Scripture: Psa 127:1-2

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep"

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"It is only the strong Christian family unit that can survive the coming world holocaust." - Billy Graham

Thrust: Every strong and successful family life’s foundation must be built in following God’s ways.

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Building The Strong And Firm Foundation Of Family Life

Family Relationships: Family Work Life

Top 3 Challenges Mums Face During COVID:

• Family health and safety
• Managing kids during stay home period
• Managing work and home responsibilities.

Top 3 Challenges Dads Face During COVID:

• Coping with work and family responsibilities
• Financial pressures
• Managing children’s behaviour and problems.

Family Relationships: Marriage

Married couples faced increased tension with stress from circuit breaker, while family formation took a backseat.

• More couples seek counselling as circuit breaker, work from home put strain on marriages.
• From CNA: Isolated with your abuser: Why family violence is on the rise during Covid-19 outbreak.
• From ST: Singaporean couples delay plans for marriage, kids amid Covid-19 pandemic

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A. God’s Standard For Husbands Loving Your Wives

All the emotions we feel come from the limbic system, which ties to executive functioning such as logic, judgment, reasoning, and impulse control. So, when we fall in love, blood flow increases and lights up the pleasure center of the brain.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Eph 5:25)

• 1. Love her with the same unreserved selfless love that Christ has for the church.
• 2. Love her with the same unreserved sacrificial love that Christ has for the church.
• 3. Love your wives as their own bodies by nourishing and cherishing her.

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B. God’s Standard For Wives Submitting to Your Husbands

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Eph 5:22)

What Submission Is Not:

• Submission does not mean inferiority
• Submission does not mean silence
• Submission does not mean you treat your husband like a god
• Submission is not based on your likes or dislikes

What Submission Is:

Submission means “sub-mission.” There is a mission for the Christian marriage, and that mission is obeying and glorifying God. The wife says, “I’m going to put myself under that mission. That mission is more important than my individual desires. I’m not putting myself below my husband, I’m putting myself below the mission God has for our marriage, for my life.”- Enduring Word Commentary

It means: ‘Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands because it is a part of your duty to the Lord, because it is an expression of your submission to the Lord.’ Or, ‘Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands; do it in this way, do it as a part of your submission to the Lord.’ In other words, you are not doing it only for the husband, you are doing it primarily for the Lord Himself… You are doing it for Christ’s sake, you are doing it because you know that He exhorts you to do it, because it is well-pleasing in His sight that you should be doing it. It is part of your Christian behaviour, it is a part of your discipleship.” - Martin Lloyd-Jones

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C. God’s Standard In Honouring Parents

Family Relationships: Fathering and Mothering

"I feel most connected and loved when Daddy ..."

For Sons age 10-15:

• Chatting (46%)
• Doing Activities together (38%)
• Going for outings/Holidays (31%)

For Daughters age 10-15

• Going for Outings/Holidays (41%)
• Doing Activities together (37%)
• Chatting (36%)

"I feel most connected and loved when Mummy ..."

For Sons age 10-15:

• Chatting ( 57% )
• Deeper Sharing ( 40% )
• Verbal Affirmation ( 25% )

For Daughters age 10-15

• Chatting ( 45%)
• Physical Affection ( 38%)
• Verbal Affirmation ( 33% )

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. (Eph 6:1-4)

Why must CHILDREN obey and honor THEIR parents?

• It is the right thing to do
• It is a command from God
• You will do well in life
• You will have long life

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. By knowledge, the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. (Pro 24:3-4)