marriage on SermonAudio

Pastor Ken argues that the institution of marriage is under cultural attack and calls believers to return to God's original blueprint for a lifelong covenant. It distinguishes between civil arrangements and sacred covenants, emphasizing that divorce violates the divine union established by God. He challenges husbands to lead spiritually and defines biblical grounds for separation while rejecting secular justifications like no-fault divorce. By anchoring marriage in sacrificial love rather than fleeting emotions, couples can withstand trials and reflect Christ's relationship with the church. Concluding with a call to repentance, hope, and reliance on God's promise-keeping nature to restore marital strength.

Why do women initiate roughly two-thirds of divorces? And how many marriages are ending (not because of adultery, violence, or some unavoidable crisis) but because someone no longer feels in love, feels unhappy, feels unfulfilled, or believes the relationship is no longer meeting his or her emotional needs? Our culture constantly tells us: "Follow your heart." "Trust your feelings." "Do what makes you happy." But the Bible says: "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." — Proverbs 28:26 That raises some uncomfortable questions. Are your feelings always telling you the truth? If you genuinely feel something, does that make the feeling right? Should feelings determine whether you stay married? And perhaps most importantly: Can you change the way you feel? In this message I examine research concerning women and divorce, the modern shift toward divorcing over dissatisfaction and "growing apart," and what Scripture teaches about the proper place of emotions in our lives. The answer is not that feelings don't matter. They matter enormously. But that is precisely why they must be governed rather than blindly followed. DISCERN your feelings. Test them by Scripture and sound reason. REJECT wrong feelings. A feeling can be completely genuine - and still be wrong. CHANGE your feelings. You may not be able to immediately command yourself instantly to feel differently, but you can govern what you think about and what you do. Right thoughts and right actions can cultivate different affections. And this applies to men as well as women.

Christian liberty broadly refers to the spiritual freedom that Christ has purchased for believers. It includes freedom from the guilt of sin and the condemning wrath of God, from bondage to Satan and the dominion of sin, from the curse of the law as a means of justification, and from the fear of death and final judgment. It means free access to God and the privilege of serving Him not out of slavish fear, but from a childlike love and willing mind. This liberty also extends to matters that are indifferent—areas where Scripture provides general principles and boundaries, but does not prescribe a single required course of action. In such things, God grants His people significant latitude to exercise wisdom, preference, and Christian freedom. Examples include: The choice of occupation, place of residence, whom to marry (within the bounds of biblical marriage), styles of clothing and appearance, forms of recreation, and many other details of daily life. In these areas, believers are free to make decisions according to conscience, guided by the general rules of Scripture, love for neighbor, and the pursuit of God's glory, without being bound by the traditions or preferences of others. These are some of the biblical standards for how we practice Christian liberty.

Genesis 24:1-9

DAY 7 — LOVE BELIEVES THE BEST. [LOVE DOES NOT IGNORE THE BAD—IT CHOOSES NOT TO LIVE THERE] 1 CORINTHIANS 13:7 KJV Love sees faults honestly, but it refuses to make those faults the whole story. Biblical love chooses to dwell on what is true, honorable, good, and praiseworthy, while dealing with weaknesses through grace, prayer, and hope.If you have been spending too much time in the Depreciation Room— IT IS TIME TO WALK BACK INTO THE APPRECIATION ROOM. Remember what is good. Speak what is good. Thank God for what is good. And pray about what still needs His grace.

This sermon provides a comprehensive walkthrough of Ecclesiastes chapters 9 through 12, emphasizing that life under the sun is fleeting yet filled with divine purpose. Chris highlights God's sovereignty over human deeds and the inevitability of death, urging believers to find comfort in knowing their lives are held in His hands despite life's unpredictability. Key themes include resisting despair by embracing hope while alive, enjoying simple gifts like food and marriage as acts of obedience, and working diligently with urgency due to mortality. The message warns against folly and excess while encouraging generosity, action over overthinking, and cherishing the unique joys of youth. Ultimately, the sermon concludes that fearing God and keeping His commandments is the whole duty of man, allowing believers to live joyfully and purposefully in light of eternity.

If you have God's Word… turn with me to Genesis 2. And this morning… I wanna talk about this subject: "What a Marriage Is Supposed to Be." Folks… we live in a world… that has all kinds of opinions about marriage. • Hollywood has an opinion about marriage. • The government has an opinion about marriage. • Your friends have opinions about marriage. • Your parents may have opinions about marriage. • And you certainly have an opinion about marriage. But there is one question… that towers above all the others: What does God say about marriage? Because I wanna tell you something… marriage wasn't man's idea. Marriage was God's idea.