Freed to Enjoy Purity (Exodus 20:14)

 Freed to Enjoy Purity (Exodus 20:14)

“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14) Like the Commandments before and after this one, it seems pretty clear—“You shall not commit adultery.” The definition of adultery is equally clear: Voluntary sexual relations between a married person and someone other...
Freed to Fully Rest (Exodus 20:8-11)

Freed to Fully Rest (Exodus 20:8-11)

In Genesis 1-2, we read that God created the world in six days, then rested on the seventh day. Did he rest because he was tired? Did speaking the whole world into existence exhaust him? Of course not; God does not get tired! (Isaiah 40:28) So, why did God rest on the...
Freed to Represent God (Exodus 20:7)

Freed to Represent God (Exodus 20:7)

Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name. (Exodus 20:7) A name used to mean something. In the ancient Hebrew language of the Book of Genesis the name Adam comes from the root word dam which...
Freed From Our Idols (Exodus 20:4)

Freed From Our Idols (Exodus 20:4)

Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. (Exodus 20:4) On the surface, the Second Commandment seems pretty easy to keep. “Don’t make an idol for yourself, whether in...
Freed to Enjoy God (Exodus 20:1-3)

Freed to Enjoy God (Exodus 20:1-3)

American founding father Thomas Jefferson is famous for many things, and eminently quotable on a number of topics, but perhaps his best known role is as the author of the Declaration of Independence. In the opening sentence of the second paragraph of that document it...
Celebrate the Lamb (John 1:29-42)

Celebrate the Lamb (John 1:29-42)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) Today is Wednesday, January 1, 2025. It is just another Wednesday, not much different than yesterday, but it is special because it is the...