“Thou shall not murder.” Of all the commandments this one, number six, is probably the one that causes the least amount of controversy. It’s succinct, straightforward, and people almost universally agree with it. At least, we agree with it on the surface, but as we’ve...
You’ve heard the complaints and perhaps you’ve even complained about it yourself: the kids these days! What is the world coming to? One man, obviously fed up, put it like this: “Youth today love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, no respect for...
The fourth of the Ten Commandments is: “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” The commandment goes on to say, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:8-10a) What,...
It is one of Shakespeare’s most famous lines in one of his most famous plays. Juliet asks of Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” Juliet probably didn’t realize it, but in just those...
What do you love? And, what do you trust? Those are the two questions I posed to Calvary last Sunday when the sermon led us to think about idolatry and in particular, our own personal idolatries. The first of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall have...
That’s the title I’ve borrowed from Rev. Dr. Craig Barnes for our 11-week series on the Ten Commandments. When someone uses a word like “commandment” or “law” or “obey”, is freedom the most immediate response that jumps to mind? Usually not. The general impression when...
Like a lot of folks, I am arriving at Labor Day weekend thinking, “Where did the summer go?” For that matter, where is the year going? I am always glad to turn the calendar to September. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I...
Sabbath. Sabbath is an ancient concept that is largely unknown in our fast-paced American culture. In a few weeks I’ll be talking much more about Sabbath because it is actually one of the Ten Commandments. The fourth commandment says, “Remember the Sabbath day and keep...
This Sunday’s sermon is on a fairly obscure story in the Old Testament. The Arameans have been a thorn in Israel’s side, but now they’ve “upped the ante”, laying a full-scale siege on the Israelites’ city. Israel is surrounded, trapped: nothing and no one is...
The story of the healing of Naaman is one of those Old Testament dramas that would make a great stage play. There is an A-list cast of characters, gut-rending emotion, surprising heroics from those in supporting roles, and a dramatic conclusion. But, it almost ends...