* WHAT ARE YOU PLANTING?

Galatians 6:7 (NIV 1984) "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows."

After planting flowers and playing in the dirt Sunday I began to pause and evaluate the seeds I currently cultivate in my life.  We all plant seeds, but what kind?  Are they godly seeds of truth, humility and joy or are they seeds of selfishness, pride and stubborness?  The nature of any seed planted is to take root and flourish.  In time and with nourishment, the seeds we plant will grow to fruition, whatever they are.

The depth of our spiritual roots is a measure of our spiritual maturity because what is rooted in our hearts will bear fruit in our lives.  My friend Beth Ladd says, "We take root downward in order to bear fruit upward."  She simply states, "No root, no fruit."

The law of the harvest teaches we will reap what we sow.  It's necessary to recognize the fruit that is produced in our lives.  This fruit is the result of the seeds we plant and feed.  Sometimes we nurture seeds of bitterness, jealousy, and unforgiveness.  In order for us to produce patience, love, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control, we must sow to the Spirit.

Paul teaches in Galatians 6:7-8 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."  These verses instruct that if we sow to the flesh the harvest is destruction. Sowing to the Spirit produces a harvest of eternal life.  Paul is telling us we must sow to the Spirit in order to reap a life in the Spirit.

Sowing to the Spirit requires a conscious daily surrender of our lives to God.  I know for me, my flesh is too weak to not give in to its natural inclination.  I must die to self in order for His Spirit to be alive in me.  Ultimately, the seeds I must continue to plant and fertilize in my life include time in His Word, quietness before His throne and disciplining my body and mind to say "no" to the flesh when it seeks to overtake my will.

Let's be honest, it's hard sometimes to not give in to our humanness.  On a practical level sowing to the Spirit or flesh may look like this:

The Spirit says, "Put a love note in your husband's lunch."

The Flesh says, "He doesn't do that for me."

The Spirit says, "You need to pray for your boss."

The Flesh says, "He/She's the most difficult person I know.  How could prayer possibly help?"

The Spirit says, "Change the channel/turn off this movie.  The jokes and innuendos are not worthy of Me and you're laughing at licentiousness."
The Flesh says, "Ugh, can't I just let me hair down every now and then?  What's the harm?"

The Spirit says, "You should leave a generous tip."

The Flesh says, "The waiter brought the wrong dressing, my food was cold and He wasn't nice."

The Spirit says, "Get up a 1/2 hr. earlier to spend time with Me."

The Flesh says, "I'm so tired.  I need my sleep.  I deserve a break."

The Spirit says, "Don't honk your horn, yell at your dashboard or flail your arms at that driver."

The Flesh says, "They totally cut me off.  I'm gonna teach them a lesson."

The Spirit says, "You need to send your friend a card."

The Flesh says, "I really do not have time for snail mail."

The Spirit says, "Hold your tongue.  What you are about to say is not kind or necessary."

The Flesh says, "Tell it like it is, girlfriend!"

The Spirit says, "Those shorts are a little short and that shirt is a little revealing."

The Flesh says, "Who cares, I like the attention."

The Spirit says, " You need to surrender your thought life to Me.  It's getting out of control."

The Flesh says, "Why?  No one knows what I'm thinking."

The Spirit says, "You need to forgive that person and release yourself from bondage to this baggage."

The Flesh says, "I would rather hold a grudge.  Forgiving what they've done is just impossible."

The Spirit says, "Forgo the new outfit and give the money to someone in need."

The Flesh says, "It's so cute!  Plus it's on sale."

The Spirit says, "You should invite that person to church/small group/your home for dinner?"

The Flesh says, "Don't bother.  They're probably too busy and she might think I'm weird for asking."

The Spirit says, "Stop what you're doing and go play with your kids."

The Flesh says, "But I really need to finish checking my email."

If you have a pulse many of these may resonate with you, like they do with me.  It is in the small daily decisions of life where we sow to the Spirit or our flesh.  Does this mean we won't make mistakes?  Of course not.  However, when we have spent time in His Word we plant it into our hearts.  The more His Word is planted in us the more it will be revealed through us.  The daily decisions of choosing the Spirit become easier and being more apt to say "no" to the flesh is the result.

Disciplining ourselves to sow to the Spirit requires planting seeds that will grow us spiritually. Being intentional to plant spiritual seeds in our lives will enable us to bear fruit in accordance to what we profess.  The seeds planted in us are demonstrated by how we live.  Sow to the flesh, reap the flesh.  Sow to the Spirit, reap the Spirit.  Friends, remember Paul's message: we cannot sow to the flesh and expect to reap a life in the Spirit!

