About this episode

Pastor Jared Richard discusses the importance of honoring God's name and the various ways it can be misused, drawing from biblical teachings.

In this message from Exodus 20:7, Pastor Jared Richard continues Bay Leaf Baptist Church's series through the Ten Commandments by turning the congregation's attention to the Third Commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain." Using a word association exercise with names like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Adolf Hitler, Pastor Jared establishes that names are far more than titles — they represent the full weight of a person's life and character. Because God's name, Yahweh, is a revealed, personal, and representative name that encapsulates all of who He is, it carries a holiness that demands our deepest reverence. As Exodus 3:15 declares, "This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations." Pastor Jared then walks through the many ways God's people misuse His name, going well beyond the obvious offense of profanity. Drawing from the Old Testament, he identifies three ancient patterns of misuse — sorcery, false prophecy, and false oaths — and shows how each has a modern equivalent. The prosperity gospel, for instance, mirrors ancient sorcery by invoking God's name as a tool to claim health and wealth, effectively turning…

People in this episode

Host: Pastor Jared Richard

Topics covered

• Third Commandment
• God's name
• misuse of God's name
• reverence
• spirituality
• Ten Commandments

Keywords

• honor God's name
• Third Commandment
• Exodus
• misuse of names
• spiritual integrity
• false prophecy
• prosperity gospel

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Exodus 20:7, Exodus 3:15

More episodes of Bay Leaf Baptist Church Weekly Sermons

• 6-7-26 // The Easiest Commandment? // Exodus 20:13 // Do We Truly Value Human Life? · June 8, 2026 · 42 min
• 5-31-26 // Honor Your Father and Mother // Exodus 20:12 // How Do We Honor Our Parents? · June 2, 2026 · 45 min
• 5-24-26 // God's Gracious Gift // Exodus 20:8-11 // Why Did God Give Us a Day of Rest? · May 26, 2026 · 38 min
• 5-10-26 // Raising up Faithful Worshipers of God // Exodus 20:4-6 // What Legacy Are You Leaving? · May 11, 2026 · 44 min

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