God’s design for Marriage
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· 2 viewsIn today’s message, we will look at God’s design for marriage.
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Handout
November 23rd 2025
Series: Building a God-Centered Family
Sermon Title: God’s design for Marriage
Topic: Building strong families
Key Passages: Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5: 25-32 Colossians 3:12-14, Deuteronomy 6:5-7, John 13:35
Topic: Dating, Love, Relationships, Marriage
Sermon Blurb: In today’s message, we will look at God’s design for marriage.
***1st week ODD months add communion & target message at 15 pages.
***1st week EVEN months add space for dedication, baptism, or ministry highlight & target message at 15 pages.
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***Yellow means what is yellow will be on the screens and in the handout.
Dedication, Baptism, or Ministry Highlight (1st Sunday, every even month):
Sermon:
Hello, Family Church!
Welcome, whether you are here in person or online.
Family Moment –
Start with something personal from your family life recently to help people get to know you.
Celebrate salvation / rededications / baptisms last week.
Celebrate new disciples and disciple-makers.
PAUSE
If you are new to Family Church, you are SO happy you are here today!
Today, we continue in our month-long journey looking at relationships…
We are spending 4 weeks talking about relationships and examining cultural perspectives, and contrasting that to what God says.
PAUSE
Three weeks ago, in week 1, we looked at our culture's view of men and women and contrasted it with God’s design.
Two week, in week 2, we talked about how our culture says we should approach relationships & dating and contrast that to God’s view.
Last week, week 3, we talked about all the things we should work on BEFORE we say “I do.”
We talked about how we should be preparing for marriage.
If you missed either of those sermons, head to our website or app and make sure to listen to them!
This week, in week 4, we will talk about what a God Centered Marriage looks like.
And come back next week, in week 5, we are going to talk about something that is VERY rarely talked about in church…
And it is something that is probably not talked about a lot in your home…
Anyone want to guess the topic for week 5?
Sex…
We are going to talk about the culture's view vs God’s…
And parents, if you have a teen or a young adult, you NEED to make sure they are here with you!!!!
PAUSE
Parents, you need to make sure you and your kids are here every week.
Teens & young adults…you need to make sure you are here every week to learn what God’s design for your life pre-dating looks like.
What your dating life should look like.
What your engaged life should look like.
And what your future marriage should look like.
PAUSE
We are doing this series because our desire here at Family Church is that all of you have GREAT relationships!
I want you to have a healthy dating life.
I want those of you who have given up on the idea of marriage to get excited about it again!
I want those of you dreaming about marriage to have an extraordinary marriage!
I want those of you who are married to have a great marriage!
PAUSE
Parents….if your teen is not here today….you need to sit and watch this message with them later today.
If you are an adult who is in the dating scene, you need to take really good notes today.
If you’re living with a person today and you are thinking you really want this living together thing to become a marriage…
You need to come to this whole series!
PAUSE
Let me remind you of one thing we have learned EVERY week…
And write this down again…
Everything in life is connected.
(Repeat)
Did you know that everywhere you go, you carry your past with you?
Your past will show up in your future.
Your past will impact your future.
PAUSE
Today, we will begin with the book of
Genesis
If you have your Bible with you, and I hope you do, would you open it there?
New Person Bible Connection:
If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!
After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!
Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!!
Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Then in chapter 2, verse 24 it says this:
Genesis 2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
God said that when there were TWO people, only Adam and Eve!
Before there was a father and mother to leave….
God instituted marriage.
And if that boggles your mind…here is something else to ponder.
Did Adam and Eve have belly buttons?
Ever wondered that?
They were never in the womb…so no need of a belly button…..
The random thoughts that go through my mind when doing sermon prep….
But anyway….
The Bible tells us so much about how we are to live our lives.
How to prepare for the day we are married.
And today, unmarried people, I want you to understand something.
Every week, all around the world, two single people come to this point where they decide it is time to get married.
The bride-to-be puts on a white dress and looks stunning.
The groom puts on a tux to disguise the fact that he really is not good-looking enough for his bride.
They are both nervous, even if they say they are not, they are.
They have spent weeks or months or years planning this day.
They have spent thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on this ONE day.
And they come together and they stand before a Pastor like me.
They smile.
They cry.
They laugh.
They exchange rings.
They hold hands.
They light candles.
Then, at one point, they make these vows.
And every single time that happens, these single people make promises……..
PAUSE……….
Promises they cannot keep!
PAUSE
Then after they are married for 2 weeks, 6 months, 3 years, or whatever.
Then they begin to realize, “I know this is what I said, but I didn’t know it would be like this…”
PAUSE
All of a sudden, they begin to realize that marriage is not all sunshine and rainbows.
All of a sudden, your husband is holding you accountable to those vows you made, and you look at him and see a guy lying on the couch eating potato chips that are stuck in his beard…..
All of a sudden, your beautiful bride is holding you accountable for those vows you made. And one day you look at her and you don’t see that beautiful bride; you see some person talking to you with that Charlie Brown teacher voice…. WAWAWAAWA…..
