God's Recipe for a Wonderful Life - Presented by IfULoveMe.org

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.

Jesus is love and the source of all things good, but we become distracted by the modern-day gods, such as money, work, materialism and entertainment. Being distracted and losing focus on the Truth, we become confused, make unwise choices based on human wisdom and then are left to deal with the consequences. 

The first Commandment establishes God as the one and only God, Creator of the universe and the one who brings us out of the earthly and eternal slavery of sin. Therefore, we should trust Him above all else. 

This first Commandment is the foundation that supports and gives meaning to all the other Commandments. If God is unimportant to us, we become our own god, and lying and stealing become the methods for serving our primary god—namely ourselves. Observing Sunday for worship is unimportant and using God’s name in vain is just an expression. 

However, when we place God front-and-center in our lives and love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, we learn to trust Him, and we see the purpose and beauty of being a person of integrity, and see lying and stealing as the evils they are. We will naturally not want to take what belongs to someone else. Rather we will want to be generous and share with those in need and bring them joy. And, we will only want to glorify God’s name and never say anything that would desecrate His name. 

Jesus warns us against the “And” when He says in Matthew 6:24, No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or, be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

The “And” is when we want to serve God And money. Or serve God And our work, or love God And entertainment. When we attempt this, God always seems to get in the way as we perceive any time, money and attention that is owed to God as getting in the way of pursuing our other gods. Spending 10 minutes with God at the start of the day gets in the way of getting to work. Fitting in time to go to church on Sunday gets in the way of tailgating or shopping.

Therefore, to help us establish a firm foundation, upon which the other Commandments derive their purpose and meaning, it is imperative to understand and pursue this First Commandment with all our heart, soul and mind. It is incumbent as parents, that we make it our highest priority to impress these Commandments upon our children and grandchildren, so they have the proper foundation to put Jesus front and center in their lives and embrace His Commandments. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/1st-command-overview

I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange gods before me.

Jesus is love and the source of all things good, but we become distracted by the modern-day gods, such as money, work, materialism and entertainment. Being distracted and losing focus on the Truth, we become confused, make unwise choices based on human wisdom and then are left to deal with the consequences. 

The first Commandment establishes God as the one and only God, Creator of the universe and the one who brings us out of the earthly and eternal slavery of sin. Therefore, we should trust Him above all else. 

This first Commandment is the foundation that supports and gives meaning to all the other Commandments. If God is unimportant to us, we become our own god, and lying and stealing become the methods for serving our primary god—namely ourselves. Observing Sunday for worship is unimportant and using God’s name in vain is just an expression. 

However, when we place God front-and-center in our lives and love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind, we learn to trust Him, and we see the purpose and beauty of being a person of integrity, and see lying and stealing as the evils they are. We will naturally not want to take what belongs to someone else. Rather we will want to be generous and share with those in need and bring them joy. And, we will only want to glorify God’s name and never say anything that would desecrate His name. 

Jesus warns us against the “And” when He says in Matthew 6:24, No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other or, be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

The “And” is when we want to serve God And money. Or serve God And our work, or love God And entertainment. When we attempt this, God always seems to get in the way as we perceive any time, money and attention that is owed to God as getting in the way of pursuing our other gods. Spending 10 minutes with God at the start of the day gets in the way of getting to work. Fitting in time to go to church on Sunday gets in the way of tailgating or shopping.

Therefore, to help us establish a firm foundation, upon which the other Commandments derive their purpose and meaning, it is imperative to understand and pursue this First Commandment with all our heart, soul and mind. It is incumbent as parents, that we make it our highest priority to impress these Commandments upon our children and grandchildren, so they have the proper foundation to put Jesus front and center in their lives and embrace His Commandments. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/1st-command-overview

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

With name calling such a severe offense, why is it that so many people don’t consider it offensive to abuse God’s name? We hear people using God’s name in frustration and anger all the time, figuring it is not that big of a deal. God, being Who He is, can handle it, right? But names are very important and no one, especially God, should have their name abused and misused. 

How we refer to God tells us a lot about the reverence we have for Him in our heart. So, if we use God’s name irreverently, it is evidence that we lack proper reverence for God. Conversely, when we genuinely and openly praise God’s name, it is a reflection of the honor and reverence we have for God. 

Blasphemy and perjury are two serious ways people break the Second Commandment. Blasphemy is referring to God in a curse, calling upon Him frivolously or when our behavior, as Christians, reflects poorly on Christ. Perjury is when we call upon God in an oath unnecessarily to establish credibility. Such as, “I swear to God I didn’t eat the last piece of pie.” 

Another form of perjury is when we make a serious oath calling upon God as a witness and then we break the oath, such as when called as a witness in a court of law. Understanding these two types of offending God and rooting them out are not just a matter of watching our tongue. It requires that we carefully and thoroughly examine our heart and then take steps to properly order our lives to align with God’s love for us. 

When others hear us disrespect the name of God, we degrade the image they have of God and we discourage them from wanting to know God. Over time, repeated abuse of the name of God, erodes the perception others have of God. Therefore, when we break the Second Commandment, we share some responsibility for others’ lack of reverence for and love of God. That is the opposite of what we are called to do as Christians. 

