Resources

The answer to that question is, "You never married the wrong person." You always married the right person for you under the circumstances in which you were getting married. That is, God's decretive will is being accomplished in your life even in the instances where you have violated His revealed will for you. This means that His decretive will ultimately provides the best good for you. In other words, He will take your bad decision and, yes, He will follow up with a sanctifying punishment or painful experience, but in the end all things will work together for good for your ultimate sanctification. Could you have minimized the pain and some of the chastising work of the Father in your life if you had made a better decision according to the revealed will of God? Yes, but in the end, God's will was accomplished.

The sermon 'Temptations Facing Husbands and Wives' by Scott LaPierre discusses the various struggles and temptations that husbands and wives face in their marriage. LaPierre emphasizes the importance of focusing on one's own weaknesses and turning frustrations into prayer. He explains that a spouse's relationship with Christ directly influences their relationship with their husband or wife, as the way they treat their spouse is a reflection of their relationship with Christ. LaPierre also highlights the significance of God establishing headship before the fall, as it demonstrates that headship is part of God's natural, healthy, divine plan for marriages. The sermon also delves into the different temptations that husbands and wives may face, such as wives being tempted to control and nag their husbands, and husbands being tempted to be stubborn.

The Heart of a Marriage by Scott Brown

In this sermon, Scott LaPierre discusses the importance of a husband's love and a wife's respect in a Christ-centered marriage. Husbands are called to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and they can do this by washing their wives with the Word of God. This involves taking them to a Bible-teaching church, participating in church activities, and reading the Bible together. Husbands must set the standard for holiness in the home, as they are partially responsible for their wives' sanctification. Husbands get the wives they prepare for themselves, meaning that if they lead their wives spiritually, they will have spiritually mature wives. Wives are commanded to respect their husbands, admiring and supporting them in their roles. By doing so, they encourage their husbands to live up to the high standards set for them.

In the sermon 'Inheriting Together', David Eddy discusses the importance of marriage in relation to the glory of God. He explains that there are four main reasons people get married according to Pew Research: love, secure companionship, financial stability, and a stable place to have and raise children. However, the glory of God is often overlooked in these reasons. Eddy emphasizes that a Christian marriage should be focused on realizing a spiritual inheritance, exhibiting God's grace, and ultimately giving glory to God. Drawing from 1 Peter 3:7, he explains that couples should live together in unity, peace, and understanding as co-heirs of the grace of life, ultimately pointing others towards Christ through their marriage.

In this sermon, Scott Brown discusses ten guiding lights from the Word of God for a successful marriage. He emphasizes that marriage is designed to be a picture of Christ's love for the church and the church's submission and love toward Christ. He highlights the importance of oneness, repentance, and being filled with the Holy Spirit in a marriage. Brown also stresses that understanding our roles in marriage – husbands representing Christ's love and wives representing the church's submission – can help in handling conflicts and maintaining a loving relationship. He encourages couples to focus on the Word of God and turn away from worldly distractions that can hinder their marriage.

Jason Dohm explains in this audio message that it is important to set out good patterns for their children. Parents should be modeling the things we are teaching and establishing patterns of life that our children will one day walk down. Children will generally follow the path that they witnessed their parents do. Accordingly, here's the question: "If your children followed exactly what you as a parent did, would that be a blessing or a curse?" Psalms 12:1-2 (NKJV) - "Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid. A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn."

In this audio message, Jason Dohm discusses the topic of the relationship between headship and the mission given to Christian families. He explains that they are inextricably connected. God instructs that their mission is to fill the earth and multiply and to subdue it. A wife is to be a helper. Genesis lays out both our mission and a clear hierarchy of gender and specific roles. Psalm 5:8 (NKJV) - "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered." This message is entitled: "Headship and Family Mission" by Jason Dohm at the 2021 "Getting the Picture Right - In Your First Ten Years of Marriage" Retreat.

In this audio message, Scott Brown discusses the topic of husbands loving their wives. He encourages his listenders husbands to replicate Christ's love for the Church. He explains what true, biblical looks like -- so often, love is misinterpreted and wrongly defined by the world. It's important to correctly understand what Scripture defines it. This message is entitled: "A Husband's Love" by Scott Brown from the 2021 "Getting the Picture Right - In Your First Ten Years of Marriage" Retreat. 1 Peter 3:7 (NKJV) - "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."

Scott Brown explains in this audio message that both spouses should strive to promote respect for each promote and be good listeners. Simply put, both spouses should be easy to live with. He brings out four rules that we can apply when it comes to speaking to each other in marriage from the book of Proverbs. The first one comes from Proverbs 15:1 -- the tone of your voice matters. Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV) - "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

In this audio marriage, Paul Carrington discusses the topic of forgiveness in marriage. He uses the chapter of Matthew 18 to illustrate what Christ says about forgiveness. Forgiveness is not something that should be withheld or conditional. Forgiveness in marriage is such an important thing for both spouses to embrace for without forgiveness, bitterness and anger can result. Forgiveness brings spouses back together and points both to Christ. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) - "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Phil George explains in this video that it is important for a marriage to cultivate encouragement. It can be helpful for both spouses to encourage and demonstrate appreciate each other. It is also helpful to be servants of each other. Oftentimes, it can be easy to become complacent in marriage and take each other for granted which is why it is important to keep this idea in mind. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) - "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."