Crossroads: Living Out “The Way” - Week 8

"For Better or Worse: God’s Blueprint for Marriage"             Sacredness of Marriage Theme: The Sacredness of Marriage Core Value: Covenant Faithfulness  Key Verses: “They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers and send her away.” But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.” Mark 10:4-5 CSB “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”” Mark 10:9 CSB I. God’s Original Intent for Marriage: Created to Thrive, Not Just Survive Teaching Insight: We were created in God’s image to THRIVE, not just SURVIVE. II. Marriage as Very Good: The Crown of God’s Creation Teaching Insight: Humanity, and by extension MARRIAGE, is the part of creation that God called “VERY GOOD.” III. The Danger of Shifting from Covenant to Contract Teaching Insight: DIVORCE arises from a shift from God’s intention of COVENANTMARRIAGE to man’s arrangement of CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS.  IV. God’s Covenant vs. Cultural Convenience           Teaching Insight: Our culture often de-prioritizes what God has BROUGHTTOGETHER in favor of what is CONVENIENT, TEMPORARY, or SELF-FOCUSED.