What are you planting?

Heart Work:

Make a list of practical ways you can sow to the Spirit each day.  What are your weak points?

Consider events of this past week where you gave in to the flesh and when you said "no" to the flesh.  Ask the Lord to help you die to yourself each day in order that His Spirit be alive in you.

Heart Exam:

Be honest, how much time do you spend sowing God's Word into your heart?  How deep are your roots?

What spiritual seeds are you planting in your life?  What flesh seeds need to be uprooted?

Which Spirit/Flesh statements above do you most identify with?

Heart Transforming Word:

Psalm 1:3 (NIV 1984) "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season."

James 1:21 "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

Romans 8:9-11 "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen.  Edited 2013.  All rights reserved.

* SECURITY ALERT

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Growing up below the poverty line fed feelings of inadequacy in my life early on.  Our family struggled to buy toilet paper, let alone new clothes.  Classmates teased me when I wore hand-me-downs.  I remember feeling embarrassed to wear my knock-off Keds and stone washed jeans, hoping no one would notice they weren't the real deal.

I learned I was not as good as everyone else, particularly girls.  You know, I didn't fit the mold for the popular "in crowd."  My family didn't live in the right house or drive the right cars or have the right jobs.  These experiences and their judgment made me feel less than as a young girl.

These feelings followed into my young adult life, marriage, mothering and even still, periodic moments of other insecurities can try to deter me.  Sometimes it can start as innocently as a conversation I hash out in my mind.  Then, I may wonder what others think of me (too much).  Or, maybe I contrast my life with another lady, wishing mine was different.  Wow, she has it all together. My clothes are frumpy compared to hers.  I'm not as attractive as her.  Does she ever fail?  I wonder what life would be like to be her?  Her writing is perfect.  Entertaining these thoughts only feeds the vicious insecurity vacuum.  

Been there?  I've been there, done that, bought the t-shirt and would like to return a few and get my money back.  Insecurity is a lonely and destructive place to live.  It can poke its piercing thorn in our lives when we compare ourselves to others, value the wrong things, measure ourselves by the wrong standards, and forget that Christ establishes our value in the first place.  Recognizing this will help us overcome when unrelenting insecurities try to bulldoze through our front door.  

Insecurity follows a progression.  What we value is what we will pursue.  What we pursue is what we think will make us secure.  If we value beauty, education, corporate success, thinness, fashion etc. then we will chase after them.  And, most likely we will compare our lives to those who have the things we value, whatever they are.  As I shared last week, for many years I valued my body more than my Beloved.  I placed security in the wrong things.  All the while I looked at skinny girls wishing I was them.

Comparing ourselves to others can even happen innocently.  Hearing a friend talk about her success with potty training may make us question if we are doing the right thing.  Watching other friends shop till they drop may cause us to wish our aging wardrobe would magically be replaced.  Sometimes our comparisons are based on the external.  It would sure be nice to have a body like her.  If only my hair was that pretty.  I wish I had half of her creative talent.  I wish my kids were well behaved like hers so I looked like Mother-of-the-Year.

The problem with comparing ourselves with others is that they are the wrong standard.  Our measuring stick is Christ.  The comparison trap will always leave us ensnared from embracing our true worth.  When we care more how God views us, then we will look to Him to give us our security and the temptation to play the comparison game will diminish.  He is the ultimate Value Giver because He made us and bought us with His blood.  By dying for our sin He bridged the gap for us to experience a relationship with Him that gives us more stability than any fleeting object or person.

We are His workmanship or handiwork.  This is what makes us special.  Ephesians 2:10 declares, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  We were all designed with a purpose in mind.  We shouldn't be the same.  It is our uniqueness in Christ that sets us apart and gives us a sense of identity.  This type of identity rooted in Christ brings about security.  When we know whose we are, along with who we are, it doesn't matter what the world says, it only matters what God thinks.  

We live in a harsh world that makes distinctions based on wrong ideals and misplaced values. The enemy would like nothing more than for Christians to live insecure lives, forgetting who they are in Christ. Believing our security and value is in Him is entirely different than living in this truth.

When we accept and live in this truth: 

• We won't strive for man's approval.  
• The opinions of others depreciate.  
• The compulsion to live up to the world's standards of beauty, success etc. lessens. 
• Our values start to match God's.  

