The sermon explored what it truly means to become "one flesh" in marriage according to Genesis 2:24. We examined the critical difference between viewing marriage as a contract versus a covenant, and how this distinction shapes everything about how we approach our marriages. Marriage is not two people managing life together—it's two lives becoming ONE FLESH by God. This understanding has profound implications for our spiritual life because covenant marriage mirrors Christ's sacrificial love for the Church. When we grasp that marriage is a holy institution designed by God, for God, we begin to see it as a sacred reflection of the Gospel itself.

This week's sermon explored God's design for pursuit in marriage, reminding us that the chase doesn't end at "I do." Drawing from Genesis 2:24 and the story of Jacob and Rachel, we examined how marriage thrives where pursuit is practiced. Just as Jacob worked fourteen years to win and keep Rachel, we learned that pursuit is not how you GET a spouse; it's how you KEEP a spouse. This sermon challenged us to practice intentional communication and contact, to be the change we want to see in our marriages, and to remember that love is not a one-time deposit but a lifetime investment that must be replenished daily.

This message explored a foundational truth that transforms how we approach relationships: God must be our ONE so that our spouse can be our TWO. Before the blueprint of marriage was ever given in Genesis, God established His relationship with humanity first. When Adam came alive, the first thing he saw was God's eyes—humanity has an unsatisfied desire for intimacy with God that no person, hobby, career, or even spouse can fulfill. This sermon challenged us to examine whether we've made God our true priority or if we've allowed even good things (spouses, children, careers, recreation) to become idols by placing them before our relationship with Christ. The implications for our spiritual life are profound: when God is not our priority, everything else—including our marriages—suffers.

The sermon explored God's intentional design for marriage and its profound purpose in our lives. We discovered that marriage isn't primarily about our happiness, but about something far greater—telling the story of Christ and His Church. Just as blueprints define the purpose of a building, God has given us a divine blueprint for marriage that doesn't change with culture or time. This sermon reminded us that God designed marriage on purpose, with a purpose, and that following His design allows us to imitate His character and tell His story to the world around us.

The sermon explored the final chapter of Jonah's story, revealing a sobering truth: Jonah's rebellion wasn't rooted in ignorance of God, but in knowing God's character and resisting what he didn't want God to do. While Nineveh repented and received God's mercy, Jonah sat angry, hoping God would choose wrath over grace. Through this account, we're challenged to examine our own hearts—do we truly want God's mercy extended to everyone, or only to those we deem worthy? The call for this year is clear: to genuinely KNOW God, not just know about Him, and to allow that knowledge to transform how we view others and surrender our own preferences to His will.

The sermon explored God's commission to Jonah a second time to preach to Nineveh, and this time Jonah obeyed. What unfolded was remarkable—an entire city, from the king to the cattle, turned from their evil ways and genuinely repented before God. This passage reveals God's heart for the lost and challenges us to examine whether our lives truly verify the faith we profess. Genuine faith doesn't just save us; it changes us. Real faith is conversion, not just confession. The Ninevites didn't merely speak words of repentance—they demonstrated it through their actions, and God relented from the disaster He had planned.

The sermon explored Jonah's remarkable prayer from the belly of the fish, revealing how a man facing impossible circumstances chose gratitude over complaint. Rather than pleading for rescue or drowning in self-pity, Jonah recognized God's grace in sustaining him and responded with thanksgiving. This challenges us to examine our own prayers during difficult seasons and reminds us that our hardships don't have to define us—God's faithfulness does.

The sermon explored the story of Jonah, a prophet who ran from God's calling to minister to Nineveh—a people he believed didn't deserve God's grace. Through Jonah's defiance, the storm that pursued him, and his eventual surrender, we learned a critical lesson: we need to build a habit of running towards God's voice rather than away from it. This message challenges us to examine where we might be avoiding God's direction in our own lives and reminds us that God loves us too much to stop pursuing us, even when we run.