Join the Journey Sermon Series Resources Welcome to the Becoming Campaign! This is our 2026 spiritual journey as we seek to grow deeper in our faith as believers in Christ and as the church of Christ. As we look ahead to where God is leading us, we give thanks for His beautiful work among us—celebrating the completion of our Central Campus building project, the growth of the Wayland Campus, and all God has done to help us build and expand. But now, as we see our church flourishing, we believe it’s time to move from building the church to becoming the church. This campaign is about becoming who Christ is calling us to be—growing not just wider, but deeper, more rooted in our faith and more faithful in our walk. Wherever you are on your journey, this is an invitation to go deeper together as God continues to grow our church at the Central Campus, Wayland Campus, and as we prepare to launch the Hastings Campus—for the Glory of God, the Good of our Neighbor, and the Joy of the Church. Join the Journey To begin your journey, take time to prayerfully reflect on the five all-church initiatives and the personal and family initiatives shown to the right and in the online commitment form. Pray and consider where God may be leading you to take a next step of faith throughout this year. You can fill out the online commitment form using the button below or stop by the Becoming Lobby Booth at church on any Sunday to fill one out. Take your time, seek the Lord, and commit as He leads—then explore the resources below to help you get started on the journey. Central Campus Online Commitment Form Wayland Campus Online Commitment Form Becoming Sermon Series This sermon series launches our 2026 Spiritual Journey Campaign, Becoming. Together, the series and campaign focus on what it means for the church—and each of us—to become who Christ is calling us to be. We’ll begin by exploring three foundational callings Jesus gives His followers: to become Sons of Light, Children of God, and Fishers of Men. Become Sons of Light Become Children of God Become Fishers of Men Watch Central Campus Full Series Watch Wayland Campus Full Series Becoming Guidebook This resource was created to help guide you through the Becoming spiritual journey and is designed to be used alongside your Bible each week in worship. You’ll find space for sermon notes throughout the year, daily prayers during the sermon series, and information about our All-Church Initiatives and personal or family commitments. If you don’t have a guidebook yet, stop by the Becoming lobby booth on any Sunday to pick one up—or start anytime and catch up by watching sermons on our website or YouTube. We pray this resource helps all of us become the church God is calling us to be—and helps you become who God is calling you to be. Download Central Campus Guidebook Download Wayland Campus Guidebook Stay Connected To receive weekly encouragement texts from Pastor Ryan (Central Campus) or Pastor Aaron (Wayland Campus), and weekly emails with the Bible-in-a-Year video, click the button below! Need help with this process? Stop by the Becoming lobby booth and we can walk through it with you. Central Campus Sign-Up Wayland Campus Sign-Up Becoming Testimonies Christ Met Me At My Lowest Hear Todd's story The Blessing of Family Worship Hear Mandy's story The Power of Prayer Hear Sadie's story All-Church Initiatives Everyone at Peace Church is being called in these five ways to take part in God’s work through the Becoming spiritual journey: READ Commit to the Bible-in-a-Year reading plan starting Jan. 19 (p. 13) Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Deuteronomy 11:18-19, Psalm 119:105, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 7:24 Watch Bible-in-a-Year weekly videos here. PRAY Log three hours of prayer each week (p. 11) Acts 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Colossians 4:2, Romans 12:12 Pray for your Peace Church family CONNECT Wear the Becoming wristband throughout the year (p. 10) 1 Peter 2:9, 17, Psalm 100:3, Ephesians 2:19, 1 Timothy 3:15 Join a Community Group SERVE Take the Spiritual Gifts Assessment  and pray about where God is calling you to serve (p. 17) 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 14:12, Ephesians 4:16, 2 Timothy 1:6, Hebrews 2:4 Sign up to serve here WORSHIP Assess your commitment to Sunday worship attendance and recommit if needed Luke 11:28, Hebrews 10:24-25, Acts 2:42, Psalm 122:1, Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Romans 12:4-5, Psalm 95:1-2, Acts 20:7, Ephesians 5:19-20 As we do these things together—knowing we are doing these together—we’ll deepen the family feel of our church while also growing spiritually and in unity as God’s people. Personal and Family Commitments Review these challenges and ask the Holy Spirit which ones he is calling you to take on, so that you may spiritually grow into the person God is calling you to become. Begin weekly family worship through Bible reading, devotions, and prayer (p. 28) Increase your prayer commitment from three hours a week to five hours a week Commit to regular fasting throughout the year, whether a full day, a single meal, or another rhythm (p. 18) Get relationally connected at Peace Church by joining or starting a Community Group, attending a Men’s or Women’s Bible Study, and/or serving in a ministry Begin biblical tithing and faithfully support God’s work through Peace Church (get a copy of Tithing: the Basics of Giving at the ‘Round the Table booth to learn more) Take first (or next) steps in adoption or foster care (p. 25) Write and share your testimony with the Peace Church family, either in print or on video, or share it with someone in your life who needs the Gospel or an invitation to church (p. 21) Start a Gospel conversation you’ve been wanting to have but haven’t yet Attend an Evangelism Training Night this spring or late summer (p. 28) Take our membership class (register at peacechurch.cc/events) Consider joining the core group of people who will help launch the new Hastings Campus (p. 27) Attend a gathering to learn more about pastoral ministry (p. 27) Pray and listen for any other ways the Holy Spirit may be calling you to grow spiritually The purpose of this is for each of us to grow into the person God is calling us to become, so that we can be the Church God is calling us to become. Why Wristbands? Did you know that from 2020 to 2025, Peace Church has tripled in size and doubled in locations? Simply put, we’ve grown—a lot! With such rapid growth, the ability to connect with, or even recognize, everyone in our church family can be very difficult. The Becoming wristbands will allow you to see who is part of the Peace Church family while out in public! Everyone is encouraged to wear the wristband during their waking hours! This will help show not just the world, but your church family, that Peace Church is your home church—and that you are participating in the Becoming Campaign. When you see someone out in public also wearing the wristband, go up and say hi and introduce yourself. This can be intimidating, so here are some things you could say: Show them your wristband and say, “Hey, so you’re part of the Peace family too? Awesome! My name is [your name], and I go to [1st/2nd/3rd] service. Which service do you usually go to?” Then you can ask about their family, how long they’ve been part of Peace Church, and how they are serving or connected. That’s it! With that simple interaction, you’ve made another connection in our larger church family. This is key—when the Bible speaks about the church, it uses family language. God is our Father, Christ is his Son, and we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Simply put, the wristbands help us identify and connect with our church family—especially during a year when we are trying to grow into the church that God is calling us to become! If you lose your wristband or it becomes too worn or dirty, don’t worry! Just grab another at church—they’ll be available all year. Prayer Log We cannot become the people or the church God is calling us to be, unless we are saturated in regular times of prayer. Everyone at Peace is challenged to log three hours of prayer per week. Maybe you’re hearing the Holy Spirit challenging you to even more! Our prayer is that your time in prayer before the Lord is sweet and refreshing. We pray the more time spent in prayer, the more you will want to saturate your life in it as you grow in faith. Let these verses be of encouragement to you: Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer… Matthew 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. Mark 1:35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Luke 6:12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Colossians 4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Download Prayer Log Bible-in-a-Year Reading Plan Each Monday, we’ll share a short video introducing the week’s passages, highlighting key points, context, and themes. Click below to find the full reading plan and the weekly videos. Download Bible-in-a-Year Reading Plan Watch Bible-in-a-Year Videos Spiritual Gifts Throughout the New Testament, God tells us that the Holy Spirit provides members of the church with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). These gifts are given so that we can serve one another and bring glory to God. For Peace Church to become all that God is calling us to be, we need everyone to use their spiritual gifts as we see the gospel embraced and passed on for generations of Kingdom impact. A key step in using your spiritual gifts is knowing what they are. God’s word gives us three primary lists of spiritual gifts in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and 1 Corinthians 12:28, which include gifts such as faith, service, teaching, generosity, leadership, and mercy. To find out what your spiritual gifts are, start by seeking God’s leading through studying his word and spending time in prayer. Jesus tells us in John 16:13 that the Spirit will guide us into all truth. As you look to the spiritual gifts lists in Scripture, spend time praying that you would know and use your gifts. Another way you can determine your spiritual gifts is through the wise counsel of other believers. We often see ourselves differently than others do, so it is helpful to ask other mature believers what gifts they see in you and how they would encourage you to use them to build up the church. At Peace, our Zone Elders are great resources for this. Finally, one modern practice that can help in the process of determining your spiritual gifts is taking an assessment that sheds light on it. We created an assessment that helps our members to biblically reflect on the ways that God has gifted them. Our hope is that this assessment will help you take the next steps in using your gifts so that each of us, and the church as a whole, becomes who God has called us to be. If you are interested in taking our online spiritual gifts assessment, you can access it by clicking the link below. After you complete the assessment, we will provide suggestions for possible next steps to use your gifts to bless the church and bring glory to God. Spiritual Gifts Assessment Fasting What is interesting about the English word fast is that it means to move quickly and to abstain from food, but we also use it in phrases like hold fast, which means to hold firmly. How did we get these varied meanings from this one word? The answer is found in the origin of the word. Fast comes from the Old English fæst, which means firm, fixed, secure, or constant. When we see how these words are all related in their core idea, it becomes clear that as fast evolved into Modern English, it took on these separate nuances. Secure and constant developed into the notion of quickness; firm and secure inform the idea of holding fast; and fixed and constant give us the concept of fasting as a determined posture of not eating food. However, when we speak of fasting as a religious endeavor—withholding or abstaining from taking food—the origin of this cross-cultural and cross-religious practice dates back millennia, typically carrying the notion of purification, humility, and drawing near to the divine, with the idea being that the physical must be set aside to achieve the spiritual. In the Christian tradition, its roots are found in the Hebrew Old Testament, where in ancient Israel it was connected with repentance, mourning, prayer, and reliance upon God. We see fasting practices throughout the Bible—from Moses, who fasted forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law (Exodus 34:28), to David, who fasted in grief and repentance (2 Samuel 12:16), to the prophet Daniel, who fasted and prayed for wisdom and mercy (Daniel 9:3), as well as in the call from Queen Esther, who called upon her people to fast for three days before she approached the king (Esther 4:16). In the New Testament, fasting continues as a discipline to help us grow spiritually, as it calls us to find our dependence upon God—to put our love for the Lord over our desires for satisfaction. Jesus himself fasted for forty days in the wilderness. When the devil tempted him to turn stones into bread to relieve his hunger, Jesus refused and quoted Scripture, saying: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” — Matthew 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 