Welcome to part 2 of the discussion surrounding marriage! Last week the conversation centered around what God wants in and through marriage. This week Steve and Rich are discussing the difficult topic of divorce. The reality is that divorce trends are similar between the world and the Church. Steve states that divorce is not this "scarlet D" people have to wear as an unforgivable sin, but we do know that it is not God's ideal. God's ideal is one man and one woman together for one lifetime and Rich reiterates that it is God's desire that it would be permanent. Are there permissible grounds for divorced? Can a divorced person get remarried? What happens if someone in a Christian marriage walks away from the Lord? Steve and Rich discuss these things but start with encouraging people to not ever have divorce as an option on the table when things get difficult in marriage (this of course does not include instances of abuse). It is vital to recognize and understand the commitment that was made. Unfortunately, the Church has been heavily influenced by culture in this area. In Matthew 19 the Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce. Steve and Rich have slightly different interpretations of this passage though they agree on the fundamentals. What about adultery? How long should a couple try to make it work? Rich, Steve and Sarah stress that this conversation is not necessarily including situations of abuse. God is a God of redemption, and His grace can cover even the most difficult of circumstances. He can redeem the most broken situations in the world. We hope this discussion was helpful and insightful. We'll be back next week with part 3!

Josh + Rachel Fricovsky's testimony on The Stories Collective, Episode 117 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3PmYYm5IsZj00RVWgk9cHK?si=b00265aefc1d4d26
*available wherever you listen to podcasts

Divorce Care - https://dscchurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2060995

Marriage Mentoring - https://dscchurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/900260

AZ Covenant Marriage License - https://azcourthelp.org/topics/marriage/covenant-marriage

Desert Springs' Doctrinal Statement -https://www.dscchurch.com/values-beliefs

Sign up for the Resident Strangers email list - http://eepurl.com/iwv3Ug

Questions or comments?
Email [email protected] 

Would you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We’d love it if you’d share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Tuesday as we continue the discussion on how to think like a Christian in this foreign world.