Episodes

Thursday Dec 12, 2019
You Got Questions, He's Got Answers - Mark 10:5-8
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
"How did marriage get here and what's married supposed to look like? Well, Jesus makes it clear in this passage that God invented marriage and he invented it to be with one man and one woman who would live together forever. One man, one woman together forever."
Family Discussions:
- What does 'from the beginning of creation' mean in terms of Genesis 1?
- Why is it so important to our understanding of the Christian faith and the institution of marriage?
- If you're putting a price tag on that name that's written on your heart, or if you're married to the name that's already there, what would it be?
- What would the price tag of your marriage be and what would it be worth to you to protect it?
Transcription:

Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
A House United - Mark 3:22-26
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
Tuesday Nov 26, 2019
" I have more fun getting to be friends with Gary Smalley and he writes some of the greatest books I guess, that have ever been written on marriage. On how to build a husband-wife relationship that not only lasts, but that really gives glory to God along the way. Today Jesus' teaching in Mark chapter three verse 22 through 26 is brilliant about being in a relationship in a home and a family as a child, as a father, as a mother, as a husband, or as a wife. "
Family Discussions:
- Has Satan been speaking into your ears lately to cause strife in your heart towards a family member?
- As Christ forgave you, can you forgive them the same way?
- Will you forgive that person today and not let the sun go down on your anger again? A
- How can you, whether your husband or wife, grandmother, grandfather, son, or daughter, how can you contribute to a united family and a united home today?
Transcription:

Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Harmonious, Sympathetic, Brotherly - Peter 3:8-9
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
"Counselors that'll meet each other at Kamp and then they'll marry each other. But one of my favorites of all of our marriages is this couple that are married. They're raising kids together. But three years ago, they were ready to kill each other."
Family Discussion:
- Who is it in your life that you need to love like that?
- Who is it that that may be the hardest to love, but that you need to watch God do a big miracle as you begin to love that person like Jesus would?
Transcription:

Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
Hidden Person of the Heart - 1 Peter 3:3-4
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
Wednesday Sep 18, 2019
"You know, I have been married for over three decades to my little wife, Debbie Jo and I'll tell you, she's more beautiful today to me than she's ever been before in our lives. She was like the top 10 beauties that SMU were I played ball and she cheered for my football team. But she's more beautiful today than ever because something is happening inside that woman's heart. And I know what it is. She loves the Word of God and He's making her more and more like Christ every day."
Family Discussion:
- How much time have you spent trying to get beautiful on the outside?
- How much time have you spent becoming beautiful on the inside?
- What can you do beginning today and the rest of your life to become beautiful from inside here?
Transcription:

Wednesday Jul 17, 2019
The Rewards of an Unselfish Relationship - Philippians 2:1-8
Wednesday Jul 17, 2019
Wednesday Jul 17, 2019
"You too can expect rewards of love beyond your wildest dreams."
Family Discussion:
- Why is putting others needs before your own so difficult to accomplish?
- Why does unselfishness bring so much joy to a relationship?
- How can you begin today to prepare for the most important relationship in your life?
Transcription:
00:06 As you can probably tell, I'm not much of getting dressed up. I live in the hills here in the Ozark mountains and we don't have to dress up very much, but every once in a while, I'm asked by some dear bride-to-be or some groom-to-be to put on this old tacky robe and to do a wedding. And you know what? I really don't mind getting dressed up for a wedding because it's just awesome. I'll tell you the devotional today is the deal for weddings that stay alive forever. Listen to this. We're in Philippians 2 and we're in verse 1. It says this: "Therefore, if there's any encouragement in Christ, if there's any constellation of love, if there's any fellowship in the spirit, if there's any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in Spirit, intent on one purpose." And then it goes on and it, and it gives the key to happiness. It says: "do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind. Let each of you regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourself which was also in Christ Jesus, who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself by taking the form of a bondservant and being found in appearance as a man and being humbled as appearance as a man, He became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
01:44 Man for almost, I guess, the past 30-something years, I've had the indescribable privilege to get a 50 yard line ticket on the most amazing arena where talent, charm, and character are displayed like no other place on earth. The players were both male and female. The male team is all dressed in well tailored Tuxedo uniforms. The female team is in exquisite evening gowns. The star of the show is dressed in a pure dazzling white gown. Her beauty is beyond my ability to write. By now, I'm sure you've guessed that the event is a wedding. You know my 50 yard line seat as the guy who gazes with envy into the bride and groom's misty eyes. It gets to hold their hands together and invites them to say two words: I do. These moments have been too numerous to count over the past two decades, and here's the most amazing part of all. Almost all of the weddings I have officiated for featuring a bride and a groom that marry each other because they met on our summer staff, our Christian sports camps and fallen in love here, every single one of those are still not just married, but they're happily married. Nationally, about half of our marriages end in divorce, and a good number of those that stay married aren't truly happy. The difference between those that I've been blessed to closely witness, and the rest, is the daily reality of these few simple verses of scripture. If you'll study them, if you'll apply them diligently and daily in your life, if you'll sacrifice for 'em between now and your wedding day, or if you're already married for the rest of your life, and you too can expect rewards of love beyond your wildest dreams. Have this attitude in yourself, which was also in Christ Jesus.
03:42 Here's the questions for today. Why is putting others needs before your own so difficult to accomplish? And then the second question is: Why does unselfishness bring so much joy to a relationship? And then the other question is this: How can you begin today to prepare for the most important relationship in your life? And here's the thought for the day. It is in giving that we receive and it is in dying to ourselves that love can truly live. Start today.

