In the previous sermon and this one, I mentioned three uses of God’s law. The first use of God’s moral law is to restrain evil in the world generally by God’s common grace. Here we may compare the law to a curb or guardrail. What are the other two uses of the law? To what can we compare these? In Luke 10:25-37, how did Christ use the law as a disciplinarian or mirror to show the lawyer his sin?  How is the law used as a light to our feet or as a guide in this same passage? The law commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Who is our neighbor? What does it mean to love our neighbor ..read more

Old Testament Reading: Psalm 119:1–16  “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! How can a young man keep his ..read more

WEEKLY READINGS SUNDAY > Lev 20, Ps 25, Eccles 3, 1 Tim 5 MONDAY > Lev 21, Ps 26–27, Eccles 4, 1 Tim 6 TUESDAY > Lev 22, Ps 28–29, Eccles 5, 2 Tim 1 WEDNESDAY > Lev 23, Ps 30, Eccles 6, 2 Tim 2 THURSDAY > Lev 24, Ps 31, Eccles 7, 2 Tim 3 FRIDAY > Lev 25, Ps 32, Eccles 8, 2 Tim 4 SATURDAY > Lev 26, Ps 33, Eccles 9, Titus 1 MEMORY VERSE(S) “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, ESV). CATECHISM QUESTION(S) Baptist Catechism #14: Q. Wha ..read more

What is God’s works of providence? What do we mean when we say that God preserves all things? What do we mean when we say that God governs all things? What does God preserve and govern? Why does our catechism say God’s providence is “most holy, wise, and powerful?” What previous Q&A should this remind us of? What is meant by the word “most”? How should we think of God’s relationship to evil, sin, and suffering? (Reminder: You will find a much more thorough statement about God’s providence in Second London Confession, chapter 5. Please read it sometime soon.) How is this truth about God’s ..read more

***** Baptist Catechism 14 Q. 14. What are God’s works of providence? A. God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions. (Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3; Ps. 103:19; Matt. 10:29,30) Scripture Reading: Matthew 10:16–39 ***** Introduction As I began to write this sermon about God’s providence my mind went to the creation account of Genesis 1. God took six days to create, remember? And on the seventh day, he entered into rest. I suppose that some may take this to mean that God entered into a state of inactivity. But ..read more

WEEKLY READINGS SUNDAY > Lev 13, Ps 15–16, Prov 27, 2 Thess 1 MONDAY > Lev 14, Ps 17, Prov 28, 2 Thess 2 TUESDAY > Lev 15, Ps 18, Prov 29, 2 Thess 3 WEDNESDAY > Lev 16, Ps 19, Prov 30, 1 Tim 1 THURSDAY > Lev 17, Ps 20–21, Prov 31, 1 Tim 2 FRIDAY > Lev 18, Ps 22, Eccles 1, 1 Tim 3 SATURDAY > Lev 19, Ps 23–24, Eccles 2, 1 Tim 4 MEMORY VERSE(S) “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made” (Psalm 145:9, ESV). CATECHISM QUESTION(S) Baptist Catechism #13: Q. How did God create man ..read more

Why does our catechism give special attention to the creation of man? What is meant by “man”? How did God create Adam? How did God create Eve? What is the significance of this? What do men and women share in common? How are they different? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Was the image of God lost after man’s fall into sin? What does Jesus do for the image of God? In other words, what does he fix in those who trust in him? What does he redeem and restore ..read more

Old Testament Reading: Leviticus 18:1–5 “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD.’” (Leviticus 18:1–5, ESV) New Testament Reading: Luke 10:25-3 ..read more

Baptist Catechism 13 Q. 13. How did God create man? A. God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. (Gen. 1:27; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Gen. 1:28) ***** Introduction Our catechism provides us with an overview of what the scriptures teach about God.  We have learned about what God is. God is a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. God is one. We have learned about who God is. In the one true and living God, there are three persons ..read more

Why is the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life, a good question? Why it is a good question to ask personally? Why is it a good question to ask when assessing someone’s theological understanding? What is the correct answer to the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? In other words, what does the gospel of Jesus Christ say? Why then did Jesus say, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live”, when the lawyer said that eternal life was to be obtained through law-keeping?   How did Jesus inherit eternal life for himself? How did Jesus inherit etern ..read more