I Do, I Don't.

Take a few minutes to read through Mark 10:1-12. These are just some reflections from that text. To listen to the full message that was preached on this text, go to www.genesisthejourney.com/media - message title - I Do, I Don’t.

Some thoughts on Marriage…
1. Marriage is God’s Idea – not man’s (Genesis 2:20-24)
2. Marriage is NOT the GOAL in life – (Mark 12:28-31) The Great Commandment is not to get married, rather its to LOVE God & Love people.
3. Marriage is a GIFT, not a curse – (Ecclesiastes 9:9)
4. Marriage is a GIFT to the generations that will follow you. The greatest gift to be passed along to your children (and their children) will not be $, toys, and vacations, but it will be a HEALTHY, Christ honoring marriage.
5. Marriage is a PICTURE of the relationship that Jesus has with the church – (Ephesians 5:32). Marriage will serve as an INCREDIBLE witness to those around you of what God can do!
6. Marriage & the Marriage BED is to be HONORED – (Hebrews 13:4)

God has a DESIGN, a PLAN for marriage and its outlined in Genesis 2:20-24.
1. RECEIVE – Adam received Eve as a gift from God. Continually receiving your spouse as a gift from God is essential to the health of your marriage.
2. LEAVE – Dependent no longer on parents for physical, emotional, relational needs, but fully committed to depending on your spouse in this way.
3. CLEAVE – Literally to stick to, or follow (pursue) closely. Never stop pursuing your spouse!
4. ONE – Oneness speaks to the physical, emotional, spiritual and relational. When there is TRUE oneness, the husband and wife will be NAKED and have no shame.

ONENESS KILLERS
1. Sexual Impurity – porn, thought life {lust}, inappropriate relationships w/people from the opposite sex.
2. Un-forgiveness – anger leads to bitterness; bitterness leads to hard-heartedness; and hard-heartedness leads to death in the marriage. Learning to forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)
3. Lack of Communication – learning to be a listener as well as a talker.
4. Lack of Intimacy – Intimacy has to do with knowledge. Knowledge of ALL not just parts of your spouse.
5. Lack of Time – LOVE can be spelled TIME. Make the relationship a priority. Take time to cultivate the relationship. There will be SEASONS where things are more CHAOTIC then others, but don’t let the SEASON your in dictate the health of your marriage, let the health of your marriage dictate how you walk through each season.
6. Spiritual Disconnect – Husbands who fail to spiritually lead.
7. Neglecting the ONE - GOD is your number ONE, and your spouse is your number TWO.