Topic > Marriage & Family
Looking to the Bible for hope as we wrestle with the difficult subject of divorce
“Submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5: 21-33).
Discover powerful truths in Scripture to strengthen your marriage
When we interpret a passage in the Bible, we must pay attention to grammatical structure. People tend to put submit with head, but grammatically we need to keep clear about the pairs of words in the passage. What can happen when we fail to do that?
When we do that, we miss the image of the wife as the husband's body and Paul's point that they are "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).
A controversial text in Ephesians and an important message for your marriage
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5: 21-33).
IDEA: When we interpret a passage in the Bible, we must pay attention to grammatical structure.
PURPOSE: To help listeners think about the structure of biblical texts.
Discovering what Ephesians chapter five says about submission
So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:21-33).
Let’s shed light on the controversial subject of submission
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Ephesians 5:21-33).
IDEA: To misinterpret or misapply a passage of Scripture always has consequences.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize the dangers that may grow out of bad exegesis.
Gain wisdom from the book of Proverbs to help you during the difficult child-rearing years
Thursday, June 28, 2012, Part 2
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
IDEA: The vagueness of Proverbs 22:6 brings us some clarity about the principles of rearing children.
PURPOSE: To help listeners see that the proverbs give us a skill in handling life.
Discover wisdom for raising children
Wednesday, June 27, 2012, Part 1
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
IDEA: The vagueness of Proverbs 22:6 brings us some clarity about the principles of rearing children.
PURPOSE: To help listeners see that the proverbs give us a skill in handling life.
Let’s look at Proverbs chapter 22, verse 6, to find wisdom for parents
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
IDEA: The proverbs are designed to give us wisdom and insight, but they are not designed as unqualified promises.
PURPOSE: To help listeners make sure that the literature they deal with is interpreted correctly.
Looking at a familiar verse and how it’s a guide for daily living
Monday, June 25, 2012, Part 2
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
IDEA: One reason we misinterpret or misapply a passage is that we often don’t consider the literary genre in which it is written.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be aware that different kinds of biblical literature have to be interpreted in different ways.
Our Father In Heaven
When Jesus taught us to pray, He began, “Our Father in heaven” (Luke 11:2). It is one of many Scriptures that refers to God as a father. I find it both fascinating and instructive that when God wanted us to know what He is like, He chose to emphasize His fatherhood.
The Way To An “Easy” Life
A re parents trying too hard to make their kids happy? And is that having the opposite effect? These questions introduce an interview with Lori Gottlieb, author of an article on the subject of unhappy young adults. Her conclusion: Yes. Parents who refuse to let their children experience failure or sadness give them a false view of the world and do not prepare them for the harsh realities of adult life. They’re left feeling empty and anxious.
A Woman Of Influence
During the early years of the Prot- estant Reformation in Europe, Katharina Von Bora, a former nun, married Martin Luther (1525). By all accounts, the two had a joyous married life. Luther said, “There is no bond on earth so sweet, nor any separation so bitter, as that which occurs in a good marriage.”
Cutting A Trail
The Native Americans of Michigan were the state’s first highway route engineers. With few exceptions, Michigan’s major highways follow the trails they cut through the wilderness hundreds of years before the white man came. A trail was 12-18 inches wide, and for safety the people followed single file. Then pack horses followed these trails, widening them. Later came wagons, and the trails became dirt roads and then highways.
Let’s reflect on the event that changed history and can change your story forever
From the days I sat in my mother’s lap and listened to her stories until today, I’ve enjoyed stories. I love to hear them and I like to tell them. In fact, I’d like to write a novel sometime. Everyone probably has one great story inside that’s worth telling. We won’t ever write that story, though. We don’t have the skill - or the time - or the confidence. But I’ll bet you have a story that you might enjoy telling and others would love to hear.
Leaving your past behind to find a great new beginning with God!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012, Part 1
“By faith he [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:28).
Idea: Old symbols can take on new meanings.
Purpose: To help listeners understand how symbols can take on wider meaning.
