Happy President’s Day!
It was a long but good day of worship and ministry at Shiloh yesterday.
In my Bible Study Fellowship class, I continued my study of 1 Timothy with a lesson on the ministry of deacons (3:8-13). Didn’t finish.
Praise God for those who were baptized yesterday.
I continued our Family Matters series with a message from Matthew 19:3-10: “Jesus’ Answer to the Question of Divorce”
In Matthew 19, Jesus affirms the sanctity of marriage (vv. 3-6) and explains the grounds for divorce (3:7-10).
Matthew 19:9 is the crux of the text and is the subject of much debate. But I believe the phrase, “except for sexual immorality,” is a true exception, under which circumstances God permits divorce.
I believe there are two biblical grounds for divorce: (1) sexual infidelity (Matt. 19:9) and (2) desertion by an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor. 7:15).
I believe that if a person divorces outside of these grounds they have two options: to remain unmarried or be reconciled to his/her spouse (1 Co. 7:10-11).
Jesus calls the remarriage of one who is not divorced on biblical grounds “adultery” (Matt. 19:9). I believe the entering of the new marriage is adultery. I do not believe the marriage continues in an ongoing state of adultery. Those in this category should repent of their sin, receive God’s forgiveness, and remain in the current marriage.
I had two goes for this message. First, I wanted to give a clear and faithful explanation of this key passage about divorce and remarriage. Second, I wanted the message to have a pastoral tone and say something helpful to those who are struggles with this issue.
Praise God for those who were added to the church.
Next Sunday is our Ministry Emphasis Day. I will break the family series to preach on Christian service. I plan to preach on “The Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37).
Okay, so I didn’t see the NBA All-Star Game last night. Any of it. I was knocked out before the sun went down.
The news focused on two things from the all-star game: Chris Paul won the MVP. And Kobe Bryant blocked two of LeBron James’ shots.
The dunk contest Saturday was not good. Some of the dunks were cool. But it’s hard to get invested in players you have never heard of. The NBA needs to find a way to get the stars to participate.
It is amazing how LeBron is constantly compared to other people. Why can’t you just say the kid is good and leave it at that?
ESPN milked Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday for everything they could get out of it.
I am interested to see what trades take place in the NBA before the deadline. I don’t think my two teams – the Heat and the Clippers – need to make any trades.
My Duke Blue Devils lost again this weekend. It’s a tough year in college basketball.
Adrien Broner won again Saturday night. He’s a good young boxer. But he needs to tone down all the antics.
Serena Williams become the number-one women’s tennis player in the world again today. At 31, she is the oldest woman to hold that position.
Congratulations to Danica Patrick for being the 1st woman to win the pole position for the Daytona 500. I am not a racing fan. But I hope Danica wins next Sunday.
How was your Sunday? Did you enjoy the NBA All-Star Game? Join the conversation in the comments section.