As Christians, how we behave is also a reflection of Jesus Christ and His name. Therefore, it is not just our words that potentially break the Second Commandment. We break it when we treat others disrespectfully and when we lie, steal, willingly ignore the Lord’s Day or break any of the other Commandments. Calling ourselves Christian, but behaving contrary to Jesus’ example of a Christian, is breaking the Second Commandment by being hypocritical. 

Everything in the universe was created by God, out of His love for us. Jesus came as a mere man to suffer and die to free us from the bondage of sin. As Creators of the universe and Redeemers of our souls, the names of Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are all to be honored and glorified above all other names. When we praise the name of Jesus, we glorify Him in our souls, and we exalt Him for others to see His glory and be drawn to Him. 

When Jesus gave us the perfect prayer He began, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, holy be your name,” showing the sacredness of God’s name. There is divine power in the name of Jesus—divine power to cast our demons, heal the sick and mend relationships. Therefore, we are to call upon the name of Him when we pray and in our worship to glorify His name. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/2nd-command-overview

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

With name calling such a severe offense, why is it that so many people don’t consider it offensive to abuse God’s name? We hear people using God’s name in frustration and anger all the time, figuring it is not that big of a deal. God, being Who He is, can handle it, right? But names are very important and no one, especially God, should have their name abused and misused. 

How we refer to God tells us a lot about the reverence we have for Him in our heart. So, if we use God’s name irreverently, it is evidence that we lack proper reverence for God. Conversely, when we genuinely and openly praise God’s name, it is a reflection of the honor and reverence we have for God. 

Blasphemy and perjury are two serious ways people break the Second Commandment. Blasphemy is referring to God in a curse, calling upon Him frivolously or when our behavior, as Christians, reflects poorly on Christ. Perjury is when we call upon God in an oath unnecessarily to establish credibility. Such as, “I swear to God I didn’t eat the last piece of pie.” 

Another form of perjury is when we make a serious oath calling upon God as a witness and then we break the oath, such as when called as a witness in a court of law. Understanding these two types of offending God and rooting them out are not just a matter of watching our tongue. It requires that we carefully and thoroughly examine our heart and then take steps to properly order our lives to align with God’s love for us. 

When others hear us disrespect the name of God, we degrade the image they have of God and we discourage them from wanting to know God. Over time, repeated abuse of the name of God, erodes the perception others have of God. Therefore, when we break the Second Commandment, we share some responsibility for others’ lack of reverence for and love of God. That is the opposite of what we are called to do as Christians. 

As Christians, how we behave is also a reflection of Jesus Christ and His name. Therefore, it is not just our words that potentially break the Second Commandment. We break it when we treat others disrespectfully and when we lie, steal, willingly ignore the Lord’s Day or break any of the other Commandments. Calling ourselves Christian, but behaving contrary to Jesus’ example of a Christian, is breaking the Second Commandment by being hypocritical. 

Everything in the universe was created by God, out of His love for us. Jesus came as a mere man to suffer and die to free us from the bondage of sin. As Creators of the universe and Redeemers of our souls, the names of Jesus, God the Father and the Holy Spirit are all to be honored and glorified above all other names. When we praise the name of Jesus, we glorify Him in our souls, and we exalt Him for others to see His glory and be drawn to Him. 

When Jesus gave us the perfect prayer He began, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, holy be your name,” showing the sacredness of God’s name. There is divine power in the name of Jesus—divine power to cast our demons, heal the sick and mend relationships. Therefore, we are to call upon the name of Him when we pray and in our worship to glorify His name. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/2nd-command-overview

Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day.

With the rotation of the Earth, God gave us day and night, with the moon revolving around the earth He gave us months, and in the revolutions of the earth around the sun He gave us years. By tilting the earth He gave us the seasons of the year. But nothing in nature has a natural cycle of seven days. God created everything in six days and then, as a bonus, gave us an extra day. A God-given day of vacation every week to recall all He created, to praise Him, to rest and enjoy all all His blessings. 

But what if God didn’t create the extra day? Instead He just ended the creation story after six days and then launched us right into Monday? How fun would that be? Even with all the beautiful and amazing gifts He had created, He wanted to give us even more. So, in His infinite love and wisdom, He created an extra day as a gift. 

Unfortunately, our culture has made Sunday just another day of the week. A day to get caught up for the week ahead. The trap we too often fall into is that we focus first on all the other seemingly more important and more fun ways we could use our Sundays. 

As we fill up Sundays with chores and worldly desires, we become too busy for God and too busy to spend time relaxing with family and friends. Between getting the laundry done, grocery shopping for the week, helping the kids finish their science project, the two soccer practices and the big game, there doesn’t seem to be time to “fit in” going to church. As busyness takes hold, we drift from our relationship with God, causing us to become confused and tempted with the lies and deception of worldly wisdom and wondering how did life become so difficult. 

In His infinite love and wisdom, God knew that we needed a break from the hard work of life to remember His love and praise Him for all He did for us in the previous week and ask for His guidance in the week ahead. He wanted to give us time to nurture and enjoy our relationships with family and friends and to give us time just to relax and prepare ourselves for the week ahead.  So, why waste it? Set aside the grind of life and trust in God's plan for Sundays. Enjoy them and be prepared to face the week ahead. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/3rd-command-overview

Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day.

