Getting Started
It’s been 6 weeks now since we have been in Mark and instead looking at who we are as believers and what we are aiming for as a church. To recap, we heard how, according to God’s word and will, we want to be
- A group of people partnering together, who are deeply committed to one another.
- A church that gathers corporately to ascend the hill and worship the Lord which floods into every other moment of our week
- A discipling church that helps each other follow Jesus.
- A missional people, that are overflowing with the Joy of being loved by Jesus.
- A Praying Church, that is being shaped by seeking the Lord in one accord.
And finally this week, we looked at God’s grand vision for households and how they are to be a microcosm of the Lord’s cosmic mission of redemption.
Firstly, if you missed any of these, please go back and listen to them and join us as we pursue this vision.
After last Sunday we were very encouraged to hear great feedback and a desire to grow in this area. Yet we also understand that the discussion on households – men and women, husbands and wives – may be one that you are new to, or just getting started on thinking about. As confessed on Sunday, Joel intentionally cast the vision for glorious households without delving into much practical application, inviting us as a church into this ongoing discussion. That being said, we didn’t want to leave you floating in the wind but instead, give you something to put into practice and get started with. The first is specific for husbands and fathers, and the second for all.
Husbands
Pray with and for your wives and if applicable, families. Daily, and out loud.
Simple right? Yep, but are we doing it? If not, there is no need to feel shame, but let it motivate you to do so. Lead your home by first leading your home in prayer.
Praying with and for your wife is the most intimate thing you can do with her.
I am sure you have heard the stats that around 50% of marriages end in divorce, for “Christians” around 30% do. However a secular research group did a deeper study and found that for marriages that a) are committed to a local church, and b) pray together daily, the divorce rate was 0.006%! THAT IS AMAZING! Get started.
Everyone
As a church, no matter your relationship status or knowledge up until this point, can we encourage you to go to God’s word on these matters. We want to invite you into a discussion, and that discussion must be deeply Biblical. Here are some texts to start with (there are many more but these shall suffice for now), read them, study them, think about them, ask questions about them, and chat about them. What do they teach us about God? What do they teach us about who we are as humans? What do they teach us about men and women and the glory of Christ?
- Genesis 1-3
- Proverbs 1-8 and 31
- Ephesians 5:22-6:9
- Colossians 3:18-4:1
- Titus 2
- 1 Peter 3:1-7
Grace to you, glory to God.