Doubt comes when we look at ourselves, our sins, and our empty hands, while faith trusts the generous hand of a living and gracious God. Christ is the only way out of doubt, and through God’s Word and the sacraments we are directed away from ourselves to him. The certainty of faith remains a contested certainty, but through the struggle we learn to know Christ as our Saviour and remember that we remain beggars with a rich and generous God.

The church orders of England and the Netherlands have many similarities, because the kingship of Christ is the foundation of order in both churches. The Dutch churches begin with the local church, while Westminster begins with the universal church and gives more detailed rules for church government and liturgy. Westminster gives particular attention to ministers and their gifts, preaching, reverent worship, the Sabbath, visiting the sick, singing psalms, and fasting.

The letter to the Hebrews must be understood in its historical context as being written before AD 70 to Israelite Christians who were in danger of abandoning Christ and returning to the Old Testament worship with its sacrifices and ceremonies. The warning sections are directed to believers who had been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and experienced the goodness of the Word of God, yet faced the danger of deliberate apostasy.

The laying on of hands is not a transfer of office or gifts but a beautiful gesture of blessing that can symbolize working under the hand of Christ.

The article explains that the assurance of faith rests on God’s Word, God’s promises in Christ, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit, who works through the gospel. Calvin teaches that assurance belongs to the essence of faith and that the fruits of the Holy Spirit confirm and strengthen faith, but they never replace God’s promises as its foundation.

The article outlines how “diaconal” ministry (diakonia) centers on service, charity, mercy, and justice — not as an optional add-on, but as intrinsic to the church’s calling. It argues that true diaconal ministry flows naturally out of the proclamation of God’s Word and the gospel, so that mercy, justice, healing, help and love become visible expressions of Christian faith.

Psalm 88 shows the misery, sadness, and bitter reality of death, while the suffering poet still holds on to the LORD, the God of his salvation. The psalm points us to Jesus Christ, who suffered throughout his life, was forsaken by God, and truly died. At Easter the church proclaims that Christ has risen and that the LORD can work wonders for the dead. The joy of the resurrection receives its true meaning because the One who rose to life really suffered and died.

The article argues that television entertainment has a pernicious influence because it brings the world into our homes, presents sin as normal, and encourages people to conform to the pattern of this world rather than to the will of God. It explains that the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life are strengthened through many entertainment programs, leading Christians toward worldliness, secularization, and the eclipse of God.

The article explains that the Aaronic blessing is God’s final word in the church service and is a proclamation of his preserving care, gracious favour, loving attention, and peace for his people. The blessing is based on reconciliation, fulfilled in Christ, and reminds believers that they may go home as people blessed by God. The author explains that this blessing is connected to a life of faith, obedience, and loyalty to the Lord, and that it is not fulfilled automatically.

The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God, and through the weak voice of man we hear the voice of God himself. The authority of preaching comes from the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit opens the heart so that people hear and receive that Word. Preaching is the ministry of reconciliation, where Christ and the gospel of atonement must resound rather than the preacher’s own ideas and opinions. The preacher and the hearer meet in the preaching through the Holy Spirit, who brings sinners to the grace of Christ and renews their lives.

The article teaches that a respectful burial places the Word of God at the centre, because the minister’s calling is to bring the gospel of sin and grace, comfort, faith, and repentance to the living. Although something personal may be said about the deceased when it reflects the power of God’s Word in that person’s life, the funeral should not become a Christian memorial service in which the deceased takes the central place.

The article reflects on the sensitive subject of the burial of a child who died before or at birth and encourages careful reflection by the church council, the minister, and the congregation before such a situation arises. It emphasizes that much depends on the wishes of the parents, the process of grief, and whether the child had already gained a place in the congregation, while showing respect for life, compassion for the family, and the need for wise pastoral leadership.

The article teaches that marriage, motherhood, and the mother’s womb belong together according to God’s design, and that reproduction should remain within the monogamous marriage relationship. Although medical technology makes artificial fertilization and surrogate motherhood possible, not everything that is technically possible is ethically permitted, because the mother’s womb is not a neutral instrument to serve another person.

Luther’s reformational turning point developed through a long process of studying the Psalms, preaching the Word, and reflecting on God’s righteousness, until he understood that sinners are justified by faith through God’s grace in Christ alone. His lectures and sermons showed that Christ is the centre of Scripture, the incarnate Word, and the only source of righteousness, forgiveness, and new life.

The article teaches that Christians must never take revenge themselves, because vengeance belongs to the Lord, who has promised to repay with perfect justice according to his enduring Word. It explains that believers should follow the example of Christ by leaving room for God’s wrath, showing love to their enemies, praying for justice, and trusting the civil authorities as God’s servants to punish wrongdoing.

