Marriage: 6 Commitments-Lesson 3 "Reason to Continue."

Housekeeping

-Remind App

It’s on the board

-Handouts for the Class Picnic!!

-Praise/Prayer Requests

Open in Prayer

Lesson 3

Let’s read Galatians 5:13-26

Galatians 5:13–26 CSB

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. 16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Share how this spoke to you...

OK, what is your definition of HOPE?

“To place confidence in; to trust in with confident expectation of good.”

Let’s start on page 31 as we look at those couples who seem to have lost hope.

Tom and Dara

-He was tired of workin hard and having little to show for it, and he couldn’t find much reason to continue.

Cindy and Mac

-Apathy.

Erin and Will

-Leaving and Cleaving is non-existent. Will has never left his family and Erin is tired of being the outsider and is finding it hard to continue.

Nathan and Anita

-Emotional Affair and Bitterness

Sandy and Fred

-Lack of Respect and Love

Brandon and Jessie

-When you feel like you can’t win, it’s hard to continue trying.

Nora and Chris

-Arguing is the only form of communication

Do you see your marriage in any of these stories?

Can you relate to one or more of these spouses?

Hope…just as this chapter began, “Everyone reaches for Hope.”

Let’s read Galatians 5:14-17 again

Galatians 5:14–17 CSB

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. 16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

Not the Way It Was Meant to Be

“It happens to everyone. It is the unavoidable reality of marriage. Somehow, somewhat, every marriage becomes a struggle.”

We each need to stop and ask ourselves where our Hope is?

Our marriage?

Our children?

Our immediate family?

Our job?

Ourselves?

or Christ?

Romans 5:1–5 CSB

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Psalm 42:5 CSB

5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

This continues in verse 11 and in psalm 43:5 too.

Our hope must be placed and fixed in Christ.

I say this because as Paul Tripp writes at the top of page 35

“Everyone’s marriage becomes something they didn’t intend it to be. You are required to deal with things you didn’t plan to face. In every marriage sin complicates what would otherwise be simple. In every marriage brokeness of the world makes things more complicated and difficult.”

Our prayer is that no one leaves this room this morning without Hope. That Christ is the Hope you place your heart in.

And it starts with Worship.

Next week, we will focus on that…Worship.

I’m going to close with a quote from a college student in 1969. It was printed in Harper in Rowe that fall.

Student Prayer

I hope that I will always be for each person what he needs me to be.

I hope that each person’s death will always diminish me, but that fear of my own will never diminish my joy of life.

I hope that my love for those whom I like will never lessen my love for those whom I do not.

I hope that another person’s love for me will never be a measure of my love for him.

I hope that every person will accept me as I am, but that I never will.

I hope that I will always ask for forgiveness from others, but will never need to be asked for my own.

I hope that I will find a person to love, but that I will never seek one.

I hope that I will always recognize my limitations, but that I will construct none.

I hope that loving will always be my goal, but that love will never be my idol.

I hope that every man and woman will always have hope.

Let’s pray