Check out this weekend’s sermon notes!
Pastor Conway Edwards
Bible References: Ephesians 5:21; Genesis 1; Matthew 10 & 16:25; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Philippians 2:3-4
Successful marriages depend on each individual’s willingness to submit to the other. The main barrier to developing a good marriage is self-centeredness. Unfortunately, in our arrogance, we believe the other person is more problematic. God knows for us to truly be open to His love and direction, we have to submit to Him fully and need experiences that shift our perspective away from our selfish desires. If we are unable to submit fully to God, how can we believe that we will be able to submit fully to another person? It’s through our obedience and willingness to first serve others that we can realize true joy in life and in our relationships.
As we launch into the week, we can reference the following points to help support a good, strong, happy and purposeful marriage:
1. Love is the opposite of self-seeking; by first seeking to serve we can achieve true joy. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)
2. Let Christ’s love fill you so you can afford to be generous. You can only afford to be generous if you actually have love in the bank.
3. Discover happiness together by putting the happiness of the other ahead of your own.
4. To have a great marriage requires a spirit-centered ability to serve, which is to take ourselves out of the center and put the needs of others ahead of our own. (Philippians 2:3-4)
Action Steps: As you think about this week’s lesson, take the first step towards putting it into action. Ask your spouse or a family member or close friend to write down 1-5 things that are important to them; things that he/she would like to do. Over the next 30-days, we challenge you to prioritize what’s essential to your spouse, family member or close friend. We ask you to seek first to serve.
