Fall 2025 Devotional: The 10 Commandments
This semester’s devotions have been centered on the 10 Commandments, The 10 Commandments are a foundational part to understanding God’s Heart and ways. Plus they give us practical examples on how we are to love God and love people.
There are a total of 613 commandments in the Torah given to the Israelite people. The basis for all of those commandments first start with the 10 given to the Israelites in Exodus 20.
You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall make no idols.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Keep the Sabbath day holy.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet.
These 10 commandments themselves can be split into two parts.
In Matthew chapter 22 verses 37-40 Jesus tells us that the Greatest Commandment is to: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This covers the first four commandments in how we are to honor God, the last 6 are part of the second greatest commandment; to: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
These two commandments are to Love God, and to Love People. From that we get the 10 commandments in Exodus 20, and furthermore the other 603 throughout the Torah that the Israelites were to follow. The Bible is the only thing in this life that gives us solid truth that never changes. It is steady and trustworthy and it will benefit you your whole Life!
Carey Locklar
devotional teacher
Interview
Why did you choose to teach about the 10 commandments this year?
The 10 Commandments are a foundational to understanding God’s Heart and ways. And they give us practical examples on how we can love God and love people.
Why do you enjoy teaching about the 10 commandments?
It is the only thing that is solid in this world. The Bible is the only thing in this life that gives us solid truth that never changes. And we can build our life on it. It is steady and trustworthy and it will benefit you your whole life – grabbing hold of those truths early on in life.
How do you teach in a way that everyone understands?
It is a challenge and a gift from the Holy Spirit. Because we have an audience ranging from pre-schoolers to moms and dads. To be able to share God’s truth in a way for everyone to benefit from it. Spends a lot of time teaching her own kids, always putting things on their level that matches with their life experience.
What is your favorite book of the Bible to teach about? And why?
Genesis. There is so much there. Very exciting. You get to see how GOD interacts with His people very clearly. Crazy stories. You get to see His plan for how He loves His people from Adam and Eve in the garden to Noah and how He provides for Noah the plan He has for Abraham and His patience and kindness while the nation of Israel is being built even though His chosen people are far from perfect. They do some really weird and crazy things. And they have wacky ideas. And He is kind to them anyway.
How do you explain Jesus to non-belivers?
Tell them that He created all the things, all the people, and all He wants from us if for us to love him. He wants us to choose to love Him. In order for us to choose Him there has to be a choice. There has to be a choice A and a choice B. and that’s what we see in the garden with Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve chose themselves. And we see that all throughout history we all choose ourselves and as a result of that the world was broken. The price for our sin and disobedience is death and He came paid that price for us so that we could receive His restoration. And the good news is that He is going to come and fix the mess we made. He is going to come and fix humanity. He will fix creation. He wants us to be with Him in His perfect kingdom that He is going to build we have to acknowledge that He is King and we are not. And we have to chose to submit to His rules and his ways. And trust that He has paid the price for our sins. And that is the good news that all this brokenness is temporary.