JAN. 31 - Does God really expect every marriage to hold together?

Les & Leslie Parrott offer some great resources for married couples - CLICK HERE.

"A Weekend to Remember" comes recommended as a great weekend experiences for couples who want to strengthen their communication skills - CLICK HERE.

"Marriage Encounter" and "Engaged Encounter" are also weekend experiences for couples who desire to strengthen their relationship - CLICK HERE.

Click HERE for an interesting article by Michael Gorman on how Christian views on divorce and remarriage have been stated across the years.

A good site for teens and other singles: "How Not to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk!"


Here are the statements of The United Methodist Church (2008 Social Principles) about marriage, divorce, and single adult life:


We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman. We believe that God’s blessing rests upon such marriage, whether or not there are children of the union. We reject social norms that assume different standards for women than for men in marriage. We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

God’s plan is for lifelong, faithful marriage. The church must be on the forefront of premarital, marital, and post-marital counseling in order to create and preserve strong marriages. However, when a married couple is estranged beyond reconciliation, even after thoughtful consideration and counsel, divorce is a regrettable alternative in the midst of brokenness. We grieve over the devastating emotional, spiritual, and economic consequences of divorce for all involved, understanding that women and especially children are disproportionately impacted by such burdens. As the church we are concerned about high divorce rates. It is recommended that methods of mediation be used to minimize the adversarial nature and faultfinding that are often part of our current judicial processes.

Although divorce publicly declares that a marriage no longer exists, other covenantal relationships resulting from the marriage remain, such as the nurture and support of children and extended family ties. We urge respectful negotiations in deciding the custody of minor children and support the consideration of either or both parents for this responsibility in that custody not be reduced to financial support, control, or manipulation and retaliation. The welfare of each child is the most important consideration.

Divorce does not preclude a new marriage. We encourage an intentional commitment of the Church and society to minister compassionately to those in the process of divorce, as well as members of divorced and remarried families, in a community of faith where God’s grace is shared by all.

We affirm the integrity of single persons, and we reject all social practices that discriminate or social attitudes that are prejudicial against persons because they are single. This also includes single parents, and we recognize the extra responsibilities involved.

We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to responsible stewardship of this sacred gift. Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only with the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.


Here is an interesting article by the late Ray Stedman which goes into much more detail about the biblical teaching on marriage and divorce, and how it can be that God both "hates" divorce and "permits" divorce:

"Answers on Divorce," by Ray Stedman

JAN. 24 - Would a loving God really send people to hell?

Our United Methodist doctrine on eternal judgment is "short, sweet and to the point," but it does not address the many various viewpoints on the exact nature of heaven and hell. Our doctrine says:

We believe all men stand under the righteous judgment of Jesus Christ, both now and in the last day. We believe in the resurrection of the dead; the righteous to life eternal and the wicked to endless condemnation.


Many thinkers have weighed in on this big question. Here are some interesting thoughts worth pondering from several points of view:

LEE STROBEL. The fairness of hell was a major stumbling block for me when I was a spiritual seeker. Ultimately, though, I saw enough of the justice behind "eternal punishment" that I didn't let the doctrine derail my spiritual journey. Especially helpful to me were the comments D. A. Carson made during a talk I had with him. He said "Hell is not a place where people are consigned because they were pretty good blokes but they just didn't believe the right stuff. They're consigned there first and foremost because they defied their Maker, and want to be at the center of the universe. Hell is not filled with people who have already repented, only God isn't gentle enough or good enough to let them out. It's filled w people who for all eternity still want to be at the center of the universe, and persist in their God-defying rebellion. What is God to do? If he says it doesn't matter to him, then God is no longer a God to be admired. He's either amoral or positively creepy. For him to act in any other way in face of such blatant defiance would be to reduce God himself."
Well to me that made a lot of sense. What about to you?

BRUCE W. DUNN. You jump off a high building, the law of gravity will take care of you. You might say, “God is love,” all the way down, but you're still going to get splattered when you hit the bottom! You break the law of gravity, and it breaks you! You may love your little child, but if he puts his finger up on that hot burner on the gas stove or the electric stove, he's going to get burned! Fire burns. Gravity kills. Water drowns. And you can say, "God is love, God is love, God is love," until you're blue in the face. But water will still drown you, fire will burn you, and gravity will kill you, and sin will damn you no matter how much you say about a loving God. God just set up life that way. He set up the rules. He set up the laws by which we are to live. And if we break those laws, they break us, and we pay the consequences.

