Written In Stone
The Ten Commandments
Speak Only Truth
October 29, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Proverbs 6:16–19, John 8:44, James 3:5–6, Exodus 20:1–2, Exodus 20:16
God has set us free so we can live free. That means loving God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls. isn’t that what Jesus said? That way we can love others as God created us to love them…“as ourselves.” We dive deeper into the Ten Commandments and discover loving others as ourselves mean we speak ONLY truth about others. The power of life and death is in the tongue, and we want to use ours to cultivate life! Jesus provides the long term solution. Just as the 10 Commandments didn’t save the Israelites, they don't save us. But they do provide a framework to build a community of FREE people. Free for what? To follow, serve, & worship God! TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. In what ways have you personally been affected by false testimony, rumors, or gossip? 2. How does the real life story of Walter McMillan in “Just Mercy,” reflect the damage done through false testimony? 3. What was one practical way to speak truth only that resonated with me and why? 4. How does Jesus transform us through Truth? How does this reflect a process? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help us to speak only truth.”
Trust God's Provision
October 22, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Malachi 3:8–10, Proverbs 3:5–10, Philippians 4:19, Exodus 20:13, Exodus 20:1–2
God has set us free so we can live free. That means loving God with all of our hearts, minds, and souls. Isn’t that what Jesus said? That way we can love others as God created us to love them…”as ourselves.” We dive deeper into the Ten Commandments to discover the power of trusting God’s provision for our lives so we will be free from the need to steal…and even worry. As always, Jesus is the pathway to this reality being unlocked in our lives. Just as the 10 Commandments didn’t save the Israelites, they dont save us. But they do provide a framework to build a community of FREE people. Free for what? To follow, serve, & worship God! TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. Have I ever had something stolen from me? How did it make me feel? 2. In what ways have you personally struggled with the concept of stealing, either in actions or attitudes? 3. Can you think of any situations in your life where you may have cheated God? How can this change? 4. Which application mentioned can grow in trusting God’s provision and begin to do THIS WEEK? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help us to trust your provision!”
Guard My Intimacy
October 15, 2023 • Pete Campbell • Exodus 20:14, Colossians 3:5, James 4:4–5, Matthew 5:27–28, Proverbs 6:32
In this message, Pete discusses the significance of closed doors in our personal lives and how they affect our marriages and faith. Titled "The Closed Door: Guarding Your Heart, Your Marriage, and Your Faith," Pete explores the importance of safeguarding physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of marriage. He offers practical advice for couples to strengthen their bonds, prioritize trust, and nurture lasting love. Through this insightful message, listeners are encouraged to protect and cherish the sacred space of their hearts and relationships, aligning with God's design.
Love My Enemies
October 8, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Exodus 20:1–2, Exodus 20:13
God has set us free so we can live free. That means we prioritize God in our life so we can filter out whatever does not serve us to serve Him. As image bearers, we represent Him in how we talk & how we spend our time…especially to our kids! Learning to honor our parents help us to honor God and people. Today, we talk about murder! While 10 Commandments didn’t save the Israelites, they did provide a framework to build their new FREE community. They would discover that even though the Law was GOOD, they were still enslaved to sin. The Law reveals we still need Jesus to set us free and live out our lives loving God and loving people.
Honor My Parents
October 1, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Exodus 20:12, Matthew 13:53–58, Ephesians 6:1, Exodus 20:1–2
God has set us free so we can live free. That means we prioritize God in our life so we can filter out whatever does not serve us to serve Him. As image bearers, we represent Him in how we talk & how we spend our time…especially to our kids! Our nuclear and spiritual families are the laboratories for learning to say yes to God. When we choose to honor our parents, we will begin to understand how to honor & revere God in our beliefs and actions. TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. How is the concept of honor expressed in various cultures? How have I seen or experienced this? 2. How are our nuclear and spiritual families “laboratories" for “learning to say yes to God”? 3. Why is honor important in societies and faith development? Why do kids need to see honor modeled? 4. What are a few practical ways to honor my biological and/or spiritual parents/elders this week? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help us to honor our parents so we can learn what it means to honor you!”
