparison, Nineveh’s protections were weak and pathetic. How fool-hardy was their confidence! It was Assyria who had brutalized the children (Nahum 3:10c–d), trafficked the elderly (verse 10e), and bound all the great men (verse 10f) of Thebes. But what Assyria didn’t count on was that the Lord would avenge Thebes. Assyria may have boasted in neutralizing Amon, but Amon was no true God. 

YHWH is the avenger of all. “Also she!” led Nahum 3:10 in the original. “Also you!” leads both halves of Nahum 3:11 in the original. Nineveh, also, will stagger like a drunk (verse 11a), panic like a fugitive (verse 11c), tremble and fall apart like a fig tree (Nahum 3:12), faint like a woman (Nahum 3:13a), capitulate as a gate-breached city (verse 13b), burn as a conquered city (verse 13c).

Nineveh are too weak to survive God’s vengeance. And Nineveh are too wicked to avoid God’s vengeance.

But if Judah approvingly nod their heads at this, without responding in repentance, they will be subject to their own, dreadful “Also you!” Just as Nineveh was weaker than Thebes, Judah are far weaker. And whereas Assyria has perpetrated their wickedness upon image-bearers of God (and especially, therefore, against God Himself), Judah also has done their wickedness against God Himself. 

Indeed, the images in this passage describe what comes upon all mankind, from greatest to smallest, in the last day. “And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:13–17). Here, again, is that question from Nahum 1:6. 

We are too weak to survive God’s vengeance. And we are too wicked to avoid God’s vengeance. What shall we do? What protection can we have? Where can we go? Upon whom can we depend? The only answer to these questions is, “Jesus Christ alone!” Of course, we cannot cling to our sin and cling to Christ at the same time. Renouncing our sin is not our safety; only Christ is. But, we must renounce it and hide in Him! And, if we don’t, then let us not be surprised if, even in this world and life, visitation of that judgment comes upon us as a warning, as it did to Thebes, and Nineveh, and Judah.

How seriously have you taken the question of what will happen with you in the day of judgment? What are you hoping in, to protect you on that day? Will it hold up? What if that day was today?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we are too wicked to avoid Your judgment and too weak to survive Your judgment. But the Lord Jesus Christ is righteous, and He has already endured the fullness of Your wrath for the sins of all who believe in Him. Hide us in Him, that we may be able to stand in the great day. And give each of us, our households, our church, and our nation to turn from our sin—lest Your judgment break into this world against us. Bear with us in patience, turn us from our sin in mercy and power, and forgive us through Christ, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP32AB “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH433 “Amazing Grace” 

Getting to the Heart [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 23:12–21]

Pastor teaches his family a selection from “the Proverb of the day.” In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the heart is the main thing that we must treat by the Word of the Lord, and from which we must live in the fear of the Lord. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on the transformation of the heart, through divine instruction, into the fear of the Lord, as revealed in Proverbs 23:12–21. It emphasizes that true wisdom begins with applying one’s heart to God’s instruction, where discipline is driven by a loving desire to preserve the child’s soul and guide them toward eternal life. The passage calls for intentional self-examination, warning against envy and worldly indulgence—particularly in alcohol and gluttony—while affirming that a life lived in reverence for God ensures lasting hope and joy. The ultimate goal of parenting and personal discipleship is not mere behavioral compliance but the cultivation of a heart that delights in God, finds its joy in His presence, and passes on godly wisdom to future generations. Through the renewing of the mind and the daily practice of fearing the Lord, believers are equipped to resist temptation, guard their affections, and walk in the way of wisdom, knowing that their hope is secure in Christ.

