Wednesday, March 01, 2006

March 1, 2006

The Marriage You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure… Hebrews 13:4

Often in premarital counseling a couple will be asked to share the trajectory they want their marriage to take. Never does a couple say “Well, we want to begin in complete marital bliss for the first year. Then, starting in year two, we will start to take each other for granted and allow other pursuits like career and hobbies to take precedence above the pursuit of our relationship. By year three we expect to exist as roommates and finally, sometime in between year four to seven, we will take the marriage off life support and call it what it really is: a big mistake needing a divorce.”

The sad reality is that too many Christian marriages (almost 50%) follow a trajectory of that sort. God’s design for marriage in general and for our marriages here at PCC specifically is different, and that is why for the month of March, we are going to come alongside you and help you acquire the tools to have The Marriage You’ve Always Dreamed Of.

Starting with a detailed look at what it means to enter into a Covenant, exploring how to grow love through the years, looking at toxic marriage agents, having a candid talk on the topic of sexual purity, and discovering God’s design for romance in a marriage, the messages will take God’s Word and apply it to our lives and homes.

Our series will crescendo on Friday evening, March 31st with I Still Do, a night where you and your spouse can come to the Worship Center to renew your wedding vows, renew the covenant of marriage before God and others, and start anew in your relationship with each other.

For those outside of marriage, every Sunday lunch will offer 1:1 — a place to explore what it means to Thrive in life with God when you are solo. While our current March Thrive focus on marriage might not fit your life stage, we believe this unique setting for discussion will.

Whether you are married or single, whether you are madly and passionately in love your spouse or just living under the same roof as roommates, whether you’ve been married for decades or you are newlyweds, this series will motivate and equip you to leverage the years, the blueprint and the power God has given you to grow the marriage you always dreamed of.

Series Breakdown:

March 5: Make the Cut: Exploring the Covenant of marriage Genesis 12:1-3
What does it mean to be in a marriage “covenant”? The significance of that binding relationship has almost been lost in today’s society. More than a contract with another person, marriage is a covenant between you and God.

March 12: Dream Away Ephesians 5:22-28
Looking at the New Testament design for marriage as a mirror of God’s unconditional love, we’ll also identify the factors that fuel marital oneness and intimacy.

March 19: Love Postures Ephesians 5:25
(with guest speaker Julia Roberson)
If husbands have the awesome adventure of loving their wives like Christ loved the church, then it seems wise to explore how Christ loved the church. A growing reflection of His postures in your own marriage will grow ‘the husband every wife has always dreamed of.’

March 26: Protecting the Marriage of Your Dreams* 1 Cor 6:18-20
Growing the marriage of your dreams will not happen without a fight. We will look at the boundaries and hedges men and women must create to protect and develop the covenant they entered into.

March 31: I Still Do
An enriching and memorable experience for couples on a Friday Night where we will renew our marital covenant to God and to each other.

April 2: Dream Sizzle* Song of Solomon
Looking at the role of romance within marriage and investigating the powerful bond God designed romance to have within a marriage.

Resources:
Thriving Marriage: A resource manual filled with tons of ideas, resources and tools designed to enable you as you journey towards the marriage of your dreams. (Available for sale at the Resource Center.)
The Five Love Languages Gary Chapman. (Available for sale at the Resource Center.)
For Women Only Shaunti Feldhahn
A Weekend to Remember Marriage Conferences (www.familylife.com)
What Every Husbands Wish His Wife Knew About Men: This Audio CD is a recording of a talk Gary gave to the Mother’s Together ministry at PCC. (Available by order through the Resource Center.)
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*3/26 and 4/2: Content may not be appropriate for pre-adolescents