September 4 2016 Affair-Proofing Your Marriage

Affair Proofing Your Marriage

Memory Verse: Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."

How to Affair Proof Your Marriage

1. MAKE A COMMITMENT TO GOD'S STANDARDS

Psalm 119:9 "How can a (person) keep his way pure? By living according to your Word."

Proverbs 5:15 (GN) "Be faithful to your own wife and give your love to her alone."

2. MAGNIFY THE CONSEQUENCES

Proverbs 6:32 (GN)"The one who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul."

3. MAINTAIN MY MARRIAGE

1 Corinthians 7:3 (GN)" A man should fulfill his duty as a husband and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other's needs."

The top five needs of most men are:

1. Sexual fulfillment
2. Recreational companionship
3. An attractive spouse
4. Domestic support
5. Admiration

The top five needs of most women are:

1. Affection
2. Conversation
3. Honesty and openness
4. Financial support
5. Family commitment

1 Corinthians 7:5 (Ph)"Do not cheat each other of normal sexual intercourse ... or you will expose yourselves to the obvious temptation of Satan."

4. MANAGE MY MIND

How Affairs Develop

1. Accepting sinful thoughts in my mind
2. Emotional, non-physical involvement
3. Physical involvement
4. Rationalizing the affair

James 1:14-15 (LB) "Temptation is the pull of a person's own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to death."

2 Timothy 2:22 (Ph)"Turn your back on lustful desires and give your positive attention to goodness, integrity, love, and peace..."

Romans 16:19 "I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about evil."

5. MAINTAIN PROPER RELATIONSHIPS

Ephesians 5:3 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality."

6. MINIMIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

1 Corinthians 10:12 (LB)"So be careful! If you are thinking, `Oh, I would never behave like that - let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin."

1 Corinthians 15:33 "Bad company corrupts good character."

Malachi 2:15 "Guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with your wife."

THE PATHWAY BACK TO PURITY

1. Acknowledge the sin (Psalm 51:1-4)
2. End the relationship immediately
3. Avoid ALL contact with the person from now on. Do whatever it takes to do this!

March 17 2013 Relationship Rescue: Dealing With Divorce

Dealing With Divorce

Mark 10:2-12 “Some Pharisees came and tried to trap [Jesus] with this question: ‘Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?’ ‘What did Moses say about divorce?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Well, he permitted it,’ they replied. ‘He said a man merely has to write his wife an official letter of divorce and send her away.’ But Jesus responded, ‘He wrote those instructions only as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness. But God's plan was seen from the beginning of creation, for 'He made them male and female.' 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.’ Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. He told them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and remarries, she commits adultery.’”

Jesus On Divorce:

• Divorce Breaks the heart of God
• Divorce is allowed in cases of adultery, abandonment, and abuse but not necessitated
• Do whatever is possible to avoid divorce

5 Decisions For Dealing With Divorce

Psalm 144:7 “Reach down from heaven and rescue me; deliver me from deep waters.” 

1. Commit to a Forever view on marriage. Mark 10:6-9

2. Deal with problems Proactively

Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.'But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

• Date/Marry A Believer
• Date My Spouse (Keep the Romance Alive)
• Defend My Marriage From Temptation
• Marital Counseling

3. Do whatever I can to reconcile.

Mark 10:8-9(Jesus) “Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.”

Romans 12:18 “Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.” 

4. Break my destructive patterns

Jeremiah 8:5 “Then why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them?”

Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”

5. Trust God to bring healing & Hope

Psalm 147:3-4 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

February 10 2013 Maintaining Moral Integrity

MAINTAINING MORAL INTEGRITY IN 2013

Exodus 20:14 - You shall not commit adultery.

How To Stay Pure In A Polluted World

1. Make a commitment to God’s standard.
Proverbs 119:9 - How can anyone keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word.

2. Never consider yourself above temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:12 - So be careful if you are thinking, oh I would never behave like that. Let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin.
Proverbs 16:19 - Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

3. Keep a close watch on your Spiritual temperature.
Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
1 Corinthians 9:22 - I discipline my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

4. Maintain your marriage.
Solomon 1:6 - They made me take care of other’s vineyards while my own vineyard I have neglected.
Proverbs 5:15-21 - Drink water from your own cistern.

7 Suggestions
• Involve mate in life, work
• Keep reminders of family around
• Keep lines of communication open
• When attracted, redirect it towards your mate
• Date your mate
• Make much of your marriage in public
• Don’t discuss your marriage problems with someone of the opposite sex

5. Develop healthy outlets for emotional energy.
Romans 12:21 - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

6. Guard your mind.
James 1:14-15 - Sin begins with the desire and then when it’s conceived it brings forth sin and then when it is finished, brings forth death.
2 Timothy 4:5 1 Corinthians 10:5 Psalm 101:3
1 Peter 1:13 Ephesians 6:17 Romans 16:19

7. Remind yourself of damaging consequences.
James 1:15 - Sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

8. Take necessary precautions.
Matthew 26:41 - (Jesus says) watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be careful, watch out for attacks from satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion looking for some victim to tear apart.

James 1:12 - Blessed is the man who perseveres under temptation, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God promised to those who love Him.

June 3 2012 Rekindling Love In The Home

Rekindling Love In The Home

Revelation 2:4-5 - You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the tings you did at first.

Three Things To Do
•  Remember the good times.
•  Repent or change your attitude
•  Do the first things again.

Five Steps To Rekindle Your Romance:

1. You must give attention to your mate.
Philippians 2:2-4 -Live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you, look to each other’s interest, not merely your own.

The first enemy of romance is a busy schedule.

2. There must be affirmation.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 - Give encouragement to each other and keep strengthening each other.

Proverbs 12:10 - Take delight in honoring each other.

3. There must be affection.
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands be affectionate.

Ephesians 5:28 - the love a man gives his wife is the extending of his love for himself to enfold her.
Genesis 26:8 - Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.

4. Your marriage needs adventure.
Ecclesiastes 9:9 - Enjoy life with your wife, whom you     love.

1 Timothy 6:17 - God provides everything for our enjoyment.

5. Your marriage needs accordance.
1 John 1:7 - If we are living in the light of God’s presence, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other.

How To Develop Spiritual Oneness:
•  Pray together

•  Share your life.    

Five Areas of Oneness:
•  Intellectual intimacy

•  Emotional intimacy

•  Physical intimacy

•  Recreational intimacy

•  Spiritual intimacy