marriage / family

In Search of Biblical Marriage - God's Blueprint for Marriage

It's not a Family Tree anymore, It's a Family Forest...

Parents used to have lots of Children - Now Children have lots of Parents...

Incredible as it may seem, we can no longer assume that people in our culture understand what the proper definition of "marriage" and "the family" is. Especially Biblical marriage.

Andreas Kostenberger

Marriage / Family Today

50% of all 1st marriages end in Divorce

60% of 2nd marriages end in Divorce

70% of 3rd marriages end in Divorce

53% of births are to Un-wed Mothers

40% of households in U.S. are single parent led

7.6 million couples are Cohabitating

80% of Cohabitation marriages end in divorce

39.6 million children are raised by a single Mom

6.5 Million grandparents are raising their grandchildren

75% of all children in U.S will spend some time in a single parent home

Note: Statistics are real names, faces, lives & families

Good News About Marriage

You've probably heard the grim facts: Half of all marriages end in divorce. The divorce rate inside the church is the same as outside. And, most marriages are just hanging on. But what if these "facts" are actually myths?

New facts about marriage...

The actual divorce rate has never gotten close to 50 %
Those who attend church regularly have a significantly lower rate than those who don't
Most marriages are happy
Simple changes make a big difference in most marriage problems
Most marriages succeed

Source: The Good News About Marriage by Shaunti Feldhahn

What is Biblical Marriage?

Biblical Marriage is a covenant, a sacred bond between a man and a woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God and normally consummated by sexual intercourse.

Biblical Marriage is:

Permanent
Sacred
Intimate
Mutual Self Giving
Exclusive between a man and a woman

"Haven't you read," he( Jesus) replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female" and said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh" So they are no longer two, but one ."Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Matthew 19:4-6

What is Biblical Family?

Biblical Family is:

Loving
Just
Corrective
Shepherding
Respectful
Trusting

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:3-5

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Deuteronomy 5:16