Marriage Matters

Normally I blog AFTER I preach so I can talk about my "sermon reflections."  Today, however, I'm making an exception since I plan to begin my annual prayer retreat immediately following Sunday's sermon and had several links I needed to include in this blog. 

First, if you heard the sermon, I made mention of the article I had written on Jesus' teaching on divorce.  That article, as well as several others I've written, can be found here on our church web page.

Second, last year Christianity Today published an interesting article entitled The Case For Early Marriage.  The author boldly advocates young adults marrying early in adulthood instead of waiting to get all their schooling finished, their careers well established, and their bank accounts full.  As a couple who married early (ages 21 and 22) my wife and I thought his arguments made a lot of sense.  Read it and tell me what you think.

Third, the one book I now recommend to married people above all others is entitled, Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas.  The subtitle sums up the contents well: What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?  Thomas calls all married people to stop insisting that their marriage give them what they want and instead began to focus on what God wants.  In other words, marriage is more about self-denial and service than about self-gratification and being served.  Click the link below for more information.

Finally, the book, Living Together: Myths, Risks & Answers, is a thought provoking analysis of a rising trend in America.  I would recommend this especially for those currently cohabitating, thinking about cohabitating, or parents of children that are.