Sovereign Grace Community Church, Abuja

Reflecting on Mark 9:14–29, we considered the desperate cry of a father alongside the matchless glory and redeeming gentleness of Christ. His plea, “I believe; help my unbelief,” reminds us that saving faith does not depend upon its own strength, but upon the infinite greatness of its Object.

The passage is not a manual on exorcism, nor does it present faith as a tool for compelling God to fulfil our desires. Rather, it points us to Christ, our Sovereign Redeemer who has defeated the adversary. Jesus’ rebuke of a “faithless generation” also exposes our tendency to profess faith while looking to the world to fix what only God can heal.

We were challenged to consider where we turn in desperation. Rather than allowing our doubts and fears to drive us away from the Saviour, we are called to turn to Jesus through consistent study of His Word and prayer, confidently approaching the throne of grace.

During Sunday School, we considered God’s design in creating believers as embodied worshippers from Romans 12:1. Rather than treating worship as merely a mental or vocal exercise, Scripture calls us to present the entirety of our embodied existence to God as a living sacrifice.

In corporate worship, Scripture neither calls for lifeless rigidity nor the carnal manufacturing of outward expressions. Joy, awe, and godly sorrow are holy affections produced by the Holy Spirit through truth and may find physical expression through standing, kneeling, lifting hands, or loud praise. Such expressions are to remain grounded in liberty, covenant love, wisdom, and biblical order.

We were challenged to consider whether our worship is restrained by temperament, tradition, or culture. Since our entire being belongs to our faithful Saviour, our desire should be for truth-filled worship in which our minds, hearts, and bodies are fully surrendered to God.

Reflecting on 2 Kings 5:20–27 and 1 Timothy 6:5–10, we considered the tragic spiritual shipwreck of Gehazi alongside the sovereign conversion of Naaman. Though Gehazi lived in close proximity to the things of God as Elisha’s servant, his love of money led him to use the name of the Lord for personal material gain.

Scripture does not teach that money itself is evil, but warns against the love of money. Gehazi’s life shows how this love can corrupt true religion, turn ministry into a means of personal gain, consume our devotion, and ultimately make a shipwreck of our faith. In contrast, Naaman’s conversion displays God’s sovereign grace, reaching across nations and social classes and overcoming human pride.

We were challenged to examine our own hearts: Do we measure our worth by our possessions? Has love for money displaced our devotion to Christ? Riches offer only an illusion of freedom and security; our greatest treasure and true satisfaction are found in Christ.

Walking in God's Law: A Study of the 10 Commandments- Command No 10 (Part2) | Bible Study

Concluding our five-part series on The Life of Hezekiah, we considered 2 Kings 20:12–20 and how pride expresses itself through our actions and to our detriment. Pride can appear as ingratitude, entitlement, prayerlessness, self-dependence, and vainglory—an insatiable desire to fill the minds of others with thoughts of ourselves.

Pride leaves us susceptible to flattery, gives us misplaced priorities, blinds us to warning signs, and breeds insensitivity in our hearts. God therefore puts us through tests that expose what we harbour within, with prosperity often proving as much a test of character as adversity is of endurance.

We were left to consider the time God has given us in light of Christ. As Pastor Martin reiterated, “Hezekiah’s prayer earned him 15 more years, but Christ’s prayer earned us eternity. What are we doing with the time we have now?”

Beginning our three-part series, Music in Worship (The Regulative Principle), we considered the place of singing in true worship and the important principles that should guide the songs we offer to God. The lyrics we sing should be true, clear, and proclaim the Word of God, while being understandable to the congregation.

Singing in worship is both vertical and horizontal: we sing to God while encouraging one another to join in worship. In the same way, the choir should not be treated merely as a performance, but should excellently model singing in a way that inspires the congregation to participate.

We were reminded that the spirit of New Testament worship should be God-centred and accessible. This includes embracing gospel-centred songs in local languages, simplifying lyrics for understanding, and encouraging new expressions that promote genuineness and a true connection to God as we worship together.

Walking in God's Law: A Study of the 10 Commandments- Command No 10 (Part 1) | Bible Study

The Life of Hezekiah- The Battle Belongs to the Lord: II Kings 19: 20-37 | Lord's Day Sermon

Walking in God's Law: A Study of the 10 Commandments- Command No 9 (Part 2) | Bible Study