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#126: Respect At Calvary
In honor (give) preference to one another. (Romans 12:10) Consider for a moment the respect that Christ displayed throughout the pages of the Gospels. He treated people according to their worth to the Father, not according to their appearance or even behaviour. Think about it. Jesus treated the woman caught in adultery with respect. He…
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#125: To Beseech Another With Exhortation, Comfort And Care
I, therefore… beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. (Ephesians 4:1) Caring entreaty (a serious, earnest, and often emotional request or please made to someone) helps give purpose and passion to life. It’s easy to fall into the barrenness of a busy life, thus faithfully addressing the tyranny of…
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#124: Liberty From Fear And Obligation
Live as free men… live as servants of God. (1 Peter 2:16) Giving freedom in marriage means I allow my spouse to be different from me, to be unique. Freedom means not dwelling on past hurts. It means not being fearful about the future, but being committed to living in the present. Freedom means learning…
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#122: Selflessly Compassionate
Therefore, as the elect of God… put on tender mercies. (Colossians 3:12) Hurts, irritations, unmet needs – life is full of them. How ironic it is that marriage often magnifies these things. For example, we might quickly forget a passing critical comment from a coworker, but we remember the same comment for days – or…
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#121: “Dates”, Common Interests, And Other Good Times
I have called you friends, for all things I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15) Friendships requires a commitment to spend time together, enjoying one another’s company and finding common interests. Without that commitment, the friendship will never develop any real depth. Very late in Christ’s earthly ministry, He…
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#120: Speaking Words Of Exaltation
Speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:12) We desire enrichment in our marriage, but we have a bit of a communication problem. Each of us care deeply for the other, but we rarely express it. We are extremely reserved people. In addition to having trouble…
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#118: Ready For Rebuke?
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. (2 Timothy 4:2) Love definitely has its soft side, but let me suggest it also has a sharp side. Deep love means caring enough to set somebody straight when that person has driven off the…
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#117: The Two Become One
A man shall leave his father and mother… and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24) Our marriage looks a lot different now than it did when we first started out. Time erodes idealism and exposes the futility of the world’s shallowness. It didn’t take us long to see what our sin nature looks like…
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#116: Building Up By Exposing Wrong
He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. (Proverbs 15:32) God’s reproof is consistent with His character. He reproves us to keep us on the pathway to blessing. God often “whispers” warning through His still, quiet voice, but He also speaks “audibly” through His Word and almost “shouts” His pleas during…
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#113: A Triangle Of Grace
As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10) Marriage is one of God’s gifts – an extension of His divine grace. In marriage, God has designed a three-dimensional relationship where two people share friendship, fellowship, and passion. We often…
