In this commandment we look at the 1st Commandment which is “you shall have no other gods.” The reading is from Deuteronomy 5:1-10.
God gives us the 1st Commandment so that we will love him and serve him because there are no other gods worth loving and serving.
Our God is a God of freedom. Before God gave the Israelites the 10 Commandments he freed them from their slavery in Egypt. He doesn’t give them the 10 Commandments to Lord over them. He doesn’t give them the 10 Commandments to hold them down and enslave them. He gives him the 10 Commandments so that they might continue to live in the freedom and victory that he has blessed them with. If we are to understand the true meaning behind the 10 Commandments is not about what they forbid but about how they empower us to live.
The 1st commandment is “you shall have no other gods.” Why does God not want us to have any other gods? The answer is that there are no other gods worth having. There are no other gods that can save us. There are no other gods who overcome the challenges we face in this world. There are no other gods that enable us to achieve victory over the challenges we face.
In 1 John 5:5 it says: “who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
Is there any other who overcomes the world besides Jesus? No! Anyone or anything else that we make to be God will fail us. It might be sooner or it might be later, but unless we trust in Jesus the day will inevitably come when everything around us will come crashing down.
So why does God want us to trust in him? Because he loves us! Because he wants us to experience all that he has created us for. God wants us to experience victory.
Right now you might be facing a great challenge in your life. You have a great burden you are trying to overcome, but you just can’t break through.
Here is something I want you to think about: if you are failing to live in victory, maybe God is not in the proper place in your life. At the foundation of so many problems in our lives is an idol problem. Maybe you have made your God to be success in the workplace. You have made your work desk to be your pagan altar. At that altar you sacrifice your time, passion, energy, health, and family. But there is a hole in your heart and you do not feel satisfied. It is time to set aside serving the god of success in the workplace and worship the true God.
God does not want us to bow down to other gods because no other god is worth living for. There is no other God worthy of our time and our effort.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
This is the message for Christmas Day. I don’t really have a title for this message. I talked about Joseph on Christmas Eve. This message focuses in on Mary. Mary was given a difficult burden to bear. But ultimately it was God’s burden. And God help her to bear it. In the end it was a beautiful burden to bear.
The text for this message is Luke 1:26-38.
On Christmas Eve we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Savior. One very important person in the events of Christmas is the often forgotten Joseph. In this message we look at how God used Joseph to carry out his plan of salvation and how he uses us as well. The text for this message is Matthew 1:18-25.
During part of this message there is a video that is shown. You can see the video in my last post.
We apologize for the poor audio in this recording. We will try our best to improve future recordings.
Today is the fourth and final message in our Advent series – “He Will Be Called.” We have been looking at the 4 names given to Jesus is Isaiah 9:6. You can follow the links to previous messages below:
November 27: Wonderful Counselor December 4: Mighty God December 11: Everlasting Father December 18: Prince of Peace
Join us on Christmas Eve at Lord of Life at 5pm or 7pm for a special Christmas message: He Will Be Called Jesus!
Today is the second message in our Advent message series – He Will Be Called We will be looking at the 4 names given to Jesus is Isaiah 9:6. You can see the schedule below:
November 27: Wonderful Counselor December 4: Mighty God December 11: Everlasting Father December 18: Prince of Peace
Happy Advent! Today we kick off a new message series in preparation for the coming King. the new message series is “He Will Be Called.” We will be looking at the 4 names given to Jesus is Isaiah 9:6. You can see the schedule below:
November 27: Wonderful Counselor December 4: Mighty God December 11: Everlasting Father December 18: Prince of Peace
We have come to the second to last of our studies on the life of David. Our reading is from John 21:15-25. Here Jesus appears to his disciples after his resurrection.
Why does Jesus ask Peter to feed his lambs (21:15-19; see John 18:15-18, 25-27)?
Peter had expressed a devotion to Jesus. In John 13:37 Peter had told Jesus that he would lay down his life for him. Yet, after Jesus is arrested, Peter denies knowing Jesus three times.
Jesus now approaches Peter now to seek reconciliation and restoration. Peter is wounded. He knows he let Jesus down. He had promised to do one thing, but then did another. Now Jesus assures Peter that he still loves him by entrusting him with responsibility. No matter the mistake in the past, Jesus was restoring Peter to a place of trust.
What does Jesus mean when he asks Peter to feed his sheep?
He is putting Peter in a place of leadership. Jesus is giving him responsibility to disciple others to follow Jesus. Now that Jesus is going to be ascending into heaven he is giving asking Peter to continue the work.
Do you think it was significant that David was a shepherd before he became king? Why?
Yes, Jesus was known as the Good Shepherd. Jesus now tells Peter to care for his sheep. Psalm 78:71 says God took David from the tending of sheep and made him the shepherd of God’s own people. David’s times as a shepherd was used by God to prepare David for the greater task he had in store.
What is our role on this earth (15:22)
To follow Jesus.
We read in Acts 13:36 (NLT): “David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.” Now reread this verse and replace David’s name with your name. Will this statement be true or false?
This is for each of us to ask ourselves. Peter’s purpose was to serve by discipling others. Our task is no different. How are you following Jesus today? Who are you being discipled by? Who are you discipling?
Today, we look at Hebrews 12:1-12. These verses give encouragement when going through difficult times.
What does it mean to throw off everything that hinders us (12:1)?
It means to get rid of everything in our life that keeps us from experiencing an intimate relationship with God.
Another challenge is that we sometimes put ourselves in the place of God. We think we need to do more than God has called us to do. But when we do more than what God has called us to do, it gives us less time to do that which he has called us to and we do not do it as well.
Where do we fix our eyes (12:2)? What was Jesus’ focus when he walked this earth (12:2)? Why was it not easy for Jesus to keep his focus (12:3)?
We fix our eyes on Jesus. When Jesus walked this earth he kept his eye on the Father’s will which was to die on the cross for the sins of the world. But Jesus constantly had distractions. Satan was out to distract him. He had many good things he was doing on the earth like healing people and preaching incredible sermons. But none of those things were the ultimate purpose for which he was sent.
What might we remember when we go through suffering to help us endure (12:4-7)?
We remember that Jesus suffered. We also remember that God disciplines those that he loves. A parent that fails to discipline their children would be considered a neglectful parent. Discipline is not pleasant to go through as a child, but it is for the ultimate good of that child. It is really hard for that child to understand it when that child is going through it.
Why is discipline considered loving (12:8-11)? What does a person’s reaction to hardship reveal about them?
The person will learn from the discipline and will have a fuller and more peaceful life as a result. A persons reaction to discipline will reveal the type of relationship they have with the Lord.
What have you learned in your life through hardship?
I have learned that God is always there. I have learned to trust him. I have learned to know his peace. I have learned that what I think is bad is often for my good and that all things work for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.