C. S. LEWIS. I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside. All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened.

CHUCK COLSON. In a sense, the concept of hell gives meaning to our lives. It tells us that the moral choices we make day by day have eternal significance, that our behavior has consequences lasting to eternity, that God Himself takes our choices seriously. The doctrine of hell is not just some dusty theological holdover from the Middle Ages. It has significant social consequences. Without a conviction of ultimate justice, people's sense of moral obligation dissolves, and social bonds are broke.
Of course, these considerations are not the most important reason to believe in hell. Jesus repeatedly issued warnings that if we turn away from God in this life, we will be alienated from God eternally. And yet, although "the wages of sin is death," Paul also says that "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). While breath remains, it is never too late to turn to God in repentance, and when we ask for forgiveness, God eagerly grants it.

DARYL E. WITMER. The Bible says that God prepared hell for the devil and his demonic cohorts (Matthew 25:41), that he is "...not wishing for any [person] to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9)," and that he has done everything possible to save us from that terrible, terrible place. Yet in the end God will not violate or overrule the deliberate choice of those who consciously and willfully turn away from him.

JAN. 17 - Do I really have to "do church" to be a good Christian?

Here are some other thoughts on this question:

from Rev. Dan Benedict - CLICK HERE

a sermon by John Wesley on the nature of the church - CLICK HERE

a sermon on the church, based on Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life - CLICK HERE

JAN. 10 - Does the Bible really come to us from God?

What does the Bible say?

2 TIMOTHY 3:15-17 (nlt). You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Our United Methodist doctrine says:

We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scriptures is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation. (p. 67, 2008 United Methodist Book of Discipline)


John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, suggested a discipline called “searching the Scriptures” as recommended for anyone who desired the grace of God. In doing so, he referenced Jesus' own words (found in John 5:39) describing those who were “searching the scriptures” in their desire for eternal life. Although their conclusions were faulty, Jesus pointed out that those very scriptures testified on his behalf.

Interestingly, Wesley sees these words of Jesus not as an assertion but as a command to us as well: “You search the scriptures.” He describes the blessing God gives to those who do just this. As an example, he cites the people of Berea, who received the message of Paul, and then “examined the scriptures every day to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).” Many of them did come to believe as a result of doing so.

Wesley also notes that Romans 10:17 teaches that “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” In Wesley's opinion, “searching the Scriptures” includes not only reading, but also hearing and meditating.

For Wesley, this is a means whereby God gives, confirms, and increases true wisdom. For example, we read these words from Paul to Timothy: “From childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15).” This is the “great means” that God has ordained for conveying his grace to us. We see that same truth in the next verses: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).”

Wesley also notes that Paul was referring to the Scriptures that Timothy had known since childhood, which in his case would have been what we call the “Old Testament.” So be clear that we should never minimize the value of the Old Testament!

For Wesley, searching the Scriptures was not only profitable for godly folks, but also for those who do not know the Lord. He cites this verse: “We have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).” So anyone who desires that day to dawn in their hearts, should indeed wait for it by searching the Scriptures.

In an article on accountable discipleship, Steven Manskar writes further about “searching the Scriptures”:

“Searching the scriptures by reading, meditating, hearing, attending the ministry of the word, either read or expounded is essential because the Bible is where we come into the presence of the God who is revealed in the Word.

“Scripture had primacy not only as an authority for theological reflection, but as a context which formed and shaped Christian life. Scripture is, for Wesley, the heart of Christian life. He believed it to be the authentic word of God. Therefore, God's will and way for living is found within the pages of Scripture. The Bible is a gift from the living God given for the building up of God's people. As the word of God, Scripture is a means of grace, second only to prayer, because within its pages God and God's word, incarnate in Jesus Christ, is made available freely to everyone. As the word is read (or heard) and studied, it forms character and life into the image of Christ. All one needs do is open its pages and read. If one cannot read, one can listen to the word read to them.

“Scripture is closely related to prayer because the one often leads people to the other. Reading Scripture often induces prayer as a response to the word. In fact, reading the prayers recorded in Scripture teaches one how to pray. Conversely, a disciplined life of prayer inevitably leads to disciplined reading and study of Scripture. Prayer and Scripture are closely related means of grace.”