What is the purpose of marriage? Procreation? Companionship? Happiness?

Certainly God wanted all of those things when he instituted marriage. But have you ever thought that one of God’s primary purposes of marriage is our personal growth? Even more than happiness, God wants to make us holy.

Explore this idea with us in this series Marriage Made in Heaven as David Maxson talks to us about how producing the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in marriage can not only make us more happy and fulfilled but also more holy.

Jesus endured the stench and the smell of the world as He picked through the garbage to find those precious souls that God sent Him to earth to find. Jesus died on the cross, shedding His precious blood, that He might cleanse and sanctify them, so they might not have “spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” but that they might be “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).

His name is Jesus. And I know Him and He knows me. He’s my Lord, my Savior, and my Redeemer. He’s my life, my joy, and my all in all. He died for my sins and rose to give me new life. He’s coming back someday to take me home.

And I ask you, “Do you know Him?”

God uses the Bible to bring the seekers together with the preachers. Who knows how many stories could be told over the last two thousand years? God is still involved in the business of evangelism. Let’s not forget His role. As Paul said, “we are God’s fellow workers.” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

Have you grown tired of hearing syrupy, soft, scriptureless preaching? Are you looking for something more than the fabricated, seeker-sensitive worship performances that have become common? And though the whole concept of “speaking where the Bible speaks and being silent where the Bible is silent” may be a completely foreign concept, would you be sincerely interested if someone would simply explain it to you?

Here I am, Lord…

I’m tired of being cautious. I’m tired of playing it safe. I’m ready to take a risk… to do something radical. You’ve called me to take up my cross. So whatever you want me to do Lord… I’m ready.

There is a saying that evangelism is better caught than taught. How is that so? How do you catch it? Is it like a cold?

Reaching the lost does not require that you be a great and powerful speaker to preach to the masses. Some of the best work you can do is simply showing love to others; caring for them; praying for them; serving them; and when the opportunity arises, talking with them about their soul. That’s what Jesus did. Jesus cared for individuals.

We read stories in our Bibles of when God’s people would go out to battle without Him. They, in their pride, thought they could get along just fine without Him. “How ridiculous,” we say, “those foolish Israelites never learned.” Yet we are no different. Read more…