The Abundant Life, Part 10: Don't Acquire What Isn't Yours

This is part 10 of our series on the abundant life as we try to figure out what it looks like – in practice – to live fully, to live richly as a human.

It's a search that has taken us deep into the 10 Commandments of all places - today to the 8^th commandment and one of the most obvious lessons in life: You shall not steal. Seems clear enough: no robbing banks, no mugging anyone on the subway, go ahead pay for that pack of gum…

And yet…, theft isn't just about what we take with our hands—it's about what we take with our power, with our privilege and sometimes what we acquire with our silence. It's about the ways we allow systems to profit at the expense of others and about the trust we break when we misuse what's been placed in our care. From corporations exploiting workers to governments selling out the public good, stealing is everywhere. And if we're honest? It's probably closer to home than we'd like to admit.

But here's the good news: we were never meant to live in scarcity, fighting for what we can get. God's desire has always been for us to live fully, freely, abundantly—not by taking, but by giving.

The lesson of this and all the "Commandments" isn't mainly about checking moral boxes—it's about stepping into the kind of life that brings wholeness, justice, and joy, both for ourselves and for others.

The text for this sermon can be found here: Exodus 20:15 (NRSV)

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