Scripture
– Genesis 2:15-25 NIV
The
Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take
care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any
tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
The
Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper
suitable for him.”
Now
the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the
birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them;
and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man
gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
But
for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall
into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and
then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the
rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The
man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be
called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his
father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Adam
and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Bob’s
thoughts:
We
received as warm and engaging a welcome as we have in the past.
I
have wondered for some time how there can be a waterfall cross outside the
sanctuary, like a miniature of Victory’s cross, but not inside. It seemed to
tie in to today’s message of true theology to have a cross as part of worship.
Today’s
message was on men and marriage and I sensed that I had heard a similar one
here on a prior visit. The message was well delivered with dissected Scripture
and, I believe, well received by the congregation.
A
line caught my ear that we need to give young boys responsibility, and my
memory kicked in with “or explosives.” I think I was one of the few children
who got dynamite packs and railroad flares to play with. Not sure it was
responsibility but it certainly inspired me to be a Marine.
I enjoyed
a woman nearby holding a child till he fell asleep, a job that was frequently
mine in the past.
I was
recognized and thanked for my service by a few from this large congregation.
There
was a comment that men who grow old alone age more like milk than wine, and I
aim to change that. If it hurts to get back up, others don’t need to know that.
I trust my going and doing to Christ…He will never let me down.
Jan’s
thoughts:
It’s
been a while since we last visited Grace, and with today’s 90+ degree
temperatures, we needed to be certain we’d be in air conditioning. We arrived
in good time for the early (now 9:30 AM) service, and one of the greeters
welcomed us almost immediately. After a cheerful conversation, we got something
to drink and then found our seats.
There
are several things I’ve always liked about this church, but topping the list is
that they unapologetically affirm the infallibility of Scripture. Today, the
prayer for the offering included their commitment to “be careful to glorify You
with it.”
Target Practice is the title of the
current sermon series. Apparently, the series has so far been aimed at men, but
today’s message had a great deal of advice, information, and guidance for women
also.
He
outlined God’s intentions for marriage along with some ways in which men and
women are different. When it comes to connecting and remaining friends, he advised
women to find out what their man likes and learn to join him in his pursuits
and for men to sit down and talk with their woman.
The
message was about much more than marriage; it was also about raising boys to become
men and letting them go into adulthood. It was about sex, sharing, and being
vulnerable. He spoke Scriptural truths not heard from our culture or media of
any variety. I was thrilled to hear these truths preached and I hope many
others will hear them. I plan to listen to the previous messages.
Our
prayer for this church:
Lord,
we thank You for Your presence and for Your living word to guide us. May we all
be better spouses. Amen.
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