1. A reminder to consider others Please:
Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only
Turn off sound to all electronic devices
Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy
Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

2. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

3. Earthly pleasures vainly call me,
I Would Be Like Jesus
# 561
Earthly pleasures vainly call me,
I would be like Jesus;
James Rowe / Bentley D. Ackley © Public Domain
ARR UBP – CCLI License No

4. Nothing worldly shall enthrall me,
I would be like Jesus.

5. Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus all day long,
I would be like Jesus.

6. He has broken every fetter, That my soul may serve Him better,
I would be like Jesus;
That my soul may serve Him better,
I would be like Jesus.

7. Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus all day long,
I would be like Jesus.

8. All the way from earth to glory, Telling o’er and o’er the story,
I would be like Jesus;
Telling o’er and o’er the story,
I would be like Jesus.

9. Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus all day long,
I would be like Jesus.

10. That in heaven He may meet me, That His words, “Well done,”
I would be like Jesus;
That His words, “Well done,”
may greet me
I would be like Jesus.

11. Be like Jesus - this my song, In the home and in the throng;
Be like Jesus all day long,
I would be like Jesus.

12. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

13. A reminder - Please: Turn off your cell phone or set to vibrate only
Turn off sound to all electronic devices
Use the nursery or cry room if your child is fussy
Get up during the preaching only if absolutely necessary (please sit in back if you must leave early)

14. War on the Family
We are in the midst of a social, political and moral civil war between the Judeo-Christian ethic and secularism
The family - its value, definition & even existence - is a major front in this war
The “pro-choice” movement is part of feminism’s anti-family thrust

15. War on the Family
The greatest threat to traditional marriage - and thus society - is the dissolution of marriage
Economic factors and selfishness delay marriage

16. Unwed Mothers
Unwed motherhood and the promotion of single parenting delays and even blocks marriage
“Shotgun weddings” or adoption were the solutions to unwed pregnancies in the past

17. Unwed Mothers
Welfare for unwed mothers removed the necessity of financial support from the father
Abortion as a “woman’s right to privacy” removed the father’s sense of responsibility for the baby

18. Unwed Mothers
Unwed motherhood is now normal:
The average age for a first birth is 8 months earlier than a first marriage
~40% of all births in the U.S.
45% of single mothers have never married

19. Single Parent Families
Single parents need help and encouragement regardless of what caused their very difficult situation
Radically higher rate of poverty % - increases vulnerability to:
hunger
utility cutoffs
homelessness

20. Single Parent Families
Their children have higher rates of:
drug abuse
behavior problems
dropping out
crime
prison
suicide

21. Single Parent Families
Single parents need help.
Avoid becoming a single parent by:
Keep sexual activity confined to marriage.
Stay married

22. Divorce
The most serious factor in destroying marriage - about 41% of first marriages end in divorce
There are rare cases in which separation is warranted –
but our society has made divorce easy for any reason

23. Divorce
Divorce itself is expensive
The standard of living for women and children decline by an average of 73%
The personal costs are high:
Death of a Marriage by Pat Conroy

24. Divorce
Children increase the pain because they tie you to the ex-spouse and the pain they suffer increases your own

25. Divorce
“Trial marriage” fails to avoid divorce:
45% of those who cohabit do not marry
It increases divorce rate by 50%
Only 12% have marriages lasting 10 years or more
The woman is more likely to be abused
Children more likely to have problems

26. Divorce
Children of divorce have higher rates of problems with:
behavior
health
school
drugs
abuse
suicide

27. Divorce
Divorce rarely solves problems - it just creates new, more complex problems.
God hates it - Malachi 2:16

28. The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Not a command, recommendation or prohibition, but a series of conditional statements that are restrictions
It restricted divorce to one stated reason of disfavor in his eyes due to some indecency found in her

29. The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31
It required a certificate that protected the woman from false accusations
Divorce and remarriage resulted in defilement - Deut. 24:4
The Pharisees twisted what Moses said into a command to divorce - See Matthew 19:7

30. The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31
The Scribes following Rabbi Hillel circumvented Moses and allowed divorce for any reason
Our society is similar, but No-Fault Divorce has removed protection, increased divorce and therefore pain

31. The Teaching of the Scribes Matthew 5:31
The certificate of divorce was important, but getting the legal work done does not make you righteous

32. The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32
Jesus follows up His teaching about lust and adultery to declare that unrighteous divorce multiplies adultery
The Scribes regulated marriage to a legal relationship and our society has done the same thing

33. The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32
Romantic feelings, not commitment, have become the basis to form or break such “marriages”
God established marriage in Genesis 2:20-24
Central to marriage is the man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh : cleave = glued

34. The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32
Death was the penalty given to those who break that bond by adultery, incest and sexual perversions
Having the legal work done in an unrighteous divorce does not mean the marriage is over in God’s eyes
Unrighteous divorce results in multiplied adultery

35. The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32
Jesus’ point is the contrast between the teaching of the self-righteous and true righteousness
The self-righteous manipulate the law for their own benefit, true righteousness wants God’s will at any cost

36. The Teaching of Jesus Matthew 5:32
God and God alone sets the standards of righteousness, decides right from wrong and determines morality

37. Conclusions
God hates divorce (Malachi 2:15-16)
Divorce occurs because of hardness of heart (Matthew 19), but the grounds for righteous divorce is strict
Unrighteous divorce is sin and has consequences, but God can forgive it - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

38. Conclusions
If you are already divorced and remarried, you cannot unscamble the egg - 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
God can take a vessel filthy with sin, clean it and make it a useful treasure for His kingdom

39. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

40. Built firm upon the Savior, and Counselor and Guide:
A Christian Home # 451
O give us homes
Built firm upon the Savior,
Where Christ is Head
and Counselor and Guide:
© 1965 Sinspiration Music / Breikopf & Hartell, Wiesbden
ARR UBP – CCLI License No

41. is taught His love and favor to Christ, the Crucified:
Where every child
is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart
to Christ, the Crucified:

42. tho’ his footsteps waver,
How sweet to know that,
tho’ his footsteps waver,
His faithful Lord
is walking by his side!

43. with godly fathers, mothers, their hope and trust in Him
Verse 2
O give us homes
with godly fathers, mothers,
Who always place
their hope and trust in Him

44. Whose tender patience
turmoil never bothers
Whose calm and courage
trouble cannot dim

45. finds joy in serving others, Tho’ days be dark and grim
A home where each
finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines,
Tho’ days be dark and grim

46. Where Christ is Lord & Master, the precious hymns still sung;
Verse 3
O give us homes
Where Christ is Lord & Master,
The Bible read,
the precious hymns still sung;

47. Where pray’r comes first
in peace or in disaster,
And praise is natural
speech to every tongue

48. before a faith that’s vaster,
Where mountains move
before a faith that’s vaster,
And Christ sufficient
is for old and young

49. our homes are Thine forever! Their problems, toil, and care;
Verse 4
O Lord, our God,
our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee
Their problems, toil, and care;

50. Their bonds of love
No enemy can sever
If Thou are always
Lord and Master there:

51. Our hearts & homes to share
Be Thou the center
Of our least endeavor
Be Thou our guest,
Our hearts & homes to share

52. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