The Heidelberg Catechism - The Foundations Of Our Faith

Call To Worship Col 3:12-17 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. The Bible says that wisdom is greater than monetary power. Wisdom is greater than military power. Wisdom is greater than mental power. Look in Proverbs 4:7 "Wisdom is the princ...

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 Everybody Wants To Rule The World  Solomon on Leadership               "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." People rise to the level of their own incompetence. Sometimes government can do amazing things. But mostly… Ecclesiastes 8 teaches us how to exercise wisdom. These verses give us practical guidance for dealing with earthly government, whether good or evil, even in matters of life and death. And this passage is very appropriate for us as government make decisions for us about life and death matters like Covid, China and the Russia Ukraine crises. And as we discuss these things with family friends and work companions. This is about things that are outside of our control.  Solomon asks a rhetorical question:  "Who is like the wise? And who knows the inter­pretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed" (Ecclesiastes 8:1). What is the answer to these questions? "No...

Ecclesiastes 10  Foolishness How can I soar like an eagle when I am surrounded by turkeys?   Or when I am a turkey! Ray Stedman wrote "Wisdom, however, will not help you avoid all the hurt and pain of life. Many people make the mistake of thinking that wisdom will deliver them from all pressure and struggle, but it will not. We learn in this book that struggle, pain, pressure and sorrow all are part of the learning process. But by discovering and obeying the wisdom of God your life will not be rendered bitter, angry and resentful by such pain. You will not find yourself plunged into a morass of self-pity and depression; you will not find your life ravaged and torn apart, all your dreams collapsed at your feet. The wisdom of God will lead you into fullness and liberty and inward peace in the midst of the pressures and dangers of life. That is the message of the book of Ecclesiastes, as it is the message of the whole Bible." The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than...