Yesterday’s message on the tenth commandment was the final message in The Ten Commandments for Today series. The message was called You Shall Not Covet, taken from Exodus 20:17.

Exodus 20:17 – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (NIV)

Here is an outline of the message:

I. The meaning of the commandment (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21)
    A. You shall not desire what rightfully belongs to someone else
    B. You shall not desire something excessively

II. Aimed at the heart
    A. Outward vs. inward commands (Mark 7:21-23; Luke 18:18-25)
    B. Only God can command inwardly (Luke 12:2-3; Hebrews 4:13)

III. Prohibitions of the command
    A. Love of money (Proverbs 23:4-5; Matthew 6:19-21,24)
    B. Greed for more (Luke 12:13-15)
    C. Envying others (Psalm 73:1-3; Proverbs 14:30; Ecclesiastes 4:4-6)
    D. Lustful desires (Proverbs 6:25; Matthew 5:28)
    E. Selfishness (Luke 12:16-21; Acts 20:33-35; Romans 13:9-10)
    F. Pride (1 John 2:15-17)

IV. Characteristics of the covetous person
    A. Constantly craving for more (Ecclesiastes 5:10)
    B. Dissatisfied with life (Psalm 112:10; Ecclesiastes 4:7-8)
    C. Acting out your wrong desires (Joshua 7:20-21; 1 Kings 21:1-7;
        Matthew 26:15-16)
    D. Unfruitful life for God (Mark 4:19; James 4:1-3)

V. The antidote to covetousness – contentment!
    A. Be content with the Lord (Psalm 73:25-26; Hebrews 13:5)
    B. Be content with righteousness (Psalm 37:1-4)
    C. Be content with your possessions (Psalm 37:16; Proverbs 30:8-9;
        Philippians 4:11-13)
    D. Be content with your position (1 Corinthians 7:20-21)
    E. Be content with God’s good gift of life (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13)

Note: To read the complete message, go to the Sermons tab at the top of the blog.

1. I plugged my phone in where the blender used to be. I called someone. They went “Aaaaahhhh …”
2. I wrote a song, but I can’t read music so I don’t know what it is. Every once in a while I’ll be listening to the radio and I say, “I think I might have written that.”
3. Right now I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.
4. I went to a restaurant that serves “breakfast at any time.” So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.
5. You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?
6. I got a garage door opener. It can’t close. Just open.
7. I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping.
8. I installed a skylight in my apartment … The people who live above me are furious!
9. I had to stop driving my car for a while … the tires got dizzy.
10. I put contact lenses in my dog’s eyes. They had little pictures of cats on them. Then I took one out and he ran around in circles.

Other Posts in the Series:

• Ten Steven Wright Jokes (1)
• Ten Steven Wright Jokes (2)
• Ten Steven Wright Jokes (3)
• Ten Steven Wright Jokes (4)
• Ten Steven Wright Jokes (5)

Okay, this is just silly.

HT: The Presurfer

This one is for my nephew, Andrew, who is taking a statistics class in college this semester.

“Did you know that fifty-three percent of all statistics are made up on the spot?”

Click here for more Random Thoughts.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is airing the television special Celebrating Ruth Bell Graham in the month of December. In my area (Massachusetts) it will show on NBC on December 8th at 7:00 p.m. You can check TV listings for your area here.

You can also watch the program online at this link at the following times:

• Tuesday, December 4, 7 p.m. Eastern time
• Saturday, December 15, 10 p.m. Eastern time
• Wednesday, December 26, 7 p.m. Eastern time

If all else fails, you can always order the DVD of the special for $16.95 (shipping 12/10 – should make a nice Christmas present). And I expect they will eventually add this to their online archive of previous TV specials here.

Here is a brief preview of the program. (Video length: 1:31)

From the war-torn countryside of ancient China, to the impressive halls of America’s White House, Ruth Bell Graham’s life took her on a journey that few could imagine.

Meet this unique woman who captured the heart of Billy Graham and gained the admiration of countless others. Discover why her husband called her, “…the greatest Christian I’ve ever known.”

Laugh with those who knew her best and discover fresh insights from those who loved her deeply. Find out how her “behind-the-scenes” wit and wisdom helped produce an extraordinary legacy.

Plus, be inspired by world premier music videos from Avalon and Fernando Ortega, and enjoy a special performance from the Gaither Homecoming Friends.

Watch the Billy Graham Television Special this December as we celebrate the “very full life” of Ruth Bell Graham.

Related articles:

• Billy Graham – The Song
• Ruth Bell Graham – Poems
• A Quote from Billy and a Quote from Ruth
• Ruth Graham Passes Away
• Billy Graham Museum Opens in Charlotte, NC
• The Day I Met Billy Graham

Here is the first full official trailer for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. This just looks so good. Enjoy! (Note: If you have not read the book, there are some spoilers in the trailer, but nothing too serious.)

(Video length: 2:31)

Don’t forget – the Prince Caspian movie is only away!

Click here for more Narnia and Caspian related posts.
Click here for Narnia sermon series.

The Feels Like Christmas site is offering free Christmas music MP3 downloads. All of the songs were submitted by the artists and are completely legal for free downloading.