Monday Jul 15, 2019
God's Portrait of Family - Ephesians 6:1-4
Monday Jul 15, 2019
Monday Jul 15, 2019
"Let's, let's start painting a beautiful picture in this home. Let's start painting God's picture."
Family Discussion:
- How do you describe your role in the family as it is biblically described?
- How can you improve on a way you're living out that a mandate by God?
- Why do you think God's desire for family roles is more harmonious than the roles that our flesh wants to play?
Transcription:
00:04 Man, if there's any gift that I wish I had, it would be the gift of painting. Today I want to tell you about the colors of love. Listen to what Ephesians says, it's talking about the home. And in chapter 5, you know what it says to wives, it says that your husband is in need of your respect. It says that husbands need trust. When it says submit your husbands as unto the Lord, guys want to be respected and guys really want to be trusted. And men, we're to set the stage because wives want to be loved. And Ephesians says, guys, we're supposed to love our wives as Christ loved the church. That means we're supposed to lay down our life for her and hear her heart. Husbands respected; wives loved and cherished and honored. And then Ephesians 6 paints this family portrait of love.
01:06 Listen to verse one in Ephesians 6, it says: "Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother for this is the first command with a promise." And if you're in the the nest of your mom and Daddy, you got to know that when you honor your mother and Daddy, it's not just that you do the right thing, but that you honor them in what you do, and scripture promises you that it'll go well with you and you'll live long on the earth, and fathers and mothers too. But here specifically, it says fathers - "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." If a painting is at its best, and certainly it would be when it's rendered at the hand of Michelangelo or Picasso or Rembrandt, a family is at its best when it's painted by the brush of God. There's so many ideas on how to build a family, but this is the paintbrush that paints it pretty. The colors he uses are the colors of love. The canvas is our heart's affection. The order of the strokes of his brush are summed up perfectly in his priceless scripture reading/ Dads, our job is the greatest on earth. Our calling is to treat our wives like Queens. I mean, to put them up on a pedestal so high they can never fall off. To listen to our wives, to care for our wives, to serve our wives and to become an expert in their needs. To our children we're not to stir up anger in their hearts by ignoring them or being cruel or sarcastic to them. Conversely, for the wives that I know that are the happiest and have the happiest husbands, they let their husbands captain the ship. The wife takes joy in asking the question, honey, what do you think? Baby, how do you think we should make that decision? To feel secure on their own? Absolutely. My wife could run the whole thing a whole lot better than I could, but wives are the happiest when they look up to their husbands for leadership in the home and their husbands can't wait to get the wife to help them lead. By the same token, the children who want to live long and live well and live happily, not only obey their moms and dads by doing what they say, but as I said earlier, to honor their parents by having a positive attitude in their heart as they do it. Michelangelo's Mona Lisa is enshrined in a gallery of the finest works of art and in the same way, God's properly painted family portrait is displayed in the Gallery of Heaven's hall of fame. Get your brush out, man. Let's, let's start painting a beautiful picture in this home. Let's start painting God's picture.
03:45 And here's the questions today. How do you describe your role in the family as it is biblically described? And then secondly: How can you improve on a way you're living out that a mandate by God? And then the next question: Why do you think God's desire for family roles is more harmonious than the roles that our flesh wants to play? And here's the thought for the day. If an original Picasso on a piece of canvas is worth tens of millions, imagine how much a vintage family portrait is worth if it's painted on the heart of a family and it's painted by the brush of God. Got your paint brush ready? Let's paint a good one.