Regardless of the cards we were dealt in childhood or adulthood, we can move past insecurity when we live securely in the grip of Christ.   

Heart Work:

Ask the Lord to help you overcome any areas of insecurity in your life.  Consistently pray that He will replace your insecurity with security in Him. 

When tempted to compare yourself to others, measure yourself by the wrong standard, or value the wrong things, seek the Lord's help in living beyond these wrong ideals.

Heart Exam:

When does insecurity rear its ugly head in your life?  Who do you compare yourself to?  What standard do you use to measure yourself?  How do you value the wrong things?

How can your life reveal that your security and significance is truly found in Jesus Christ?  How will your actions and perceptions of others change as a result of this truth?

Heart Transforming Word:

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV 1984) "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

John 1:12  "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

Galatians 1:10  "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?  Or am I trying to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Galatians 6:3-4  "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen.  Edited 2013.  All rights reserved.

* LESS THAN - MORE THAN

1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV 1984)  "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' "

My heart sank as my second born shared his troubles.  Last week he had difficulty with friends and classmates who questioned him about the birthmark on his face.  This isn't the first time nor will it be the last.  His port wine stain covers half of his cheek, his chin and flows down to his neck.  The pigment is not scarlet, but bright enough to be noticed by a nine-year-old boy trying to understand his identity.  He tells me it looks weird and he doesn't want to be teased.

We live in a culture obsessed with external packaging.  Everywhere we look the world propagates an ideal to attain.  Our culture defines a person's value by what lies on the outside. The problem is, these expectations stem from a culture that values the wrong things.

The worldly recognition for youthfulness and perfection push individuals to have the right look, wear the right clothes, cover all the blemishes etc.  The relentless pursuit of thinness drives people to lose more and more weight.  Be the right number, wear the right size, fix your wrinkles, lift this, tighten that and suck it in sister, are the voices poured into our mind from media.

Many strain to obtain physical perfection only to be left discouraged and feeling less than.  Less than the air-brushed model in the magazine.  Less than what Macy's offers.  Less than what the day spa promotes.  Less than the 'perfect' woman on the treadmill at the gym.

The temptation to look a certain way is enticing.  It is easy to become fixated over physical appearance.  As Christian women, God wants more for us than what our seductive world offers.  Our passage in 1 Samuel 16:7 shows us how to become more than in a less than world.  This passage reinforces our understanding that the condition of our heart is more important to God than the condition of our hips.  He cares about our faith more than our face. He's interested in our walk more than our wardrobe. He wants our maturity more than a makeover.

The prophet Samuel arrived in Bethlehem to anoint the next King of Israel, one of Jesse's sons. Samuel sees Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, and thinks for sure he must be the one God has chosen.  Listen closely to the Lord's response to Samuel's thought, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Did you catch that? "...but the Lord looks at the heart."  Why the heart?  God values the heart because it is the consummation of who a person is.  The heart envelopes the eternal essence of each individual.  God identifies us by what is on the inside, while the world tends to recognize us only by what is on the outside.  If God values our heart more importantly than our exterior, then we should too.  When our heart is rightly aligned with God, the expectation to live up to the world's standards fade away.

Sadly, I gave into worldly pressures and influence as a young teen and college woman.  My heart was preoccupied with fat grams, calories, the number on the scale, my pant size, and how much exercise I could squeeze into one day.  This obsession with physical appearance resulted in a seven year struggle with anorexia and bulimia.

I thought the pursuit of "perfection" would boost my self-esteem when in fact, it robbed my self-esteem and left me with a misplaced identity.  Not only was I physically anorexic, I was also spiritually anorexic.  I focused on my body more than my Beloved.  I starved myself spiritually by being consumed with my appearance and not with my Lord.

God radically opened my heart and enabled me to see what I was missing: a fulfillment only found in Him.  The nourishment my heart needed was met with a deep passion for God and a hunger for His Word.  This eye opening experience shifted my priorities.  I realized if I would exert as much energy toward God and His Word as I had toward exercise, eating, counting calories etc., then I would be on my way toward spiritual fitness and a heart that pleased God.

Don't misunderstand, exercising, getting our hair cut or even buying a new outfit is not wrong in and of themselves.  Matter is not evil. God created beauty.  However, anything can become a misplaced idol.  Whenever we worship the created over the Creator we flirt with the world's standard of beauty and security.  Our heart becomes divided because we cannot worship self and God simultaneously.

