14. God's Design for Marriage

Jesus did not come to abolish the Old Testament Law but “to fill it full.” So far in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has addressed murder and the problem of anger beneath it; also adultery and the lustful coveting that produces it. Now we come to the Old Testament teaching on divorce (Deut. 24), wondering if Jesus will go along with allowing divorce “for any reason” (Matt. 19). Instead, Jesus goes back to Genesis one and two to present God’s original intentions and plans for marriage. Come Sunday to be encouraged by the wisdom and beauty of God’s design for marriage. There is hope for any marriage, and our desire as a church is to help couples learn to escape the “crazy cycle” of conflict and move into the “energized cycle” of love and respect (Eph. 5:33; see material by Emerson Eggerichs). If you have been divorced, we also have good news: God’s grace is sufficient for all of our needs! 

Read the message here: God’s Design for Marriage

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Download a fillable outline here: God’s Design for Marriage outline