With the rotation of the Earth, God gave us day and night, with the moon revolving around the earth He gave us months, and in the revolutions of the earth around the sun He gave us years. By tilting the earth He gave us the seasons of the year. But nothing in nature has a natural cycle of seven days. God created everything in six days and then, as a bonus, gave us an extra day. A God-given day of vacation every week to recall all He created, to praise Him, to rest and enjoy all all His blessings. 

But what if God didn’t create the extra day? Instead He just ended the creation story after six days and then launched us right into Monday? How fun would that be? Even with all the beautiful and amazing gifts He had created, He wanted to give us even more. So, in His infinite love and wisdom, He created an extra day as a gift. 

Unfortunately, our culture has made Sunday just another day of the week. A day to get caught up for the week ahead. The trap we too often fall into is that we focus first on all the other seemingly more important and more fun ways we could use our Sundays. 

As we fill up Sundays with chores and worldly desires, we become too busy for God and too busy to spend time relaxing with family and friends. Between getting the laundry done, grocery shopping for the week, helping the kids finish their science project, the two soccer practices and the big game, there doesn’t seem to be time to “fit in” going to church. As busyness takes hold, we drift from our relationship with God, causing us to become confused and tempted with the lies and deception of worldly wisdom and wondering how did life become so difficult. 

In His infinite love and wisdom, God knew that we needed a break from the hard work of life to remember His love and praise Him for all He did for us in the previous week and ask for His guidance in the week ahead. He wanted to give us time to nurture and enjoy our relationships with family and friends and to give us time just to relax and prepare ourselves for the week ahead.  So, why waste it? Set aside the grind of life and trust in God's plan for Sundays. Enjoy them and be prepared to face the week ahead. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/3rd-command-overview

You shall honor your father and mother.

Over the past several decades, culture has turned the parent-child relationship upside down. This reversal is the result of parent’s authority being increasingly undermined, aided with an unhealthy attitude of entitlement that is offered to, and even imposed upon, children. How will this trend play out over the next several decades? How do we restore the family hierarchy as designed by our Creator and provide our children the childhood they need and deserve to become the best versions of themselves in adulthood? The answer lies within the richness and wisdom of the Fourth Commandment. 

At first glance the Fourth Commandment is only intended for children to obey and respect their parents. But there is so much more packed within the Fourth Commandment. While it is clearly intended for children, it is equally intended for parents, and all adults. The Fourth Commandment actually is a comprehensive field-guide for raising strong, stable families and raising children who are confident, joy-filled and prepared to contribute to society. 

The Fourth Commandment implies that parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers and all adults live honorably and demonstrate the example of respecting others, so the children in our lives can learn through our example how to honor and obey, not just their parents, but everyone.  Parents set the tone for a child. Additionally, a parent’s model of obedience and honor for God shapes how their children will obey and honor God.

The Fourth Commandment also includes a promise. Honoring our father and mother promises a “long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” This promise may seem to be just some extra fluff to make the Commandment sound appealing. However, when you consider how the Fourth Commandment plays out, it truly does pave the way for a long and happy life.

Living a good life is about choices, and children who learn obedience and respect are better equipped to make good choices that lead to a better life for them and their children. For example, a child who obeys his parents and comes in at curfew may miss out on the “fun” of staying out late, but they also avoid the situations that put drunk drivers behind the wheel.

As parents and grandparents, we are called by God to be examples of honor and respect. Furthermore, we must be intentional about teaching honor and respect to our children and not  let it happen by chance. 

Another aspect of the Fourth Commandment is that it instructs us to honor our parents in their old age. No one has perfect parents and too many people have parents who clearly fell short of providing an ideal childhood. Regardless, we all are called by God to set aside our differences and honor our parents and fulfill their needs as they become physically and mentally unable to care for themselves. 

When it seems impossible to lovingly care for parents, we can draw strength from the following Bible verse: “With your whole heart honor your father; your mother’s birth pangs do not forget. Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you?” Sirach 7:27-28

One of the hidden gems masterfully designed within God’s framework of the Fourth Commandment is a variety of blessings for the whole family, including future generations. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/4th-command-overview

You shall honor your father and mother.

Over the past several decades, culture has turned the parent-child relationship upside down. This reversal is the result of parent’s authority being increasingly undermined, aided with an unhealthy attitude of entitlement that is offered to, and even imposed upon, children. How will this trend play out over the next several decades? How do we restore the family hierarchy as designed by our Creator and provide our children the childhood they need and deserve to become the best versions of themselves in adulthood? The answer lies within the richness and wisdom of the Fourth Commandment. 

At first glance the Fourth Commandment is only intended for children to obey and respect their parents. But there is so much more packed within the Fourth Commandment. While it is clearly intended for children, it is equally intended for parents, and all adults. The Fourth Commandment actually is a comprehensive field-guide for raising strong, stable families and raising children who are confident, joy-filled and prepared to contribute to society. 

The Fourth Commandment implies that parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers and all adults live honorably and demonstrate the example of respecting others, so the children in our lives can learn through our example how to honor and obey, not just their parents, but everyone.  Parents set the tone for a child. Additionally, a parent’s model of obedience and honor for God shapes how their children will obey and honor God.

