No Other Gods
Exodus 20:1-3 | Leader & Student Information

Tyler Bowles • Associate Pastor
September 30, 2026

2 Minute Read
Week 2 Devotional
Scripture

Lesson Summary

Before giving Israel the first commandment, God reminded them that He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Their obedience was a response to His rescue. The LORD alone was their God, and they were to worship Him without giving their allegiance to another god beside Him or instead of Him.

God deserves our whole heart because He alone is the true God. Elijah’s confrontation with Baal showed the difference between the living God and a powerless idol. Psalm 115 reminds us that idols cannot hear, act, or save—and that what we worship shapes us.

We may not bow before statues, but possessions, popularity, friendships, or success can still take God’s place. These can be good gifts, but they cannot give us the life and lasting satisfaction that God provides. Jeremiah compares turning from God to leaving a fountain of fresh water for a broken container that cannot hold water. God calls us to worship Him alone because He is our greatest treasure.

Three Main Ideas

  • God saves: Israel’s rescue depended entirely on God.
  • God calls us to obey: Obedience follows salvation; it does not earn it.
  • God sets His people apart: God’s people belong to Him and are called to show His goodness to others.


Small Group Questions

Understanding the Passage
  1. Why does God remind Israel of their rescue before giving this command? How does that help us understand why we should obey Him?
  2. Read Mark 12:28–30. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. What would that look like in your everyday choices? How should loving God affect the way you treat others?
  3. Read Matthew 4:8–10. What was Jesus being asked to put before God? When might you be tempted to disobey God to gain something you want?
  4. What we trust and worship shapes us. How might making popularity, possessions, or winning most important change the way someone treats other people? Do you recognize any of that in yourself?
  5. Why is a broken water container a good picture of things we expect to satisfy us instead of God? What is one practical way you can turn toward God this week?
Stay connected by subscribing below so you never miss an update.

Subscribe to Jr.High Student Ministry Updates

By subscribing, you agree to receive email communication from Oxford Baptist Church. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Up Next
From this Collection: Jr.High Student Ministry
October 28, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Honour Your Father & Mother
Week 6 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:12 (ESV) Lesson Summary God commands us to honour our father and mother: to treat them as significant through our words, attitudes, listening, obedience, and practical care. Families have different circumstances, and students may also be cared for by guardians. Honour continues throughout life, though the ways we express it change as we grow. Jesus challenged people who used religious commitments as an excuse to avoid caring for their parents. Our faith should shape ordinary life at home. Listening before reacting, helping without excuses, and showing gratitude are practical ways to honour God. Parents also have responsibilities: they must not provoke or discourage their children. Honour never requires obeying an instruction to sin or concealing harm. Jesus honoured His earthly parents and is the sinless Saviour who died and rose to rescue sinners. We cannot earn God’s acceptance by being perfect children. When we fail, we can confess, trust His forgiveness, and ask for grace to change. One act of kindness, a sincere apology, or a faithful response to a responsibility is a good place to begin. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage What makes you feel that someone values you? How could that help you understand what it means to honour a parent? When a rule frustrates you, what usually happens to your listening and tone? What would a respectful response sound like? What is one unnoticed way someone at home cares for you? How could you show gratitude for it? Jesus challenged religious excuses for neglecting parents. What excuses might we use to avoid helping at home? Read Colossians 3:12–13. Which quality in these verses would make the biggest difference to your responses at home, and why? How is admitting a wrong and asking forgiveness different from just trying to look like a good child? How does Jesus help us begin again? Choose one ordinary act of listening, help, or kindness for this week. What might make it difficult, and how could you ask God for help?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

October 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Remember the Sabbath
Week 5 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:8-11 (ESV) Lesson Summary God created a good world and rested after His completed work. People were made for life in His presence, but human rebellion brought painful toil, death, and separation from the garden. Our deepest need for rest reaches beyond a less busy schedule: we need to be brought back to God. After rescuing Israel from slavery, God commanded His people to stop their ordinary work every seventh day. That rest included their households, servants, visitors, and animals. Sabbath, sabbatical years, and Jubilee pointed towards trust in God's provision, freedom, and restoration. Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for people's good and declared Himself Lord of it. Jesus invites weary people to come to Him for rest for their souls. Through His death and resurrection, He brings sinners into relationship with God. We receive His rest by faith while awaiting its fullness. We can also make time to stop, remember God, and enjoy our Maker, Saviour, and King without turning rest into another burden. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage What do you usually do when you want to rest? Does it leave you refreshed, distracted, or something else? Why might it be hard to stop being busy, even when you are tired? What would trusting God look like then? How could rest help you remember and enjoy God rather than simply fill time? Jesus said the Sabbath was made for people. How could we turn a good gift from God into a burden or competition? Read Matthew 11:28-30. What might make someone hesitate to bring their burdens to Jesus? What do His words show about how He receives us? What is the difference between taking a break and trusting Jesus for forgiveness and rest for your soul? What practical change could help you make time to rest and remember God this week? Who could help you follow through?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