Does Matthew 27:25 point ahead to the sufferings of the Jews throughout the many periods of history? This article provides several arguments that this text cannot be used this way.

 This article considers three threats to liturgical awareness among Reformed people: habituation that comes with weekly repeated forms and patterns; the civilizing of the liturgy whereby it is adapted to our lifestyle, and world conformity.

The article presents six models of interpretation that explain how people have understood the violent texts of the Old Testament, but argues that these approaches do not fully resolve the problem because the Bible continues to speak about violence in both the Old and New Testament. It explains that the Old Testament also contains a strong anti-violence message by unmasking violence as sin, limiting violence, discouraging violence, criticizing violence, and pointing beyond violence.

The article explains that the Reformation rejected the Roman idea of repeating Christ’s sacrifice in the liturgy, but retained the biblical sacrifices of praise, thanksgiving, prayer, confession, and Christian offerings as the priesthood of all believers. It argues that the confession of guilt and the collection of money are meaningful liturgical acts that express heartfelt sorrow for sin, gratitude to God, and loving care for the poor and the ministry of the church.

The article argues that the relationship between church and state should be understood as a distinction of callings and responsibilities rather than a strict separation, because both serve God in different ways and derive their authority from him. It explains that the church has the calling to pray for the government, equip believers for their social responsibility, and address the government when it renounces its high calling, while always speaking as a church.

The article argues that the Bible should be read as one book with an inner cohesion, one Author, and one purpose, rather than as a collection of separate religious writings. It explains that the canon was not created by later church councils but was recognized because of the obvious value and unity of the Scriptures. The unity of the Bible is rooted in God as the Author, and all the Scriptures bear witness to Christ and are profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.

The article explains that the celebration of the Lord’s Supper for seniors with dementia is a delicate subject that requires love, respect, compassion, prayer for wisdom, and careful consideration of each individual situation. It emphasizes that there should be no single rule, that participation in the congregation should be preferred where possible, and that office-bearers should consider both the person’s understanding and ability to participate, while respecting the sacred character of the sacrament.

The article explains that Calvin’s doctrine of the twofold government teaches that God rules through both the spiritual government of the church and the civil government of the state, each with its own calling and authority under God’s sovereignty. It shows that the church governs by the Word, spiritual discipline, and voluntary obedience, while the civil government may use coercion to uphold justice, protect religion, maintain public peace, and promote the common good according to God’s law.

The article explains that after returning from the Wartburg, Luther worked to reform the church by reading the Bible and teaching that marriage is an ordinance of God instead of a human institution controlled by church traditions. He opposed the Roman view that exalted monastic life above marriage and showed from Scripture that a wife, children, and family life are good gifts from God that should be received with thanksgiving.

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.

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 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.

The article explains that God warns believers not to marry an unbeliever because an unequal yoke can weaken their relationship with him and create difficulties in marriage and family life. It encourages parents, office-bearers, and the church to speak with young people early, help them understand God’s purpose for marriage, and show a faithful Christian example through their own lives.

Being “sealed with the Holy Spirit” means that when a believer hears the gospel and trusts in Christ, God marks them as His own — giving the Spirit as a seal of ownership, authenticity and belonging. The Spirit serves as a guarantee (or earnest) of the believer’s inheritance, assuring that redemption and full possession of that inheritance will come when Christ returns. This sealing signifies a present, lasting security in Christ, marking believers as God’s redeemed people and assuring their future glory.

True gratitude to God’s Word means bowing before it in humble reverence — receiving Scripture with thankful hearts, and letting it shape our lives in worship, obedience, and thankfulness. Believers are called not only to hear the Word, but to honour, cherish and obey it, so that gratitude becomes a lifestyle rooted in God’s truth.

This article is a discussion of Belgic Confession Article 37.

The centrality of the sermon in worship often impacts how we view and deal with the other liturgical elements, such as the Scripture readings, songs, and prayers. This article will discuss the place of the Scripture readings in the liturgy. It explains historical practices like the lectio continua, and calls for a renewed appreciation of the reading of various parts of Scripture, from both the Old and New Testament, in worship.

This is an explanation of Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Days 30c - 31.

This article discusses the functions of liturgical forms. The functions are to teach, to defend and to unite believers.

What is the relationship between our church services and our daily life? How is our daily life addressed in the worship service? What is the connection between the service of the Lord in the liturgy and our overall service of God to which we are called by virtue of the covenant with him?

The article argues that Christian freedom—liberty and responsibility—means believers are set free in Christ from the bondage of sin, guilt, and the law, thereby gaining spiritual liberty to live under grace rather than under law. It stresses that this freedom is not a license to indulge the flesh, but a calling to love and serve others, walking in holiness and using liberty responsibly so that one’s life honours God and builds up the community.