Humble, Almighty Kingdom [Family Worship lesson in Mark 3:7–19]

How does Christ bring the kingdom? Mark 3:7–19 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ brings the kingdom by a humility that glorifies grace. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on Jesus’s deliberate withdrawal from public acclaim and His intentional humility in establishing God’s kingdom, contrasting sharply with worldly methods of power and popularity. Though hailed by crowds and demons alike as the Son of God, Jesus refuses to be proclaimed or exploited for His fame, instead choosing to retreat, select a small group of disciples, and focus on a mission rooted in sacrifice rather than spectacle. His appointment of twelve ordinary men—knowing one would betray Him—demonstrates that the church’s foundation is not in human impressiveness but in divine purpose. Pastor emphasizes that true spiritual impact comes not from personal charisma or impressive displays, but from the Holy Spirit revealing the glory of Christ on the cross, thus calling believers to reject self-promotion and instead magnify Christ’s humility and love. Ultimately, the church’s growth and witness are to be marked by this same self-emptying, Christ-centered humility, where the cross remains the ultimate source of awe and salvation.

2026.04.23 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 3:7–19

Read Mark 3:7–19

Questions from the Scripture text: Where did Jesus go, in Mark 3:7? Who followed Him? From where (Mark 3:8)? What did Jesus get into and why (Mark 3:9)? Then where did He go (Mark 3:13)? How many did He call to Himself up there? For what did He especially appoint them (Mark 3:15)? How many of their names can you remember (Mark 3:16-19)?

How does Christ bring the kingdom? Mark 3:7–19 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ brings the kingdom by a humility that glorifies grace. 

In this week’s reading, we see the Lord Jesus’s response to the plot of the Pharisees and Herodians to destroy Him (Mark 3:6). He retreats (Mark 3:7a, Mark 3:13a). He is the Son of God (Mark 3:11b). And He retreats. A multitude gathers to Him, so large that He has to be careful not to be crushed by them (Mark 3:9). And He retreats. Even demons are instantly defeated by Him (Mark 3:11a). And He retreats.

Why? Because He did not come to exercise earthly power, to rally enough people to his side to crush his enemies. No, He came to preach and save, and to send out preachers of the gospel of His salvation (Mark 3:14b).

Let us learn, here, from our Lord that the church is not given a mission of consolidating earthly power or getting its way by force. We are not trying to win friends and influence people. We don’t put our hope in stirring up great reviews on social media, or making friends with just the right community leaders.

What do we put our hope in? The Lord Jesus’s work, done the Lord Jesus’s way, by the Lord Jesus’s appointees (Mark 3:14a). 

Word, sacrament, and prayer in the services on the Lord’s Day. Telling the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners. Always being ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us. Bringing our little children to the Lord, and hindering them not (cf. Matthew 19:14). Bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The ministry of pastor-teachers in the church (cf. Ephesians 4:11). Father-led, parents’ ministry in the home (cf. Ephesians 6:4). Every-member encouragement, service, and reinforcing ministry, by church members who bind themselves to one another and keep those commitments (cf. Ephesians 4:12–16).

It’s not scintillating stuff or power planning. But it is the way of the Master, and should be the way of His disciples. Notice that He only gave the apostolic call and gifting to twelve men from all this multitude. And when their ministry was completed, the miraculous and revelatory gifts ceased altogether. Why would the Lord do things (then or now) in such an unimpressive way?

Because the thing that Jesus wants to impress with is the cross. This is what He later set His face to Jerusalem to do (cf. Luke 9:51). The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (cf. Mark 10:45).

And this is what we must imitate. As Paul said, “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:2). He was probably more educated than any of the false apostles, but he was careful not to impress with his own impressiveness. He learned his lesson from 2 Corinthians 12:1-13. Leave it to others to be “impressive” with their emotive worship and their (false) signs. Leave it to others to impress with how wonderful they think their own service, or knowledge, or success is. But let the disciples of Jesus Christ impress others with that which they find most impressive: Christ Himself, and Him crucified!

Whom would you like to see saved? How will you tell them about the cross of Jesus Christ? How will you get them to hear about the cross of Jesus Christ in worship?

Sample prayer:  Lord, forgive us for when we have wished to be impressive to others. We have even thought that this would be the way to bring others into the kingdom or to grow the church. But, this is the opposite of Christ’s method. Give us to have confidence in Christ’s power, exercised Christ’s way, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP18E “How Perfect Is the Way of God” or TPH265 “In Christ Alone”

2026.04.22 Midweek Meeting Livestream (live at 6:30p)

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