Preparation For Marriage

2. Preparation For Marriage

3. Recognize: Marriage May Be a Life & Death Decision 1 Kings 11:4 (NKJV) 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

4. Recognize: Marriage May Be a Life & Death Decision Acts 18:24–26 (NKJV) 24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

5. Recognize: Marriage May Be a Life & Death Decision Matthew 19:9 (NKJV) 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

6. Recognize: Marriage is For Life Matthew 19:3–6 (NKJV) 3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, andthe two shall become one flesh’ ? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

7. Recognize: Marriage is For Life Romans 7:2–3 (NKJV) 2 For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. 3 So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.

8. Recognize: Marriage is For Life 1 Corinthians 7:39 (NKJV) 39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

9. Recognize: Marriage is For Life Malachi 2:14 (NKJV) 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.

10. Recognize: Marriage is For Life Galatians 3:15 (NKJV) 15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it.

11. Recognize: Divorce is Sinful Malachi 2:16 (NKJV) 16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

12. Recognize: Divorce is Sinful 1 Corinthians 7:10–11 (NKJV) 10 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. 11 But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

13. Recognize: Divorce is Sinful Matthew 19:9 (NKJV) 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

14. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful ZsaZsa Gabor – married 9 times Mickey Rooney – married 8 times Larry King – married 8 times Liz Taylor – married 8 times Jerry Lee Lewis – married 7 times

15. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful “One of my boyfriends lived with me at my mum’s house when I was just 14. It was the smartest thing my mother could have done because, this way, we weren’t hanging out in a park together. We lived like a married couple for two years.” - The Sun, Angelina Jolie , My Mother Taught Me To Listen To My Kids and Be Their Friend

16. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful "There is no right or wrong, it's, 'What do I believe will work for our family?' And I'm going to explore it with my teen.” - Beverley Cathcart-Ross, parent educator, private counselor and founder of The Parenting Network is quoted in an article entitled, Teens and Sex: Should You Let Your Kid’s Boyfriend or Girlfriend Sleep Over? Experts Weigh In

17. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful “In a nationwide survey conducted in 2001 by the National Marriage Project, then at Rutgers and now at the University of Virginia, nearly half of 20-somethings agreed with the statement, “You would only marry someone if he or she agreed to live together with you first, so that you could find out whether you really get along.” About two-thirds said they believed that moving in together before marriage was a good way to avoid divorce…

18. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful But that belief is contradicted by experience. Couples who cohabit before marriage (and especially before an engagement or an otherwise clear commitment) tend to be less satisfied with their marriages — and more likely to divorce — than couples who do not.” - The Downside of Cohabitating Before Marriage by Meg Jay

19. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful “one-half of all cohabiting unions end within a year and 90 percent within five years and may just be “an intense form of dating.” of couples that do marry, 50% of those marriages fail within 5 years. “Cohabitation is easily entered into but is unlikely to lead to the altar, especially for poor and minority women, according to researchers at Cornell University.”

20. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful “‘The common view of cohabitation as a steppingstone to marriage needs to be seriously questioned,” said Daniel Lichter, professor of policy analysis and management and director of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center at Cornell.’”

21. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful Galatians 5:19–21 (NKJV) 19Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication…those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful 1 Corinthians 7:1–3 (NKJV) 1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

23. Recognize: Fornication is Sinful 1 Corinthians 7:1–3 (NKJV) 1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.3 Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

24. Recognize: There Are Responsibilities in Marriage Husbands Must Provide For the Family (1 Timothy 5:8) Husbands Have a Responsibility to Love Their Wives (Ephesians 5:25) Fathers Have a Responsibility to Train Their Children (Ephesians 6:4) Wives Have a Responsibility to Love Their Husbands & Children (Titus 2:4) Wives Have a Responsibility to Submit to Their Husbands (Ephesians 5:22) Women Have the Responsibility of Managing the Home (Titus 2:5)