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Psalms 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

This post is a little late but the influence of the 2016 Marriage Conference is far from over. A week and a half after our time together is a great time to do inventory and remind ourselves of all that we learned. We had a great time at the conference celebrating and evaluating our marital commitment.

For those who are married (regardless of if you attended or not) we can be asking ourselves some questions to help us evaluate how well are marriage relfects the picture of Christ and the church.

  1. Can you and your spouse look into each others eyes, repeat your vows to one another and God and mean it with all of your heart? If not, you need to apply all that was learned and seek counsel from your Pastor.
  2. Does your marriage function as a Dynamic Ministry Team? Remember to look at the three biblical patterns we discussed at the conference. Aquilla and Priscilla, Abraham and Sarah, and Boaz and Ruth. If your marriage is a sham like Ananias and Sapphira get honest with God and get help so you can become the picture God saved you to be. If you don't have the examples in your life to follow, go back to the scripture and he message taught by Roger Heath and apply those as your models.
  3. Does our life reflect the strong character required to have a strong marriage? Strong ministry requires strong marriages. Strong individual effort is not what is necessary but a godly desire and ability to work together as a ministry team. Take the time to study your spouse and make their spiritual, emotional, physical and sexual health your priority. Prioritize God, your spouse, your children then yourself. If you are living with a good roommate not an intimate helpmeet you may need to go back to the lessons taught by Tony Godfrey.
  4. Do you live joyfully with the wife of your youth? There is much more to marriage than sex and when the winds of change and pressures of life come upon your picture of Christ and the church, will it stand strong in the test of time? Loving and honoring one another is a life long commitment that is necessary to glorify God, comfort, encourage and continually build one another into the twilight years of marriage. If your heart is not assured that God has provided you the helpmeet that will stand the test of time review your notes from Jim Boyette's message.
  5. Have you publicly declared your love to your spouse? What a challenge we received and witnessed at the conference of this very thing. Christ is not ashamed to call us his bride and we should not be ashamed to proclaim him as our Lord. We certainly should have this fervent love for our spouse that is evident not just in word but in deed. We are one flesh and we complete the picture that was designed by God in the garden when God took Eve from Adam's rib. Apply the seven principles Pastor Randy gave us to wrap up our conference:
  • Equity: Be equally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14) and be equally minded (Philippians 2:2).
  • Flee sin & not one another 2 Timothy 2:22
  • Give yourself to your spouse (enough said)
  • Be friends! Laugh, cry and share life together (see Jim Boyette's message)
  • Trust each other: Be trustworthy, Be blameless Ecclesiastes 7:1
  • Respect your spouse
  • Esteem your spouse better than yourself. Philippians 2:5-8

Every day is a great opportunity to glorify God and accomplish his mission as we renew our commitment to him and our spouse for his honor and glory. Make plans now to attend next year but don't wait to renew your commitment daily to reflect Christ and the church to a lost and dying world.