Timeless X: Ten Commandments Week 3

10 Commandments: The 3rd Commandment
Taking the Lord's Name in Vain
Based on a sermon preached by Greg Ballog, 9/27/26

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

Big Idea: Carrying God's name means representing Him truthfully with our whole lives, not only with our words.

WELCOME 
Do you know what your name means, or why your parents chose it? Go around the room and share. In the message, the pastor showed that names carry meaning. For example, Daniella means "God is my judge," Tim means "honoring God," and Mike means "who is like God?" Let's talk about what it means to carry the name of God.

OPENING PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of being called by Your name. You are the Lord our God, who brought us out of slavery and into freedom. As we open Your Word tonight, help us see where we have carried Your name carelessly or emptily. Give us honest hearts and open minds. Holy Spirit, lead our conversation, and help us leave here ready to represent Jesus well. In His name we pray, Amen.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
Ask different group members to read each passage aloud.
Reading 1: Exodus 20:1-2
"Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery."
Reading 2: Exodus 20:7
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
Reading 3: Leviticus 19:12
Do not swear falsely by God's name. In Hebrew, "tishv'u" means to swear or take an oath, and "l'shaker" means falsely or with a lie.
Reading 4: Matthew 28:19
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Reading 5: Philippians 2:9-11
God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him the name above every name, so that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

DISCUSSION TOPICS AND QUESTIONS
Topic 1: I Get To, Not I Have To 
God starts the commandments by reminding His people who He is and what He has done. He brought them out of slavery. The commandments come after rescue, not before it. As the message said, "When we look at God's way as an I have to follow, instead of I get to follow, we miss the freedom that following Him actually brings." And, "God's deliverance got them out of Egypt, but it was only their surrender to God that got Egypt out of them."
Why do you think God reminds Israel of their rescue before giving them any commands?
In what areas of your faith do you catch yourself thinking "I have to" instead of "I get to"?
What might "Egypt" still look like in a believer's life after salvation? What old habits or mindsets do we carry?
The message said, "Obedience is not legalism; it is a symptom of salvation." How would you explain the difference?

Topic 2: What Does It Mean to Carry God's Name? 
Most of us learned that this commandment is about cursing or using God's name as a swear word. That matters, but the Hebrew goes deeper. "Tissa" means to lift, carry, represent, or bear. "L'shav" means in vain, emptily, or falsely. So Exodus 20:7 could be read this way: "You shall not lift, carry, represent, or bear the name of the Lord your God falsely or with emptiness."
How does this fuller meaning change the way you understand the Third Commandment?
In Matthew 28:19, we are baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What does it mean to you that you carry His name?
Think of someone whose name really represents who they are. How can our lives make God's name look true or false to other people?

Topic 3: Five Ways We Carry God's Name Emptily 
The message named five ways we can carry God's name emptily. Spend a few minutes on each, or pick the ones that connect most with your group.

1. Worshipping with a Disengaged Heart (Psalm 96:1-4)
What pulls your heart away during worship, even when your lips are singing?
Psalm 96 calls us to proclaim His salvation "day after day." How can worship become a daily practice and not just a Sunday event?
2. Linking God's Name with Worldly Things (John 17:14, Romans 12:2)
Where do you see people attach God's name to agendas, products, or attitudes that don't reflect Him?
What does it look like to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind" instead of conforming to the world?
3. How We Love All People
How does the way Christians treat others, including people who are hard to love, affect how the world sees God's name?
Who is one person or group you find hard to love? What would carrying God's name well look like toward them?
4. Hesitation in Sharing the Gospel (John 4:33-35)
Jesus said the fields are ready for harvest. What keeps you from sharing your faith?
Why do we tend to say "four more months" and put off conversations God may want us to have today?
5. Not Knowing God's Word (Joshua 1:8, Titus 1:10, 16)
How can we represent a God we don't know well? Why does knowing Scripture matter for carrying His name faithfully?
Titus describes people who claim to know God but deny Him by their works. Where is the gap between our words and our actions most likely to show up?

Topic 4: How Are You Holding Jesus' Name?
The message said, "Lips that praise God's name combined with a lifestyle that denies Him creates confusion to a lost world." Philippians 2 reminds us that Jesus has the name above every name. One day every knee will bow to Him.
If someone watched your life this past week, what would they conclude about Jesus?
The message closed with "Remember who you are and whose you are." How does knowing you belong to God change the way you live?
Which of the five areas do you most need to grow in right now?

FOLLOW UP EXERCISE: Carrying the Name Well (introduce in group, complete during the week)
Choose one. Pick one of the five areas from tonight: worship, worldliness, loving people, sharing the Gospel, or knowing God's Word.
Set one step. Write down a specific action for this week. For example, read one chapter of Scripture each day, pray for and reach out to one person who doesn't know Jesus, or show kindness to someone who is hard to love.
Remember whose you are. Write "I carry His name" on a note card or your phone lock screen as a daily reminder.
Partner up. Share your step with one person in the group and check in with each other midweek.
Report back. Come to next week's group ready to share how God used your step.

CLOSING PRAYER
Lord God, thank You for rescuing us, for bringing us out of slavery and calling us Your own. Forgive us for the times we carried Your name emptily. Forgive us for worshipping with distracted hearts, for blending Your name with the world's ways, for failing to love people well, for holding back the Gospel, and for neglecting Your Word. Get "Egypt" out of us. Help us see obedience as a gift and not a burden. This week, let our lips and our lives tell the same story. Help us remember who we are and whose we are. We pray in the name of Jesus, the name above every name, Amen.