8:3 Fasting, then, is a way to declare to the Lord our reliance upon him. It is a practice of putting God before our desires, namely, our desire for food. As hunger pangs come, they serve as reminders to turn our focus to God and to direct our energy into prayer. Fasting is a powerful spiritual discipline that, when done rightly, can help us grow spiritually and deepen our faith. It is not simply about deprivation, but rather about devotion—about training our spirits to hunger for righteousness (Matthew 5:6). In college, my Spiritual Formation professor also warned against fasting as a means to simply lose weight, and Jesus also warns against fasting for the wrong reasons, such as using it to display our righteousness before others. He said: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” — Matthew 6:16–18 All of Isaiah 58 is about true and false fasting, where we see that God calls us to fast in order to grow spiritually as we reflect God’s good will in this world and find our delight in the Lord. Again, the spiritual discipline only helps us grow spiritually when done for spiritually righteous reasons. Thus, fasting is typically a private practice—a personal act of humility and devotion before God. It is a way of living out the truth of the Bible: “man does not live by bread alone” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). Fasting does not have a set prescribed length of time. In the Bible, we see fasts lasting from one day (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6) to three days (Esther 4:16) to forty days (Exodus 34:28; Matthew 4:2). As a spiritual discipline, there is no single method. Many people choose to fast for a day or even skip a single meal. The point is less about how we fast and more about why—it’s an act of faith meant to draw us closer to God. You might choose a three-month period in which you fast one day each week, or a week-long fast where every day you skip a particular meal, like lunch. While fasting traditionally means abstaining from food, modern practices also include other kinds of fasts—such as fasting from technology, entertainment, or particular types of food, like meat or sugar (see Daniel 10:2–3). The practice we see most clearly in Scripture is to abstain from food completely. Again, the notion here is about setting aside our desires in order to deepen our reliance upon God as we grow closer to him in trust, love, and joy. While this is a spiritual practice, it does have physical implications, so for those with health concerns, it’s always good to consult with your doctor before you begin this discipline. As the Lord leads you, may you prayerfully practice the spiritual discipline of fasting in order that you may continue to grow into the person God is calling you to become as you deepen your faith in the God of your salvation. *If you or you and your family decide to fast, please reach out to your Zone Elders so they can be praying for you! Sharing Your Testimony There is a church in London that Peace partners with. A few years ago, their lead pastor’s wife was miraculously healed from Stage 4 cancer. Even the nonreligious doctors told them, “You’ve experienced a miracle.” Do you think they shared that story with anyone? They’ve shared it with everyone. If you experienced a miracle, you would tell someone. You would tell everyone. The beauty of Christian testimonies is that every follower of Jesus has experienced a miracle. We were dead in our sin and then made alive in Christ. Your testimony is powerful because it’s both your personal story of experiencing a miracle and the good news of Jesus Christ for everyone. That’s why sharing your testimony of salvation is an essential element of becoming the church. God uses the stories of his work in our lives to open others to hear and receive the gospel. Our testimonies often play a pivotal role in the lost experiencing the miracle of salvation and receiving a testimony of their own. Just because it is good to share your testimony, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Many of us don’t know where to start, what to include, or how to use our story to share the good news. Where do I start? Sharing your testimony will look different based on your context: Who are you talking to? What is your relationship? What is their experience and understanding of Jesus? What environment are you in and how much time do you have? While there are some aspects that will change based on context, it’s helpful to spend time preparing to share the elements of your testimony that are important to include regardless of who you are talking to. Take some time to think about and write down the answers to these questions: What was my life like before receiving faith in Jesus? How did God reveal himself and his good news to me? What is the good news that I now believe? What has my life been like since becoming a follower of Jesus? As you dwell on your answers to these questions, the basis of your testimony is coming together. What do I include? The Bible doesn’t give us a checklist to follow to share our testimony, but following the examples of the early church gives us a helpful guide. As you share your story, it’s helpful to include details about your life before being saved (lost and sinful), how you were saved (faith and grace), and your life as a follower of Jesus (transformation and purpose). As you share the good news that brought you salvation, it’s important to include God’s love for us (creation and blessing), our sin and separation from him (fall and judgment), salvation through Christ (Jesus’ death and resurrection), and our response to the good news (faith or rejection). When sharing this, it’s helpful to have some key Scriptures to refer to, such as John 3:16, Romans 3:23, and Ephesians 2:8-10. How do I include the good news for everyone in my personal testimony? While testimonies are personal and reflect on your own experience, it’s critical to share the good news of Jesus for those listening. Whether the person you are sharing with has faith in Jesus or not, they need to hear the good news. If they are a follower of Jesus, they will be encouraged. If they are not, God might use your proclamation to bring them faith. The best bridge to share the story of Jesus in your story is to share the message that you received when you believed. This part of our testimony can challenge us, because it’s not just sharing our subjective experience, but declaring the objective truths that we are all sinners in need of salvation. As you share that you believe, don’t forget to share what it is that you believe, so that others will hear the gospel clearly. What does this actually look like? All of that sounds good in theory, but it’s helpful to look at a real-life example of someone’s testimony. Here is a short version of mine (Pastor Nate Harney) that I can share in about two minutes: I grew up in a peaceful, healthy home, where my parents taught me that there is a God who made me and loves me. While that should have brought me peace, instead my childhood was defined by fears that led to anxiety. I was afraid that no one liked me, that I wouldn’t be successful in life, and that I would never find true peace. As I got older, I heard the story of Jesus, that he was God among us, that he lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and then defeated death and rose again. While this seemed like good news in general, I wasn’t really looking to be saved from my sin. I wanted to be freed from my fears and anxiety. I felt like a good person, somehow I just needed to grow in confidence and find peace. As I learned more about Jesus and how he calls us to live selfless lives focused on loving God and others, I realized my fears and anxieties were all rooted in sin; a deep self-centered obsession with my own comfort, success, and happiness. The Gospel of John tells us that before Jesus gave his life for us, he shared this with his followers: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jesus can promise peace because he offers salvation through faith. When I received faith in Jesus, by grace, my sins were forgiven and I started to become more like him and through that, I found freedom from fear and unshakable peace. Now my days aren’t filled with fears and anxieties that are focused on myself. Instead, each day is a faith-driven adventure where I enjoy his salvation and find purpose and peace in telling others about Jesus. When I share my testimony, it looks different depending on the specific context, but I always try to include my personal story of being delivered from sin, fear, and anxiety while I share the story of Jesus and salvation that comes through faith. In person, it’s often less polished, but time and again, God has used the story of his work in my life to share his good news with others. What now? Pray, prepare, and practice sharing your own testimony. Then when God opens the door, be ready to share his good news and how your life has been transformed by Jesus. With God’s help, you can do this. When we all share our testimonies, the good news of Jesus spreads, and we become the church that God is calling us to be. If you would like to share your testimony with the Peace Church family, whether in print or on video, please reach out to us at testimony@peacechurch.cc . Contact Us to Share Your Testimony Taking a Step of Faith: Adoption or Foster Care From the Old Testament and into the New, God reveals himself as our Father, and with this, we see his special concern for orphans and the fatherless—those without protection, provision, or family. Deuteronomy 10:18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Psalm 68:5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. Exodus 22:22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Zechariah 7:10 Do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor. James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. In God’s Kingdom, to care for or take in an orphan was often a form of adoption—bringing them into one’s household for protection and nurture. In the Bible, we see families take on children who are not biologically their own, such as Esther, who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. The most prominent example is Jesus Christ himself, who was raised by his adoptive father, Joseph. Knowing this is a beautiful and biblical call, adoption and foster care are powerful ways for believers to show the world how we are living out God’s call for compassion and righteousness—caring for the vulnerable as we reflect God’s heart for justice and mercy. Ultimately, every act of human adoption points to the greater truth that we have been adopted by God himself—brought from being spiritual orphans into belonging in God’s family through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:15–17; Galatians 4:4–7; Ephesians 1:5). At Peace Church, there are a large number of families who have taken up the call to adopt or become foster parents. While not everyone is called to take a child or children into their home, we are all called to love our neighbor, young and old, rich or poor. So, while you may not be called to adopt or provide foster care, we always encourage our church family to help and assist families who have adopted or fostered. We also know some are called more to help or assist, so during the Becoming Campaign, we are calling upon the families of Peace Church to prayerfully consider if they are called to adopt or become foster parents. We want to help you discern this call and support you along the way. If this is a conversation you feel led to begin, we encourage you to start in prayer. We have staff members who have walked through this process themselves and are passionate about helping others. Reaching out to them at adoption@peacechurch.cc is a great first step in starting the discussion and discerning God’s call to adopt or become foster parents. Contact Us About Adoption or Foster Care Hastings Campus At Peace Church, we have spent many years praying and preparing to plant other churches to reach the lost in our community. By God’s grace, in Fall 2023, we planted our first daughter church in Wayland. This congregation has grown and is well on its way toward becoming a self-sufficient church. After much prayer and consideration, we believe the Lord is now calling us to plant another daughter church in Hastings. One significant reason we feel this call to Hastings is because of the number of people who are already driving from Hastings to Peace Church in Middleville each week. We want to give these members of our church family a better opportunity to reach their neighbors and invite them to gather as a church in their own town. If you are open to considering a call to Peace Hastings, you can attend future interest meetings listed at peacechurch.cc/events to learn more and pray for the Lord’s work in the community See Upcoming Events Pastoral Ministry Young men, are you open to a call to ministry? In the last few years, we have lost many great Christian leaders and preachers, from Charlie Kirk to Tim Keller to R.C. Sproul. Now, more than ever, the world needs men who will boldly proclaim the truth. Who will step up? Who will answer God’s call with the words, “Here am I, Lord; send me”? If you think it’s possible the Lord may be calling you to pastoral ministry, we would love to help you consider that call. You don’t have to be the greatest speaker or leader. What the Lord calls you to, he will equip you for. If you sense this calling, come out for an opportunity to evaluate it and receive training from our pastoral staff. Look out for future gatherings at peacechurch.cc/events. See Upcoming Events Evangelism Training Join us for church-wide evangelism training nights coming this spring and late summer. Keep an eye on peacechurch.cc/events for details. Until then, here are some recommended resources to help you grow in confidence and clarity as you share your faith: Organic Outreach for Ordinary People by Kevin Harney Organic Outreach for Families by Kevin Harney Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer. See Upcoming Events Devotionals Personal Devotional Recommendations Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon Voices from the Past (Vol. 1 & 2) by Richard Rushing Valley of Vision Everyday Gospel by Paul David Tripp Refreshment for the Soul by Richard Sibbes Family Devotional Recommendations Comforting Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade The Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller Bearing Fruit by Diana Kleyn New City Catechism Family Worship Bible Guide The Biggest Story Bible by Kevin DeYoung Tithing Click the button below to view our resources on tithing. Tithing Resource Resources Monthly Becoming Updates April Becoming Update March Becoming Update February Becoming Update January Becoming Update 'Round the Table ‘Round the Table offers gospel-centered articles, podcasts, videos, and teaching resources to help you grow in your faith. Visit roundthetable.co or click the button below to explore our content. Stop by the ‘Round the Table lobby booth to browse our books and sign up for our newsletter. Explore 'Round the Table

