Intro: Imagine you arrive at church today and you notice a large amount of people coming up to Pastor Stuart and offering their congrats. You begin to panic in your mind because maybe you missed an announcement. Maybe you were not listening in your previous conversation with him. You decide not to be…

Context: Paul and Barnabas have set out on their missionary journey. After making a few stops they arrive at Antioch of Pisidia. This is a different Antioch from the Antioch which was the early Christian church hub for international missions. This was a small town known on the Anthius River founded by…

1. A Guide for Fathers 36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. 37 But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over…

A disclaimer on pre-marital counseling: training before we start our jobs, training before we drive a gasoline propelled 1500 lbs metal vehicle down the road at an average of 40+ miles and hour. But pre-marital training is often scoffed at by the world. 1. A Principle Proclaimed (v25-28) 25 Now concerning…

Intro: I want to grow things. It started with grass, now its transitioned to plants that produce something that I can consume. Its just this stage in life where my kids are growing up, moving out, and i guess i have to something else to invest my time into so that I might see growth. In my limited experience…

Intro: These passages regarding marriage in 1 Corinthians are so personal to me. If you don’t know, my mom abandoned my dad when I was 8 months old. When I came to maturity as a young person, I looked beyond my own selfish hurt and mourned for my dad. I cannot imagine the hurt he felt, with a young son…

Intro: Review: I. The Command to Married Believers (vs. 10-11) A. Paul teaches how Marriage among Believers reflects Christ and the gospel In the end, the scope of the covenant of marriage is that God would be honored in his creation and his character would be reflected in those who love him. In the…

You most likely read or skim read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlett Letter in high school literature class. Hawthorne’s story of Hester Prynne is a tale of a married woman sent ahead to America as her husband finished up affairs. Thought to be dead after his delayed arrival to their new…

Intro: Why did you get married? -Family Pressure -Social Pressure -Sexual longing -You want kids -You fell in love -You got in trouble -You wanted a tax break As beleivers, God desires for you to value and honor the covenant of marriage that he design at the creation of the world. Context: In Chapter…

Intro: Today’s passage asks the same type of question about the topic of prayer. This purpose of this passage is to instruct the follower of Jesus Christ on how to communicate to God in prayer. I want us to center our attention on 3 key elements to Effective prayer: Identity, Intimacy and Humility. I.…