As my son sorrowfully shared his struggle last week I shared God's truth with him in hopes of establishing a secure identity in Christ and an understanding of what God values in our lives. When God sees us, He sees our heart, not our hair-do, high heels or handbag.

The truth is friends, we are more than.  More than the air-brushed model in the magazine.  More than what Macy's offers.  More than what the day spa promotes.  More than the 'perfect' woman on the treadmill at the gym.

We are MORE THAN, because He became less than.

Heart Work:

Evaluate your motives for doing the things you do that pertain to physical fitness and your body. Pray over them and seek the Lord to see if anything is out of balance in your life that He wants you to change.

How much time do you fuss over exercise or looking just right?  How much time do you fuss over time in God's Word?

Heart Exam:

What makes you feel "less than?"

How has the world's view of beauty distracted you from who you are in Christ?

Does your life reflect the values that God values?


What does proper balance look like with our physical care?  When are we guilty of idol worship?

Maybe your're on the opposite side of the pendulum and you fail to properly care for your body as you should.  How can you start to take care of the Lord's temple?  Do you need to start a little physical exercise or maybe exercise some self-control with food intake?

Heart Changing Word:

Psalm 45:11 (NIV) "The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Philippians 2:6-8 "Who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!"

1 Peter 3:3-5a "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen.  Edited 2013.  All rights reserved.

* TOO COMFORTABLE

1 Timothy 4:7b-8 "Rather, train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

I try to maintain consistent exercise.  Before you think I am some kind of hard-body iron-woman, think again.  Most assuredly, I do not fit in that category.  My simple routine consists of strength training, kick boxing (I like to think that is what I'm doing), and "crunchies" as my 88 yr. old fit grandmother would say, while performing her 99th sit-up.

Periodically my husband probes me to try something new and different, insinuating I need to change it up and work other muscles.  Last year, I humored him for one day, and one day only, when he insisted I do P90X with him.  Then, I settled back into my comfortable method of squats and leg lifts.  I manage to not really push myself physically but rather maintain my current strength and endurance.  Sound familiar?

I doubt I'm the only one who experiences spiritual comfort from time to time, not wanting to be challenged.  Doing just enough to maintain current spiritual strength and endurance causes us to neglect harder training.  The problem?  Being comfortable spiritually leads to complacency and apathy, leading to stagnation.  When we are spiritually stagnant we won't grow, but merely exist.

1 Timothy 4: 7b tells us to train ourselves to be godly.  Why?  Verse 8 reveals that physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, for both the present life and the life to come.  The word for train means to discipline or exercise vigorously.  Paul uses the metaphor of physical training to show us how we must submit our bodies to the rigors of discipline in order to train ourselves in godliness.

Physical training benefits us now, but spiritual training benefits us now and later.  Physical exercise is good, but it's temporal.  Its' benefits do not transcend time because this body is not going with us (thank the Lord!).  Spiritual exercise has a greater reward because it profits this life and eternity.  It brings about godliness which is beneficial now and makes a lasting investment to come.

God wants us to be spiritually fit so we can experience abundant life in Him.  When difficulty strikes we'll know where we are anchored.  When we struggle with our co-workers we'll be prepared to offer a gentle response.  When there is conflict in our marriage we will seek oneness instead of rightness.  When issues with our children arise we'll be more prone to pray for wisdom.  When the deceiver seeks to defeat us we'll raise our fists and be prepared for battle.

Spiritual contentment should make us feel uncomfortable.  Contentment breeds natural consequences.  We will lose sight of Kingdom living and just go through the motions.  We will easily forget we're created for the purpose of knowing God and making Him known.  We will get lazy in our approach to life and lack motivation or purpose.  We'll blindly go through our day, wondering what we did and fail to recognize real people with real hurts and real needs.  Refocusing our heart to pursue godliness will help equip us to resist spiritual comfort.

Spiritual growth and training is a continual process called discipleship.  A disciple is a doing learner; one who learns spiritual truth and then lives it out.  Many may say, I want to read the Bible more, pray more, commit to Bible study or ___________.  These things won't happen until we discipline ourselves to practice them as priorities.  When we train our hearts and minds to hunger for God and His Word we develop strong spiritual muscles.  We begin to experience a relationship with God that is intimate and personal, beyond a spiritual checklist.

While physical fitness goals are noble, let's be more mindful of spiritual training.  I challenge you this spring to keep yourself spiritually fit.  Let's be willing to submit ourselves to the rigors of discipline in order to train in godliness.  Let's move beyond the spiritual status quo. It's time to pursue God with a desire to know Him intimately and His Word passionately, so that we are fully equipped disciples prepared for His purposes. 