The Fourth Commandment also includes a promise. Honoring our father and mother promises a “long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” This promise may seem to be just some extra fluff to make the Commandment sound appealing. However, when you consider how the Fourth Commandment plays out, it truly does pave the way for a long and happy life.

Living a good life is about choices, and children who learn obedience and respect are better equipped to make good choices that lead to a better life for them and their children. For example, a child who obeys his parents and comes in at curfew may miss out on the “fun” of staying out late, but they also avoid the situations that put drunk drivers behind the wheel.

As parents and grandparents, we are called by God to be examples of honor and respect. Furthermore, we must be intentional about teaching honor and respect to our children and not  let it happen by chance. 

Another aspect of the Fourth Commandment is that it instructs us to honor our parents in their old age. No one has perfect parents and too many people have parents who clearly fell short of providing an ideal childhood. Regardless, we all are called by God to set aside our differences and honor our parents and fulfill their needs as they become physically and mentally unable to care for themselves. 

When it seems impossible to lovingly care for parents, we can draw strength from the following Bible verse: “With your whole heart honor your father; your mother’s birth pangs do not forget. Remember, of these parents you were born; what can you give them for all they gave you?” Sirach 7:27-28

One of the hidden gems masterfully designed within God’s framework of the Fourth Commandment is a variety of blessings for the whole family, including future generations. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/4th-command-overview

You shall not kill

Because most of us don't go around killing people, it would be easy to give little or no thought to the Fifth Commandment. However, I propose we all make life-and-death decisions more frequently than we realize. 

For example, decisions about investing in companies that produce abortion equipment or that provide services or supplies to an abortion clinic is participating in killing unborn babies. How about being hired to fix a leak in the roof of an abortion clinic? What about texting while driving and voting for candidates who support abortion and assisted suicide.? These are just a few common examples of how the Fifth Commandment applies to all of us. 

Therefore, when we engage in business and decide how we vote, we are obliged to have a clear understanding of the practices and purpose of the business and we need to know what the issues are and where the candidates stand on the sanctity of life. 

Also, physical killing is not the only type of killing addressed in the Fifth Commandment. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus warns that, even without participating in physical killing, anger in our hearts are the root of killing and anger can be extended to feelings of jealousy and greed. 

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,‘You shall not kill’; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”

Therefore, we are liable of killing with our tongue when we say things in anger. The words said in anger by a parent to the tender heart of a son, daughter or spouse can kill their ideas, hopes, dreams and self-esteem. Out of jealousy and greed our words can kill someone’s reputation, their career or even their marriage. All of which are protected by the Fifth Commandment.

Think of the joy and excitement of a young couple having a baby. Conversely, recall the heartache and pain when someone close to you dies. The joy and sorrow experienced at the beginning and end of life makes it exceedingly obvious that life is precious. And, because life is a gift from our Creator, life is even more than precious. It is sacred. Jesus’ life and death on the cross to save our lives demonstrates that our lives are the very purpose of His coming to live among us. 

Opposed to Jesus’ mission of salvation is Satan’s mission of death and destruction of our lives and our souls. The Fifth Commandment protects sacred human lives and it stands to protect the soul of those who participate in Satan’s mission of destruction.

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/5th-command-overview

You shall not kill

Because most of us don't go around killing people, it would be easy to give little or no thought to the Fifth Commandment. However, I propose we all make life-and-death decisions more frequently than we realize. 

For example, decisions about investing in companies that produce abortion equipment or that provide services or supplies to an abortion clinic is participating in killing unborn babies. How about being hired to fix a leak in the roof of an abortion clinic? What about texting while driving and voting for candidates who support abortion and assisted suicide.? These are just a few common examples of how the Fifth Commandment applies to all of us. 

Therefore, when we engage in business and decide how we vote, we are obliged to have a clear understanding of the practices and purpose of the business and we need to know what the issues are and where the candidates stand on the sanctity of life. 

Also, physical killing is not the only type of killing addressed in the Fifth Commandment. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus warns that, even without participating in physical killing, anger in our hearts are the root of killing and anger can be extended to feelings of jealousy and greed. 

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,‘You shall not kill’; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”

Therefore, we are liable of killing with our tongue when we say things in anger. The words said in anger by a parent to the tender heart of a son, daughter or spouse can kill their ideas, hopes, dreams and self-esteem. Out of jealousy and greed our words can kill someone’s reputation, their career or even their marriage. All of which are protected by the Fifth Commandment.

Think of the joy and excitement of a young couple having a baby. Conversely, recall the heartache and pain when someone close to you dies. The joy and sorrow experienced at the beginning and end of life makes it exceedingly obvious that life is precious. And, because life is a gift from our Creator, life is even more than precious. It is sacred. Jesus’ life and death on the cross to save our lives demonstrates that our lives are the very purpose of His coming to live among us. 

Opposed to Jesus’ mission of salvation is Satan’s mission of death and destruction of our lives and our souls. The Fifth Commandment protects sacred human lives and it stands to protect the soul of those who participate in Satan’s mission of destruction.

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/5th-command-overview

You shall not commit adultery.

A Stradivarius violin is one of the most sought-after and revered musical instruments. Its primary purpose is to produce beautiful music.  What if the owner of a Stradivarius decided to use it as a drum, beating the back of it with drumsticks? It would still produce music, but how would it compare to the music it was intended for and how would it degrade its purpose and disrespect its maker? 