October 14, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
God’s Name
Week 4 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:7 (ESV) Lesson Summary A name represents a person. God’s name represents who He is, so the way we use His name matters. The third commandment calls us to honour Him rather than use His name carelessly, claim His approval for things He has not said, or pretend to follow Jesus while deliberately living a lie. Jesus teaches us to pray that God’s name would be treated as holy. We put that prayer into practice through truthful words, trustworthy promises, kindness, and courage to do what is right. Our lives should reflect the character of the Saviour we claim to follow. When we fail, we do not need to pretend we are perfect. Jesus offers forgiveness through His death and resurrection. We can confess our sin, apologize to those we have hurt, and make things right where possible. Honouring God includes being honest about our need for His grace. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage How would you feel if someone used your name to tell a lie or make fun of you? How does that help you understand why the way we use God’s name matters? What makes it easy to use God’s name without thinking—in conversation, messages, jokes, or online? What could help you change that habit? Why might someone say that God agrees with them when they are really sharing their own opinion? How could you check whether something is actually taught in the Bible? Jesus says our yes should mean yes and our no should mean no. When is telling the truth hardest for you? What would help you be trustworthy in that situation? If a classmate knew you followed Jesus, what might they think about Him after watching how you treat people? Where could your actions give a clearer picture of His kindness? What is the difference between pretending to be a Christian while living a lie and following Jesus but honestly admitting when you sin? How does Jesus’ forgiveness help us stop pretending? Read Matthew 6:9. What is one practical way you could honour God’s name this week through your words or actions?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

October 7, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Worship the Living God
Week 3 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:4-6 (ESV) Lesson Summary The first commandment teaches us to worship God alone. The second teaches us to worship Him as He has revealed Himself. God’s command against carved images does not forbid art; it forbids making images to worship. The living God cannot be reduced to something we create or imagine. Idols are not always statues. Money, popularity, possessions, comfort, or success can draw our hearts away from God. These things cannot give us the lasting hope and security He provides. God’s jealousy expresses His holy, protective love: His people belong to Him, and He calls them to undivided worship. We learn what God is like through His Word and, most clearly, through Jesus, the image of the invisible God. Although our families’ choices can influence us, we do not inherit their guilt—or their faith. Each of us needs to trust Jesus personally and follow Him, knowing that God is faithful and merciful. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage What are some good things that can become too important? How can you recognize when something is starting to take God’s place in your life? Have you ever discovered that something you thought about God was different from what the Bible teaches? What can help us know God as He really is? The Israelites made a golden calf while waiting for Moses. When you feel impatient, worried, or unsure, what do you turn to for comfort? What could trusting God look like instead? God’s jealousy expresses His protective love for His people. How does knowing that God loves you change the way you hear His command to put away idols? Read Colossians 1:15–17. What does this show you about Jesus? How can knowing Him better help you trust and worship God? Having Christian parents does not automatically make someone a Christian. What does it look like to trust Jesus personally? Who could help you work through your questions? What might be drawing your heart away from God? What is one practical step you could take this week to follow Jesus more faithfully?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

Currently Reading
September 30, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
No Other Gods
Week 2 Devotional Scripture Exodus 20:1-3 (ESV) Lesson Summary Before giving Israel the first commandment, God reminded them that He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Their obedience was a response to His rescue. The LORD alone was their God, and they were to worship Him without giving their allegiance to another god beside Him or instead of Him. God deserves our whole heart because He alone is the true God. Elijah’s confrontation with Baal showed the difference between the living God and a powerless idol. Psalm 115 reminds us that idols cannot hear, act, or save—and that what we worship shapes us. We may not bow before statues, but possessions, popularity, friendships, or success can still take God’s place. These can be good gifts, but they cannot give us the life and lasting satisfaction that God provides. Jeremiah compares turning from God to leaving a fountain of fresh water for a broken container that cannot hold water. God calls us to worship Him alone because He is our greatest treasure. Three Main Ideas God saves: Israel’s rescue depended entirely on God. God calls us to obey: Obedience follows salvation; it does not earn it. God sets His people apart: God’s people belong to Him and are called to show His goodness to others. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage Why does God remind Israel of their rescue before giving this command? How does that help us understand why we should obey Him? Read Mark 12:28–30. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. What would that look like in your everyday choices? How should loving God affect the way you treat others? Read Matthew 4:8–10. What was Jesus being asked to put before God? When might you be tempted to disobey God to gain something you want? What we trust and worship shapes us. How might making popularity, possessions, or winning most important change the way someone treats other people? Do you recognize any of that in yourself? Why is a broken water container a good picture of things we expect to satisfy us instead of God? What is one practical way you can turn toward God this week?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor

September 23, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Saved to Obey
Week 1 Devotional Scripture Exodus 19:1-6 (ESV) Lesson Summary When Israel arrived at Mount Sinai, God reminded them of everything He had already done. He had rescued them from slavery in Egypt, protected them through the plagues and Passover, brought them through the Red Sea, and provided food and water in the wilderness. Israel had not saved themselves. God carried them “on eagles’ wings” and brought them to Himself. The order of these events is important. God did not give Israel the Ten Commandments and promise to rescue them if they obeyed well enough. He saved them first and then taught them how His rescued people should live. Their obedience did not purchase salvation; it was meant to be their response to God’s grace. This pattern helps us understand the Gospel. We cannot save ourselves by following rules or doing enough good things. Jesus died and rose again to save sinners. Those who trust Him are forgiven and brought into God’s family. Because He has saved us, we learn to follow His ways. God’s commands are “words of life.” They reveal His character and teach us the good way He designed us to live. Christians obey God because we belong to Him, trust His wisdom, and know that His ways are better. Three Main Ideas God saves: Israel’s rescue depended entirely on God. God calls us to obey: Obedience follows salvation; it does not earn it. God sets His people apart: God’s people belong to Him and are called to show His goodness to others. Small Group Questions Understanding the Passage What did God want Israel to remember about their rescue from Egypt? Why does it matter that God saved Israel before giving them the Ten Commandments? What do you think God meant when He said He carried Israel “on eagles’ wings” and brought them to Himself? How can God’s commands be “words of life” instead of rules that prevent us from enjoying life? Which of God’s commands is difficult for you to trust or obey? What would it look like to remember God’s grace and follow Him in that area?

Tyler Bowles

Associate Pastor