Grace Community Church Podcast

Humans see death as something to be avoided as long as possible; God sees it as something to be anticipated. Humans see it as a gloomy, dark night; God describes it as a glorious new day. Humans see death as the end of the journey; God sees it as the beginning of the best journey of all. Death's a time to anticipate hearing our Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your lord." (Matthew 25:21).

One thing that we easily fall out of rhythm on is thanking God for His faithfulness. We know it's so important to do so but the circumstances of life can distract us from being joyful. Solomon shows us, in the midst of this celebration, that we can look and see God's faithfulness in our lives…and that is worth celebrating!

Life has a funny way to keep us focused on the negatives. Cold weather, bad hair day, stuck in traffic…even these little things can entirely shift our focus. But here's the thing, as Christians, we know that we can have a joy that isn't based on our circumstances. In fact, we have many things that are worth celebrating!

Marriage is a beautiful gift from God. And in marriage, God's working, we're both being sanctified. But as we live out God's plan and trust Him in the seasons, we can leave a legacy where that phrase, til death do us part, isn't just a tag line. It's a vow. And my prayer for us is legacy, finishing well. Embracing generation blessing and living out what God intended marriage to be.

In marriage you will fight with someone the rest of your life. The goal isn't to be right, the goal isn't to win. You're on the same team. Your spouse is the lover of your soul. And when we see each other as one, and we're working together, that's when God can step in and use healthy conflict to grow us and grow our marriage.

Biblical marital sex is more about true, deep, intimacy, then it is about sexual gratification. It's a beautiful gift from God. And as we grow in Riyah, deep friendship, and as we establish Ahava, relational commitment, we'll begin to enjoy Dode, the mingling of souls. And I'm here to tell you, that's what Biblical marital sex is all about.

Is your spouse your best friend? Is there an agape type love? A sacrificial, spiritual companionship where you love this journey together? Are you cultivated that kind of friendship on a daily basis? Because that's the key to a life long, fulfilling marriage. But it's going to take time, effort, work, priority. The fruitfulness and fulfillment in marriage that results, is one of the best gifts that God gives us.

"Husbands love your wives, and wives, make sure you respect your husbands." And if we can begin to live out this picture marriage becomes one of the most beautiful gifts that God has ever given us.

Do you put a lot of crazy expectations on our spouse? Do you try to get from your spouse what you can only get from God? You try to fill a void in your life that only God can fill. And you've gotten angry and resentful because they can't be all of that for you. The goal of this series will be to realize, "I want God to sit on the throne of our marriage."

Are you carrying a weight that just seems unbearable? I think this is something most, if not all, can relate to. Whether young or old, we seem to find ourselves carrying things that we aren't meant to hold. Those things end up becoming so heavy that we feel the weight of anxiety. What if we told you that God has something better for us? But the first step is humility…