The Truth Behind The Sermon

Four words can expose a whole culture. “You shall not murder” sounds like a command most of us can breeze past, but when violence is everywhere and anger simmers under the surface, God’s sixth commandment lands with weight.

We walk through Exodus 20:13 and ask the questions people avoid: Why is murder wrong to God? What does it reveal about the sanctity of life and the value of a human soul? Dr. J. Perry Fowler connects the commandment to God as the author of life, showing how Scripture speaks about physical life, spiritual life, and eternal life. We also talk about what it means to be made in the image of God and why Christians are called to reflect Jesus by becoming people who protect and “breathe life” into others.

Then we get specific. The sermon explains the biblical difference between killing and murder and addresses what the commandment does not forbid, including animals for food, self-defense, and government-sanctioned justice. It also names what is forbidden and speaks directly to real-world pain and controversy, including suicide, abortion, and euthanasia, with a strong warning against false doctrine and a clear push to hold truth and love together.

We close at the cross with a question that surprises people: was Jesus murdered? The answer points straight to the gospel, where innocent blood was shed, yet Jesus willingly laid His life down so sinners can be forgiven. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review telling us what part challenged you most.

Murder feels like a commandment for “other people” until we let Jesus define what’s really happening underneath it. We sit down with Pastor Perry and walk through the Sixth Commandment, “You shall not murder,” and it gets personal fast: the Bible doesn’t just confront physical violence, it confronts the anger, hatred, and contempt that can live in a normal-looking life.

We dig into why human life is sacred in a Christian worldview, starting with the image of God. If every person is an image bearer with a soul, it changes how we treat the stranger, the enemy, the annoying person in our way, and the vulnerable people our culture can treat like burdens. We also talk about how easily we get desensitized through media and entertainment, and why what we consume can quietly train us to downplay evil and devalue life.

From there we tackle hard conversations many Christians avoid: abortion, euthanasia, and suicide, plus the common “what about war” and “what about capital punishment” detours that can distract from the heart of the command. Throughout it all, we keep coming back to this anchor: God is the author of life, and He doesn’t need an editor.

The strongest hope is at the cross. Jesus willingly gave His life and innocent blood was shed so guilty people could be forgiven, including murderers. If grace can reach that far, it can reach any of us. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What part of this conversation challenged you most?

Mother’s Day can bring a lot with it: gratitude, laughter, regret, and sometimes a knot in your stomach. We lean into that tension while walking through the Fifth Commandment in Exodus 20:12, honoring your father and mother, and we get honest about what honor looks like when real life is complicated. We also kick things off with some fun as we’re missing Ryan this week, then we trade stories about the traits our moms passed down and why those gifts matter. 

From there, we dig into a simple verse with surprising depth, describing parents as a bridge, a bridle, and a blessing. We talk about how family shapes our view of God, why Scripture and grace leave a legacy, and how “more is caught than taught” plays out in the home. If you care about Christian parenting, family discipleship, and building a home built on truth, this conversation keeps it practical without turning it into a guilt trip. 

We also spend time on presence over performance, because kids don’t just need successful parents, they need available ones. That means real choices: phones down, eyes up, creating shared rhythms like reading together, working together, and praying with honesty. We close with hope for anyone who didn’t grow up in a “perfect family,” including navigating boundaries, choosing grace, and trusting the gospel to redeem what’s broken and start a new legacy through you. 

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Your calendar may be full, but that doesn’t mean your soul is healthy. We sit down with Pastor Perry to talk about the Sabbath as God designed it: not a vague self-care idea, not a bonus for people with free time, but a command that protects us from living like we’re still in Egypt. Along the way, we share the real-life ways we rest (golf, long bike rides, disc golf, reading, family time, and yes, watching a heavy rain) and why those moments can open space to hear the Lord more clearly. 

We unpack the heart of Shabbat, the Hebrew call to cease, and Perry’s simple framework for keeping Sabbath: rejuvenation, rejoicing, and reflection. We also name the tension a lot of Christians feel, especially in ministry, where Sunday can be the busiest day of the week. That leads to practical ideas for building a Sabbath rhythm on another day, setting expectations with your family, and preparing ahead so your “day off” doesn’t turn into another stressful sprint. 

The conversation gets even sharper when we compare Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. One ties Sabbath to creation, the other ties it to freedom from slavery, making rest a weekly act of resistance against hustle culture and a weekly practice of trust in God’s provision. We even talk Chick-fil-A, why closing on Sunday still works, and what you might need to stop doing so you can start living with more peace. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s running on empty, and leave a review with your biggest Sabbath struggle.