Follow God's Rhythm
September 24, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Hebrews 4:9–10, Exodus 20:1–2, Exodus 20:8–11, Mark 2:23–28, Colossians 2:16–17
In a world that prioritizes profits and production, the 4th commandment runs counter to culture. A day off when everyone else works? But if we follow God’s rhythm, we will have all the time we need because He can do more with six days than we can with seven. Observing the Sabbath is an act of faith! It exists as the bridge between loving God and loving people. And yet, we discover that even though the Sabbath is GOOD, it isn't enough. We still need the One who would in whom the "shadow" or "type" reveals. TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. What is my definition of rest? How does my definition align with God’s purposes for the Sabbath? 2. Have I experienced the consequence of either not working hard enough or working too hard? By whose definitions? 3. What cultural and/or societal pressures make it difficult to prioritize rest & worship? How can I overcome these? 4. What practical steps can I take to incorporate Sabbath rhythms in my life so I can learn to be sustained by God? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help me to rest in Chris and to trust You to provide for me!”
Revere God's Presence
September 17, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Exodus 20:1–2, Exodus 20:7, Matthew 5:37, Romans 8:15, Isaiah 29:13
God has set us free so we can live free. If we have prioritized God in our life, we will be able to filter everything after that to determine whether or not it serves us to serve Him. If God doesn’t have priority in our heart, we will not be the “images of God” He created us to be. Next up, does God have PRIORITY in our speech? Does what comes out of our mouths represent God well? God had set the Israelite FREE…so they could live free, enjoying the peace, prosperity and blessing of living in a covenant relationship with Him. Again, the 10 Commandments don’t save us…but they do reveal our deep need for Jesus…who perfectly fulfills his summary of all the laws, to love God and to love people. He did perfectly! TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. What does my first name mean? What does my last name mean? What are the values my parents taught me? 2. What does it mean to misuse God's name? What ways do I misuse God’s name in my life? 3. Why is it significant that we bear God's name and how we represent Him reflects on His reputation? 4. What are some ways we can represent God well? What happens if we don’t? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help us to revere Your Presence in a world that profanes you!”
Eliminate the Competition!
September 10, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Exodus 20:4–6, Colossians 1:15–20
What is the SECOND commandment and why does it matter? God has set us free so we can live free. If we have prioritized God in our life, we will be able to filter everything after that to determine whether or not it serves us to serve Him. Next up? Our worship! The problem here is that we are inundated by cultural influences. God’s desire for relationship cannot co-exist with compromise. Our hearts must be pure. But our hearts have competing desires. Don’t they? While we may not bow our knees to wooden or stone idols, we still need to eliminate the desires of our hearts that do not point our “image” to our Creator God. If we do, generations will thanks us. TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. How have your ancestors impacted your faith? How will your relationship with God impact coming generations? 2. Are there any specific cultural idols or influences that you find particularly challenging to resist? How can you point the underlying desires to Jesus? 3. Think about the desires you've had throughout different stages of your life. Have any of these desires become idols at certain times? How did you navigate the competing desires in your different life stages? 4. Reflect on the importance of relationships and community within the church family. How can the church play a role in helping individuals eliminate competing desires and grow in their relationship with Jesus? 5. PRAYER: “Father, we desire every desire point back to YOU. Help us eliminate the competition!”
Prioritize God FIRST!
September 3, 2023 • Jordan Hansen • Mark 12:29–31, Exodus 20:1–3, Galatians 5:1, Psalm 1:1–3, John 14:15
The Ten Commandments emerge at a pivotal moment in the Israelites' journey from slavery in Egypt to the promised land. God had set them free and He now desires that they LIVE FREE. These divine laws, given on Mount Sinai, represent God's expectations for a covenantal relationship with this newly formed nation and provide a moral and ethical foundation for a just and faithful society. God’s people must live as representations of God! If we want to live out the famous commands of Jesus to “Love God and love people, we better pay attention to the principles behind these commandments! Because, even though Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of perfect obedience to the expectations of God, we are still expected to LIVE FREE after He saves us! That is why these commandments were WRITTEN IN STONE. So lets hide God’s Word in our hearts and meditate on their Truth. TALK ABOUT IT - Questions to GROW through with family, friends, & myself. 1. What kind of rules are important in my closest relationships? Why are rules important? 2. Why is it important to understand the context of “The Exodus” to understand how these moral laws still influence our lives today? How do they relate to the the most important laws according to Jesus? 3. In what ways does legalism come into play when discussing the 613 laws in the Bible, and what is the importance of understanding the purposes of Prose Discourse/Law/Commandments? 4. How does prioritizing God by pursuing Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength manifest in our daily lives, and what are some practical examples of this prioritization in action? 5. PRAYER: “Father, help us to see the beauty of your Law so we can live free!”