What Do I Do With My Guilt? May 26, 2024 What Do I Do With My Guilt? Sermon Series: Standalone Download PDF Isaiah 53:4-6 Main Idea God had to treat Jesus like us to treat us like Jesus Outline 1. Where does guilt come from? 2. What can we do with our guilt? 3. What was done for our guilt? Discussion Questions 1. What is your "go-to" way of avoiding guilt (deny, distract, become numb)? 2. Read 2 Corinthians 7:9-13. How does this passage help us understand guilt? 3. How should guilt draw us closer to God? 4. How will you allow substitution to invade your life? Looking Forward Prayer Focus

Sing Because He Is Good November 2, 2025 Sing Because He Is Good Sermon Series: Because He Is Good Download PDF Psalm 33:1-5 1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. Main Idea We sing to God because He is good. Outline Sing for joy to the Lord (1) Sing from thankfulness to the Lord (2-3) Sing with love to the Lord (4-5) Discussion Questions SING FOR JOY TO THE LORD (PSALM 33:1) What does it mean to “sing for joy to the Lord”? How is this different from simply singing about Him? The verse says praise is “fitting for the upright.” Why do you think praise is described as fitting or appropriate? When is it hardest for you to sing joyfully to God, and what helps you to do it anyway? SING FROM THANKFULNESS TO THE LORD (PSALM 33:2-3) These verses mention using instruments and skill in worship. What does this teach us about giving our best to God in praise? How can thankfulness shape the way we approach worship—both privately and together as a church? What’s a recent example of something God has done that makes you want to sing to Him with gratitude? SING WITH LOVE TO THE LORD (PSALM 33:4-5) Verses 4–5 describe God’s character—His truth, faithfulness, righteousness, and love. Which of these traits stands out most to you, and why? How do these qualities of God stir up love and worship in your heart? What practical ways can we cultivate deeper love for God in our worship (beyond just singing)? Looking Forward In the upcoming weeks at church, what is one practical commitment you can make in order to grow in how you sing because He is good? Prayer Focus Pray for… The people of Peace Church to be so filled with joy that it overflows in worship. The members of your community group to be able to walk together and encourage each other as we live lives of joyful gratitude and worship. The lost to be open to learning more about the beauty of worshipping a holy and deserving God. All Christians to worship with passion and excellence, offering our best to honor God with our praise. Yourself to better understand and live in light of the truth that God is good and worthy of worship.

2e5c95ff-cf7b-487c-bbad-a803cc54ee6b Bold Boys Upcoming Events Bold Boys is our mid-week program for boys in 1st-3rd grade (4th-5th graders meet in the Venue for Bold and Brave ). We meet every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:00pm from October to March in the gym. It is a fun program that includes sports, woodworking, projects, and Bible lessons. Bold Boys is one way in which we aim to equip our sons to grow into the men God has called them to be, set apart by their courage, conviction, and compassion. A typical Bold Boys night will start with large group worship, followed by our Bible lesson for the night, then moves on to projects or games and concludes with small group discussion and snack. Schedule - 6:15-6:30 PM: Check-in - 6:30-8:00 PM: Program - 8:00PM: Pick-up Remember to keep your parent pick-up tag for retrieval at the end of the night. Parent Resource List Bold and Brave Go Brave Girls Go Peace Kids Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Samuel Thaler Bold Boys Coordinator Contact Us Go Interested in Serving? Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Samuel Thaler Bold Boys Coordinator Interested in Serving? Go Contact Kid's Ministry Admin Go Learn More Samuel Thaler Bold Boys Coordinator Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Interested in Serving? Go

2c0f2358-827a-4f31-a142-fc742ba0ce64 The Canons of Dort The First Main Point of Doctrine Divine Election and Reprobation The Judgment Concerning Divine Predestination Which the Synod Declares to Be in Agreement with the Word of God and Accepted Till Now in the Reformed Churches, Set Forth in Several Articles Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Since all people have sinned in Adam and have come under the sentence of the curse and eternal death, God would have done no one an injustice if it had been his will to leave the entire human race in sin and under the curse, and to condemn them on account of their sin. As the apostle says: “The whole world is liable to the condemnation of God” (Rom. 3:19), “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), and “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love But this is how God showed his love: he sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (1 John 4:9; John 3:16). Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith, God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message to the people and at the time he wills. By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. For “how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without someone preaching? And how shall they preach unless they have been sent?” (Rom. 10:14-15). Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel God’s wrath remains on those who do not believe this gospel. But those who do accept it and embrace Jesus the Savior with a true and living faith are delivered through him from God’s wrath and from destruction, and receive the gift of eternal life. Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith The cause or blame for this unbelief, as well as for all other sins, is not at all in God, but in humanity. Faith in Jesus Christ, however, and salvation through him is a free gift of God. As Scripture says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is a gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Likewise: “It has been freely given to you to believe in Christ” (Phil. 1:29). Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree The fact that some receive from God the gift of faith within time, and that others do not, stems from his eternal decree. For “all his works are known to God from eternity” (Acts 15:18; Eph. 1:11). In accordance with this decree God graciously softens the hearts, however hard, of the elect and inclines them to believe, but by a just judgment God leaves in their wickedness and hardness of heart those who have not been chosen. And in this especially is disclosed to us God’s act—unfathomable, and as merciful as it is just—of distinguishing between people equally lost. This is the well-known decree of election and reprobation revealed in God’s Word. The wicked, impure, and unstable distort this decree to their own ruin, but it provides holy and godly souls with comfort beyond words. Article 7: Election Election is God’s unchangeable purpose by which he did the following: Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, God chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin. Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery. God did this in Christ, whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation. And so God decreed to give to Christ those chosen for salvation, and to call and draw them effectively into Christ’s fellowship through the Word and Spirit. In other words, God decreed to grant them true faith in Christ, to justify them, to sanctify them, and finally, after powerfully preserving them in the fellowship of the Son, to glorify them. God did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to the praise of the riches of God’s glorious grace. As Scripture says, “God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and blameless before him with love; he predestined us whom he adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, by which he freely made us pleasing to himself in his beloved” (Eph. 1:4-6). And elsewhere, “Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). Article 8: A Single Decree of Election This election is not of many kinds, but one and the same for all who were to be saved in the Old and the New Testament. For Scripture declares that there is a single good pleasure, purpose, and plan of God’s will, by which he chose us from eternity both to grace and to glory, both to salvation and to the way of salvation, which God prepared in advance for us to walk in. Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith This same election took place, not on the basis of foreseen faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness, or of any other good quality and disposition, as though it were based on a prerequisite cause or condition in the person to be chosen, but rather for the purpose of faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness, and so on. Accordingly, election is the source of every saving good. Faith, holiness, and the other saving gifts, and at last eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits and effects. As the apostle says, “He chose us” (not because we were, but) “so that we should be holy and blameless before him in love” (Eph. 1:4). Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure But the cause of this undeserved election is exclusively the good pleasure of God. This does not involve God’s choosing certain human qualities or actions from among all those possible as a condition of salvation, but rather involves adopting certain particular persons from among the common mass of sinners as God’s own possession. As Scripture says, “When the children were not yet born, and had done nothing either good or bad . . . , she (Rebecca) was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated’” (Rom. 9:11-13). Also, “All who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). Article 11: Election Unchangeable Just as God is most wise, unchangeable, all-knowing, and almighty, so the election made by him can neither be suspended nor altered, revoked, or annulled; neither can God’s chosen ones be cast off, nor their number reduced. Article 12: The Assurance of Election Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. Article 13: The Fruit of This Assurance In their awareness and assurance of this election, God’s children daily find greater cause to humble themselves before God, to adore the fathomless depth of God’s mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to give fervent love in return to the One who first so greatly loved them. This is far from saying that this teaching concerning election, and reflection upon it, make God’s children lax in observing his commandments or carnally self-assured. By God’s just judgment this does usually happen to those who casually take for granted the grace of election or engage in idle and brazen talk about it but are unwilling to walk in the ways of the chosen. Article 14: Teaching Election Properly By God’s wise plan, this teaching concerning divine election was proclaimed through the prophets, Christ himself, and the apostles, in Old and New Testament times. It was subsequently committed to writing in the Holy Scriptures. So also today in God’s church, for which it was specifically intended, this teaching must be set forth with a spirit of discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the appropriate time and place, without inquisitive searching into the ways of the Most High. This must be done for the glory of God’s