One of the most common responses people give when asked how they are doing is, "I am surviving." This sentiment is certainly understandable. But, as we look at Scripture, it is clear that God wants more for us than merely to survive, He wants us to thrive. This is not only His desire for us, He actually has provided the pathway to thriving amidst all the ups and downs of life. In this series Thrive, we explore God's Word to discover and walk the divinely laid pathway that empowers us to thrive in Christ.

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus talks through the Beatitudes and as He starts His sermon on the mount. The chapter finishes with Jesus sharing that we are called to be salt and light to the world.

In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus talks through the Beatitudes and as He starts His sermon on the mount. The chapter finishes with Jesus sharing that we are called to be salt and light to the world.

Family is extremely important in the Bible, both in a physical sense and theologically as well. God introduces the concept of family from the very beginning of humanity (Gen 1:28). God’s plan was for men and women to marry and have children. A man and woman would become “one-flesh” through marriage (Gen 2:24). This oneness is physical, emotional, and spiritual. The simple truth is that Christ needs to be the center of a marriage where a couple accepts as their loving mission to help one another grow in Christ. Such oneness between a married couple and God is to be passed on to their children. From the family, this oneness with God, and each other is to multiply to new families who form new families. Therefore, the family is the essential building block of human society. Humanity’s struggle with God’s plan is evidenced by marriage difficulties beginning with the first generation of humanity, and as the first couple had children, so too did family struggles.

Family is extremely important in the Bible, both in a physical sense and theologically as well. God introduces the concept of family from the very beginning of humanity (Gen 1:28). God’s plan was for men and women to marry and have children. A man and woman would become “one-flesh” through marriage (Gen 2:24). This oneness is physical, emotional, and spiritual. The simple truth is that Christ needs to be the center of a marriage where a couple accepts as their loving mission to help one another grow in Christ. Such oneness between a married couple and God is to be passed on to their children. From the family, this oneness with God, and each other is to multiply to new families who form new families. Therefore, the family is the essential building block of human society. Humanity’s struggle with God’s plan is evidenced by marriage difficulties beginning with the first generation of humanity, and as the first couple had children, so too did family struggles.

Family is extremely important in the Bible, both in a physical sense and theologically as well. God introduces the concept of family from the very beginning of humanity (Gen 1:28). God’s plan was for men and women to marry and have children. A man and woman would become “one-flesh” through marriage (Gen 2:24). This oneness is physical, emotional, and spiritual. The simple truth is that Christ needs to be the center of a marriage where a couple accepts as their loving mission to help one another grow in Christ. Such oneness between a married couple and God is to be passed on to their children. From the family, this oneness with God, and each other is to multiply to new families who form new families. Therefore, the family is the essential building block of human society. Humanity’s struggle with God’s plan is evidenced by marriage difficulties beginning with the first generation of humanity, and as the first couple had children, so too did family struggles.