Proverbs 10:26 - Be wiser: Know whom to send for an errand

The article warns that a “sluggard” — someone who avoids completing an errand fully or delivers a message carelessly — is as aggravating as “vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes” to those who send him. It argues that such laziness undermines trust, damages the sender, and shows why it is wise to know whom you delegate important tasks.

Proverbs 5:18-19 - Be wiser: Intoxication recommended

Proverbs 5:18–19 presents a bold tribute to the pleasure of physical love within a monogamous marriage, urging the husband to rejoice in the wife of his youth, delight in her, and be intoxicated always in her love as a joyful, God-given imperative rather than an optional extra. The article emphasizes that this marital enjoyment serves as a safeguard against sexual immorality, reflects the positive side of the seventh commandment, and expresses the husband’s responsibility to nurture a warm-blooded, lively, and faithful marital bond that honours God’s design for marriage.

The Word may not be blasphemed through the life of seniors

True Christian living insists that the believer’s life should be such that God’s Word may not be blasphemed — meaning believers must live in sincerity, holiness and integrity so that their conduct does not cause the gospel or God’s name to be dishonored. When life, speech, and behavior reflect the truth and holiness of God’s Word, the church bears witness to the gospel rather than giving cause for reproach or disbelief.

Catechizing Is Investing

A church that is alive invests in its youth, taking its children along toward a bright future with Christ and caring for them through family, school, and catechesis. Catechesis is pastoral care where the doctrine of the church is taught and learned, helping boys and girls to live with God, ask questions, and understand the life of the church. It is a meeting of the generations and a transfer of faith, where children are guided on the way of the covenant so that the future church may know and follow the living Christ.

Applicable Preaching

The article explains that preaching is the ministry of the Word, where an age-old Bible text brings a clear message for the congregation today. It shows that the sermon is like serving food, based on the work of Christ and meant to be received and internalized by the hearers through the work of the Holy Spirit. Application is not just a part at the end, but the whole sermon, as the Spirit works through the Word to bring salvation into the lives of people.

The Covenant and the Sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

The article explains that under the covenant of grace the two sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were instituted by Christ as visible signs and seals of God’s promises to his people. It describes baptism as the once-for-all rite of initiation by which one is grafted into the covenant, and the Lord’s Supper as the ongoing feast of remembrance through which believers proclaim Christ’s death and look forward to his return.

Likeness to Christ and servitude

Servitude and likeness to Christ belong together, as connection with Christ leads to servanthood while practising service in love deepens that communion through perseverance, sharing in Christ’s suffering, and discovering anew what God’s costly hospitality means. Experiences like Christmas meals in the church show how service strengthens community, makes God’s love tangible, fosters amazement and joy, and shapes us into Christ’s mentality and disposition as we join him in reaching others with God’s love.

God’s Word in human tongue

In the article “God’s Word in human tongue,” the author argues that although the Bible must remain God’s unchanging Word today, many people no longer link the Scriptures with God’s Word and have come to view them merely as human writings shaped by modern biblical scholarship. He warns that this shift reflects a deeper crisis: the real issue is not textual criticism but the erosion of belief in God’s mighty works and miracles, which the Scriptures proclaim.

Psalm 91:10-11 - No Evil Shall Come Near Your Tent…

God’s protection under the “tent” of faith means not a guarantee that believers will escape all suffering or death — but a promise that those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High may trust His protection in trouble. The call is not to presume safety as a magical shield, but to rest in the Lord as refuge, finding peace that transcends outward calamity or plague.

Church Planting

When the gospel is faithfully proclaimed and hearts are converted, the work of Christian Study Library explains that planting a church means more than building a new congregation — it means establishing a new community of believers united under the Word, baptism, and the sacraments, where the gospel is preached, heard, and lived out. It’s a God-ordained means for fulfilling the mission of the church, reaching new people and new places with the good news.

Patience

Being patient means trusting God’s timing and relying on the Holy Spirit so we endure hardships, delays, or trials without giving in to anger or despair. True biblical patience is not passive waiting, but steadfast endurance — persevering under burdens and maintaining faith amid adversity until God’s promises come to fruition.

Ephesians 5:18 - Be Filled With the Spirit

Being filled with the Spirit calls believers away from drunkenness to the control and influence of the Holy Spirit, so that their life is governed by the Spirit rather than by fleshly impulses. It means living under the Spirit’s power, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, worshipping God in heart-felt thankfulness and mutual encouragement, and walking in submission to Christ.

Hebrews 5:8 - The Way of Suffering is the Way of Learning

Though the article draws on Hebrews 5:8, it shows that Jesus Christ — though He was God’s Son — learned obedience through what He suffered, meaning He fully experienced for Himself the cost and weight of submission to the Father even amid suffering. His suffering and submission, including agony, tears, and the cross, are not signs of weakness but the path through which His obedience was perfected and He became the source of eternal salvation.