most holy name, and for the lively comfort of God’s people. Article 15: Reprobation Moreover, Holy Scripture most especially highlights this eternal and undeserved grace of our election and brings it out more clearly for us, in that it further bears witness that not all people have been chosen but that some have not been chosen or have been passed by in God’s eternal election—those, that is, concerning whom God, on the basis of his entirely free, most just, irreproachable, and unchangeable good pleasure, made the following decree: to leave them in the common misery into which, by their own fault, they have plunged themselves; not to grant them saving faith and the grace of conversion; but finally to condemn and eternally punish those who have been left in their own ways and under God’s just judgment, not only for their unbelief but also for all their other sins, in order to display his justice. And this is the decree of reprobation, which does not at all make God the author of sin (a blasphemous thought!) but rather its fearful, irreproachable, just judge and avenger. Article 16: Responses to the Teaching of Reprobation Those who do not yet actively experience within themselves a living faith in Christ or an assured confidence of heart, peace of conscience, a zeal for childlike obedience, and a glorying in God through Christ, but who nevertheless use the means by which God has promised to work these things in us—such people ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to count themselves among the reprobate; rather they ought to continue diligently in the use of the means, to desire fervently a time of more abundant grace, and to wait for it in reverence and humility. On the other hand, those who seriously desire to turn to God, to be pleasing to God alone, and to be delivered from the body of death, but are not yet able to make such progress along the way of godliness and faith as they would like—such people ought much less to stand in fear of the teaching concerning reprobation, since our merciful God has promised not to snuff out a smoldering wick or break a bruised reed.* However, those who have forgotten God and their Savior Jesus Christ and have abandoned themselves wholly to the cares of the world and the pleasures of the flesh—such people have every reason to stand in fear of this teaching, as long as they do not seriously turn to God. *Isaiah 42:3 Article 17: The Salvation of the Infants of Believers Since we must make judgments about God’s will from his Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature but by virtue of the gracious covenant in which they together with their parents are included, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of their children whom God calls out of this life in infancy. Article 18: The Proper Attitude Toward Election and Reprobation To those who complain about this grace of an undeserved election and about the severity of a just reprobation, we reply with the words of the apostle, “Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” (Rom. 9:20), and with the words of our Savior, “Have I no right to do what I want with my own?” (Matt. 20:15). We, however, with reverent adoration of these secret things, cry out with the apostle: “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond tracing out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36). Rejection of the Errors by Which the Dutch Churches Have for Some Time Been Disturbed Having set forth the orthodox teaching concerning election and reprobation, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that the will of God to save those who would believe and persevere in faith and in the obedience of faith is the whole and entire decision of election to salvation, and that nothing else concerning this decision has been revealed in God’s Word. For they deceive the simple and plainly contradict Holy Scripture in its testimony that God does not only wish to save those who would believe, but that he has also from eternity chosen certain particular people to whom, rather than to others, he would within time grant faith in Christ and perseverance. As Scripture says, “I have revealed your name to those whom you gave me” (John 17:6). Likewise, “All who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48), and “He chose us before the foundation of the world so that we should be holy . . .” (Eph. 1:4). II Who teach that God’s election to eternal life is of many kinds: one general and indefinite, the other particular and definite; and the latter in turn either incomplete, revocable, conditional, or else complete, irrevocable, and absolute. Likewise, who teach that there is one election to faith and another to salvation, so that there can be an election to justifying faith apart from a nonconditional election to salvation. For this is an invention of the human mind, devised apart from the Scriptures, which distorts the teaching concerning election and breaks up this golden chain of salvation: “Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30). III Who teach that God’s good pleasure and purpose, which Scripture mentions in its teaching of election, does not involve God’s choosing certain particular people rather than others, but involves God’s choosing, out of all possible conditions (including the works of the law) or out of the whole order of things, the intrinsically unworthy act of faith, as well as the imperfect obedience of faith, to be a condition of salvation; and it involves his graciously wishing to count this as perfect obedience and to look upon it as worthy of the reward of eternal life. For by this pernicious error the good pleasure of God and the merit of Christ are robbed of their effectiveness and people are drawn away, by unprofitable inquiries, from the truth of undeserved justification and from the simplicity of the Scriptures. It also gives the lie to these words of the apostle: “God called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of works, but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Tim. 1:9). IV Who teach that in election to faith a prerequisite condition is that humans should rightly use the light of nature, be upright, unassuming, humble, and disposed to eternal life, as though election depended to some extent on these factors. For this smacks of Pelagius, and it clearly calls into question the words of the apostle: “We lived at one time in the passions of our flesh, following the will of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in transgressions, made us alive with Christ, by whose grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with him and seated us with him in heaven in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages we might show the surpassing riches of his grace, according to his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God) not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:3-9). V Who teach that the incomplete and conditional election of particular persons to salvation occurred on the basis of a foreseen faith, repentance, holiness, and godliness, which has just begun or continued for some time; but that complete and nonconditional election occurred on the basis of a foreseen perseverance to the end in faith, repentance, holiness, and godliness. And that this is the gracious and evangelical worthiness, on account of which the one who is chosen is more worthy than the one who is not chosen. And therefore that faith, the obedience of faith, holiness, godliness, and perseverance are not fruits or effects of an unchangeable election to glory, but indispensable conditions and causes, which are prerequisite in those who are to be chosen in the complete election, and which are foreseen as achieved in them. This runs counter to the entire Scripture, which throughout impresses upon our ears and hearts these sayings among others: “Election is not by works, but by him who calls” (Rom. 9:11-12); “All who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48); “He chose us in himself so that we should be holy” (Eph. 1:4); “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16); “If by grace, not by works” (Rom. 11:6); “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son” (1 John 4:10). VI Who teach that not every election to salvation is unchangeable, but that some of the chosen can perish and do in fact perish eternally, with no decision of God to prevent it. By this gross error they make God changeable, destroy the comfort of the godly concerning the steadfastness of their election, and contradict the Holy Scriptures, which teach that “the elect cannot be led astray” (Matt. 24:24), that “Christ does not lose those given to him by the Father” (John 6:39), and that “those whom God predestined, called, and justified, he also glorifies” (Rom. 8:30). VII Who teach that in this life there is no fruit, no awareness, and no assurance of one’s unchangeable election to glory, except as conditioned upon something changeable and contingent. For not only is it absurd to speak of an uncertain assurance, but these things also militate against the experience of the saints, who with the apostle rejoice from an awareness of their election and sing the praises of this gift of God; who, as Christ urged, “rejoice” with his disciples “that their names have been written in heaven” (Luke 10:20); and finally who hold up against the flaming arrows of the devil’s temptations the awareness of their election, with the question “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?” (Rom. 8:33). VIII Who teach that it was not on the basis of his just will alone that God decided to leave anyone in the fall of Adam and in the common state of sin and condemnation or to pass anyone by in the imparting of grace necessary for faith and conversion. For these words stand fast: “He has mercy on whom he wishes, and he hardens whom he wishes” (Rom. 9:18). And also: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:11). Likewise: “I give glory to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to little children; yes, Father, because that was your pleasure” (Matt. 11:25-26). IX Who teach that the cause for God’s sending the gospel to one people rather than to another is not merely and solely God’s good pleasure, but rather that one people is better and worthier than the other to whom the gospel is not communicated. For Moses contradicts this when he addresses the people of Israel as follows: “Behold, to Jehovah your God belong the heavens and the highest heavens, the earth and whatever is in it. But Jehovah was inclined in his affection to love your ancestors alone, and chose out their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as at this day” (Deut. 10:14-15). And also Christ: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! for if those mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matt. 11:21). The Second Main Point of Doctrine Christ's Death and Human Redemption Through It Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only supremely merciful, but also supremely just. This justice requires (as God has revealed in the Word) that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments, of soul as well as body. We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however, we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath, God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee his only begotten Son, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, in our place, on the cross, in order that he might give satisfaction for us. Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Article 4: Reasons for This Infinite Value This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that the person who suffered it is—as was necessary to be our Savior—not only a true and perfectly holy human, but also the only begotten Son of God, of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s wrath and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved. Article 5: The Mandate to Proclaim the Gospel to All Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel. Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault. Article 7: Faith God’s Gift But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God’s grace—which God owes to no one—given to them in Christ from eternity. Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death should work itself out in all the elect, in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only and thereby lead them without fail to salvation. In other words, it was God’s will that Christ through the blood of the cross (by which he confirmed the new covenant) should effectively redeem from every people, tribe, nation, and language all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father; that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death). It was also God’s will that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins, both original and actual, whether committed before or after their coming to faith; that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end; and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan, arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect, from the beginning of the world to the present time has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future, the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it. As a result, the elect are gathered into one, all in their own time, and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood, a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships, and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior who laid down his life for her on the cross, as a bridegroom for his bride. Rejection of the Errors Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that God the Father appointed his Son to death on the cross without a fixed and definite plan to save anyone by name, so that the necessity, usefulness, and worth of what Christ’s death obtained could have stood intact and altogether perfect, complete and whole, even if the redemption that was obtained had never in actual fact been applied to any individual. For this assertion is an insult to the wisdom of God the Father and to the merit of Jesus Christ, and it is contrary to Scripture. For the Savior speaks as follows: “I lay down my life for the sheep, and I know them” (John 10:15, 27). And Isaiah the prophet says concerning the Savior: “When he shall make himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand” (Isa. 53:10). Finally, this undermines the article of the creed in which we confess what we believe concerning the Church. II Who teach that the purpose of Christ’s death was not to establish in actual fact a new covenant of grace by his blood, but only to acquire for the Father the mere right to enter once more into a covenant with humanity, whether of grace or of works. For this conflicts with Scripture, which teaches that Christ “has become the guarantee and mediator” of a better—that is, a new—covenant (Heb. 7:22; 9:15), “and that a will is in force only when someone has died” (Heb. 9:17). III Who teach that Christ, by the satisfaction which he gave, did not certainly merit for anyone salvation itself and the faith by which this satisfaction of Christ is effectively applied to salvation, but only acquired for the Father the authority or plenary will to relate in a new way with humanity and to impose such new conditions as he chose, and that the satisfying of these conditions depends on human free choice; consequently, that it was possible that either all or none would fulfill them. For they have too low an opinion of the death of Christ, do not at all acknowledge the foremost fruit or benefit which it brings forth, and summon back from hell the Pelagian error. IV Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with humanity through the intervening of Christ’s death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ’s merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life. For they contradict Scripture: “They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Rom. 3:24-25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of humanity before God, against the consensus of the whole church. V Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the grace of the covenant, so that no one on account of original sin is liable to condemnation, or is to be condemned, but that all are free from the guilt of this sin. For this opinion conflicts with Scripture which asserts that we are by nature children of wrath. VI Who make use of the distinction between obtaining and applying in order to instill in the unwary and inexperienced the opinion that God, as far as he is concerned, wished to bestow equally upon all people the benefits which are gained by Christ’s death; but that the distinction by which some rather than others come to share in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life depends on their own free choice (which applies itself to the grace offered indiscriminately) but does not depend on the unique gift of mercy which effectively works in them, so that they, rather than others, apply that grace to themselves. For, while pretending to set forth this distinction in an acceptable sense, they attempt to give the people the deadly poison of Pelagianism. VII Who teach that Christ neither could die, nor had to die, nor did die for those whom God so dearly loved and chose to eternal life, since such people do not need the death of Christ. For they contradict the apostle, who says: “Christ loved me and gave himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20), and likewise: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died,” that is, for them (Rom. 8:33-34). They also contradict the Savior, who asserts: “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15), and “My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). The Third and Fourth Main Points of Doctrine Human Corruption, Conversion to God, and the Way It Occurs Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God and were furnished in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual, in will and heart with righteousness, and in all emotions with purity; indeed, the whole human being was holy. However, rebelling against God at the devil’s instigation and by their own free will, they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts. Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds; perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills; and finally impurity in all their emotions. Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children of the same nature as themselves after the fall. That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children. The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment, from Adam and Eve to all their descendants—except for Christ alone—not by way of imitation (as in former times the Pelagians would have it) but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Article 3: Total Inability Therefore, all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin. Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall, by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral, and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior. But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him—so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society. Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness. In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law In this respect, what is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments given by God through Moses specifically to the Jews. For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because, although it does expose the magnitude of their sin and increasingly convict them of their guilt, yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery, and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Article 6: The Saving Power of the Gospel What, therefore, neither the light of nature nor the law can do, God accomplishes by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the Word or the ministry of reconciliation. This is the gospel about the Messiah, through which it has pleased God to save believers, in both the Old and the New Testaments. Article 7: God’s Freedom in Revealing the Gospel In the Old Testament, God revealed this secret of his will to a small number; in the New Testament (now without any distinction between peoples) God discloses it to a large number. The reason for this difference must not be ascribed to the greater worth of one nation over another, or to a better use of the light of nature, but to the free good pleasure and undeserved love of God. Therefore, those who receive so much grace, beyond and in spite of all they deserve, ought to acknowledge it with humble and thankful hearts. On the other hand, with the apostle they ought to adore (but certainly not inquisitively search into) the severity and justice of God’s judgments on the others, who do not receive this grace. Article 8: The Earnest Call of the Gospel Nevertheless, all who are called through the gospel are called earnestly. For urgently and most genuinely God makes known in the Word what is pleasing to him: that those who are called should come to God. God also earnestly promises rest for their souls and eternal life to all who do come and believe. Article 9: Human Responsibility for Rejecting the Gospel The fact that many who are called through the ministry of the gospel do not come and are not brought to conversion must not be blamed on the gospel, nor on Christ, who is offered through the gospel, nor on God, who calls them through the gospel and even bestows various gifts on them, but on the people themselves who are called. Some in self-assurance do not even entertain the Word of life; others do entertain it but do not take it to heart, and for that reason, after the fleeting joy of a temporary faith, they relapse; others choke the seed of the Word with the thorns of life’s cares and with the pleasures of the world and bring forth no fruits. This our Savior teaches in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13). Article 10: Conversion as the Work of God The fact that others who are called through the ministry of the gospel do come and are brought to conversion must not be credited to human effort, as though one distinguishes oneself by free choice from others who are furnished with equal or sufficient grace for faith and conversion (as the proud heresy of Pelagius maintains). No, it must be credited to God: just as from eternity God chose his own in Christ, so within time God effectively calls them, grants them faith and repentance, and, having rescued them from the dominion of darkness, brings them into the kingdom of his Son, in order that they may declare the wonderful deeds of the One who called them out of darkness into this marvelous light, and may boast not in themselves, but in the Lord, as apostolic words frequently testify in Scripture. Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion Moreover, when God carries out this good pleasure in the elect, or works true conversion in them, God not only sees to it that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly, and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God, but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, God also penetrates into the inmost being, opens the closed heart, softens the hard heart, and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised. God infuses new qualities into the will, making the dead will alive, the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant. God activates and strengthens the will so that, like a good tree, it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Article 12: Regeneration a Supernatural Work And this is the regeneration, the new creation, the raising from the dead, and the making alive so clearly proclaimed in the Scriptures, which God works in us without our help. But this certainly does not happen only by outward teaching, by moral persuasion, or by such a way of working that, after God’s work is done, it remains in human power whether or not to be reborn or converted. Rather, it is an entirely supernatural work, one that is at the same time most powerful and most pleasing, a marvelous, hidden, and inexpressible work, which is not less than or inferior in power to that of creation or of raising the dead, as Scripture (inspired by the author of this work) teaches. As a result, all those in whose hearts God works in this marvelous way are certainly, unfailingly, and effectively reborn and do actually believe. And then the will, now renewed, is not only activated and motivated by God, but in being activated by God is also itself active. For this reason, people themselves, by that grace which they have received, are also rightly said to believe and to repent. Article 13: The Incomprehensible Way of Regeneration In this life believers cannot fully understand the way this work occurs; meanwhile, they rest content with knowing and experiencing that, by this grace of God, they do believe with the heart and love their Savior. Article 14: The Way God Gives Faith In this way, therefore, faith is a gift of God, not in the sense that it is offered by God for people to choose, but that it is in actual fact bestowed on them, breathed and infused into them. Nor is it a gift in the sense that God bestows only the potential to believe, but then awaits assent—the act of believing—by human choice; rather, it is a gift in the sense that God who works both willing and acting and, indeed, works all things in all people and produces in them both the will to believe and the belief itself. Article 15: Responses to God’s Grace God does not owe this grace to anyone. For what could God owe to those who have nothing to give that can be paid back? Indeed, what could God owe to those who have nothing of their own to give but sin and falsehood? Therefore those who receive this grace owe and give eternal thanks to God alone; those who do not receive it either do not care at all about these spiritual things and are satisfied with themselves in their condition, or else in self-assurance foolishly boast about having something which they lack. Furthermore, following the example of the apostles, we are to think and to speak in the most favorable way about those who outwardly profess their faith and better their lives, for the inner chambers of the heart are unknown to us. But for others who have not yet been called, we are to pray to the God who calls things that do not exist as though they did. In no way, however, are we to pride ourselves as better than they, as though we had distinguished ourselves from them. Article 16: Regeneration’s Effect However, just as by the fall humans did not cease to be human, endowed with intellect and will, and just as sin, which has spread through the whole human race, did not abolish the nature of the human race but distorted and spiritually killed it, so also this divine grace of regeneration does not act in people as if they were blocks and stones; nor does it abolish the will and its properties or coerce a reluctant will by force, but spiritually revives, heals, reforms, and—in a manner at once pleasing and powerful—bends it back. As a result, a ready and sincere obedience of the Spirit now begins to prevail where before the rebellion and resistance of the flesh were completely dominant. In this the true and spiritual restoration and freedom of our will consists. Thus, if the marvelous Maker of every good thing were not dealing with us, we would have no hope of getting up from our fall by our own free choice, by which we plunged ourselves into ruin when still standing upright. Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life does not rule out but requires the use of means, by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power, so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel, which God in great wisdom has appointed to be the seed of regeneration and the food of the soul. For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God, to give God the glory and to humble all pride, and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people, by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel, under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline. So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together. For grace is bestowed through admonitions, and the more readily we perform our duty, the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is, and the better that work advances. To God alone, both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness, all glory is owed forever. Amen. Rejection of the Errors Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that, properly speaking, it cannot be said that original sin in itself is enough to condemn the whole human race or to warrant temporal and eternal punishments. For they contradict the apostle when he says: “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death passed on to all people because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12); also: “The guilt followed one sin and brought condemnation” (Rom. 5:16); likewise: “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). II Who teach that the spiritual gifts or the good dispositions and virtues such as goodness, holiness, and righteousness could not have resided in the human will at creation, and therefore could not have been separated from the will at the fall. For this conflicts with the apostle’s description of the image of God in Ephesians 4:24, where he portrays the image in terms of righteousness and holiness, which definitely reside in the will. III Who teach that in spiritual death the spiritual gifts have not been separated from human will, since the will in itself has never been corrupted but only hindered by the darkness of the mind and the unruliness of the emotions, and since the will is able to exercise its innate free capacity once these hindrances are removed, which is to say, it is able of itself to will or choose whatever good is set before it—or else not to will or choose it. This is a novel idea and an error and has the effect of elevating the power of free choice, contrary to the words of Jeremiah the prophet: “The heart itself is deceitful above all things and wicked” (Jer. 17:9); and of the words of the apostle: “All of us also lived among them” (the children of disobedience) “at one time in the passions of our flesh, following the will of our flesh and thoughts” (Eph. 2:3). IV Who teach that unregenerate humanity is not strictly or totally dead in sin or deprived of all capacity for spiritual good but is able to hunger and thirst for righteousness or life and to offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit which is pleasing to God. For these views are opposed to the plain testimonies of Scripture: “You were dead in your transgressions and sins” (Eph. 2:1, 5); “The imagination of the thoughts of the human heart is only evil all the time” (Gen. 6:5; 8:21). Besides, to hunger and thirst for deliverance from misery and for life, and to offer God the sacrifice of a broken spirit is characteristic only of the regenerate and of those called blessed (Ps. 51:17; Matt. 5:6). V Who teach that corrupt and natural humanity can make such good use of common grace (by which they mean the light of nature) or of the gifts remaining after the fall that they are able thereby gradually to obtain a greater grace—evangelical or saving grace—as well as salvation itself; and that in this way God, for his part, shows himself ready to reveal Christ to all people, since God provides to all, to a sufficient extent and in an effective manner, the means necessary for the revealing of Christ, for faith, and for repentance. For Scripture, not to mention the experience of all ages, testifies that this is false: “He makes known his words to Jacob, his statutes and his laws to Israel; he has done this for no other nation, and they do not know his laws” (Ps. 147:19-20); “In the past God let all nations go their own way” (Acts 14:16); “They” (Paul and his companions) “were kept by the Holy Spirit from speaking God’s word in Asia”; and “When they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit would not allow them to” (Acts 16:6-7). VI Who teach that in the true conversion of men and women new qualities, dispositions, or gifts cannot be infused or poured into their will by God, and indeed that the faith [or believing] by which we first come to conversion and from which we receive the name “believers” is not a quality or gift infused by God, but only a human act, and that it cannot be called a gift except in respect to the power of attaining faith. For these views contradict the Holy Scriptures, which testify that God does infuse or pour into our hearts the new qualities of faith, obedience, and the experiencing of his love: “I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33); “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring” (Isa. 44:3); “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5). They also conflict with the continuous practice of the Church, which prays with the prophet: “Convert me, Lord, and I shall be converted” (Jer. 31:18). VII Who teach that the grace by which we are converted to God is nothing but a gentle persuasion, or (as others explain it) that the way of God’s acting in conversion that is most noble and suited to human nature is that which happens by persuasion, and that nothing prevents this grace of moral persuasion even by itself from making the natural person spiritual; indeed, that God does not produce the assent of the will except in this manner of moral persuasion, and that the effectiveness of God’s work by which it surpasses the work of Satan consists in the fact that God promises eternal benefits while Satan promises temporal ones. For this teaching is entirely Pelagian and contrary to the whole of Scripture, which recognizes besides this persuasion also another, far more effective and divine way in which the Holy Spirit acts in human conversion. As Ezekiel 36:26 puts it: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; and I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. . . .” VIII Who teach that God in regenerating people does not bring to bear that power of his omnipotence whereby God may powerfully and unfailingly bend the human will to faith and conversion, but that even when God has accomplished all the works of grace which he uses for their conversion, they nevertheless can, and in actual fact often do, so resist God and the Spirit in their intent and will to regenerate them, that they completely thwart their own rebirth; and, indeed, that it remains in their own power whether or not to be reborn. For this does away with all effective functioning of God’s grace in our conversion and subjects the activity of Almighty God to human will; it is contrary to the apostles, who teach that “we believe by virtue of the effective working of God’s mighty strength” (Eph. 1:19), and that “God fulfills the undeserved good will of his kindness and the work of faith in us with power” (2 Thess. 1:11), and likewise that “his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3). IX Who teach that grace and free choice are concurrent partial causes which cooperate to initiate conversion, and that grace does not precede—in the order of causality—the effective influence of the will; that is to say, that God does not effectively help the human will to come to conversion before that will itself motivates and determines itself. For the early church already condemned this doctrine long ago in the Pelagians, on the basis of the words of the apostle: “It does not depend on human willing or running but on God’s mercy” (Rom. 9:16); also: “Who makes you different from anyone else?” and “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Cor. 4:7); likewise: “It is God who works in you to will and act according to his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). The Fifth Main Point of Doctrine The Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, God also sets free from the dominion and slavery of sin, though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily sins of weakness arise, and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints, giving them continual cause to humble themselves before God, to flee for refuge to Christ crucified, to put the flesh to death more and more by the Spirit of supplication and by holy exercises of godliness, and to strain toward the goal of perfection, until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Article 4: The Danger of True Believers’ Falling into Serious Sins The power of God strengthening and preserving true believers in grace is more than a match for the flesh. Yet those converted are not always so activated and motivated by God that in certain specific actions they cannot by their own fault depart from the leading of grace, be led astray by the desires of the flesh, and give in to them. For this reason they must constantly watch and pray that they may not be led into temptations. When they fail to do this, not only can they be carried away by the flesh, the world, and Satan into sins, even serious and outrageous ones, but also by God’s just permission they sometimes are so carried away—witness the sad cases, described in Scripture, of David, Peter, and other saints falling into sins. Article 5: The Effects of Such Serious Sins By such monstrous sins, however, they greatly offend God, deserve the sentence of death, grieve the Holy Spirit, suspend the exercise of faith, severely wound the conscience, and sometimes lose the awareness of grace for a time—until, after they have returned to the right way by genuine repentance, God’s fatherly face again shines upon them. Article 6: God’s Saving Intervention For God, who is rich in mercy, according to the unchangeable purpose of election does not take the Holy Spirit from his own completely, even when they fall grievously. Neither does God let them fall down so far that they forfeit the grace of adoption and the state of justification, or commit the sin which leads to death (the sin against the Holy Spirit), and plunge themselves, entirely forsaken by God, into eternal ruin. Article 7: Renewal to Repentance For, in the first place, God preserves in those saints when they fall the imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Secondly, by his Word and Spirit God certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; experience again the grace of a reconciled God; through faith adore God’s mercies; and from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation So it is not by their own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that they neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in their downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to themselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen. God’s plan cannot be changed; God’s promise cannot fail; the calling according to God’s purpose cannot be revoked; the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified; and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith. By this faith they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Article 10: The Ground of This Assurance Accordingly, this assurance does not derive from some private revelation beyond or outside the Word, but from faith in the promises of God which are very plentifully revealed in the Word for our comfort, from the testimony of “the Holy Spirit testifying with our spirit that we are God’s children and heirs” (Rom. 8:16-17), and finally from a serious and holy pursuit of a clear conscience and of good works. If God’s chosen ones in this world did not have this well-founded comfort that the victory will be theirs and this reliable guarantee of eternal glory, they would be of all people most miserable. Article 11: Doubts Concerning This Assurance Meanwhile, Scripture testifies that believers have to contend in this life with various doubts of the flesh, and that under severe temptation they do not always experience this full assurance of faith and certainty of perseverance. But God, the Father of all comfort, “does not let them be tempted beyond what they can bear, but with the temptation he also provides a way out” (1 Cor. 10:13), and by the Holy Spirit revives in them the assurance of their perseverance. Article 12: This Assurance as an Incentive to Godliness This assurance of perseverance, however, so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured, is rather the true root of humility, of childlike respect, of genuine godliness, of endurance in every conflict, of fervent prayers, of steadfastness in crossbearing and in confessing the truth, and of well-founded joy in God. Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works, as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints. Article 13: Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness Neither does the renewed confidence of perseverance produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways which the Lord prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of God’s fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon that face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit. Article 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so God preserves, continues, and completes this work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Article 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it—a teaching which God has very richly revealed in the Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly, and which God impresses on the hearts of believers—is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that the church will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Rejection of the Errors Concerning the Teaching of the Perseverance of the Saints Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those I Who teach that the perseverance of true believers is not an effect of election or a gift of God produced by Christ’s death, but a condition of the new covenant which people, before what they call their “peremptory” election and justification, must fulfill by their free will. For Holy Scripture testifies that perseverance follows from election and is granted to the chosen by virtue of Christ’s death, resurrection, and intercession: “The chosen obtained it; the others were hardened” (Rom. 11:7); likewise, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not, along with him, grant us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised—who also sits at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:32-35). II Who teach that God does provide believers with sufficient strength to persevere and is ready to preserve this strength in them if they perform their duty, but that even with all those things in place which are necessary to persevere in faith and which God is pleased to use to preserve faith, it still always depends on the choice of human will whether or not to persevere. For this view is obviously Pelagian; and though it intends to make people free it makes them sacrilegious. It is against the enduring consensus of evangelical teaching which takes from humanity all cause for boasting and ascribes the praise for this benefit only to God’s grace. It is also against the testimony of the apostle: “It is God who keeps us strong to the end, so that we will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8). III Who teach that those who truly believe and have been born again not only can forfeit justifying faith as well as grace and salvation totally and to the end, but also in actual fact do often forfeit them and are lost forever. For this opinion nullifies the very grace of justification and regeneration as well as the continual preservation by Christ, contrary to the plain words of the apostle Paul: “If Christ died for us while we were still sinners, we will therefore much more be saved from God’s wrath through him, since we have now been justified by his blood” (Rom. 5:8-9); and contrary to the apostle John: “No one who is born of God is intent on sin, because God’s seed remains in him, nor can he sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9); also contrary to the words of Jesus Christ: “I give eternal life to my sheep, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). IV Who teach that those who truly believe and have been born again can commit the sin that leads to death (the sin against the Holy Spirit). For the same apostle John, after making mention of those who commit the sin that leads to death and forbidding prayer for them (1 John 5:16-17), immediately adds: “We know that anyone born of God does not commit sin” (that is, that kind of sin), “but the one who was born of God keeps himself safe, and the evil one does not touch him” (v. 18). V Who teach that apart from a special revelation no one can have the assurance of future perseverance in this life. For by this teaching the well-founded consolation of true believers in this life is taken away and the doubting of the Romanists is reintroduced into the church. Holy Scripture, however, in many places derives the assurance not from a special and extraordinary revelation but from the marks peculiar to God’s children and from God’s completely reliable promises. So especially the apostle Paul: “Nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39); and John: “They who obey his commands remain in him and he in them. And this is how we know that he remains in us: by the Spirit he gave us” (1 John 3:24). VI Who teach that the teaching of the assurance of perseverance and of salvation is by its very nature and character an opiate of the flesh and is harmful to godliness, good morals, prayer, and other holy exercises, but that, on the contrary, to have doubt about this is praiseworthy. For these people show that they do not know the effective operation of God’s grace and the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they contradict the apostle John, who asserts the opposite in plain words: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, but what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he is made known, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). Moreover, they are refuted by the examples of the saints in both the Old and the New Testament, who though assured of their perseverance and salvation yet were constant in prayer and other exercises of godliness. VII Who teach that the faith of those who believe only temporarily does not differ from justifying and saving faith except in duration alone. For Christ himself in Matthew 13:20ff. and Luke 8:13ff. clearly defines these further differences between temporary and true believers: he says that the former receive the seed on rocky ground, and the latter receive it in good ground, or a good heart; the former have no root, and the latter are firmly rooted; the former have no fruit, and the latter produce fruit in varying measure, with steadfastness, or perseverance. VIII Who teach that it is not absurd that people, after losing their former regeneration, should once again, indeed quite often, be reborn. For by this teaching they deny the imperishable nature of God’s seed by which we are born again, contrary to the testimony of the apostle Peter: “Born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable” (1 Pet. 1:23). IX Who teach that Christ nowhere prayed for an unfailing perseverance of believers in faith. For they contradict Christ himself when he says: “I have prayed for you, Peter, that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:32); and John the gospel writer when he testifies in John 17 that it was not only for the apostles, but also for all those who were to believe by their message that Christ prayed: “Holy Father, preserve them in your name” (v. 11); and “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you preserve them from the evil one” (v. 15). Conclusion Rejection of False Accusations And so this is the clear, simple, and straightforward explanation of the orthodox teaching on the five articles in dispute in the Netherlands, as well as the rejection of the errors by which the Dutch churches have for some time been disturbed. This explanation and rejection the Synod declares to be derived from God’s Word and in agreement with the confessions of the Reformed churches. Hence it clearly appears that those of whom one could hardly expect it have shown no truth, equity, and charity at all in wishing to make the public believe: that the teaching of the Reformed churches on predestination and on the points associated with it by its very nature and tendency draws the minds of people away from all godliness and religion, is an opiate of the flesh and the devil, and is a stronghold where Satan lies in wait for all people, wounds most of them, and fatally pierces many of them with the arrows of both despair and self-assurance; that this teaching makes God the author of sin, unjust, a tyrant, and a hypocrite; and is nothing but a refurbished Stoicism, Manicheism, Libertinism, and Turkism*; that this teaching makes people carnally self-assured, since it persuades them that nothing endangers the salvation of the elect, no matter how they live, so that they may commit the most outrageous crimes with self-assurance; and that on the other hand nothing is of use to the reprobate for salvation even if they have truly performed all the works of the saints; that this teaching means that God predestined and created, by the bare and unqualified choice of his will, without the least regard or consideration of any sin, the greatest part of the world to eternal condemnation; that in the same manner in which election is the source and cause of faith and good works, reprobation is the cause of unbelief and ungodliness; that many infant children of believers are snatched in their innocence from their mothers’ breasts and cruelly cast into hell so that neither the blood of Christ nor their baptism nor the prayers of the church at their baptism can be of any use to them; and very many other slanderous accusations of this kind which the Reformed churches not only disavow but even denounce with their whole heart. Therefore this Synod of Dort in the name of the Lord pleads with all who devoutly call on the name of our Savior Jesus Christ to form their judgment about the faith of the Reformed churches, not on the basis of false accusations gathered from here or there, or even on the basis of the personal statements of a number of ancient and modern authorities—statements which are also often either quoted out of context or misquoted and twisted to convey a different meaning—but on the basis of the churches’ own official confessions and of the present explanation of the orthodox teaching which has been endorsed by the unanimous consent of the members of the whole Synod, one and all. Moreover, the Synod earnestly warns the false accusers themselves to consider how heavy a judgment of God awaits those who give false testimony against so many churches and their confessions, trouble the consciences of the weak, and seek to prejudice the minds of many against the fellowship of true believers. Finally, this Synod urges all fellow ministers in the gospel of Christ to deal with this teaching in a godly and reverent manner, in the academic institutions as well as in the churches; to do so, both in their speaking and writing, with a view to the glory of God’s name, holiness of life, and the comfort of anxious souls; to think and also speak with Scripture according to the analogy of faith; and, finally, to refrain from all those ways of speaking which go beyond the bounds set for us by the genuine sense of the Holy Scriptures and which could give impertinent sophists a just occasion to scoff at the teaching of the Reformed churches or even to bring false accusations against it. May God’s Son Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of God and gives gifts to humanity, sanctify us in the truth, lead to the truth those who err, silence the mouths of those who lay false accusations against sound teaching, and equip faithful ministers of God’s Word with a spirit of wisdom and discretion, that all they say may be to the glory of God and the building up of their hearers. Amen. *Islam

The Judgement Is Real May 25, 2025 The Judgement Is Real Sermon Series: Standalone Download PDF Psalm 5 Main Idea Contend for the faith because the judgement is real Outline The judgement is real upon all creation (vv5-7) The judgement is real so be on guard (vv8-13) The judgement is real because so is justice (vv14-16) Discussion Questions In verses 1–3, David begins with prayer. Why do you think David emphasizes prayer before addressing justice? How should God’s hatred of evil affect the way we view sin in our own lives? What contrasts are drawn between the wicked and the righteous in this psalm? David approaches God "through the abundance of your steadfast love” in verse seven. What does this reveal about how we can come before a holy and just God in worship? What do verses 9–10 teach us about the destructive power of sin, especially with our words? APPLICATION QUESTIONS: Where in your life do you need to trust God instead of taking matters into your own hands?Think about situations where you're tempted to act out of anger, impatience, or frustration. How can you practically surrender those to God this week? Looking Forward Prayer Focus

