What would it have been like to be part of NASA after President Kennedy launched the race to the moon? Talk about purpose! The space mission is now getting cut back, but someone far greater than a U.S. President has enlisted you in a far greater goal than that "giant leap for mankind." To live we need a mission. What's yours? Listen.

Truth Encounter: What is...Marriage, Family, Church?

The Church-Its Mission (Matthew 28:16-20)

NFL coaches need to be masters of motivation and spotting talent. CEOs need to be able to make the hard decisions when the economy starts to slide into the "seven lean" years after the "fat ones," and even presidents have to correct their course and navigate the troubled waters of public support. Where do you go to find successful coaches, business leaders, and wise rulers? Where does God go to interview those He is touching for leadership in His Church?

Leaders in God's Household (1 Timothy 3: 1-13)

Sacred space—it’s one of the most powerful forces in the world. We, as human beings, yearn to worship in that special place. Two million Moslems will soon pack out Mecca’s Grand Mosquein to fulfill the Hajj, and Israelis and Palestinian prove every day that the struggle to control sacred space still brings blood in the 21st Century. Does that special House of God really exist and if so, where is it?

The Church—God’s Household (1 Timothy 3)

I was talking to the director of a mentoring program in our local high school the other day and this is what struck me. "Teens simply don't respect authority. Their idea is that you don't have to respect anyone unless they first earn this respect. The basic idea is that you can treat someone like dirt until they prove that they deserve your attention." Where does the Bible say that obedience and respect should begin, and how can this light turn on some respect in the next generation?

The New Covenant Family—The Need to Obey and the Need to Train (Ephesians 6:1ff_)

Family First, Focus on the Family, and thousands of pages written on How to be Better Dads and Moms and How to Raise Our Kids to be Godly and Good. Of course Jesus teaches us to put family first, or does He? How did Jesus warn us about the idolatry of family?

Father Abraham Had Many Sons (Genesis 11:8-12:8 )

The nuclear family—a dad and mom with their kids living under one roof is becoming a relic of the past. Conservatives cry for the days of Leave it to Beaver and liberals applaud experimentation with new forms of family living. Who actually created families and what does He reveal about what their purpose should be? Listen as we trace the story of Adam and Eve's three sons.

The Tale of Two Sons (Genesis 1-11 )

Why do so many marriage break apart after a husband or wife reconnects with their high school flame on Face Book? Can plastic surgery really recreate your youth, and what happens when disease and age call for payment? The greatest teacher who ever lived actually warns us against worshipping sexuality, but He also reveals a secret about how we can catch a glimpse of eternity.

The Ultimate Union -Catching a Glimpse of Eternity (Matthew 21:1-14, Revelation 19:1-10)

Guys might not admit it, but they feel the joy when the lovers break through all the obstacles keeping them apart and they finally kiss at the end of the romantic chick flick. Where does this deep joy come from? Could it be that there is a love story that goes a lot deeper than “Sleepless in Seattle?”

The Covenant Marriage – The Redemption Picture (Ephesians 5:21-33)

Young couples live together and wait until they are in their thirties before going through the formality of a marriage ceremony. An increasing number of wives in midlife are deciding that it's time to stop taking care of a husband and living for kids. It's time to find fulfillment for themselves. What does an almost forgotten, old fashioned word like "covenant" have to say to all this failure of commitment?

The Covenant –More Than A Piece of Paper (Prov 2:16-22; Malachi 2:13-16; Hosea 2:16ff)

The battle rages—traditional marriage between a man and a woman or the rights of individuals to define marriage according to their desires. Appeals are made to history, to religion, to present day stories of broken hearts and forbidden dreams. In the midst of the discussion there is one person who is often left out of the discussion—God! It's time to listen carefully to the One who was already existing in the beginning.

What is Marriage? (Genesis 1-3)

The question whether or not gays have the right to marry marches through the courts toward the Supreme Court. Hollywood preaches that children raised with two mommies or two daddies are just fine, and with the new breakthroughs in genetics who needs either a dad or a mom? How did the ultimate Supreme Court Judge get excluded from the discussion? Who do you believe has the right to define marriage and family, and how does all this impact Christ's Family--the Church?

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Truth Encounter: What is...Marriage, Family, Church?

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