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  1. Begin with God’s Saving Work

    What is Calvinism?

    Calvinism describes God’s sovereign work in saving sinners. The five points address our need, God’s election, Christ’s atonement, the Spirit’s calling, and the preservation of believers. Together they explain why salvation depends on God’s mercy and action. We bring our sin and need; he gives life, righteousness, and forgiveness. These doctrines shape how we pray, preach the gospel, and care for weak believers. They belong within the wider teaching of Scripture about Christ and his church.

    Key terms

    Doctrines of Grace
    A name for the five teachings commonly summarized as Calvinism.
    Monergism
    The teaching that God alone brings sinners from spiritual death to life.
    Article · Lesson SourceWhat Is Calvinism?The doctrines of grace and God’s work in saving sinners.Open article →

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    For Reflection

    1. How does God’s saving work shape the way a church preaches?
    2. Which of the five points do you most want to understand?

  2. Understand Total Depravity

    How deeply has sin affected us?

    Sin affects every part of human life, including our desires, judgment, and will. Total depravity describes this reach of sin and our inability to give ourselves spiritual life. It does not mean every person commits every possible evil. Christians also continue to struggle with remaining sin. An honest account of our condition teaches dependence on mercy and the need for confession, correction, and care within the church.

    Key terms

    Total Depravity
    Sin affects every part of us; we cannot make ourselves spiritually alive.
    Remaining Sin
    The corruption believers continue to fight in this life.
    Episode · Lesson SourceThe Dark Side of ChristianityA conversation about depravity and the reality of sin.Open episode →

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    For Reflection

    1. How does remaining sin affect your expectations of yourself and other Christians?
    2. How can a church take sin seriously while making honest confession possible?

  3. Consider God’s Choice in Christ

    Does election lead us toward confidence or speculation?

    Election is God’s gracious choice of his people in Christ. Ephesians 1:3–14 places that choice before the foundation of the world and joins it to adoption, redemption, and the Spirit’s seal. God’s choice rests in his purpose and grace. The passage gives believers reason to praise him for salvation. Read election together with Christ’s saving work and his promise to receive those who come to him, rather than trying to discover a hidden reason for his mercy.

    Key terms

    Unconditional Election
    God’s choice to save rests in his gracious purpose, rather than foreseen merit.
    Predestination
    God’s determination beforehand of his people’s adoption and inheritance in Christ.
    Episode · Lesson SourceHow does covenant theology encourage assurance and rest in Christ?God’s saving purpose in Ephesians 1.Open episode →

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    For Reflection

    1. What does Ephesians 1:3–14 say God chose his people for?
    2. Which part of the passage gives you a question to discuss with your pastor?

  4. Ask What the Cross Accomplished

    What does particular atonement claim about Christ’s death?

    Christ’s death accomplishes the redemption of his people. Particular atonement emphasizes the effective purpose of his sacrifice: the Savior gives his life for his sheep and secures their salvation. His death deals with their guilt and reconciles them to God. John 6:37–40 joins the Father’s gift of a people to the Son with Christ’s promise to receive and preserve them. That promise gives sinners confidence to come to him.

    Key terms

    Particular Atonement
    The teaching that Christ’s death secures the salvation of the people he came to redeem.
    Atonement
    Christ’s sacrificial work dealing with sin and reconciling sinners to God.
    Episode · Lesson SourceLimited Atonement (Calvinism Series)The purpose and accomplishment of Christ’s death.Open episode →

    For Reflection

    1. How does accomplishing redemption differ from making salvation possible?
    2. How do the promises in John 6:37–40 shape the pastoral use of this doctrine?

  5. Understand the Spirit’s Call

    How does someone who is spiritually dead come to faith?

    A person who is spiritually dead cannot produce new life from within. The Holy Spirit gives that life and brings sinners to faith through the gospel. Effectual calling names this gracious work: God opens the heart to receive Christ, and the person truly believes. The power of conversion belongs to God. We therefore speak the gospel plainly and pray for his work, trusting him to accomplish what persuasion alone cannot do.

    Key terms

    Effectual Calling
    God’s work through his Word and Spirit that brings sinners to faith in Christ.
    Regeneration
    The new spiritual life given by the Holy Spirit.
    Article · Lesson SourceHow Does God Bring Us to Faith?Regeneration, effectual calling, and the Spirit’s work through the gospel.Open article →

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    For Reflection

    1. How does the account of spiritual death explain the need for the Spirit’s work?
    2. What might change if evangelism depended on God’s power rather than your persuasiveness?

  6. Trust God to Keep His People

    What happens when believers falter?

    God preserves his people in faith through their lives. Abraham’s failures and the disciples’ fear show that believers remain weak and capable of serious sin. God’s faithfulness gives them reason to return to him. Perseverance includes repentance, correction, and the care of other believers. It does not promise a life without stumbling. Our hope rests in the Savior who sustains his people and calls them to continue trusting him.

    Key terms

    Perseverance of the Saints
    God preserves his people so that they continue in faith to the end.
    Preservation
    God’s faithful care that sustains believers, including through weakness and correction.
    Episode · Lesson SourceWhen the Faithful FalterAbraham, the disciples, and the Lord’s faithfulness.Open episode →

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    For Reflection

    1. How can you recognize God’s faithfulness to Abraham without making Abraham’s sin harmless?
    2. How might God’s faithfulness affect the way you encourage a faltering friend?

  7. Pray and Speak of Christ

    Why pray or evangelize if God is sovereign?

    God’s sovereignty gives us reason to pray. He knows our needs, rules over our circumstances, and invites us to ask him for help. Prayer is one of the means he gives his people, expressing their dependence on him. The same confidence shapes evangelism. We can love our neighbors and speak of Christ without assuming that their conversion depends on our skill. God works through the gospel we share, and we trust him with the result.

    Key terms

    Sovereignty
    God’s authority and rule over creation and salvation.
    Means
    The ways God appoints to carry out his purposes, including prayer and gospel proclamation.
    Episode · Lesson SourceHow does God's sovereignty mesh with prayer?Why God’s rule encourages prayer.Open episode →

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    For Reflection

    1. How does Jesus’ invitation to pray answer the concern that prayer is pointless?
    2. Who could you pray for and care for this week?

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