Peace Church is seeking a full-time Campus Pastor to implement and embody the Peace Church vision in Hastings. The Lord Jesus gave his church a mission to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). Peace has a vision to make disciples by multiplying the number of gospel- centered, family-focused, and kingdom-minded churches in the region. Peace intends to plant local campuses that will grow into self-sufficient churches and develop into a family of local churches that share a common DNA. Most importantly, this DNA will include a passion to boldly preach the Word of God. The Campus Pastor will work alongside other Peace Church leaders to launch a campus in Hastings. The Campus Pastor will lead campus staff and volunteers, execute weekend services, lead other aspects of the campus ministry, and be a champion of the Peace DNA in a new community. A fitting candidate will have a deep love for Jesus, a love for the beliefs, vision, culture, and people of Peace Church, be humble and teachable, be passionate about bringing the gospel to Hastings, and possess gifts of preaching and leadership. Peace Church loves the gospel, desires to be faithful to God’s Word, seeks to develop leaders, and is passionate about reaching families. Peace is a growing family of churches located just south of Grand Rapids, Michigan in a rapidly growing area. Average Sunday worship attendance is around 3000 across 2 campuses, Peace Middleville (main campus) & Peace Wayland. For more information, see peacechurch.cc. Campus Pastor (Hastings) About Peace Church Peace Church, located just south of Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a vibrant community of believers dedicated to spreading the gospel and serving the needs of our congregation and the wider community. Founded in 1965 as an RCA church, Peace Church has since transitioned to a nondenominational congregation. Our theological roots are deeply Reformed, and we pride ourselves on being conservative and gospel-centered in our teachings and practices. Our commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ drives us to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and spiritual growth is nurtured. We are proud to share that our dedication to spreading God's word and our community outreach efforts have not gone unnoticed. For another year, Peace Church has made Outreach Magazine's list of 100 Fastest Growing Churches. Our church is not just a place of worship; it's a community. From our passionate worship services to our engaging community events, every aspect of Peace Church is designed to bring people closer to God and each other. Function Accountability Jon Delger Executive Pastor of the Peace Family of Churches Commitment Qualifications Have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and agree with the Peace Church statements of faith. Actively support the mission, vision and leadership of Peace Church. Humble, Hungry, and People-Smart (see Patrick Lencioni, The Idea Team Player) . Able to work within the organizational structure of Peace Church. Able to effectively manage staff and voluteer teams. Possess strong preaching and teaching voice. Passionate about working with a team. Able to independently organize, plan, and execute projects within a given deadline. Possess strong organization skills. Possess strong conflict-mangement skills. Possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. Flexilbe and adaptable. Able to maintain confidentiality as needed. Education: bachelor or master degree in bible, theology, or ministry preferred. Responsibilities A. Spearhead the pre-launch phase of the campus plant Includes such items as: 1. Host informational meetings. 2. Develop a launch team. 3. Develop relationships within the plant community. 4. Champion the campus plant at Peace Middleville. 5. Make all necessary preparations for campus launch. B. Develop and lead the campus ministry team Includes such items as: 1. Lead and direct all campus staff. 2. Cast vision, recruit, train, and lead volunteers. C. Execute the campus weekend encounter Includes such items as: 1. Direct weekend services under the leadership of the Lead Pastor. 2. Preach sermons under the leadership of the Lead Pastor. 3. Ensure all components of the weekend encounter align with the vision and standard of excellence of Peace Church, including hospitality, kids ministry, communications, and more. D. Lead other aspects of the campus ministry Includes such items as: 1. Steward campus resources. 2. Provide pastoral care to members/attenders of the campus. 3. Plan and host other campus-related events or initiatives. 4. Facilitate strong communication between the campuses of Peace Church. 5. Work alongside staff leaders at Peace Middleville to deploy effective Peace ministries in the campus area, such as Hospitality, Kids Ministry, Community Groups, and Communications. E. Provide cross-functional leadership and support Includes such items as: 1. Work cooperatively with other staff leaders to dream big, solve problems, and contribute to the ministry of Peace Church as a whole. 2. Help foster a healthy staff culture according to the Peace Staff DNA. 3. Participate in other cross-functional projects and initiatives. 4. Participate in the pastoral team, offering such services as weddings, funerals, and pastoral counseling. Professional Expectations Includes such items as: 1. Participate as a team member in the Peace Staff, attending staff chapel, retreats, meetings, etc. 2. Participate in the life of Peace Church, attending worship and important events. 3. Must be or become a member of Peace Church. 4. Exhibit character consistent with a follower of Jesus in a church leadership role. 5. Participate in plans for personal/professional development as directed by the Lead or Executive Pastor. Apply Now First name Last name Email Phone Position Cover Letter Upload File PDF Only Resume* Upload File PDF Only References* Upload File PDF Only I am in agreement with the beliefs of Peace Church . * Submit

5b285e03-05ef-46b4-b884-c3c9db74f8ec Brave Girls Upcoming Events Connect your young girl to God's truth through Brave Girls! This fun, high-energy ministry meets in the Chapel and encourages 1st-3rd grade girls to know Jesus Christ and grow in their relationship with Him. (4th-5th graders meet in the Venue for Bold and Brave ). Each session includes Bible stories, Scripture memory, life application, games, and crafts, all teaching the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Schedule - 6:15-6:30 PM: Check-in - 6:30-8:00 PM: Program - 8:00PM: Pick-up Remember to keep your parent pick-up tag for retrieval at the end of the night. Parent Resource List Bold and Brave Go Bold Boys Go Peace Kids Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Kristi Timmerman Brave Girls Coordinator Contact Us Go Interested in Serving? Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Kristi Timmerman Brave Girls Coordinator Interested in Serving? Go Contact Kid's Ministry Admin Go Learn More Kristi Timmerman Brave Girls Coordinator Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Interested in Serving? Go

0d292ae7-8ca9-4e17-826b-372855b0928b Community Groups Upcoming Events At Peace Church, as we continue to grow bigger, Community Groups are how we stay connected and build meaningful relationships. In these smaller, welcoming gatherings, you’ll find a place where you can be known and cared for—whether you’re new to faith or have been following Christ for years. Community Groups are designed to help you grow both in community and in your walk with God. Each group looks a little different—some dive deep into Bible studies, while others focus on prayer, service, or sharing life together. No matter the format, every group emphasizes building relationships and supporting one another through the highs and lows of life. Community groups meet weekly or bi-weekly and are where discipleship truly happens. You don’t need to have all the answers or be a seasoned Christian—everyone is welcome. It’s a great way to get connected, grow spiritually, and experience genuine care and community. We invite you to join a group and discover the connection, care, and spiritual growth we all need. Join A Community Group Become a Community Group Leader 55+ Go Men Go Women Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Chelsea Bennett Community Director Contact Us Go Interested in Serving? Go Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Chelsea Bennett Community Director Interested in Serving? Go Contact the Community Director Go Learn More Chelsea Bennett Community Director Learn More Ashley Zimmerman Hospitality Coordinator Stay Connected Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on social media for the latest ministry updates. Newsletter Sign Up Interested in Serving? Go

Logan Family Pastor Logan Bailey Pastor Logan has been at Peace since 2017. Originally from Davison, Michigan, he lives in Hastings, Michigan, with his family. They have a small hobby farm with dogs, chickens, and quail, and enjoy gardening. In his free time, Logan loves to go fishing and spend time with close friends. His favorite Bible passage is Psalm 23. Contact the Family Ministry Admin

Weddings Peace Church is happy to participate in instituting Christian marriages for believers in Jesus Christ. Marriage is a covenant, designed by God, and modeled after Christ and His relationship with His church. It is the lifelong and faithful union of one man and one woman before God. The purpose of a Christian marriage is to glorify God in reflecting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world through the marriage relationship. 01. Couples desiring to be married at Peace Church must be Christians. (2 Corinthians 6:14) 02. At least one individual must be a member of Peace Church. 03. The couple must agree to remain sexually abstinent and live separately until marriage. 04. The couple must participate in pre-marital counseling (3-5 sessions) with a Peace Church pastor. To allow time for this, wedding applications should be submitted at least 3 months in advance of the wedding date. 05. If one or both person(s) has been married before, their union must conform to the biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage. Peace Church holds to the biblical teachings that remarriage is only permissible following a divorce caused by adultery or abandonment by a nonbeliever (which includes abuse). Requirements We're serious about marriage at Peace Church. Therefore, the requirements to be married by a Peace Church Pastor are as follows: Wedding Application Process The first step in the process is to fill out the wedding application. A Peace Church staff member will contact you following your application submission. Wedding Policy and Pricing Go Wedding Application Go

Who Are My Mother and My Brothers? July 19, 2026 Who Are My Mother and My Brothers? Sermon Series: Questions Download PDF Mark 3:31-35 31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Main Idea THE FAMILY OF GOD IS FOUND AMONG THOSE DOING THE WILL OF GOD. Outline JESUS HAD FAMILY, BUT ALSO HAD A SPIRITUAL FOCUS (VV31–32) JESUS HAD FANS, BUT ALSO HAD A SPIRITUAL FAMILY (VV33–35) Discussion Questions JESUS HAD FAMILY, BUT ALSO HAD A SPIRITUAL FOCUS (VV31–32) Why do you think Jesus continued teaching instead of immediately stopping to meet with His family? What does this passage teach us about keeping God's mission at the center of our lives? Why is it important to love our families without making them the ultimate priority? How can even good things, like family, become idols if we're not careful? Where do you find it most difficult to keep your spiritual priorities ahead of competing responsibilities? How can you intentionally pursue God's mission this week in the midst of your daily responsibilities? JESUS HAD FANS, BUT ALSO HAD A SPIRITUAL FAMILY (VV33–35) Why do you think Jesus asked, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" What is the difference between being interested in Jesus and belonging to the family of God? According to Jesus, what identifies someone as part of God's family? How does this passage challenge the idea that simply attending church or identifying as a Christian is enough? What does it mean to "do the will of God," and how is that different from trying to earn God's acceptance? What evidence do you see in your own life that your faith is producing obedience? Looking Forward Jesus teaches that His family is made up of those who do the will of God. What is one specific area where God is calling you to take a step of obedience this week as an expression of your love for Him? Prayer Focus Pray for… A deeper love for God that results in joyful obedience Wisdom to keep Christ and His mission as our highest priority Healthy relationships with our families that honor both God and one another Freedom from legalism and confidence in God's grace Hearts that obey God because we love Him, not because we are trying to earn His acceptance Humility to recognize our complete dependence on Christ Unity within the family of God as brothers and sisters in Christ A growing desire to encourage and serve our spiritual family Faith that is demonstrated through everyday obedience Gratitude that we have been welcomed into God's family by grace through faith in Jesus