City on a Hill ABQ

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness Against Thy Neighbor

This sermon on Exodus 20:16, "You Shall Not Bear False Witness Against Your Neighbor," teaches that the ninth commandment extends far beyond lying in a courtroom to include gossip, slander, and every form of false or misleading speech that harms others. Beginning with a personal story of being falsely accused, the sermon highlights the deep pain caused by dishonest words and explains that our "neighbor" includes every person we encounter. It warns that false witness destroys both individuals and communities, fractures churches, fuels division, and has become especially dangerous in the age of social media, where Christians are called to be careful and truthful in what they share. Drawing from Jesus' teaching on the Good Samaritan and His warning against hypocritical judgment, the sermon challenges believers to deal with their own sin before criticizing others, to replace gossip with encouragement, and to speak words that build people up rather than tear them down. Ultimately, the message points to Christ—the One who is perfectly true—as both the model and the power for transformed speech, calling Christians to live with honesty, integrity, and grace because of the saving work of Jesus.

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

What makes marriage worth protecting? In Exodus 20:14, God commands His people not to commit adultery, but this command is about far more than avoiding sexual sin. Marriage is God’s covenant, established at creation to reflect His covenant love for His people. Throughout Scripture, God uses marriage to reveal His faithfulness, making adultery not merely a private failure but a distortion of one of His clearest pictures of the gospel. This sermon explores why marriage is sacred, why God created it, and why it is worth protecting. We also see that Jesus deepens the command by exposing adultery as a heart issue, leaving every one of us in need of grace. The good news is that while we have broken covenant, Jesus remained the perfect Bridegroom, faithfully keeping God’s covenant and giving His life for His bride so that all who repent may find forgiveness, restoration, and hope.

Thou Shalt Not Murder

Thou Shalt Honor Your Father and Your Mother

Sermon synopsis: What does it really mean to honor your father and mother? In Exodus 20:12, God gives a command that is often reduced to “kids, obey your parents,” but the command is much deeper. This sermon explores how honoring parents teaches us to honor God’s authority, how honor changes through every stage of life, and how Jesus perfectly fulfilled this command. We also consider what honor looks like when parents are not honorable, using David’s response to Saul as an example of honoring authority without remaining in danger or obeying sin. Finally, we turn the command toward parents and ask what it means to live as parents worth honoring, remembering that our hope is not in perfect parenting or perfect obedience, but in Jesus Christ, who perfectly honored His earthly parents and His heavenly Father.

Thou Shalt Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep It Holy

What does it really mean to remember the Sabbath? In Exodus 20:8–11, God gives His people a command that is often misunderstood and often ignored. This sermon explores how Sabbath is more than taking a day off. It is a reminder that our time, work, rest, and lives belong to God. Through three key truths, we see that without rest we become slaves, without work we become idle, and without trust we become anxious. Ultimately, the Sabbath points us back to the reality that Christ has purchased us, and the question is not simply how we spend our time, but what owns us.

Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain

In this sermon on Exodus 20:7, the Third Commandment is explored as a call to honor God's name in far more profound ways than simply avoiding profanity. The message teaches that taking God's name in vain includes misrepresenting His character, speaking dishonestly, and living in a manner that contradicts the identity of a Christian. Drawing on Jesus' teaching about truthful speech and the biblical practice of oaths, the sermon emphasizes that believers should be known for integrity, letting their "yes" be yes and their "no" be no. Most importantly, Christians bear the name of Christ and therefore serve as His representatives in the world, making their conduct a reflection of Him. While the sermon challenges believers to consider where they have failed to represent Christ faithfully, it ultimately points to the grace of the gospel, reminding them that through Jesus' forgiveness and reconciliation they are restored and sent out as ambassadors of Christ, called to live, speak, and act in a way that honors His holy name.

Thou Shalt Worship No Idols

This sermon on Exodus 20:4–6 explores the Second Commandment and argues that idolatry is ultimately about attempting to control God rather than worshiping Him as He truly is. Using the illustration of a buffet versus a vending machine, the message contrasts the God of the Bible—who cannot be manipulated—with the false gods of human invention. The sermon teaches that idols are foolish because they require human maintenance and promise security, comfort, and identity that they can never truly provide. Instead, believers are called to trust God alone as their ultimate source of safety, peace, and purpose. The message culminates in Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God, who frees His people from idolatry and invites them to feast on the abundance of His grace rather than settling for lesser substitutes. The central challenge is to abandon attempts to control God and instead delight in a deeper relationship with Christ, because Jesus alone fully satisfies and is infinitely better than any idol.

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

This sermon on Exodus 20:1–3 explores the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” emphasizing that obedience to God is not a means of earning salvation but a grateful response to the salvation He has already provided. Drawing from Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, the message explains that God’s commands are given for humanity’s flourishing and reflect His good design for life. The sermon highlights three reasons believers should worship God alone: because He is supreme over all false gods and modern idols such as status, money, and security; because He is good, as revealed through His faithful character and ultimately demonstrated in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ; and because He is faithful, remaining a refuge and hope for His people even in suffering and failure. The message concludes by calling listeners to examine whether Christ alone is their God and source of hope, affirming that all other gods ultimately fail, while Jesus alone is worthy of complete trust and devotion.

Three Mountains

This sermon on Exodus 19–20:2 introduces the Ten Commandments by placing them within the larger story of God’s covenant relationship with His people. Before God gives Israel commands, He reminds them who He is, what He has done, and who they are because of Him. Through the imagery of Sinai — thunder, fire, smoke, trumpet blasts, and trembling mountains — the sermon explores both the holiness of God and His desire to dwell among His people. The message emphasizes that the commandments were never intended as a way to earn salvation, but as instruction for a redeemed people already brought near by grace. By connecting Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, and Calvary, the sermon shows how Jesus fulfills the Law, provides the cleansing humanity could never achieve on its own, and gives believers access to the same holy God through His sacrifice. The sermon calls Christians to view God’s commands not merely as a mirror revealing sin, but also as a flashlight guiding redeemed people through a dark world.

The Coming of The Holy Spirit

This sermon on Pentecost explores Acts 2:1–41 and emphasizes the coming of the Holy Spirit as the “fuel” that empowered the disciples to fulfill Christ’s mission. Using the illustration of a car stranded without gas, the message explains how the disciples were ready for ministry but needed the Spirit’s power to bring them fully to life. The sermon highlights three major themes: the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Good News, empowering believers to proclaim the gospel and leading thousands to repentance; the Spirit of the Church, forming believers into the body of Christ rather than a consumer-driven organization; and the Spirit of Adventure, launching God’s people into the ongoing mission of spreading the gospel throughout the world. Drawing from biblical teaching, church history, and even Arthurian imagery, the sermon ultimately calls Christians to gratitude, faithful participation in the church, and boldness in joining God’s redemptive work through the power of the Holy Spirit.