Your calendar can be full while your soul is empty, and the Bible calls that what it is: life without Sabbath. We open Exodus 20:8-11 and sit with a command most of us treat like a suggestion, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.” Sabbath (Shabbat) means to cease, to stop working, to take a real intermission, and we talk about why God hardwired that rhythm into creation for your good.

We also look at the surprising ways Sabbath shows up in the real world. From a study that highlights the longevity of Sabbath-keeping communities to a business example most Americans recognize, the point is simple: when you honor God’s design for rest, you stop living like everything depends on you. Sabbath becomes a weekly declaration that God is the source, God is in control, and your body and mind were never built for nonstop output.

Then we go deeper into Christian Sabbath practice and Sunday worship. We trace why believers gather on the Lord’s Day, how the resurrection of Jesus shifts the focus from finished creation to new creation, and why worship is not a show you watch but praise you bring. The goal is not mere rule-keeping; it’s physical rejuvenation, spiritual renewal, and reflection that leads you back to Jesus, the only true rest for your heart.

If you’re tired, distracted, or running to and fro, press play, share this with someone who needs rest, and subscribe and leave a review so more people can find it. What would you need to stop doing to truly keep a Sabbath?

The words we toss out without thinking can carry more spiritual weight than we realize. We open Exodus 20:7 and confront a command that many people reduce to “don’t cuss” even though it reaches much deeper: don’t empty God’s name of its value, don’t treat Him like background noise, and don’t represent Jesus casually with our speech or our lives.

We talk through why God’s name matters so much in the Bible, from the way names reveal purpose and identity to how the Lord introduces Himself personally as Yahweh and sovereignly as Elohim. Along the way, we connect the power of God’s name to Scripture’s big moments, including David facing Goliath not with size or weapons but with the name of the Lord. That same thread runs into the New Testament, where salvation is tied to calling on the name of Jesus and living as His ambassadors in the world.

Then we get practical: what does “in vain” actually mean, and how do we do it today? We challenge the obvious issue of profanity, but we also challenge passivity like empty religious repetition, weak witness, and a thankless heart that forgets God’s benefits. We close by showing what it looks like to exalt God’s name with trust and repentance, pointing to Jonah’s story and to Jesus as the greater Savior who invites us to come to the Father through Him alone.

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God’s name is everywhere in our culture and that’s exactly why it’s easy to let it become weightless. We start with some honest stories about “forbidden words” at home, then pivot to a much bigger question: what does the Third Commandment actually demand when it says we must not take the Lord’s name in vain?

We dig into the meaning behind “vain” as emptying or reducing value, and why this commandment goes far beyond blatant profanity. We talk about the subtle version too: the passive, casual way we can toss out “God” or “Jesus” as filler, as a punchline, or as a shortcut answer that helps us move on without reverence. From there, we explore how God introduces Himself as Elohim and Yahweh, and why knowing His name is tied to knowing His character. Worship becomes a practical counterweight, a way to retrain our hearts to exalt the Lord together in a world that keeps conditioning us toward a smaller view of God.

We also sit with the sobering warning of Matthew 7 and the difference between using the name of Christ and actually knowing Christ. Then we get practical: giving God our “firsts” at the start of the day, guarding our speech in public spaces, and using a distinct life as a natural doorway to share the gospel. We close with a family-focused challenge to teach our kids God’s Word and the names of God, connecting Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, and more to real-life needs and real trust.

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The Ten Commandments might be the most quoted part of the Old Testament and also one of the most misunderstood. We sat down to talk about Exodus, Mount Sinai, and why God’s laws are not random restrictions but a personal invitation to know Him and live a transformed life built on truth.

We dig into the first commands about worship and idolatry, then ask the uncomfortable question: what do idols look like now? For most of us, they are not statues, they are priorities. Comfort, control, schedules, sports, screens, success, even the “you do you” mindset can quietly take God’s place. We also unpack what it means that God calls Himself a jealous God, and why that jealousy is not pettiness but covenant love that protects what belongs to Him.

From there we zoom out to the big worldview issue: can all religions be true at the same time? We talk about how Scripture presents God’s self-revelation, why Jesus is not merely a moral teacher, and why the cross and resurrection sit at the center of Christian faith. Finally, we wrestle with the purpose of the law, the trap of legalism, and how grace in Jesus changes obedience from a checklist into an outflow of love.

If you want practical Christian discipleship, clarity on biblical truth, and a fresh way to understand the Ten Commandments today, press play, then share this with a friend, subscribe, and leave a review. What “idol” do you most need to put back in its place?