This Sunday we will be pausing our Acts series, With All Boldness and Without Hindrance, for one week to align with our Grace Marriage Conference. 

This is a weekend we’ve been anticipating with prayerful expectation. We’ve served many marriages over the years in modes of what might be called “critical care.” But it’s been over a decade since we’ve done anything formative like this for the married couples of Grace that seeks to invest and encourage our married folks before moments of critical care are needed.

Marriage matters chiefly because of what it mirrors. Or, to put it differently, marriage matters especially because it points beyond itself. And what it was always designed to mirror is the Christ – church relationship. That will be the heartbeat of this Sunday’s message, which means it is applicable to all Christians whether they happen to marry in this life or not.

Marriage is a good gift of the Lord (Gen 1 & 2). As 1 Corinthians 7 indicates, some are called to this station, while others are not, according to the Lord’s good pleasure.

But the reason that all of us can rally together behind a conference on marriage and a scriptural message on marriage is that all of us were made for what marriage chiefly means. Much like the OT sacrificial system foreshadowed the greater Lamb of God (John 1:29), “little ‘m’ marriage” today foreshadows that greater Marriage that is to come and which every believer will enjoy forevermore (Matt. 22:23-30; Rev. 19:7-9, 21:1-4)

The Friday/Saturday portion of the conference will be devoted to encouraging and equipping married couples very practically to make this pattern of “gospel re-enactment” the control center of their lives together.

On Sunday morning during the second service, there are several additional opportunities: 

1. Married couples are invited to a special break-out session teaching on Finances & Giving, led by Jason & Amanda Oakes (in room 204). This will be a practical time where we talk through some basic biblical principles concerning money and giving and apply them to marriage. Money difficulties and disagreements are estimated to be the source of 20% – 40% of divorces in the US. The Oakes will  seek to show how a couple’s finances can build intimacy in their marriage.

2. Singles are invited to learn from our panel discussion as we discuss Wisdom, Decision-Making, and Contentment in Singleness with panelists Neal Hardin and Laura Austin (in the upstairs youth room, Senior High side). Whether you are single by choice, or you desire to be married, this breakout session will help you consider how you can walk with the Lord faithfully in your present circumstance. We will discuss how to pursue wisdom in the various seasons of singleness, how to discern if and when to proactively move toward marriage, and how to live a contented life knowing that Christ meets our every need.

3. And finally, married couples who desire to meet with a mentor couple are invited to meet in the upstairs youth room, Junior High Side.

For our Sunday morning worship, Erik Thoennes will be preaching Ephesians 5:22-33, helping us all explore the ways that marriage reflects Christ’s love for the church. Kenny Clark will be leading our sung worship. Would you take some time this week to read the passage and pray for each as they prepare? 

And let’s ask the Lord to help all of us grow more captivated by the spectacularly good news of Christ’s love for us, his bride, perhaps allowing Rev 19:7-9 to whet your appetite for that great Day as you do.

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

 

Song of the Week

Completely Known, Completely Loved by CityAlight

Completely known, completely loved
I’m covered by my Savior’s blood
I’m robed in white, and God is pleased
To see His Son when He looks on me