Walking By Faith A church of Christ in Woburn

Here we are introduced to what Jesus would later call "the greatest commandment": to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. As we will see, it is a much higher calling than simply being religious and avoiding major sin! This text also provides key instruction on training our children, not putting God to the test, and not forgetting God when we encounter financial prosperity. May we embrace these foundational teachings and experience the protection and blessings they bring.

In Deuteronomy 5, the Lord descends on Mount Sinai, speaking to the people from the midst of fire, completely terrifying them. Was fear a good motivation for God to use? Did Jesus use the fear of God to motivate His followers? This lesson makes the case that the healthy fear of God has always been foundational for God's people, a wonderful protection for those walking in the Father's love.

In this lesson we focus on some of the more difficult and counter-cultural commandments: honoring our parents, being truthful always (no false witness or deceit), and not lusting after our neighbor's spouse or possessions. In the Ten Commandments, we see that God has always been deeply concerned about sins of the heart.

Moses now recounts the story of the Lord initially giving the Ten Commandments. We consider the spiritual wreckage caused by the violation of the second commandment, not to make images of God. We also consider whether Christians should keep the Sabbath, or is there something else the Sabbath points to for those who follow Jesus?  

Moses tells God's people to neither add to nor subtract from God's commands. Nothing could be simpler, right? Actually, this was a problem for Israel and continues to be a problem for God's people today. Many Christians set aside (subtract) difficult or unpopular Biblical commands. However, other well-meaning Christians add requirements (extrabiblical rules) to what we find in the Scriptures. In this message, we consider how both deviations lead to serious problems in the church.

Why did the early church pray so much? How were their prayers so effective? Could it be that they simply prayed as Jesus taught and showed them?  May we experience this type of prayer! This lesson is built on a short devotional taught by Chuck Pike in 2020, adapted from Tertullian's work "On Prayer".