Views from The Ridge 9.24.25
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
Worship
Sunday
9 AM, Chapel, Acapella
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
Exodus 20:8–11
We are going through the Ten Commandments this fall.
Watch previous sermons here.
Discipleship
Sundays, 10:15 AM, Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Studying Exodus 20:8–11
Fellowship Hall
Adult Bible Class: Open to all
BEMA Podcast Discussion group
Chapel Classroom, Discipleship Group
Chapel Classroom, Love in Chaos Bible Study, open to women and men of all ages
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: Moses
Key Verse: Exodus 3:6-7
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Sundays 10:15-10:45 AM, Room 220, BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
Sundays 10:15-10:45 AM, Room 220, GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Tuesdays, 7 AM & 9 AM, Men’s Discipleship
Scott Heare’s Office, Limited spaces; Contact Scott to join a group.
Wednesdays, 5:15 - 5:45 PM, High School Girls’ Sermon Study Group
Room 220, Contact Den to join this group, open to 9th-12th Grade
Wednesdays, 6 PM - 7:30 PM, Teen Alpha Course
Room 220, Contact Den to join this group, open to 9th-12th Grade
Connections
After the devastating July 4th floods in Kerr County, Arcadia Recovery Collaboration (ARC)—an initiative of The Impact Guild—was launched to help families not only rebuild houses, but truly return home. Through community partnerships, volunteer teams, and generous donations, ARC is working to transform empty spaces into warm, fully furnished homes where healing can begin. You can be part of this hope-filled work: join an Install Day, use your professional skills, donate furnishings, or give financially to support families on their journey home. Learn more and sign up at The Impact Guild.
Thank you to everyone who’s filled out our Connection Survey already. We’re excited to help each of you become more rooted through service and worship in our community and will be sending out more information to you soon.
If you haven’t filled out the survey yet, we invite you to take a look at it by Tuesday, September 30th so we can be sure to include you in our new programs beginning October 15th.
Upcoming Events
Daily, NYX Yoga & Fitness
Every Wednesday, 11 AM - 1:30 PM, Open Studio Painting
4th Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, El Mercado @ Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Every Sunday, Worship at 9 AM and 11 AM
Beyond Sunday
What’s in a Name?
Den Slater, Pastor of Belonging, Sunset Ridge Church
Last Sunday our congregation listened to Scott’s sermon on the proclamation, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:7). Those words stirred memories of my early journey with the “commandments,” when their weight shaped a family story. I did not identify as Christian until I was nearly forty years old. I simply bought a Bible and started at page one. It didn’t take long to reach the heading entitled Ten Commandments. At that time, my husband and I decided to stop using all forms of God’s name as an expletive—not even “OMG” was allowed.
We trained ourselves through mutual correction, and our rule became ingrained. One day a chat with my son revealed we may have gone a little too far. Colton was six years old, and I was driving and talking with him. I was inspired to tell him something about Jesus, and as I began, he suddenly jerked his head back, eyes wide. “Momma!” he gasped. “You said a dirty word!” I was stunned. “What do you mean? Do you mean ‘Jesus’?” He covered his ears. “Stop saying it!” In that instant, I realized we may have overshot the intent of what God was looking for in that proclamation!
When God revealed the divine name to Moses, it was given as a gift for the people. Over time, however, fear of misusing God’s name led Israel to stop speaking it altogether. By the time of Jesus’s birth, only the high priest spoke God’s name—and then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. Eventually the name was replaced with titles such as Adonai (“Lord”) or HaShem (“The Name”). The original pronunciation was lost to history, though recent scholarship favors “Yahweh.” What began as a protective fence around God’s directive went a little too far.
I understand that instinct. To misuse God’s name is no small matter, but both my son’s shock and Israel’s tradition teach a cautionary lesson: reverence has gone too far if God’s gift is erased. We are meant to carry and proclaim God’s name, but scripture cautions us not to use God’s name in vain—or emptily, devoid of power. God’s name is powerful, and it bears witness to eternal love. We carry God’s name not only in our mouths but in our lives. Our speech should be lovely and fruitful, yes—but perhaps our challenge is to embrace God’s name with awe, wonder, and gratitude for God’s never-ending grace.