Are you too comfortable?  

Heart Work:

Being too busy often negates time in the Word and prayer.  Make time this week to evaluate your priorities and schedule.  What can you let go of and say "no" to this season in order to discipline yourself spiritually?

What idols may be keeping you from training in godliness?

Heart Exam:

How are you currently training yourself spiritually?  What can you do differently?  What will you do to go deeper and be challenged spiritually?

Are you in a season of contentment and stagnation?  What do you think has led you to this place?

Why should spiritual training be a priority?

Do you want to experience a relationship with God that is intimate and personal, beyond a spiritual checklist?  Get on your knees and start training today.

Heart Transforming Word:

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (NIV 1984) "Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Hebrews 5:13-6:1a "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity."

Copyright 2011 by Hester Christensen.  Edited 2013.  All rights reserved.

* IT TAKES W. O. R. K. - Part 2

Genesis 2:24 (NIV 1984)  "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

Sadly, many marriages represent two individuals operating independently of the other without any regard to physical, emotional or spiritual oneness.  Couples resemble roommates instead of teammates.  A united whole is God’s design as He announced in Genesis 2:24 “ . . . and they will become one flesh.”

Behind the bouquets, lace and fruit punch is a myriad of two backgrounds and ideals coming together as one; it takes more than just ‘wishing’ for a good marriage.  A godly thriving marriage takes work.  Here is some W.O.R.K. we can implement: 

• Welcome forgiveness.  Unforgiveness plants a bitter root within and produces more weeds of discord.  Without forgiveness, healing is not possible.  Ruth Bell Graham says, "A great marriage takes two great forgivers."
• Overturn apathy and negative habits.  We can just get plain lazy and stuck in the rut of routine and monotony.  Find something you both enjoy together and have fun with each another.
• Resolve conflict biblically (Matthew 18:15-20).  Conflict is inevitable.  How we handle conflict communicates our level of maturity.  Accept responsibility for your part in any conflict.  This removes pride and finger-pointing to allow necessary growth to flourish.
• Keep God at the center.  When God remains the center of each person’s life and marriage, their foundation stands firm.  Even during hardship, frustration and disappointment, restoration is possible when the couples’ cornerstone for living is concrete.
• Kneel often.  Prayer joins hearts.  We cannot do marriage on our own.  Communication with God is an expression of humility because we seek His strength to live and function. We desire His protection from the fiery darts of the evil one.  We pray for ourselves and each other to ensure our heart is right with God and our finger is not pointed elsewhere.  

This is not a recipe for a 'happily ever after' marriage.  No.  Perfect marriages don't exist, only two imperfect people seeking a perfect God who can take our imperfection and transform it into beauty.  Commitment, surrender, forgiveness, unconditional love and respect are biblical ingredients for a flourishing marriage.  This does not mean you will be exempt from struggles, disagreements, or desert experiences.  Remain determined to work through them though to ensure victory for your marriage, and a defeat to the enemy!  This is a start to reflecting the glory, grace and oneness God intended for man and wife.

Months of planning are put into a wedding.  Details are just right; the cake, tuxes and dresses ordered, invitations sent, reservations made, decorations bought, and flowers arranged.  It is interesting how much time and effort is willingly put into a wedding ceremony, but what about the marriage?  

Heart Work:

Evaluate how your relationship with God contributes to your marriage.

Ask God to remove the tactics of the enemy to persuade and speak lies to you.

Consider the strength of your foundation.  Which building blocks can you better implement for a healthy and godly marriage?

Heart Exam:

Do I understand how important my relationship with God or lack of relationship with Him impacts my marriage?

How healthy is my marriage?  How can I extend forgiveness and unconditional love to my spouse?  How is the enemy deceiving me?

Am I committed to do whatever it takes to love my spouse and have a godly marriage whether or not my spouse reciprocates?

Am I willing to be responsible for my contributions, good or bad, to my marriage?

Does forgiveness, unconditional love, respect, humility and prayer characterize my marriage?

Heart Transforming Word:

Matthew 7:25  (NIV 1984)  "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."

2 Corinthians 10:5 "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Romans 8:12 "Brothers we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live."

Hebrews 13:4  "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure."

Ephesians 5:31 "The wife must respect her husband."

Ephesians 5:21 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

Copyright 2010 by Hester Christensen.  Edited 2013.  All rights reserved.