Do you know that Jesus felt fear? We know that He experienced every aspect of being human, and fear is definitely a common human emotion. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before His arrest and crucifixion, the Bible describes Jesus as being “in agony.” That comes from the Greek word agonia, which was used to convey great fear or distress. We often suffer from a fear of the unknown, but Jesus had full knowledge of everything He was about to... Read more
Here’s a statistic to catch your attention: 80 percent of men are more sexually oriented than their wives. This means they crave sex more often and desire more variety in their sex lives. Men are visually stimulated. On the other hand, women are more likely to crave nonsexual affection. They want to cuddle and talk, but often have less desire for the act of sex than their husbands. When it comes to sexual appetite, men and women are out of... Read more
We’ve been discussing how healthy marriages must apply Genesis 2:24—“And they shall become one flesh”—to all aspects of life. A healthy marriage, according to God’s Law of Possession, requires a true union. Over the last few weeks we’ve discussed what happens when this law is violated. But what about the positive side? What happens when two people give themselves completely to the relationship? Unity is what happens. Following God’s plan creates deep intimacy between a husband and wife. God knew... Read more
In the Gospels, when people indicated that they wanted a relationship with Jesus, he gave them a serious warning: “…any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33) Jesus isn’t saying that we must get rid of everything before beginning a relationship with Him. What He’s saying is that we must submit everything we have to His authority, or we cannot truly follow Him. If you refuse to submit something to him,... Read more
What does it mean to be successful? These seven things are usually associated with the world’s view of success: Financial prosperity: Having enough money to possess everything you want and to care for others. For many people, this is the only standard of success. Popularity and favor: This might come through physical attractiveness, personality, talent, or something else. People will sell their souls to be liked. Power and influence: This is the social, financial, or spiritual authority to do... Read more
I love the story in the fourth chapter of Mark’s Gospel about a time when Jesus and the disciples encountered a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been teaching along the water’s edge. When evening came, He and the disciples departed in a boat for the other side of the lake. During the crossing, a furious squall erupted. Waves broke over the boat. The disciples feared the boat would capsize and they would drown. And remarkably, Jesus was... Read more
Two years into our marriage, Karen and I simply could not get along. We were young and immature. I was an emotional bully. She constantly belittled me. Neither of us was happy, and the way we spoke to each other made that clear. One evening I was watching a football game when something happened that I’ll never forget. Karen was preparing dinner, and she brought me a plate of food. When she gave it to me, she kissed me on... Read more
Genesis 2:24 describes God’s plan for marriage in a succinct, simple way: “And they shall become one flesh.” In recent weeks, we’ve been talking about this plan, which I call the Law of Possession. A healthy marriage requires that everything be shared. When a husband and wife marry, they transfer the things they used to control as individuals into a union of “one flesh.” If they try to hold onto certain things outside that union—things like finances, behavior, and even... Read more
We’re discussing the Law of Possession, which is based on God’s plan for marriage in Genesis 2:24—“And they shall become one flesh.” A healthy marriage requires that a husband and wife take what they once managed individually and bring it into a true union. When something is held onto outside the marriage, it causes serious problems. L.C. and LaDonna came to me as a young couple. They were both sweet, God-fearing people, but there was already a wedge dividing their... Read more
If I handed you a magic wand right now and told you it would transform anything you wanted to change about yourself or your life, what would you change? It might be your appearance. It might be your age. It might be your job, your popularity, the amount of money in your bank account, or the amount of power you have. In other words, we would want to change the things that we feel bad about. These are our... Read more
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