The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 1
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26 The Grace Guide to Marriage is our new series. There's a lot of information in the world regarding marriage. But the Word of God speaks directly to marriages. The way to build a strong Biblical marriage is through the lens of the New Covenant. We pray and hope this will be beneficial to our listeners. Marriage is God-designed and the Scripture present grand, sweeping insight. God designed marriage to have a greater purpose - to paint a picture of Jesus, love, and grace.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 2
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
God designed marriage. He made humans as male and female. Just as our hands are mirror images of one another so is man and woman. She is fully his equal and together they reflect the fullness of our Creator. Being joined one to the other creates a new entity. First, the man leaves his father and mother. Second, he cleaves to his wife in every way. The two become one. One in Christ. This word means that you join together and you are to stay together. God's grace within you and within your relationship will be the power that enables you to stay together.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 3
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
One of the guiding truths to marriage is to 'serve one another in love'. Marriage provides a unique opportunity to serve one another in love because of God's love. Jesus Christ is the center of every Christian marriage. Two believers come together as one. Within that union with Christ is unconditional love and acceptance from God. The best thing you can do for your marriage is encourage your spouse to live in dependence upon Jesus Christ.
- How does a wife keep from placing her husband at the top of her misplaced dependencies list?
- Download the marriage diagram https://basicgospel.net/teaching
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 4
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Do you take the time to see your mate as God sees them? When you begin to see them in this light it will revolutionize your marriage relationship. God says your mate (if they are a believer) is blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing. He/she is complete in Christ Jesus. Often our struggle in marriage is that we feel our mate needs to be fixed. We don't have to worry about that because God has given your mate everything he/she needs for life and godliness. Ephesians 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:3
- Please consider supporting Basic Gospel at this time. Visit https://basicgospel.net/support
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 5
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Marriage is a unique relationship between one man and one woman. Within that unique relationship we have the opportunity to serve one individual, living out the relationship we have with Christ. Husband are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and wives are to submit and respect their husbands. That doesn't define roles or hierarchy. Depend upon God and His Holy Spirit to carry out these roles. The husband and wife are to be controlled by the love of God. The result is a wonderful and satisfying relationship.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 6
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Today we look at practical application of what the Bible says. How do you love your wife as Christ loves the church? It's not about a feeling. It is about an action. 1 Corinthians 13 describes these actions. How do we act out the love of God to our mate? A woman's core need is security; for a man it is respect. Telling your wife you love her gives her security in marriage. Husbands, laser focus your attention on communicating to your wife that your marriage is secure, that she is valued and loved.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 7
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis
Marriage is hard. Even the best of marriages have tough times. In those bad times and even in the good times, we have to deal with our own selfishness once we get married. That's why its so important to depend on our relationship with the Lord. The Bible encourages us to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger". James 1:19 Your spouse needs you to truly listen to him/her, not to jump in with opinion or solutions. The word "hear" means to listen attentively with the idea that you will do something with what you have heard. It means that we really want to know what our mate is bringing to the table so that we can respond and act to what is truly being communicated. Remember this saying: "Listen without defending and speak without offending."
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 8
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
God has a grand design for marriage and it can be a source of great joy. Marriage is representative of Christ's love for His church. Ephesians 5 has great insight into how wives are to love their husbands. What does "submit to your husband" mean? This does not mean that you are inferior to your husband. This passage refers to wives submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ and allowing Him to work through them to show their husbands love and respect. Men thrive on respect. If the whole world rejects them, but their wife stands by them and respects them, then all is well. Wives, ask the Lord Jesus to show you creative ways to show respect to your husband. This is the true meaning of submission - submitting to the Lord Jesus and responding to His leading in your marriage.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 9
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis
The question we address today is "How do you deal with a husband with an anger issue? He never listens to me." The solution is the gospel message - before any transformation can take place, he must come to life in Christ. Pray fervently for your husband, for his salvation. If he is a Christian, pray that God's spirit will open his eyes. You must trust the situation to the Lord. When his anger flares up, don't try to get him to listen at that point. Turn, walk away, and discuss the issue at a later time. Generally, anger is a sign of insecurity and fear. Anger is the mask that fear puts on.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 10
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
How do we overcome selfishness in our marriage and learn how to serve our mate in love? We have to recognize that first and foremost we are believers in Christ and we live in dependence on Him. As His attitudes soak in, then we can begin to show them to others. Jesus turns greatness upside down. Greatness doesn't mean lording it over people and thinking more of ourselves than we should. When it comes to the things of God, we see that greatness is completely different. It is about serving people. To overcome our selfishness, we have to come to terms with what greatness really means. Jesus demonstrated that to us. He humbled himself, he sacrificed all on our behalf. As we walk in dependence on Him, this attitude of service will begin to flow from us into our marriage. Serving each other in love will revolutionize your marriage.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 11
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Communication in marriage is a big subject. It's not only the words we say, it's also the tone of those words. James 1:19 exhorts us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Spoken words are important in our relationship. Each partner should become aware of how the words we speak, lift up or tear down the other. You not only are husband and wife but you are brother and sister in Christ. Understanding that eternal relationship will temper and soften the words you speak to one another. Colossians 4:6 says "Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Apply this verse to your marriage relationship and see your marriage strengthen.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 12
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
The thing that holds a marriage together is a deep abiding friendship with one another. Friendship in Christ allows you to share His life together in the context of marriage. It begins with dating. Friendship is always based on common interest, so choose someone to date who desires a relationship with Christ. A relationship based on that common interest is foundational to a successful partnership. If we are to have a marriage that endures through thick and thin, we need to begin the relationship with a common love of Christ Jesus.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 13
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis
Money is one of the main causes of divorce. Coming together as one to decide how to manage the resources God has provided is crucial to a successful marriage. It is not a matter of the amount of money; it's a matter of transparency about money. Matthew 6:24 tells us "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." This session gives 7 practical ways you and your spouse can come together with regard to money.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 14
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
Today we take a Biblical look at sex in marriage. Far from dirty, demeaning, and degrading, God created sex to be a beautiful expression of the union of man and woman. If God invented sex, then it must be good. The Bible is also clear that sex is to happen within the bonds of marriage. The world has a much different message which has cheapened sex and made it a very casual activity. But that is far from what God created it to be.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 15
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
If I have been divorced, is it OK for me to remarry? We hear that question time and time again. The Biblical framework for marriage is that a man leave his parents, become one flesh with his wife, and serve one another in love. There is no doubt that divorce is sin and comes from the hardness of the heart. God hates divorce because it brings about all kinds of pain and does harm to everyone involved. However, divorce is not the unpardonable sin. Jesus has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. If you have been divorced and desire to remarry, commit yourself to building a strong, biblical marriage.
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The Grace Guide to Marriage - part 16
Bob Christopher, Bob Davis, Richard Peifer
In a follow up discussion about divorce and remarriage, we explore the issue of remarriage. Is there hope for another relationship built on the foundation of Christ Jesus? The answer is a resounding "yes". You are not unworthy because of divorce - you are a child of God who has been divorced. First, figure out what went wrong in your marriage. Go to the Lord and ask him to reveal to you the mistakes that were made. If you find someone you are interested in, it is vitally important to first build a friendship and leave the results up to the Lord. People who are content in Christ can experience the oneness God desires for marriage. Let your remarriage be a reflection of the very love of Christ, the church. With Christ, there is great hope.
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