How much more precious is the human body than a Stradivarius? Yet through adultery, pornography, sex change operations and contraceptives we degrade our bodies and disrespect our Creator. Instead of properly glorifying and respecting our sexuality, today’s culture desecrates it. 

Our mission: To restore the preciousness and miracle of our bodies so our children and grandchildren can avoid the heartache, depression and disappointment of the abuse that rips families apart, requires children to grow up not knowing their father or mother and jeopardizes souls. 

The Sixth Commandment emphasizes the importance and purpose of our sexuality, warns us of the evil and dangers of adultery and it calls us to glorify God through our sexuality. 

God created sex between a man and a woman as sacred and holy and good with the primary purpose of our sexuality being to participate with God in creation through the marital act. Anything that deviates from this purpose, degrades God’s purpose and is offensive to God and disrespects His creation. 

To more fully appreciate the greatness of the Sixth Commandment, let’s take a quick look at the topics of Creation, Sexuality, Marriage, Chastity and Lust. 

Creation: As the encore and crown-jewel of creation, God created man and woman and made us holy and sacred in His image and likeness. We participate with God in His creation through the gift of life given to us in our bodies. 

Salvation: God’s crown-jewel of our bodies are essential for our salvation. Therefore, it is paramount to do everything and anything to protect and treasure our sexuality. However, Satan has a different plan for our sexuality: division, not unity; death, not life; eternal damnation instead of eternal salvation. 

Marriage: Jesus gave Himself exclusively and totally to His bride for the purpose of giving life—eternal life! The sacrament of marriage models the marriage of Jesus and His bride, the Church. Anything less than being exclusive, without reservation and fully open to life, falls short of God’s plan for marriage.

Chastity: Chastity is the virtue that removes lust from our heart and frees us from the torture and slavery of impurity. Chastity is not about abstaining from sex. Rather it is about having the self-mastery to freely and properly choose with whom and when to have sex. 

Lust: The opposite of Chastity is the vice of lust which enslaves our hearts. Lust distorts sex to be self-serving instead of life-giving. It is deadly. Today’s culture has embraced lust, promoted it, and flaunted it as a natural and necessary way of life. 

The human heart is constantly in search of authentic love. But we get distracted and lose our way. We try to fill a God-sized hole with worldly pleasures that don’t satisfy. Having been made in the image and likeness of God, we are made for greatness, for joy and for the freedom of salvation. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/6th-command-overview

You shall not commit adultery.

A Stradivarius violin is one of the most sought-after and revered musical instruments. Its primary purpose is to produce beautiful music.  What if the owner of a Stradivarius decided to use it as a drum, beating the back of it with drumsticks? It would still produce music, but how would it compare to the music it was intended for and how would it degrade its purpose and disrespect its maker? 

How much more precious is the human body than a Stradivarius? Yet through adultery, pornography, sex change operations and contraceptives we degrade our bodies and disrespect our Creator. Instead of properly glorifying and respecting our sexuality, today’s culture desecrates it. 

Our mission: To restore the preciousness and miracle of our bodies so our children and grandchildren can avoid the heartache, depression and disappointment of the abuse that rips families apart, requires children to grow up not knowing their father or mother and jeopardizes souls. 

The Sixth Commandment emphasizes the importance and purpose of our sexuality, warns us of the evil and dangers of adultery and it calls us to glorify God through our sexuality. 

God created sex between a man and a woman as sacred and holy and good with the primary purpose of our sexuality being to participate with God in creation through the marital act. Anything that deviates from this purpose, degrades God’s purpose and is offensive to God and disrespects His creation. 

To more fully appreciate the greatness of the Sixth Commandment, let’s take a quick look at the topics of Creation, Sexuality, Marriage, Chastity and Lust. 

Creation: As the encore and crown-jewel of creation, God created man and woman and made us holy and sacred in His image and likeness. We participate with God in His creation through the gift of life given to us in our bodies. 

Salvation: God’s crown-jewel of our bodies are essential for our salvation. Therefore, it is paramount to do everything and anything to protect and treasure our sexuality. However, Satan has a different plan for our sexuality: division, not unity; death, not life; eternal damnation instead of eternal salvation. 

Marriage: Jesus gave Himself exclusively and totally to His bride for the purpose of giving life—eternal life! The sacrament of marriage models the marriage of Jesus and His bride, the Church. Anything less than being exclusive, without reservation and fully open to life, falls short of God’s plan for marriage.

Chastity: Chastity is the virtue that removes lust from our heart and frees us from the torture and slavery of impurity. Chastity is not about abstaining from sex. Rather it is about having the self-mastery to freely and properly choose with whom and when to have sex. 

Lust: The opposite of Chastity is the vice of lust which enslaves our hearts. Lust distorts sex to be self-serving instead of life-giving. It is deadly. Today’s culture has embraced lust, promoted it, and flaunted it as a natural and necessary way of life. 

The human heart is constantly in search of authentic love. But we get distracted and lose our way. We try to fill a God-sized hole with worldly pleasures that don’t satisfy. Having been made in the image and likeness of God, we are made for greatness, for joy and for the freedom of salvation. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/6th-command-overview

You shall not steal.

