A collection of videos going through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, one question at a time…
Walking Through Westminster – An Introduction
Ever wondered why you're here? Who God is? What is He like? How does He want you to live? The Westminster Shorter Catechism was designed intentionally to answer these questions and many more…Join Pastor Keith every Monday for this weekly video series: "Walking Through Westminster" as we go, question by question, through the Shorter Catechism. The videos will be short, but we pray that the impact will be big!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, February 24, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #1
The first question of the Shorter Catechism starts with a supremely important question: What is our purpose as people? Why are we here? The answer given may surprise you! Join pastor Keith as we take our first steps together walking through Westminster!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Friday, February 28, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #2
The supreme authority over our lives is the Bible, God's inspired and infallible word. Above anything and anyone else we are called to submit ourselves to Scripture as the ultimate rule of faith and life. Consider this reality as we look at question 2 of the Shorter Catechism in our series "Walking Through Westminster". Q2: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?A: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, March 9, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #3
Q3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.The Bible is a book filled with details and depth. But the basics are not hard to grasp. The main things that God wants us to receive from Scripture are true things to believe about Him and how we are to live accordingly. As the apostle John said near the end of his gospel record, "These [things] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:31)
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, March 16, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #4
One of the prominent questions in the human mind is the question of God. Does He exist? If so, what is He like? These are the sorts of questions dealt with in the 4th Shorter Catechism question, "What is God?" The answer deals with the ways God is beyond us, and the ways He is near and like us. We trust that this learning and its practical applications are beneficial for you and encouraging to your hearts.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, March 23, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #5
If there is only one true God, why has mankind worshiped so many others throughout our history? Is the Bible really so intolerant as to say that there is only God we should believe in, and every other god is false? What is the good news of Biblical monotheism? Join us as we seek answers together from question 5 of the catechism, and the infallible word of God.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, March 30, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #6
In this week's video, we look at the sixth question of the Shorter Catechism, which is "How many persons are there in the Godhead?" The answer encompasses the basics of our Biblical doctrine of the Trinity; the teaching that our one and only God exists eternally and perfectly in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We pray this study is a blessing to you as we continue Walking Through Westminster!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, April 6, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #7
When human authorities make decrees, they are hit-or-miss; often a confused mix of wisdom and human foolishness. But what about God's decrees? That's the topic of the 7th Catechism question covered in this video: What are the decrees of God? The answer given is profound, and touches on one of the most difficult and misunderstood teachings of the Bible: predestination. Join us as we seek answers from God's word.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, April 13, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #8
How does God work out His divine purposes? The Catechism's answer to this question is profound and important for us today as Christians. It helps us understand the reality of miracles, the way God works in our world, and many other significant questions. We hope this study is encouraging to you in your walk with the Lord!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, April 20, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #9
Q9: What is the work of creation?A: The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.Why is there something instead of nothing? How did God create the worlds? Does it matter what we believe about creation? We find answers to these questions with this 9th video on the Shorter Catechism. We hope this encourages you to believe the Bible and all that God has said in it.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, April 27, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #10
Q10: How did God create man?A: God created man male and female, after His own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.A great deal of our modern controversies are answered by Scripture, summed up in this one question of how God created us. Whether the ongoing transgender debates, environmental extremism, atheistic views of man's insignificance, marriage and sexuality, etc. many issues of the day are addressed in the basics of this one question. Lord willing, we pray this study encourages you to greater faithfulness toward God your Creator.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, May 4, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #11
Q11. What are God's works of providence?A. God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions. Is God in control? That one question shapes so many different aspects of our lives: our hope for tomorrow, our trust in God's plan, even our prayers. The answer of the Bible, summarized in question 11 of the Shorter Catechism, is "Yes." God is most definitely in control, of all His creatures and their actions. We hope that this study leads you to greater gratitude to God and trust in His providential work!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, May 11, 2020
Walking Through Westminster – Shorter Catechism #12
Q12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?A. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.What does Adam have to do with me? What is a covenant with God and why is it bad news that I'm a covenant breaker? How does this covenant fit into the good news of Jesus Christ? We'll consider these questions and more in today's catechism study. We hope it is an encouragement to you as you follow your covenant-keeping Savior!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, May 18, 2020
Where Did It All Go Wrong? – Shorter Catechism #13
Q13. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.How does God's providence interact with human freedom? Why is it that it seems so easy for us to go astray from God? Is sin something that was forced on us, or do we choose it? Join us for today's catechism study and find answers to these questions and more! We pray this study is an encouragement to you in your walk with the Lord.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, May 25, 2020
What's So Bad About Sinning? – Shorter Catechism #14
Q14. What is sin?A. Sin is any want of conformity unto, or trangression of, the law of God. "Sin" is probably considered one of the most unsavory words of the Bible to the modern ear. When we hear it we may get all kinds of negative images in our minds: stern, disapproving preachers; hellfire and brimstone talk; any number of unappealing thoughts. But what does God say about sin? The Bible is very clear that, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) It is very important that we understand sin in God's sight, and not our own. We hope this study is encouraging to you in your walk with the Lord this week.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Tuesday, June 2, 2020
What Was So Bad About the Apple? – Shorter Catechism #15
Q15. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.It only takes one wrong step for a tight-rope walk to go wrong. In the same way, only one sin committed against God makes us guilty of sin and sinners before Him. There was only one way for our first parents, Adam and Eve, to sin against God, and they did so in open defiance and rebellion against His command. We hope this study is helpful for you today, as we remember that no sin, no matter how insignificant we may imagine it to be, is without significance in the sight of a holy God.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, June 8, 2020
What is "Original Sin"? – Shorter Catechism #16
Q16. Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression?A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.What does the behavior of our ancient ancestor Adam have to do with us today, thousands of years later? Surprisingly, a great deal! Join us today for this Catechism study revolving around the nature of what we call "original sin": the first sin of Adam in the garden that led to the corruption of all humanity. We will also see how this same relationship of covenant people and covenant representatives is transformed into good news through the covenant headship of Jesus Christ.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, June 15, 2020
Why Are We So Unhappy? – Shorter Catechism #17
Q17. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.The fall brought mankind into a vicious cylce of sin and misery. Like an addict, sinners commit sin, which makes us miserable, then we try to fix our misery with more sin, making us more miserable, repeat ad infinitum. The good news is that Jesus came to save sinners from their sin, and the misery of their sin. He came to give true and everlasting joy and happiness. May you be blessed this week with that true joy that only comes from knowing Jesus!
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, June 22, 2020
Vipers in Diapers? – Shorter Catechism #18
Q18. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?A. The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called "original sin"; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.We've talked a lot about original sin so far. But how do we get the label "sinners"? Do we become sinners by committing sin? Or do we commit sin because we are sinners? We'll deal some with those questions and more in today's Walking Through Westminster study. We hope this study leads you to a great appreciation for God's grace and free love to sinners in Jesus His Son.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, June 29, 2020
And I Think to Myself, "What a Miserable World" – Shorter Catechism #19
Q19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. "If I ever murdered somebody, I dare say it might be an Optimist…I can't help sometimes feeling that the perpetually cheerful want an occasional glass of wine to sadden them." -Father BrownIt can be hard for us to acknowledge the misery of life. The social norm, at least for Americans, is to always be "fine." But we aren't fine. Life sucks a lot of the time. In spite of our best efforts, it seems destined to stay that way, too. Our catechism question today acknowledges this reality, and points out how it results from our fall into sin, our loss of God's friendship, and the just punishment awaiting us apart from Christ.
Posted by Trinity Chapel Charlotte on Monday, July 6, 2020