Lives that Honor God's Name [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 12:32–14:21]

How was Israel to apply the third commandment to their life in the land? Deuteronomy 12:32–14:21 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word read in the public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Israel was to apply the third commandment to their life in the land by carefulness in theological speech, by church discipline, and by consecration of all of life. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary from the audio transcript: This devotional centers on the profound responsibility of honoring God’s Name in both word and life, rooted in the third commandment’s call to not take His Name in vain. It emphasizes that God’s Word is to be preserved without addition or subtraction, and that even miraculous signs cannot validate false teaching, as God may allow deception to test true devotion. The passage calls for rigorous personal and corporate discipline, including the removal of false prophets, family members, and entire communities that promote idolatry, underscoring the necessity of holiness to honor the sanctity of God’s Name. This moral law was applied to Israel through dietary regulations and cultural practices, illustrating that holiness extends to everyday life—how believers eat, dress, and live—because they are God’s chosen, holy people bearing His Name. Ultimately, the passage calls for a life marked by conscious reverence, where every action reflects the weightiness of being a child of God, a holy and treasured possession, and a living testimony to His glory.

Taking God Seriously [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 5:11]

What must we do with God’s Name? Deuteronomy 5:11 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must carry God’s Name weightily upon our lives and upon our lips. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Unforgivable Sin [Westminster Shorter Catechism 56—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 56—especially explaining how the ultimate way of taking God’s Name lightly is to reject the Son in Whom He has fully declared Himself, and is an unforgivable sin; so, God places a special emphasis upon punishing all blasphemies.

Q56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? The reason annexed to the third commandment is that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Don't Treat God as Common [Westminster Shorter Catechism 55—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 55—especially explaining how we must neither abuse nor treat as common any of God’s communication to us of Himself.

Q55. What is forbidden in the third commandment? The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh Himself known. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Holy and Reverent Lips and Life [Westminster Shorter Catechism 54—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 54—especially explaining how we are to conduct ourselves in the holy fear of God in His worship, and in our lives.

Q54. What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Importance of Worship Demeanor [Westminster Shorter Catechism 53—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 53—especially explaining how our reverence in worship and life is so important that it is the third commandment.

Q53. Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Weighty Hearing, Speaking, Living [Children's Catechism 85—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 85—especially explaining how the way that we speak, hear, and live must respect the weightiness of God’s Name.

Q85. What does the third commandment teach us? To reverence God's Name, Word, and works.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

The Weightiness of God's Name [Children's Catechism 84—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children’s Catechism question 84—especially explaining how the placement of the third commandment teaches us that God’s Name is infinitely weighty.

Q84. What is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Speaking with Christ as Witness [2024.02.04 Morning Sermon in Matthew 5:33–37]

Speech is for Christ, so Christians must always be truthful as speaking before God, and reserve oaths and vows only for solemn occasions like worship, covenanting, and judicial testimony.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

A Holy Name upon a Holy People [2024.01.21 Evening Sermon in Leviticus 24:10–23]

Those among whom the Lord communicates His holiness, and upon whom the Lord places His holy Name, must reverence the Name and the Lord Himself

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

The Third Commandment and the Unforgiveable Sin: Salvation Impossible without Christ

A supplement to the earlier lesson in WSC56. Understanding Jesus's teaching about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit in light of the reason annexed to the third commandment.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC56 The Reason Annexed to the Third Commandment

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 56: What is the reason annexed to the third commandment? The reason annexed to the third commandment is that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC55 What the Third Commandment Forbids

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 55: What is forbidden in the third commandment? The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh Himself known.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC54 What the Third Commandment Requires

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 54: What is required in the third commandment? The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works. [n.b. a little longer this time, due to more time spent on application](click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Theology Simply Explained — WSC53 Which Is the Third Commandment

Pastor walks his children through Westminster Shorter Catechism question 53: Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Holy Society of a Holy God: Authority, Consecration, and Purity [2022.09.11 Evening Sermon in Exodus 22:28–31]

Having God's Name upon a society means that it honors its authorities, dedicates everything to the Lord, and keeps itself clean unto the Lord.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Honoring God's Name in Respect, Dedication, and Holiness [Family Worship lesson in Exodus 22:28–31]

What does having God’s Name upon a society require? Exodus 22:28–31 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that having God’s Name upon a society means that it honors its authorities, dedicates everything to the Lord, and keeps itself clean unto the Lord. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Created and Redeemed to Bear God's Glorious Name upon Our Lives and upon Our Lips (2022.05.22 Evening Sermon in Exodus 20:7)

We were created and especially redeemed to bear God's Name upon our lives in His image and upon our lips in His worship—and that if we never take our sin and His glory seriously, then we can never be saved because we will be despisers of Christ.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Bearing God's Name Weightily upon Our Lives and upon Our Lips (Family Worship lesson in Exodus 20:7)

What is the third commandment, and why can’t you be forgiven without following it? Pastor leads his family in today’s “Hopewell @Home” passage. Exodus 20:7 looks forward to the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we were created and especially redeemed to bear God’s Name upon our lives in His image and upon our lips in His worship—and that if we never take our sin and His glory seriously, then we can never be saved because we will be despisers of Christ.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

“Of Good Works” part 5, WCF 16.2.2, Good Works Express Thanks; the Best Work Is Worship (2021.10.17 Sabbath School in Psalm 116:12–19 and 1Peter 2:4–10)

In this Sabbath School class, we continued the second paragraph of WCF 16, here examining Psalm 116 and 1Peter 2 in order to understand that with good works being according to God's commandments, the best work is to obey the first Great Commandment. This means, especially, the public worship of God. How do we show thanksgiving for His mercy? By good works, and especially by the best work.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)