If you were having a conversation with Jesus about not stealing, do you think He would have anything to add such as, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not steal. But I say….’?” Of course He would, because Jesus wants us to look beyond the simple words of a Commandment so we can discover ourselves. By looking beyond the words, “Do not steal,” and looking at the motivations of our heart, we discover what and who we love most. We discover whether we sincerely love others or if that love is overshadowed by selfishness and fear.

Jesus would likely continue the conversation by encouraging you to cultivate generosity in your heart so you can not just share, but share joyfully. And not just share your possessions, but share your time, your appreciation for others and various intangibles that are even more valuable than money or possessions. Being generous demonstrates that God is real and is living through you. 

The Seventh Commandment calls us to detach from the things of this world, so our possessions don’t impede us from setting our hearts on pursing treasures in Heaven. The Seventh Commandment teaches us to be grateful for the big and small blessings each day offers, and it teaches us to trust that God will always provide what we need. 

Conversely, stealing is evidence that we love ourselves more than we love others and that we love the creation more than we love the Creator. Stealing shows a lack of trust that God will provide what we need, it shows we lack generosity and it turns us inward on ourselves, setting us up to be discontent, never having enough. 

There are many forms of stealing. Some are very obvious, and others are not so easy to recognize because they don’t involve the act of taking. When we keep something that belongs to another, it is the same as stealing. Some examples are when we find something, like a wallet or when the cashier gives us too much change. Other forms of stealing that are often not easily recognized include gossiping, which steals someone’s privacy and reputation, and being mean to people, which steals their dignity and robs them of having a good day. There are many ways to steal that don’t involve taking. 

The Seventh Commandment teaches that all of God’s creation is intended for everyone’s benefit, not just the “chosen few.” For a variety of reasons, some have too little and others have too much. Those with too little are likely to struggle in their experience of God’s goodness because they are focusing on surviving.

Those with too much are likely to struggle in seeing the goodness of God because they are focusing on accumulating more and safeguarding it all. The Seventh Commandment calls us to moderation. To have what we need and share the rest with others who struggle with less than they need. Through moderation and generosity, we participate with God in His plan of salvation for ourselves and our neighbors. 

We are called to prioritize the allocation of our tangible and intangible possessions according to the Greatest Commandment. That is, to first love God with all our heart, soul and mind. Regarding our possessions we do this through a tithe to His church. Next, the Greatest Commandment calls us to love others as we love ourselves. Therefore, we are not just to share from our leftovers. We are to be intentional in planning to include what others need, the same as we plan for our own needs. 

The Seventh Commandment is a call to greatness and an invitation to participate in God’s plan of joy, freedom and salvation through our work and our generosity. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/7th-command-overview

You shall not steal.

If you were having a conversation with Jesus about not stealing, do you think He would have anything to add such as, “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not steal. But I say….’?” Of course He would, because Jesus wants us to look beyond the simple words of a Commandment so we can discover ourselves. By looking beyond the words, “Do not steal,” and looking at the motivations of our heart, we discover what and who we love most. We discover whether we sincerely love others or if that love is overshadowed by selfishness and fear.

Jesus would likely continue the conversation by encouraging you to cultivate generosity in your heart so you can not just share, but share joyfully. And not just share your possessions, but share your time, your appreciation for others and various intangibles that are even more valuable than money or possessions. Being generous demonstrates that God is real and is living through you. 

The Seventh Commandment calls us to detach from the things of this world, so our possessions don’t impede us from setting our hearts on pursing treasures in Heaven. The Seventh Commandment teaches us to be grateful for the big and small blessings each day offers, and it teaches us to trust that God will always provide what we need. 

Conversely, stealing is evidence that we love ourselves more than we love others and that we love the creation more than we love the Creator. Stealing shows a lack of trust that God will provide what we need, it shows we lack generosity and it turns us inward on ourselves, setting us up to be discontent, never having enough. 

There are many forms of stealing. Some are very obvious, and others are not so easy to recognize because they don’t involve the act of taking. When we keep something that belongs to another, it is the same as stealing. Some examples are when we find something, like a wallet or when the cashier gives us too much change. Other forms of stealing that are often not easily recognized include gossiping, which steals someone’s privacy and reputation, and being mean to people, which steals their dignity and robs them of having a good day. There are many ways to steal that don’t involve taking. 

The Seventh Commandment teaches that all of God’s creation is intended for everyone’s benefit, not just the “chosen few.” For a variety of reasons, some have too little and others have too much. Those with too little are likely to struggle in their experience of God’s goodness because they are focusing on surviving.

Those with too much are likely to struggle in seeing the goodness of God because they are focusing on accumulating more and safeguarding it all. The Seventh Commandment calls us to moderation. To have what we need and share the rest with others who struggle with less than they need. Through moderation and generosity, we participate with God in His plan of salvation for ourselves and our neighbors. 

We are called to prioritize the allocation of our tangible and intangible possessions according to the Greatest Commandment. That is, to first love God with all our heart, soul and mind. Regarding our possessions we do this through a tithe to His church. Next, the Greatest Commandment calls us to love others as we love ourselves. Therefore, we are not just to share from our leftovers. We are to be intentional in planning to include what others need, the same as we plan for our own needs. 

