There is probably more Scripture about lying than any other sin other than greed – and they do go hand in hand more often than not.  The first lie is in the Garden when Satan causes Eve to question the goodness of God.  In fact, in John 8:44 it says that Satan is the Father of Lies.  It is the one thing he does – the only thing he does in fact.  He lies. Scott Peck says that the source of all lies is fear and the primary motive of the cover-up is fear.   The central characteristic of the liar is the willingness to sacrifice everyone for their cover-up.…

A couple of things have happened this week that started me thinking about Caleb. The first was an email conversation with a young friend. In last week’s blog I had quoted a poem by Wendell Berry that said: “So, friends, every day do something that won’t compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and be poor. Love someone who does not deserve it.” My friend had coffee with one of his friends and part of the exchange sounded like, “That’s all well and good but not for those of us who live in the real world. Those options are not open to…

So, here we are at the final commandmentry. Do not covet. The commandment has been used to describe a number of sins and faults and I would like to describe it this morning as the sin that comes at the end of a process – and not something that is sometimes spontaneous like murder or lying or even adultery. There is something about covetousness that reflects intentionality and meditation. In fact, as we’ll see when we look at Micah that is exactly how God describes it. But first let’s look at two things that are often described as coveting – but are not. Neither of these involve other people, really.…