Author: Rev. Harrison Goodman

God’s law shows just how common sin is. Stealing is not just taking something that doesn’t belong to you. It’s working against your neighbor’s possessions. That includes enough to call us all sinners who deserve death. Thanks be to God that He would be crucified between thieves to save them. We can look at the fullness of the commandment knowing our Lord bears the cross to save us as well.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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So much of the trouble in marriage comes from the idea that we can do more to make it perfect. We have to find our soulmate. We have to love them. We have to do it all. When you see that your spouse is given to you from God, soulmate becomes something new. It is not a singular person who you will never sin towards if only you could find them. It is the person God has joined you together with in marriage. I know I married my soulmate because God married us. Even as He joined us together, we seek harmony in His forgiveness.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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Marriage is a good thing. The problem is, youth are usually years from marriage and struggling with sin now. Luther notes that maintaining chastity apart from marriage is a rare and supernatural gift. Most of us don’t have superpowers. We were born this way. We’re sinners, but we have a Jesus who forgives sinners. This forgiveness becomes our identity.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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Sin breaks stuff. Sometimes we lose sight of the ways that sin hurts. That leads us to really focus on the negatives of God’s law. When we do that, we tend to forget the whole point. The 6th Commandment, you shall not commit adultery, is bigger than a list of things we’re not supposed to do. It’s chiefly about why marriage is good. Chastity is not an absence of immorality. It’s a presence of something beautiful.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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When God calls us to love our neighbor, it’s more than just a list of things we shouldn’t do to them. We’re called to help and support them.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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You shall not murder. That doesn’t start with the hands, but with the heart. Sinful anger festers and boils over. It’s not a question of control, but it’s still bad. So Jesus died on the cross and lets us place our wrath on Him. Jesus died for my neighbor. I can see all of the sins that make me angry punished on the cross. I can find peace not just for myself, but for my them too.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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God gave the fifth commandment, you shall not murder, because He loves your neighbor too. He wants to see us all taken care of. Sin breaks stuff. He gives the 5th commandment to see us protected. In the same attempt to protect us, He also gives authority to government to limit the damage that sin does. He calls them to protect their citizens, even by force. Killing is always painful, but inside of this vocation, God exempts them from the 5th commandment. Soldiers don’t fight for selfish gain, but to protect and serve. This is painful, but this is not murder.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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Parents, listen up. God gives you incredible authority. He has promised to work through you. This isn’t so you can serve yourself. You can serve the people God gives you better than anyone else. He has promised to work through you in your vocation. Serve your family and rejoice that God will work through you.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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God wants to take care of you. He does it through different people in different ways. God gives you a father to take care of your family, a different kind to care for your country, and a third to care for your soul. He works differently through each one. The 4th commandment shows us where we fit in the puzzle, and even more, where we can expect help.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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God establishes government and calls us to honor our leaders for the same reason we honor our parents. He works through means to take care of you. No matter who you voted for, realize God will work through your leaders, and rejoice that His will gets done, even through sinners.

Questions or Comments? Contact Pr. Goodman (http://higherthings.org/contact) or message him on Facebook (http://facebook.com/higherthings).
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Support Higher Things!

Higher Things exists and grows based on donations from individuals and congregations. Please consider donating to Higher Things at http://higherthings.org/support.

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