The Seventh Commandment is a call to greatness and an invitation to participate in God’s plan of joy, freedom and salvation through our work and our generosity. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/7th-command-overview

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

With each Commandment, God reveals what He has made sacred and is to be protected. The Eighth Commandment follows suit. God’s warning to not lie reveals that truth is sacred and is to be protected. 

God, who is the Creator of all things, established truth in the very things He created. When He created the solar system, He created the truth of gravity. When He created a sparrow, He created the truth that sparrows fly and produce offspring. Therefore, Jesus is justified when He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” And so, logic follows that anything that falls short of what is true, leads us away from God. 

Truth is the foundation of relationships making it possible to live in harmony with one another and to live a peaceful and joy-filled life. Truth establishes honor and respect for one another, and truth is a pillar of trust necessary for healthy marriages and strong communities. 

However, because of our selfishness and pride, we struggle with accepting the truth and go to great lengths to deny the truth, creating a mess. In time, the lies produce confusion, fear, disagreements, anger and division, and we spin more lies to cover the first lie with each lie growing bigger than the last. With each lie, our humanity and dignity diminish, making it more difficult to recognize the truth as we are led further from God. 

Satan devised the lie and first used it in the garden of Eden when he sprinkled a little doubt by asking Eve, “Did God really say you would die…?” He then lied to make God out to be the bad guy saying, “You certainly will not die!” and then followed up with the false promise of “your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods.” 

Satan, the father of lies, causes nothing but confusion, division, destruction and slavery to sin. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve hid themselves from God and from one another. Satan’s strategy worked so well with Adam and Eve that he uses the same strategy on us today, and it still works!

Through the Natural Law, lies always have negative consequences, such as shame, confusion and division. Lying can have devastating lifelong impacts that span generations. Alternatively, truth leads us to Jesus, who is Truth, and living in truth sets us free. Free from the slavery of lies, free to enjoy good relationships and experience authentic joy. 

To help navigate difficult decisions and to recognize lies, the Catholic Catechism offers this definition of a lie. 

To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead into error someone who has the right to know the truth. (Catholic Catechism 2483) 

This definition exonerates the Polish family of lying to the soldiers when asked if they were hiding Jews because Nazi soldiers did not have the moral right to know the truth, 

This clarification is helpful to solve such difficult, but rare, situations, but it allows for erroneous rationalization and emotions. Therefore, St. Augustine warned against all lying. His fear was that exceptions could open the door to erroneous rationalization and emotions. He also warned that exceptions for lying introduce the risks of becoming a habitual liar.

There are many ways the Eighth Commandment can be broken. All of them turn ourselves, and others, away from Jesus and His truth which offers clarity of thought and freedom of living free and joy-filled lives. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/8th-command-overview To become better aware of the lies that we have grown blind to, including a breakdown of the types of lies along with some examples. 

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor

With each Commandment, God reveals what He has made sacred and is to be protected. The Eighth Commandment follows suit. God’s warning to not lie reveals that truth is sacred and is to be protected. 

God, who is the Creator of all things, established truth in the very things He created. When He created the solar system, He created the truth of gravity. When He created a sparrow, He created the truth that sparrows fly and produce offspring. Therefore, Jesus is justified when He says, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” And so, logic follows that anything that falls short of what is true, leads us away from God. 

Truth is the foundation of relationships making it possible to live in harmony with one another and to live a peaceful and joy-filled life. Truth establishes honor and respect for one another, and truth is a pillar of trust necessary for healthy marriages and strong communities. 

However, because of our selfishness and pride, we struggle with accepting the truth and go to great lengths to deny the truth, creating a mess. In time, the lies produce confusion, fear, disagreements, anger and division, and we spin more lies to cover the first lie with each lie growing bigger than the last. With each lie, our humanity and dignity diminish, making it more difficult to recognize the truth as we are led further from God. 

Satan devised the lie and first used it in the garden of Eden when he sprinkled a little doubt by asking Eve, “Did God really say you would die…?” He then lied to make God out to be the bad guy saying, “You certainly will not die!” and then followed up with the false promise of “your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods.” 

Satan, the father of lies, causes nothing but confusion, division, destruction and slavery to sin. Because of their disobedience, Adam and Eve hid themselves from God and from one another. Satan’s strategy worked so well with Adam and Eve that he uses the same strategy on us today, and it still works!

Through the Natural Law, lies always have negative consequences, such as shame, confusion and division. Lying can have devastating lifelong impacts that span generations. Alternatively, truth leads us to Jesus, who is Truth, and living in truth sets us free. Free from the slavery of lies, free to enjoy good relationships and experience authentic joy. 

To help navigate difficult decisions and to recognize lies, the Catholic Catechism offers this definition of a lie. 

To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead into error someone who has the right to know the truth. (Catholic Catechism 2483) 

This definition exonerates the Polish family of lying to the soldiers when asked if they were hiding Jews because Nazi soldiers did not have the moral right to know the truth, 

This clarification is helpful to solve such difficult, but rare, situations, but it allows for erroneous rationalization and emotions. Therefore, St. Augustine warned against all lying. His fear was that exceptions could open the door to erroneous rationalization and emotions. He also warned that exceptions for lying introduce the risks of becoming a habitual liar.

