This weekend at Anchor Church, we continued our journey through the Ten Commandments by going deeper into the sixth: “You shall not murder.” Last week, we looked at the sanctity of life—that every human being bears God’s image, and to take life unjustly is to attack God Himself. But this week, Jesus takes us even further. In Matthew 5:21–26, Jesus doesn’t just warn against murder—He exposes the seeds of it. He tells us the sin starts long before blood is spilled. It begins in our hearts.

This weekend at Anchor Church, we opened the weighty command, “You shall not murder.” In just two Hebrew words—lo ratsach—God draws a divine boundary around human life. In a world where life is too often dismissed, devalued, or reshaped by our preferences, this command calls us to a higher vision: to see every person as sacred, made by and for the Giver of life. It isn’t merely a prohibition against violence—it’s a call to worship, to honor God by honoring His image in others, and to live under His authority from the heart outward.

This week at Anchor Church, we wrapped up our three-week focus on the Fifth Commandment—“Honor your father and your mother.” We’ve seen that honor is the backbone of God’s design for human flourishing, beginning in the home and echoing outward into the church and the world. Today, we looked closely at how Spirit-empowered honor isn’t just a family matter, but one way the church adorns the beauty of the gospel for a watching world.

All authority flows from God’s character and rule. He is the true King—His authority isn’t for control, but for the good of His people. Every parent, leader, and pastor is given authority as a stewardship, not for personal gain, but to reflect God’s heart. Before we talk about human leadership, we start with the sovereignty, goodness, and justice of God Himself.

This weekend at Anchor Church, we continued our TEN COMMANDMENTS series by turning to the fifth commandment. With it, we move from the vertical commands (how we relate to God) to the horizontal ones (how we relate to others). But God doesn’t start with murder or marriage—He starts with the family. Why? Because honor is the foundation for all healthy relationships.