Matters Of Dè Heart

Topic: "[8 essential INGREDIENTS for a SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE] When we walk down that aisle and recite our wedding vows, we’re not just agreeing to love, honor, and cherish. We’re promising that, no matter what the years ahead may bring, we’ll walk through this big, scary world together as partners — hand in hand, side by side.* Even when life gets hard; when the dishes are piled high in the sink, and we’re drowning in bills, and the kids are driving us nuts; we are in this together, bonded by love. Those who enter into the sacrament of marriage don’t just create a bond with each other, but with God. Now let's take a look at 8 important ingredients that will help your relationship/marriage stand the test of time. 1. Love/Commitment . At its core, love is a decision to be committed to another person. It is far more than a fleeting emotion as portrayed on television, the big screen, and in romance novels. Feelings come and go, but a true decision to be committed lasts forever – and...

TOPIC: HOW TO FIND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE 7 BIBLE REF: Matthew 4:18-22, 26:36-46 Why Relationships Matter Have you ever considered that Jesus had best friends? Shortly after His earthly ministry began, Jesus called 12 men—three of whom would become His closest inner circle. While these men started as acquaintances, they became incredible friends as a result of consistently doing things together—eating together, praying together, traveling together, and serving others together.  And it wasn’t just a one-sided friendship either. On the hardest night of Jesus’ life, He shares how He’s feeling with His closest friends, and He asks them to stay with Him and pray.  Now, these friends didn’t get everything right. They couldn’t even stay awake to keep praying with Jesus. But they were there. They showed up. We can’t expect our friends to be perfect or to support us in ways only Jesus can. But we all need people to support us in the middle of our toughest moments....

TOPIC: HOW TO FIND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE 5 BIBLE REF: Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 1:5  Family Relationships Family relationships can bring up a lot of emotions. Whether you have a great relationship with your family or whether you have strained relationships with them, every family will experience conflict at some point, and that’s okay!   We see all sorts of dysfunctional families in Scripture. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Cain killed his brother Abel. King David’s son, Absalom, tries to overthrow his dad—just to name a few examples that can help put your family drama into perspective.  In Luke 15, Jesus tells a parable about another family—a father and his two sons. He describes how the younger son demands his inheritance and runs off to live a rebellious life, leaving his family behind. After spending all his money, the son retreats home in hopes of begging his father to hire him as a servant. When his father sees him from far off, ...

TOPIC: HOW TO FIND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE 3 BIBLE REF: 1Timothy 4:12, Proverbs 18:17, Romans 12:4-5, Matthew 22:37-39 Intergenerational Friendships Most of us are surrounded by our peers through our mid-20s. We go to school, participate in extracurricular activities, and have friends in our age group. Then we start our careers, and we’re suddenly thrown into an environment surrounded by people older—and sometimes younger—than us. When we enter this new season of life, we have one of two options: We can either embrace the opportunity these new relationships bring, or we can retreat to our comfort zone with our peers. While it may be uncomfortable, it’s almost always better to choose to embrace these intergenerational relationships. Why? *Because we have both the opportunity to learn and the opportunity to share.* Take some time to evaluate any personal biases and stereotypes that you may have regarding other generations. Then, replace them with truth. For example, ...

TOPIC: * HOW TO FIND THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE 1 * BIBLE REF: Genesis 2:18, Galatians 6:2, Exodus 18:14-15, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 * An Important Invitation * _ Friendships. _ We all know we need them, but if we’re honest, they can be really difficult. We all have this image of having the perfect friendships like you’d see on a sitcom, and we’ve all experienced FOMO when you see a group of friends hanging out in the perfect Instagram photo while you’re sitting alone eating ice cream in your pajamas at 8:30pm. But as difficult as it can be to find friends, it’s important to fight for relationships. We have to push through the fear of what might go wrong and let go of previous hurts that make it difficult for us to be vulnerable. To make it even harder, many of us live in cultures where independence is celebrated. While there’s nothing wrong with being independent, * we’re also created to depend on God and others. And when we don’t, we can end up feeling lonely, i...

 •Sex Before Marriage Is not Joy. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Fun. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Gain. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Love. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Trust. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Truth. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Light. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Right. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Peace. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Biblical. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Honour. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Mistake. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Promise. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Respect. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Progress. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Pleasure. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Salvation. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Scriptural. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Obedience. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Happiness. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Enjoyment. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Excitement. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Satisfaction. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Competition. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Understanding. •Sex Before Marriage Is not Godly Covenant. •Sex Before Marriag...