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Four Elements of Genuine Repentance When John the Baptist prepared the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah, he called them to repent. (Matt. 3:2) As we prepare for the Messiah to come again, we are called to repentance, also. After Christ had ascended to heaven, Peter told the people of Jerusalem, "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped o...

The Christian season of Advent revolves around the four Sundays that lead up to Christmas Day. Traditionally, Advent is a season focused on preparation. We remember the way God prepared Israel for the birth and ministry of Jesus, and we think about how God wants us to prepare for Christ's return. How often do you think about the return of Jesus Christ? His second coming i...

We have been studying the Ten Commandments at ACC this fall. The commandments are helpful, not only because they teach us how to live, but because of what they reveal about God. Kevin DeYoung writes: "The law is an expression of the Lawgiver's heart and character. The commandments not only show us what God wants; they show us what God is like. They say something about hi...

From the time we are young, we all know it's wrong to steal. Any three-year-old in daycare will cry out against injustice when another child grabs a toy from their hands. We seem to possess innate knowledge that people shouldn't take things that don't belong to them. So, we might think the 8thCommandment needs little explanation. "Thou shalt not steal" is a pretty clear ru...

Resources for Sexual Wholeness We are preaching on the Ten Commandments at ACC this fall. The 7th commandment says: "You shall not commit adultery." The Bible portrays physical intimacy within the covenant of marriage (between a man and a woman) as God's design for healthy sexuality (Gen. 2:21-25). It describes as immoral any expression of sexual behavior outside of this ...

In our sermons at ACC this fall, we are looking at the Ten Commandments. In prepping to preach on the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not kill"), I listened to several sermons that other pastors gave on the subject. They were all fine sermons, but some of them sounded more like position papers on public policy than messages delivered to a local church. I write this not to ...

This fall at ACC, we are studying the Ten Commandments. Of all the commandments, you would think the one mandating a Sabbath rest (Ex. 20:8-11) would be easiest to follow. Just think of it God ordered his people to take a day off! This ought to be the most delightful commandment of all. Strangely, however, people often find this commandment difficult to enjoy. Througho...

In our current sermon series at ACC, we are looking at the 10 Commandments. The third commandment says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain." What does this commandment mean? First, it means that we must honor God with ourlips. We must only speak God's name in ways that are thoughtful and reverent. A person's name is more than a random arrangemen...

In our sermon series at ACC this autumn we are exploring the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17; Deut. 5:1-21). The Ten Commandments serve as a synopsis of God's moral law, showing us what a well-lived human life looks like in the eyes of God. This raises a question: What role does God's moral law play in the life of a Christian? Do these old rules still apply? If so, in ...

Not only is the Bible the best-selling book of all time, it consistently ranks as the best-selling book of the year every year, with over 100 million copies printed annually. In the United States, almost nine out of every ten households own a copy of the Bible. Yet despite the widespread availability of Scripture, Christian leaders are becoming increasingly alarmed by h...