TomMesser.com

Vintage Marriage

 

Early on in my sermon study for Sunday, I know that it is either going to be a fairly normal prep or that I am going to be dealing with some difficult passages or subject matter. Often it is a little of both. I have begun a series, as I typically do in the spring, on marriage. This year my theme centers on "Vintage Marriage," and covers the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ on marriage, divorce, and singleness.

 

I am reading two really interesting and helpful books to augment my normal study and sermon prep: This Momentary Marriage by John Piper (which I am reading on my new iPad 2!) and Divorce: Before you Say "I Don't" by Lou Priolo. The latter was given to me by our staff counselor and has some helpful insights.

 

Why should we teach and preach on issues such as marriage, divorce, singleness, and sex? It is simple to me: if a subject is in God's word we should study it. It is clear that the Bible speaks often about the marriage relationship and if we ignore what it says we are ignoring God's revelation. 

 

Additionally, in light of the fact that so many of my congregation are single, I believe that it is better to know about the subject of marriage before you get married. God's word will make you wiser and will help to shape your thinking so that it conforms with God's truth.

 

Finally, many people have a distorted view of marriage because of their experiences and the example that has been set befor them. When we see what the designer of marriage said about marriage we can correct our view and align our expectations and behaviors with the reality of God's word.

 

You can watch or listen to my series on line by viewing our On-Demand Services. There is great joy in seeing our marriages reflect the glory of God and watching people grow in their commitment to the family.

 

4 Questions For Friendship

I have had several followup thoughts and conversations about my message about "Friends" on Sunday night.  If you didn't get a chance to hear it, these thoughts may not make complete sense, so you need to download or listen to it first.

• Kelly Johnson has VERY good reasons why he only has  688 Facebook friends (you can ask him).
• Dr. Willinger has a lot of people who are willing to be his Facebook friends.
• These four questions are key to you moving from a hearer to a doer.  Please take my challenge to answer these.
• Parents are a key to their children having healthy friendships
• Someone made a very insightful comment to me after the service about how they understand the value of having five deep friendships vs. hundreds of shallow friendships.  I wholeheartedly agree.

Friends have been a powerful influence in my life, and they can be in yours as well if you will let them.
 
On another note, I spent some time yesterday preparing for a session that I will be doing next week on the subject, "Transition: Leading the Church to Adapt for Greater Effectiveness."  I have not had a chance to speak with this group of pastors before, and am looking forward to the opportunity.  Also, today I will be speaking to another group of pastors on the subject, "Key  Questions to Consider Before You Build." It is encouraging to have opportunities like this to connect with pastors on a personal basis.