Building a Strong Marriage

“God created marriage. No government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of God.” — Max Lucado

If what Lucado said is true, then it would follow that we should consult with the creator of marriage if we would want to build a strong one. It would follow that God would know how to have the most awesome marriage possible. It would follow that we cannot simply wing it or assume that good marriages happen by default.

Sadly, few people give this any thought at all. So much time and expense are put into the wedding day and so little effort in preparing for the actual marriage. And then, when things get tough, few seek the counsel of God’s Word when their marriage is failing. And even if counsel is sought, it is often ignored or rejected as being too hard.

So, right up front, let’s acknowledge that building a strong marriage takes knowledge and effort in the relentless pursuit of what God has ordained for this special human relationship where a man and a woman become one. Just saying it like that should make it clear that this isn’t like any other relationship, and that we should think more deeply about it.

That is what we are doing as we continue our teaching series, The Fam: God’s Plan for Your Home to be Awesome. There are two messages behind us, and both are foundational to what we will hear in the coming weeks. Be sure to catch up if you missed either one. Invite friends and family to join you for this impactful series, and share these messages on your social media.

Sermon Notes

The Fam: God’s Plan for Your Home to Be Awesome
Building a Strong Marriage
January 27, 2019

If you want to have a strong marriage, it must be built...

...on the right foundation (Psalm 127:1a; Genesis 1:26–27)

...according to the God-established roles for husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:21–33)

• A wife submits to her husband by respecting him
• A husband submits to his wife by loving her

...and with single-minded devotion to each one’s own relationship to Christ (1 Corinthians 7:1–16; 1 Peter 3:1–7)

Email questions to thefam@harvestbarrie.ca or text to 705.999.7788.