There are many ways the Eighth Commandment can be broken. All of them turn ourselves, and others, away from Jesus and His truth which offers clarity of thought and freedom of living free and joy-filled lives. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/8th-command-overview To become better aware of the lies that we have grown blind to, including a breakdown of the types of lies along with some examples. 

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

When we covet, we develop an inordinate emotional attachment to something, and our attachment becomes so great that we push God out of the center of our lives and replaced Him with the object of our desire. The object of the desire can be a person, something material or it can be something intangible such as prestige, pleasure, entertainment or success. 

Having become obsessed, we become blind to the authentic goodness and purpose for which the object was intended by God. Then, in our blindness and striving to possess it, we jeopardize other intrinsically good things, such as relationships, physical and spiritual health, dignity, and the future. 

Having a covetous heart entice a person to violate the Commandments that pertain to lying, stealing, adultery and killing. And most sadly, coveting is a form of idolatry that violates the first Commandment of not having strange gods. 

But knowing that coveting is what entices us to break the first eight Commandments, we can use this to our advantage. Becoming aware of what we covet helps identify specific virtues to cultivate, giving us the prudence and fortitude to live according to the Commandments and reap their rewards. How cool is that?

Coveting is a condition of the heart. When we become aware of what we covet, we begin to foresee when we are approaching a danger zone (near occasion of sin) and can then avoid the temptation. For example, Jesus warns us about any lust or anger we have in our heart as being precursors to adultery and murder. 

There are several conditions of coveting that are helpful for understanding how coveting operates. 

Discontentment causes us to diminish what we have, grumble, complain and wallow in self-pity, and, instead of celebrating the achievements of others, we celebrate their misfortunes. 

Greed makes us feel that enough is never enough. Greed continually makes us want more money, more time, more knowledge, more food, more sex, more entertainment, more prestige. Greed makes us bitter, self-centered and blind to important responsibilities and precious relationships. Greed causes us to become a slave to our “strange” gods as they demand an inordinate amount of our time, attention and love. 

Envy is the most dangerous symptoms of a covetous heart. The Catholic Catechism defines envy as, “The sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly.” The intense emotion of envy drives people to distort reality, leading to poor judgement and malicious actions such as slander, vandalism and even murder. 

Misplaced Trust is another characteristic of coveting that places trust in things of the world instead of in God. By sowing doubt and a lie, Satan was quick to transfer Eve’s trust from God to himself. With the trust misplaced, Eve was an easy target of the false promise of becoming “like God.”

When we drift from observing the First and Third Commandments, we begin to covet worldly gods. These other gods begin to consume us and further push God and His authentic love to the margins of our hearts and, in time, leave us feeling empty. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/9th-%26-10tcommand-overview

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

When we covet, we develop an inordinate emotional attachment to something, and our attachment becomes so great that we push God out of the center of our lives and replaced Him with the object of our desire. The object of the desire can be a person, something material or it can be something intangible such as prestige, pleasure, entertainment or success. 

Having become obsessed, we become blind to the authentic goodness and purpose for which the object was intended by God. Then, in our blindness and striving to possess it, we jeopardize other intrinsically good things, such as relationships, physical and spiritual health, dignity, and the future. 

Having a covetous heart entice a person to violate the Commandments that pertain to lying, stealing, adultery and killing. And most sadly, coveting is a form of idolatry that violates the first Commandment of not having strange gods. 

But knowing that coveting is what entices us to break the first eight Commandments, we can use this to our advantage. Becoming aware of what we covet helps identify specific virtues to cultivate, giving us the prudence and fortitude to live according to the Commandments and reap their rewards. How cool is that?

Coveting is a condition of the heart. When we become aware of what we covet, we begin to foresee when we are approaching a danger zone (near occasion of sin) and can then avoid the temptation. For example, Jesus warns us about any lust or anger we have in our heart as being precursors to adultery and murder. 

There are several conditions of coveting that are helpful for understanding how coveting operates. 

Discontentment causes us to diminish what we have, grumble, complain and wallow in self-pity, and, instead of celebrating the achievements of others, we celebrate their misfortunes. 

Greed makes us feel that enough is never enough. Greed continually makes us want more money, more time, more knowledge, more food, more sex, more entertainment, more prestige. Greed makes us bitter, self-centered and blind to important responsibilities and precious relationships. Greed causes us to become a slave to our “strange” gods as they demand an inordinate amount of our time, attention and love. 

Envy is the most dangerous symptoms of a covetous heart. The Catholic Catechism defines envy as, “The sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly.” The intense emotion of envy drives people to distort reality, leading to poor judgement and malicious actions such as slander, vandalism and even murder. 

Misplaced Trust is another characteristic of coveting that places trust in things of the world instead of in God. By sowing doubt and a lie, Satan was quick to transfer Eve’s trust from God to himself. With the trust misplaced, Eve was an easy target of the false promise of becoming “like God.”

When we drift from observing the First and Third Commandments, we begin to covet worldly gods. These other gods begin to consume us and further push God and His authentic love to the margins of our hearts and, in time, leave us feeling empty. 

Visit: https://godsrecipe.org/9th-%26-10tcommand-overview

The 11th Commandment: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20 Thank you for listening! Learn more about our ministry at https://godsrecipe.org/

The 11th Commandment: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20 Thank you for listening! Learn more about our ministry at https://godsrecipe.org/