Sun., Nov. 14 Adult Bible Study — Thoughts on Marriage, Pt. 2

Review main points from last week’s lesson.

In the beginning
   God made a man,
Gave him a garden
    and a whole lot of land.

Animals, too,
   were given him.
Adam was perfect
   and knew no sin.

Yes, he was perfect
   in every way;
With God he did walk
   in the cool of the day.

But something was missing,
   so we are told.
He didn't need silver,
   nor did he need gold.

No, he was not meant
   to be alone.
So a help was given,
   bone of his bone.

Now if Adam was
   a perfect man,
Why did he need
   another hand?

©1972, 2010 Willard Paul, All Rights Reserved

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1.  Marriages do not fail, people do.

2.  Do not try to change your spouse. The only person you have power to change is yourself.

3.  Do not go to bed angry with each other.

4.  Do not air your dirty laundry in public.

5.  Do not speak evil of your spouse to others.

6.  Be united in front of your children. Do not allow them to pit you against your spouse.

7.  Engage in regular, scheduled family worship

8.  Pray together

9.  Submit to each other.

      Ephesians 5:21

10.  Wives, allow your husbands to be the head of your household

11.  Husbands, do not lord it over your wives

12.  Do not be afraid to cross over to help your spouse in a non-traditional role.

How Much Do You Love God?

But whoever has this world's good, and sees his brother have need,
and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwells the love of God in him?
1 John 3:17

A person's generosity towards the less-fortunate is a clear indication of his or her devotion to God. Generosity toward one's unfortunate brother or sister in Christ is a reflection and an accurate measure of one's love for God. Stingy, miserly Christians are miserable miscreants. "Stingy,miserly Christian" is an oxymoron, for "how dwells the love of God in him?"

In the immediate context of verses 16-18, we see that God demonstrated his love for us by laying down his life for us and we are required to do the same (v. 17). Then verse 18 commands us to love not in word, but in deed.

So many who claim to know Christ as their Savior keep a tight clamp on their wallets. We sing:

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

But as we sing that we are lying through our teeth unless we also surrender our finances and our worldly possessions.

We have many poor people in our churches. We are willing to spend thousands of dollars to send the Bible to people we have never nor shall ever meet this side of heaven yet we refuse to spend $20.00 to buy groceries for an indigent family. This is sheer hypocrisy and ought not to be.

I know of a family that loves to sing "Freely, Freely." You know the words: "He said, 'Freely, freely you have received — Freely, freely give." Yet when it comes to giving they don't know what it means, their tight-fisted hearts and hands will not allow them to give freely.

What was the one sin that condemned the rich young ruler? Was it not covetousness. Will we, who refuse to share the wealth that God gave us, get off with any lighter condemnation? The command to assist the needy with our material blessings is not to the rich only, but to all. If we have what another needs in excess of what we need, we are under obligation to help out.

God will take note of your generosity and you will eventually get back that which you have given. God stakes his honor on that, for he tells us:

He that has pity upon the poor lends unto the LORD; and that which he has given will he pay him again. (Proverbs 19:17)

God is no man's debtor. He will repay you and you will be doubly blessed.

How much do you love God? Prove it!

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.