Sex and Marriage

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 7:1-5

Following an overview of how sexuality and spirituality intersect, this teaching covers the dynamics of a sexual relationship in marriage. The proper place of sex in marriage avoids the extremes that the people in the Corinthian church were drawn to: namely seeking sexual gratification outside the marriage on the one hand, and denying sexual desire altogether on the other. The Bible advocates sexuality as both an expression of marital oneness and an act of self-giving love.

Teaching Kids to Love the Word

Kathy Steinman

Luke 6:39-40

There are several key principles to consider in teaching kids to love the Word. First of all, this is a supernatural work that is brought about by the Holy Spirit. We need to believe that children have legitimate capacity to learn spiritual truths and understand that children often have hearts and minds that are soft to God. We must ourselves love the Word and fight against letting children be bored with the Bible. Through prayer and training we can make ground in this area. At the end of this presentation, there is a panel of volunteers and workers in the children's ministry who participate in Q&A.

Leading Our Kids to Love God

Joe Botti

2 Timothy 3:14-15

In our culture today, kids are leaving their Christian lives behind in huge numbers as they grow up into adulthood. And it is certainly no easy task to help our children develop a love for the Lord! This workshop first discusses our role in this area and the correlation between our relationship and influence with our kids. Our own modeling of sincere faith and time spent relationally investing in our children are imperative. Next, the class addresses the need to withstand cultural pressures and provides some age specific ideas for how to engage our kids spiritually and relationally. \r\n

Husbands and Wives

Tom Dixon

Colossians 3:18-19

Paul gives instructions to wives and husbands on how to be successful in a marriage centered around God. As Christians understand what Jesus did for them, they will be able to respond more within marriage. For wives, that means learning what it means to submit to their husband, which means learning to be: supportive, agreeable, encouraging and helpful as the husband leads the marriage towards God. For husbands, they are to extend grace towards their wives and seek ways to sacrificially serve them like Christ. Love and forgiveness from Jesus is the key component for navigating marriage difficulties.

Teaching Kids How to Pray

Kathy Steinman

Colossians 3:18-19

Jesus loved children and valued their faith immensely. We should, therefore, be proactive about teaching kids to pray to the Lord, despite several of our culture's common misconceptions about kids. First, children's spiritual capacity is not as limited as we are tempted to think, for which there are both Biblical and extra-Biblical examples. Second, it is incorrect to say that only adults do the real spiritual work, because many children posses a natural eagerness for the Lord that draws them to follow Him. Teaching kids how to pray starts with us, how we react to our children's questions about God, how we exemplify our own growing relationship with God, and how we live our lives. We must also remember amidst teaching prayer that God has a role that is active and unique apart from our role.

Implications of the Gospel for Marriage

Jim Leffel

Mark 10:1-12

When religious leaders ask Jesus about divorce, Jesus interprets marriage through the lens of the gospel as rooted in promise, in intimacy, and as a work of God. Jesus does not say that there are never legitimate grounds for divorce, but he does teach that there is a difference between what the law permits and what morality requires. Grace changes every aspect of our lives, and gives a new basis for a good marriage.

The Book of Ruth: God's Redemption

Scott Risley

Ruth 1-4

Ruth was a Moabite widow with no children in the foreign land of Israel, but God redeemed and provided for her. God provided for her a husband in Boaz, an unconventional choice but one that worked because they passed four relationship tests: faith, suffering, character, and love.

What is a Family? (Part 5)

Jim Leffel

Ephesians 6:1-4

What is a family? What does the Bible say about parenting? Take a look at what the Bible says in this first part of three series on parenting. This part takes a look at how God has loved us, and how we can then impart that and express that to our children. Jim also compares what our culture is focused on in parenting and what the Bible says our focus should be; including, our strengths and weaknesses, and what happens when failure comes? This is part 5 of a 7 part series on family.

What is a Family? (Part 4)

Jim Leffel

1 Corinthians 7:29-35

What is a family? What does it look like to be a single person living a life for God? Marriage or re-marriage is a choice, and more and more people are single trying to live a life for God. What should that look like? Jim argues you don't have to be married to be whole, and to live a life dedicated to serving God and His people. Take a look at what he says about getting a vision for the single life; including, being single, how to participate in families, and cultivating contentment. This is part 4 of a 5 part series. Also includes testimonies from Katy and Marco.\r\n