The 10 Commandments
No Coveting: From Craving to Contentment in Christ
Continuing our series on the Ten Commandments, this message from Deuteronomy 5:21 examines the tenth commandment—”You shall not covet”—which targets the heart’s sinful desires for what belongs to others. We consider coveting with idolatry and envy, its subtle symptoms in our thoughts, pursuits, and speech, and its deadliness. The remedy is found not in self-effort but in the cross of Christ, leading to true contentment: a calm delight in God’s provision, presence, and promises, satisfied fully in Jesus rather than…
No False Witness: From Lies that Wound to Truth that Builds
Continuing our series on the Ten Commandments, this sermon explores Deuteronomy 5:20 and its prohibition against bearing false witness. We consider the unique evil of lies that condemn the innocent, the rare biblical exceptions for protecting life, and the positive call to be people of truth who build up others in love, defend the vulnerable, and proclaim the gospel as faithful witnesses for Christ.
Don’t Steal: From Sin to Dominion in Christ
In this message on the eighth commandment we explore the profound breadth of what God prohibits: not only outright theft of possessions, but also cheating, exploiting others, withholding fair wages, piracy, kidnapping, and even robbing God himself. Far more than forbidding wrongdoing, this command protects the God-given right to personal property and freedom as the foundation for exercising dominion in his created order. We also see that the gospel transforms us: we turn from theft and become givers through hard…
Hate the Sin, Love the Savior
In this message from our series on the Ten Commandments, we examine the seventh commandment—”You shall not commit adultery” (Deut. 5:18)—and discover why sexual sin in all its forms (lust, fornication, adultery, and more) is especially heinous: it deserves death, desecrates covenants, destroys families and nations, debases individuals, damns souls, and disgraces God. Yet the gospel offers radical hope: through Christ’s forgiveness, we find power to flee temptation, guard our hearts, love our spouses, and glorify God in our bodies.…
Don’t Murder: A Command for Life in a Culture of Death
In this message on the sixth commandment we explore its deep and far-reaching meaning. Far more than prohibiting physical killing, this command forbids heart attitudes like anger, hatred, slander, envy, and retaliation that harm others and violate God’s image in humanity. It protects the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, addressing issues such as suicide, euthanasia, and abortion while affirming biblical allowances for just war, self-defense, and capital punishment. Ultimately, the commandment calls us not only to…
Honoring Father and Mother: The Weighty Command
The fifth commandment acknowledges the family as the foundational institution of human life and society. It is to be honored. This sermon explains what honoring means and gives five practical ways this command is lived out. In addition, we consider five reasons to motivate obedience. May this encourage us to be salt and light, honoring our parents to the glory of God.
Work Six Days, Rest in Christ: Honoring the 4th Commandment
In this sermon we explore how the Old Testament Sabbath—rooted in God’s creation rest and Israel’s redemption from Egypt—serves as a shadow pointing to its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true Lord of the Sabbath. While the Sabbath has passed away in the new covenant, its principles endure in the Lord’s day, the day commemorating Christ’s resurrection and finished work. This divinely appointed day calls us to cease from weekly labors, gather for worship, feed our souls through the word,…
Not in Vain: Honoring the Name Above Every Name
This sermon on the third commandment lists eight negative violations to avoid. and positively calls us to declare and praise the exalted name of Jesus, perform all good works in his name, and suffer well for his sake. The context of grace reminds us not to despair over failure but to rest in Christ’s mercy, which itself glorifies his name as he saves and transforms unworthy sinners.
No Images: Worshiping the Invisible God in Spirit and Truth
This sermon expounds the Second Commandment, showing that while the First Commandment forbids worshiping false gods, the Second forbids worshiping or representing the true God in any false way. The sermon considers six reasons for this prohibition before considering how the commandment both prohibits images in worship (including nativity scenes, crucifixes with Jesus, children’s Bible illustrations of Christ, etc.) and commends knowing and worshiping God through his self-revelation in Scripture and in the living Word, Jesus Christ.
No Other Gods: The Only God Must Be Our God
In this sermon on the first commandment, we consider: there is a God; there are no other gods, and that only God must be our God. The sermon demonstrates why so many believe in a god and clarifies that while false gods and idols have no real existence, modern substitutes such as money, worldly pleasures, self-confidence, and even possessions or family can become functional gods when we look to them for security, joy, meaning, or salvation. Because of who God…
Grace Before Law: The Gospel According to Moses
The beginning with the Ten Commandments must be understood in its proper context of grace rather than as a burdensome list of rules. The introductory context emphasizes that the historical setting and theological context frame the law as a gift to an already-redeemed people. Most crucially, God’s own preamble highlights his identity and saving grace before any command, showing that obedience flows from loving gratitude for redemption, not as a means to earn it. This pattern of grace-first-then-law is echoed…