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You’ve probably heard that a Bible that’s falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn’t. One reason: When you’re constantly reading Scripture and meditating on its truth, the more you’re reminded of the blessings of being in Christ. Risk some wear and tear on your Bible with John MacArthur as he continues his study called The Gospel According to God.

Former teachers Sue Acuna and Cynthia Tobias explain the changes middle schoolers experience and their inner struggles. They’ll share advice for parents navigating their children’s transition to middle school. Hear advice for communicating with middle schoolers, dealing with their doubts and questions about God, and adapting as they grow.
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Will healthy living, getting in shape, eating better, or sleeping 8 hours a day bring about the life change that you’re looking for? Chip explores where life change comes from and how to begin to experience it, starting today.

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Sermon Overview
Scripture Passage: Genesis 2:21-25

We live in a tragic and dangerous day of disposable marriages; the enemy strives to break up homes to create a vicious cycle of broken people. But marriage is the highest of all earthly relationships. The purpose of marriage is for a man and a woman to come together as one flesh, sharing in the closest bond and communion possible, permanently. Genesis 2 offers instructions to maintain a super-glued marriage—one that stands the test of time.

“And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24).

First, we see that marriage is a commitment meant to last a lifetime.
All married couples essentially have the same problems; the difference is in their commitment.

Adrian Rogers says, “It is your commitment that sustains your love and marriage, not vice versa.”

Second, there must be loving communication.
There are five basic levels of communication husbands and wives must learn in order to face difficulties together:

Shallow: small talk
Factual: facts
Intellectual: ideas and opinions
Emotional: dreams, goals, and feelings
Absolute openness: completely open, unashamed, uninhibited communication.
Couples ought to strive to reach that deepest vulnerability of communication, as Genesis 2:25 relays, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”

Third, there must be loyal confrontation.
When problems arise, we must be ready to confront one another in love.

Some of the major conflicts couples face in marriage are selfishness, money, sex, nagging, in-laws, and substance abuse. In order to tackle these conflicts, couples must isolate the problem and learn to attack the problem, not each other. We must deal with problems one at a time as they come up and learn to negotiate with each other—both of us can win if we come to a gentle compromise.

Finally, we must pray constantly.
In our honesty and humility with God, we find prayerful solutions to tense conflicts.

Apply it to your life
Is your marriage a super-glued, lasting commitment? Is it full of loving communication and loyal confrontation? Pray over your marriage today, that God would give you a passion and fervor to maintain your marriage.

Spirit of God E3 — We’ve discovered in this series so far that God’s Spirit, or ruakh in Hebrew, creates and sustains all life, moment by moment. Another key way the Spirit works in the world is by filling humans with wisdom. But in each story of the Spirit and wisdom, we’re left wondering: Was God’s Spirit working through that person, or was that just the person? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the Hebrew Bible’s portrayal of the Spirit of God and human wisdom, revealing a profound partnership at work.

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SHOW CREDITS

Production of today’s episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey and Aaron Olsen edited today’s episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie.

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