Monday March 4

Weekly Challenge

What can you do this week to deepen your relationship with your spouse and to fight to protect your marriage or your future marriage? Write it down and do it!

 

Read: Matthew 5:31-37, James 5:12

There are few issues as touchy amongst Christians as the issues of remarriage and divorce, issues made even tougher by the number of people all of us know, even in the Christian church, who have been divorced and/or remarried. As a result some in the church will merely brush over the issue, trying to pretend that the Bible’s teaching on the topic isn’t there. Others in the church will make too big a deal of the issue, turning Jesus words into legalism and strict rules to judge others by.

 

So how do we understand these issues of remarriage and divorce from a Biblical perspective? How do we treat people with grace but not compromise on the Bible’s teachings? What does all this mean for how we live? This week we will be answering these questions. However to do so, we must lay some groundwork first.

 

We have already discussed over the past weeks that the sermon on the mount is delivered to followers of Jesus as a manual, a standard for what life looks like in the Kingdom of God. We have seen that Jesus is not only interested in external behaviour but is more interested in changed hearts. So why does Jesus consider the issue of divorce so important? The answer is revealed in today’s reading: the heart of this issue is about keeping our word.

 

All of the teachings of Jesus about how His people are to live are intended to make us a more accurate reflection of God’s character and image. Throughout the Bible we see that God does what He says, stands by all His words and always keeps His promises. If God’s people are to truly reflect God’s character then we must also keep our word, ALWAYS. This is why Jesus considers divorce so important, because there are few greater, more life changing promises we make than our marriage vows.

 

As we study divorce and remarriage this week think about your own life. Do you keep your word? If you say you will do something do you do it? If you want to convince someone do you have to say “I promise”, or is your word enough?

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that He is a God who keeps His word and is always faithful to deliver His promises. Praise God that we can always rely on Him regardless of our own failings. Pray that God would help you to better reflect Him by keeping your word this week. Pray that those around you would see your integrity and turn to faith in Jesus Christ.

¥ Pray for all those who gathered together as God’s people yesterday morning or evening. Pray that they would be challenged from God’s word and that they would put into practice the things that they have learnt. Pray that those who came who did not know Jesus would be changed by what they have heard and challenged to follow Him.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

1/.

 

2/.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What are some other important vows, promises or agreements people make where their word is important?

2. How does this principle of keeping our word change the way that Christians should view these things?