Beloved, His Commands Are Not Burdensome

Dear friends, That’s the phrase that John used often in 1 John. Dear children…beloved. It reflects the love he has for the people he is writing to, the people who he loves because Jesus has first loved us. The target audience that John was writing to were believers in Christ, people who had confessed that […]

‘Oh just wait’

We often heard when we were dating, ‘Oh just wait till you get married.’ As if when you get married, then all the romance is obliterated and shot to pieces. When we got engaged, we heard the same thing. Again, as if walking down the aisle was more less a walk toward the death of […]

After the kids are gone…

Heather and I have been married for nearly 20 years. We’re only about 3.5 years away from potentially being empty-nesters. And we would tell you that the first nearly 17 years of parenting has seemed to fly by, so I can only imagine how quickly these next few years will go. The speed seems to […]

Communication in Marriage

It seems no matter what area of life you’re talking about, bad communication leads to conflict. Communication is huge, and in the area of marriage, it is no different. Here are four principles to help guide our communication in marriage. Quick to Listen James 1:19: My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick […]

A Heart of Flesh in Marriage

When the book of Ezekiel opens up, we see that Israel has been unfaithful to God. They have once again walked away from God and His ways, and chosen to worship other idols. As a result, God brings judgment on the nation, and allows neighboring countries to come in and destroy the people. The Israelites […]

In your marriage, do the little things

As Christ followers, we are following and learning from the One who came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Heather and I have been married for over 18 years now, and I still have moments where I don’t want to reflect that kind of attitude to my wife, who truly is my […]

Snapshots from Week 5 of The Adventure

Here are some excerpts from week 5 of ‘The Adventure’ (The Work of Staying in Love). Song of Solomon 5:2-6:13. Listen to the full message audio here. Our marriages should be marked by a continual growth. That our relationship, and how we interact with one another as husband and wife, should continually be transformed by the […]

Snapshots from Week 4 of The Adventure

Here are some excerpts from week 4 of ‘The Adventure’ (The Honeymoon). Song of Solomon 4:1-5:1. Listen to the full message audio here. God’s design is not for you to either idolize sex, making it the basis of your relationship, nor to have a sexless, joyless marriage or to avoid the subject like the plague. Rather, […]

Shifting Blame

As I look back on my life, I can see how I tried to shift the blame or point the finger at someone or something else. I see it in my kids sometimes, how they are quick to blame the other person for their own wrong doing instead of owning up to it. “Well she […]

Snapshots from Week 3 of The Adventure

Here are some excerpts from week 3 of ‘The Adventure’ (The Wedding). Song of Solomon 3:6-11. Listen to the full message audio here. One of the current thoughts on marriage, if you were to ask culture, or the family or friends maybe around you, is that a husband and wife get married, and then they spend […]