Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

1. GOD IS ALL POWERFUL.



Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Revelation 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

2. GOD IS RELATIONAL

Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 2:15-17 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Genesis 3:8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

“Then Comes a Lifetime Together”
FIRST COMES LOVE
Matthew 19:1-3 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the
region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. (2) Large crowds followed him, and he healed
them there. (3) Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to
divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
Matthew 19:4-6 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made
them male and female,’ (5) and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? (6) So they are no longer two,
but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
Matthew 19:6 “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
1. WHAT GOD HAS JOINED TOGETHER.
2. LET NO ONE SEPARATE
1) A New Family Together
2) Increased Intimacy
3) Shared Half-ness
4) Spiritual Connection
5) Security

“Then Comes Sacrifice”
FIRST COMES LOVE
Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (23) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (24) Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
(25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for
her (26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (27) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (28) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (29) After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – (30) for we are members of his body.
(31) “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the
two will become one flesh.” (32) This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (33) However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
1. WIVES SUBMIT
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his
body, of which he is the Savior.
Ephesians 5:24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their
husbands in everything.
2. HUSBANDS LOVE
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself
up for her
Ephesians 5:28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He
who loves his wife loves himself.
Matthew 7:12 “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you”
Ephesians 5:33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the
wife must respect her husband.

“Then Comes Marriage”
FIRST COMES LOVE
Proverbs 24:3-4 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; (4)
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
1. BEFORE YOU ARE MARRIED
Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and
wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
2. START YOUR MARRIAGE WELL
Genesis 2:24-25 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and
they become one flesh. (25) Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure,
for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Discipleship: "Putting It Into Practice" by Gary Barbee

“Good Soil”
DIRT
Matthew 13:3-9 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. (4) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. (5) Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. (6) But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (7) Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. (8) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and
understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times
what was sown.

Mark 4:20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop -some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.

Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

1. FAITH BEGINS WITH HEARING, UNDERSTANDING, AND
ACCEPTANCE.
2. WE MUST CONTINUE TO HOLD ONTO FAITH.
Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear
the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Acts 11:22-23 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to
Antioch. (23) When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and
encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
3. EVENTUALLY WE WILL PRODUCE FRUIT FOR JESUS.
Galatians 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a
harvest if we do not give up.

“Among Thorns”
DIRT
Matthew 13:3-9 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow
his seed. (4) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it
up. (5) Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because
the soil was shallow. (6) But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (7) Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. (8) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
1. WORRIES OF THIS LIFE
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well.
2. DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH
Mark 4:18-19 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; (19) but the worries of
this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word,
making it unfruitful.
3. DESIRE FOR OTHER THINGS
Luke 8:14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on
their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

“Rocky Ground”
DIRT
Matthew 13:3-9 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow
his seed. (4) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it
up. (5) Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because
the soil was shallow. (6) But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root. (7) Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. (8) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty
times what was sown. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:20-21 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and
at once receives it with joy. (21) But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When
trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
1. IT SPRANG UP QUICKLY
2. IT DIED QUICKLY
Luke 8:6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they
had no moisture.
1 Peter 2:2-3 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow
up in your salvation, (3) now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

“The Path”
DIRT
Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. (2) Such large
crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the
shore.
Matthew 13:3 Then he told them many things in parables. `
Matthew 13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in
parables?”
Matthew 13:11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of
heaven has been given to you, but not to them.”
Matthew 13:3-9 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow
his seed. (4) As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it
up. (5) Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because
the soil was shallow. (6) But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered
because they had no root. (7) Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the
plants. (8) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty
times what was sown. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:18-19 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: (19) When anyone hears
the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches
away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
Luke 8:11 This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
1. THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it
grow.
*The Bridge Illustration.
2. THE EVIL ONE SNATCHES IT AWAY
Luke 8:12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and
takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

“Offer Children’s Ministry”
WHY WE DO IT 



Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 
 


1. THE VALUE OF CHILDREN 

Matthew 18:2-6 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. (3) And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (4) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (5) And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 

 


2. CHILDREN NEED PROPER GUIDANCE 

Matthew 18:6-7 “If anyone causes one of these little ones - those who believe in me - to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (7) Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!




3. CHILDREN NEED SALVATION TOO  

Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? (13) And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. (14) In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.