The reason is….
And unmarried people listen…..
Because some of the married people sitting around you did not discover this until after they were married.
This will give you a head start.
The reason why people cannot live up to the vows they make is simple….
They overlooked something in their life.
They overlooked something that we all know.
They overlooked something we all put into practice in other areas of our lives.
Before we ever get into a relationship, we all need to do this, but few, if any, of us ever do…..
Anyone want to guess what it is?
Anyone?????
Exactly!!!! That is why we spent all of last week talking about preparing for marriage and how to do that!
If you missed it go back and listen to it!
PAUSE
So, let’s take time today looking at what the Bible says about what a God Centered marriage looks like.
Let’s start back in Ephesians 5…where we looked at a few weeks ago.
Let’s read verse 25-32
Ephesians 5: 25-32 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—
30 for we are members of his body.
31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
At its core, a God-centered marriage is marked by selfless love.
Husbands are called to love their wives “as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
Husbands are called to demonstrate sacrificial leadership,
protection,
and care.
Wives are called to respect and support their husbands (Ephesians 5:22, 33).
Wives are called to model trust and devotion.
This mutual love and respect comes from the heart of Jesus in their marriage partnership.
Here is the point..
God centered marriages point each other toward Jesus.
PAUSE
Like we said at the start of this message, a God Centered marriage is also characterized by oneness.
Genesis declared that a man and woman “shall become one flesh.”
Signifying unity in body, mind, and spirit.
Colossians 3 talks about how this is lived out….
Let’s read
Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
No listen to how it says we are to live…
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Stop there…
So maybe write that down…
God centered marriages are defined by their compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
(Repeat)
You might want to leave that on the screen for a minute so they can write it down…
But it is literally just what the Bible said…
PAUSE
Married people help me out here.
If your marriage was DEFINED by how compassionate you were with each other,
How KIND you were to each other.
How HUMBLE you were.
How GENTLE you were with each other.
How PATIENT you were with each other.
Married people, let me see those hands…would your marriage be better?
But there is more…and this MORE is even more important…
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Let’s read that last sentence together…
Forgive as the Lord forgave you…
You want to hear something I say that will sound off at first…
I tell people OFTEN that the WORST part about being a REAL Christian is….
We DO NOT get to hold offensives!
We DO NOT get to hold grudges.
We have NO CHOICE but to forgive people.
And if we are HONEST….
That is super hard…
And it is SUPER hard to freely forgive our spouse…
But God said…
As he FREELY forgives us…
So, we need to with others…
See, here is another point…
God centered marriages FREELY forgive each other.
(Repeat)
I know that is HARD…but that is what we are called to do by God.
And married couples, if you can model this well in your marriage, it will help your kids SO MUCH in life!
But if they see their parents hold grudges…
They will as well!
So let’s be awesome examples to our kids!
And verse 14 says…
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Unity is the goal…
Unity with God.
Unity with eachother.
PAUSE
Let me show you something SUPER important from the Old Testament…
Flip backward in your Bibles to Deuteronomy 6.
Here, you are going to see that a God-centered marriage seeks to honor God above personal desires.
That couples will pursue holiness together…
Encourage each other in their spiritual walks…
And, I would almost say MOST importantly…
Pass their faith to the next generation
Deuteronomy 6:5-7 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.
Now married people listen to this…
We LOVE God FULLY in our lives and marriages…
AND…
7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
On your What church?
children.
Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Here is the point, church…
And married people DO NOT MISS THIS!!!!
God Centered marriages point their children toward God.
(Repeat)
Parents…your kids watch everything you do…
In your marriage, are you leading them toward God by what they see you do?
In how you treat each other?
In how you act when no one is around.
Parents…if your kids see you come to church acting all HOLY and perfect…
But they see you cussing out each other at home.
Getting drunk or high.
Beating them or each other…
THAT IS NOT OK!!!!
Married couples, your first ministry is to each other!
To bring each other closer to God.
Then it is your kids!
To make sure you are drawing your kids toward Jesus!
PAUSE
But it does not stop there…
Let me give you one last point…
Finally, a God-centered marriage is a witness to the world.
Jesus said,
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
As husband and wife love each other with Christlike devotion.
As they lead their children toward Jesus.
Their marriage becomes a living testimony of the Gospel.
Here is the last point…
God centered marriages point other people toward Jesus.
(Repeat)
In short, a God-centered marriage is not about two people simply making each other happy…
It is about two people joining their lives to glorify God,
serve one another,
and reflect the love of Christ to the world.
PAUSE
Let me give you your life application today….
You will see this in your notes…
It says…
Life Application: How could you reorient your marriage to point each other, your children, and others toward Jesus? As a result of today’s message, I will….
Week #4 –
If you did not know, you can donate stocks, bonds, retirement minimum distributions, gains on investments, and so forth to avoid all the taxes on them!
If you want to do that email jodi@familychurch.app and she will help you!
Have a great week!!
