Have you ever been stolen from? I'm sure we all have. Remember that feeling the moment you found out? It's hard to describe, but we all know how it feels. You feel a mixture of shock, anger, helplessness, maybe ever grief. You feel like you've been violated. How could this have happened? How dare they?! What can I do to get it back? How can I seek justice?
What's the most valuable thing you've had stolen from you? A watch? A purse or a wallet? Money? A bike? Your car? Your passport? A position in a program or at work? Your ideas? A boyfriend/girlfriend? Maybe you've had someone steal your identity? We've all had someone steal from us. It hurts. We know it's wrong. It's just wrong. Right?
However, have you ever stolen anything? Of course you have. But when we steal, it usually is a little more complicated that "It's just wrong." We have our reasons, right? We can probably even make a great case to justify why in your case, in this particular instance, it's not necessarily wrong, per se. You don't just steal. You did what you did because you had no choice, right? Wrong.
Commandment VIII
November 22, 2015
Commandment II
October 11, 2015
What's the most discussed problem in the the entire Bible? Idolatry. Idolatry?! Really? Yes. Book after book, chapter after chapter, verse after verse warn us about the destructive nature of wrongful worship. To contemporary people the world "idolatry" conjures up pictures of primitive people bowing down before hand-made statues. Totally irrelevant to us, right? Don't be so quick to write this off. Every culture is dominated by its own set of idols. Ours are beauty, power, money, success. We may not physically kneel before the statue of Aphrodite, but how much time and energy do we sacrifice at the alter of beauty. We may not actually burn incense to Artemis, but how many relationships are sacrificed at the alter of money. We may not actually worship Ares, but we'll give all we are for fame, significance and security. The timeless truths of Scripture are always timely. The human heart has not evolved beyond being an "idol-factory." Be sure to join us tomorrow, as look in-depth at the Second Law for Life which warns us about the destructive nature of serving functional-gods and we'll look to the Gospel for healing and freedom.
Commandment III
October 18, 2015 • Exodus 20:1–21
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” Indeed, this commandment prohibits the flippant use of God’s name to mark surprise (‘oh my G_d!’) or shock or worse, but it’s so much more than that. In order to begin to understand the depth of this commandment, we really need to understand the power of names, and names truly are powerful. Businesses have learned this a long time ago and globally recognized names like Apple, Google, Coca-Cola, Samsung, and McDonald’s invest billions each year to build, protect, and expand the reach of their brands. Companies spend seemingly disproportionate sums to hire “brand ambassadors” to promote and embody their corporate identity in appearance, demeanor, values, and ethics. So what does the idea of a “brand ambassador” have to do with the third commandment? Everything! Join us tomorrow as we discuss the profound implications of this commandment on our lives as followers of the One who bears the name above all names, Jesus Christ.