One of my great joys in life is listening to (and playing) fingerstyle acoustic guitar, so my first download was this spirited arrangement of “Deck the Halls” by guitarist John Morgan from his Capture the Night CD. I like it so much I will probably end up buying the whole CD for Christmas this year.

(Click the play button below to hear a sample; the full version is available for download here)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Feels Like Christmas has broken all the songs on their site into various categories for easy browsing:

• Vocal versions of contemporary Christmas songs
• Vocal versions of traditional Christmas songs
• Instrumental versions of contemporary Christmas songs
• Instrumental versions of traditional Christmas songs (1)
• Instrumental versions of traditional Christmas songs (2)

Happy browsing and a merry Christmas!

Related post: A Very Merry Guitar Christmas from Sam Fowler
Click here for more Christmas related posts.

Yesterday’s message in The Ten Commandments for Today series was on the ninth commandment. The message was called You Shall Not Bear False Witness, taken from Exodus 20:16.

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

Here is the outline of the message:

I. The meaning of the commandment
    A. Do not lie (Leviticus 19:11-12; Colossians 3:9-10 )
    B. Do not speak evil against another (Exodus 20:16; Deut 5:20; James 4:11)

II. Different ways of lying (various scriptures)
    A. Speaking falsehood directly
    B. Intending to deceive
    C. Mixing lies with the truth

III. Reasons why people lie
    A. Protect self (1 Samuel 15:13-15)
    B. Gain an advantage (Proverbs 21:28)
    C. Impress others (Jude 16)
    D. Harm others (Genesis 39:11-20)

IV. Results of lying
    A. Harms others (Proverbs 25:18)
    B. Destroys trust (Proverbs 14:5)
    C. Wrecks relationships (Proverbs 16:28; Eph 4:25)
    D. Ruins your reputation (Proverbs 10:9)
    E. Breaks your fellowship with God (Psalm 101:7)
    F. Brings God’s judgment (Prov 19:9; Rev 21:8, 22:15)

V. Sources of lying
    A. Satan (Genesis 3:4; John 8:44)
    B. The human heart (Jer 17:9; Matt 15:19; Acts 5:3)

VI. Positive application: Speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15)
    A. Must balance truth with love
    B. Ask yourself three questions:
        1) Is it true?
        2) Is it necessary?
        3) Is it kind?

Note: To read the complete message, go to the Sermons tab at the top of the blog.

Mythbusters:  Are Elephants Afraid of Mice? Apparently so.

My niece, Meredith, has started a blog. You can check it out at Irish Laughter. All the best, Meredith! (And go Sox!)

Nicki Adams at titus2talk shares some great frugal Christmas gift ideas. “If you’re a bit short of cash, or would like to get a bit more personal and creative, why not try out some of these random ideas.”

Justin Taylor draws attention to anti-religious bigotry in the mainstream media. “Whether or not you are a fan of Mike Huckabee and his candidacy for the presidency, it’s helpful to take a sober look at the transparent bigotry on display among some members of the mainstream media reacting to an evangelical who is unashamed of his faith and who has an integrated worldview.”

Bernard Lewis identifies the real issue at hand in the Annapolis summit peace talks. “If the issue is about the size of Israel, then we have a straightforward border problem, like Alsace-Lorraine or Texas. That is to say, not easy, but possible to solve in the long run, and to live with in the meantime. If, on the other hand, the issue is the existence of Israel, then clearly it is insoluble by negotiation. There is no compromise position between existing and not existing, and no conceivable government of Israel is going to negotiate on whether that country should or should not exist.”

Paul Edwards encourages Christians to engage Philip Pullman’s books and new movie, The Golden Compass, rather than run away from it. “It seems to me the proper response from those who are convinced of the truth ought to be to engage error, not run from it. Rather than fearing our children might read a book or see a film that challenges their faith, such a scenario presents us with an opportunity to teach them to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints.” I would agree, with reservations. I would want to read the books or see the film first to know what error I was engaging. It would also depend on the ages of the children. Children are very impressionable, and books and films can make deep impressions. (For more on The Golden Compass, see Quick Takes – 11/10/2007)

Univeral Music Group CEO Doug Morris laments the impact of illegal music downloads on the music industry. “Really, an album that someone worked on for two years — is that worth only $9, $10, when people pay two bucks for coffee in Starbucks? People never really understand what’s happening to the artists. All the sharing of the music, right? Is it correct that people share their music, fill up these devices with music they haven’t paid for? If you had Coca-Cola coming through the faucet in your kitchen, how much would you be willing to pay for Coca-Cola? There you go. That’s what happened to the record business.”

More from the Doug Morris article above. “Universal is also experimenting with the subscription-based plans that many … see as the wave of the future. The idea is to charge customers a fixed monthly fee (which could get tacked onto their cell phone, cable, or Internet bill) in return for access to unlimited music from a given label and, say, the opportunity to hear new recordings a week before their general release. Morris is currently championing a version called Total Music.” (Hmmm, once again this sounds very familiar. See Media Access for the Next Generation | Subscription Services)