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The First Commandment

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The first commandment reveals our first priority in every area of life: God. Anything we place ahead of Him becomes an idol!


The First Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry is probably the sin that the Bible most often warns us against. We worship the source of our values and standards, whether the true God or a counterfeit.


The First Commandment (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The Ten Commandments open with the most important, the one that puts our relationship with God in its proper perspective. It is a simple but vital command.


The First Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry is the most frequently committed sin, seen in five commandments. God challenges us to either defend our body of beliefs or drop them in favor of His.


The Second Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Most people consider the second commandment to deal with making or falling down before a pagan idol, but it covers all aspects of the way we worship.


The Fourth Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God, not man, created, sanctified and memorialized the seventh day Sabbath from the time of creation, intending that man use this holy time to worship God.


The Commandments (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a period of time God purposefully sanctified and set apart for the benefit of mankind, a time dedicated to God's spiritual creation.


The Commandments (Part Three)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry derives from worshiping the work of our hands or thoughts rather than the true God. Whatever consumes our thoughts and behavior has become our idol.


The Fourth Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

At creation, God sanctified only one day, the seventh, as a day of rest. At Sinai, He again sanctified it as a holy day, tying it to creation and freedom.


The Second Commandment (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Many fail to perceive the difference between the first and second commandments. The second commandment defines the way we are to worship the true God.


The Commandments (Part Two)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry constitutes the fountainhead from which all other sins flow, all of which amplify obsessive self-centeredness and self-indulgence.


The Fourth Commandment (Part 1)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a special creation, a very specific period of holy time given to all of mankind, reminding us that God created and is continuing to create.


The Commandments (Part One)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

What have we accepted as our authority for permitting ourselves to do or behave as we do — our value system, our code of ethics or code of morality?


The Fifth Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The fifth commandment stands at the head of the second tablet of the Decalogue, which governs our human relationships. It is critical for family and society.


The Third Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Many think the Third Commandment merely prohibits profane speech. In reality, it regulates the purity and quality of our worship of the great God.


The Fifth Commandment (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The fifth commandment begins the section of six commands regarding our relationships with other people. Children should learn proper respect in the family.


Why Worship God?

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Many believe and attend church services without really answering this most fundamental of questions. Here are three reasons for worshiping almighty God.


Identifying Our Idols

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We tend to ignore the possibility of idolatry in our lives. But we need to do the hard thing and examine ourselves to identify any hidden idols.


Humanism Dominates

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh

The secular humanists, infiltrating education, entertainment, and government, have undermined the virtue and sullied the purity of America.


Flee From Idolatry (Part Two): Faithfulness

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Like a boxer, we must exert ourselves with a broad spectrum of skills to subdue our carnal bodies, mortifying the flesh with maximum self-discipline.


Keep Yourself From Idols

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

An idol is anything in our lives that occupies the space which should be occupied by God alone, anything having a controlling force in our lives.


What Is Always True About the World?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

To guard against the world, we must be careful not to fall into idolatry, based upon limiting God to tangible objects or those things which occupy our thoughts.


Is God to Blame?

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The 9/11 bombings were tragic and terrible. Some have since asked, 'Was God involved? Is He to blame?' These tough questions have challenging answers.


Keeping God's Standards

Sermon by John O. Reid

God's law will be the spiritual weights and measures in the Kingdom, but until then, we must glorify God by keeping these standards as a bright light.


Unity and Division: The Blessing and the Curse (Part Four)

'Ready Answer' by Charles Whitaker

God commanded the Israelites to utter blessings from Mount Gerazim and curses from Mount Ebal, most of which deal with hidden sins that give rise to hypocrisy.


Envy: The Most Precious Daughter

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

It is easy to follow in Satan's footsteps, courting his daughter Envy, reaping the disquiet which accompanies her. Envy comes from pushing God from our thoughts.


Abraham's One God

Article by Mike Ford

The first commandment sets the stage for understanding Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. God wanted to know: Would Abraham put Him first and have no other god?


Deuteronomy and Idolatry

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

We are admonished to internalize the book of Deuteronomy in preparation for our future leadership roles.


Abomination

Sermonette by Martin G. Collins

The common synonyms for abomination include loathing, hateful, abhorrence, evil anathema, repugnance, and disgusting. It is something which ignites hatred.