Jan 05

New Series: Desperate Days

Bible, Christian Life, Desperate Days (Job) 2012, Northshore Baptist Church, Theological Musings 3 Comments »

What happens when tragedy strikes? What happens when the dark clouds won’t go away? What happens when life doesn’t seem to go as we had planned or hoped? What happens when God seems silent? These are the desperate days… the dark night of the soul. When the desperate days are upon us, one of the best places to go in the Bible is the story of Job. Desperate days and human suffering are a reality. The question for us is, “How will we journey to faith in the midst of the desperate days?” Even if and when God seems silent, He is up to something greater… something transformational… and yes, even in the desperate days.

Join us January 8 – February 19 as we explore some important themes on suffering and faith in the book of Job. This is a great series to invite your friends and family who don’t know Jesus and who might be going through some desperate days of their own. Here are the themes we’ll talk about:

January 8 – When Tragedy Strikes (Job 1-2)

January 15 – Desperation and Depression (Job 3)

January 22 – Good and Bad Counsel (Job 4-28)

January 29 – Glimmers of Truth (Job 32-37)

February 5 – The Silence of God (Selected Passages)

February 12 – The Storm of Sovereignty (Job 38-41)

February 19 – The Journey to Faith (Job 42)

If you’d like to explore the book of Job and the themes of suffering, faith, and the gospel more in-depth, here are some recommended resources:

Job: A Man of Heroic Endurance (Charles Swindoll)

Be Patient: Waiting on God in Difficult Times (Warren Wiersbe)

Disappointment with God (Philip Yancey)

The Gospel According to Job (Mike Mason)

“How Can a Good God Allow Suffering?” (Message from the YouAskedForIt series)

“Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?” (Message by Pastor Tim Keller)

Additional Resources for Grief

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Dec 07

I Gave Away My Favorite Bible

Bible, Christian Life, Spiritual Disciplines, Theological Musings 14 Comments »

I gave away my favorite Bible this morning… and by favorite, I mean favorite. I drove down to Fort Lewis (now called Joint Base Lewis McChord) to pray with a soldier and his wife who was having surgery to remove a tumor behind his ear. As we prayed, I asked his wife if she had a Bible with her to read while her husband was in 7+ hours of surgery. She said she didn’t. So I gave her my Bible. As I left Madigan Army Hospital, I got a little tearful. It’s not that I was having “giver’s remorse.” It was this… in that moment I was simply overcome by how much God has loved me, spoken to me, and guided me through that particular copy of His word. I’ve preached hundreds of sermons from that very Bible. Its margins are filled with a decade’s worth of notes, observations, and quotes. I’ve read, prayed, and journaled through book after book of that Bible. I’ve read story after story from its pages to my son. I’ve clung to it for dear life in some of my darkest days. Some of its pages are stained with my very tears.

Please hear me. There’s nothing sacred about that particular copy of the New American Standard Bible. I’ve never set up a little shrine in my office and burned candles to my black leather Bible. But there is something absolutely sacred and life-giving about God’s word. As I said “goodbye” to the couple and my favorite Bible, I realized how truly living and active God’s word is (Hebrews 4:12). I prayed that His words would jump off the page and into the heart of that young wife as her husband was under the knife.

As I returned to my office, I immediately went online in search of a new Bible. In a couple of days it will show up with clean, note-less margins. And once again, God will love me, speak to me, and guide me though His holy, beautiful, life-changing word. He will show me the power and glory of Jesus. He will call the Spirit to clearly illumine His heart for me, for my family, for my neighborhood, for our church, and for our world.

I’m looking forward to the new adventure…

 

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Aug 29

Wisdom & Wine

Bible, Christian Life, Proverbia, Theological Musings 3 Comments »

The following is the manuscript from a message titled “Wisdom & Wine” (preached August 28, 2011 at Northshore Baptist Church)

This summer throughout our Proverbia series, we’ve been talking about relevant, practical topics for our lives and our relationships. We’ve talked about things like pride and humility, marriage and parenting, friendships, work ethics, and money. Last week, we even talked about sex. And this week promises to be another practical topic: “Wisdom & Wine.” Today, we’re going to talk about a biblical and practical perspective on alcohol.

I believe today’s message is actually more difficult than last week’s. When we talk about sex, the Bible is absolutely clear on God’s expectations: don’t have sex outside of marriage. But with our topic today, “Wisdom & Wine,” the use of alcohol by followers of Jesus is a disputable and sometimes even contentious topic.

Our background and personal experience impact how we interpret the Bible in this area. It impacts how we develop a personal perspective on the use or non-use of alcohol. Some of us come from legalistic church backgrounds that taught and even demanded complete abstinence of alcohol. So some have wholeheartedly adopted that stance. And some have rejected that position in pursuit of Christian liberty and freedom. And then some unfortunately take Christian liberty and freedom to an extreme, and it becomes a license to do whatever they want because, after all, “we’re under grace not law.” Some of us come from families where alcoholism was involved, and we’ve experienced firsthand the devastation of alcohol addiction. Our environment has a profound impact upon our interpretation and practice.

Today as we discuss “Wisdom & Wine,” we’re going to look at three things: (1) The Proverbs & Alcohol, (2) The Bible & Alcohol, and (3) The Believer & Alcohol. And as we discuss these three themes, here’s the big idea, the conclusion that I hold biblically, personally, and pastorally: Drinking alcohol is not a sin, but drunkenness is.

#1 The Proverbs & Alcohol

When we read the Proverbs that relate to alcohol, we discover that they condemn drunkenness and describe the degenerative and destructive effects, physically and mentally, of the person who drinks too much.

Proverbs 20:1. Here’s what this verse says: When people are drunk, they’re belligerent and boisterous. The key to interpreting the verse is the second half… “whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise.” When a person drinks too much alcohol, their filter disappears. They begin to lose respect for others in their speech, attitudes, and actions. They become belligerent. They become boisterous. Apparently when people get intoxicated, their hearing stops working, and they just get stupid and loud.

Proverbs 23:19-21. Here’s what this proverb teaches us: When people overindulge, they go from revelry to rags. Notice that this proverb speaks to overindulgence in drinking and eating. The proverb writer calls us to the path of wisdom and cautions against any kind of overindulgence. And he explains why. When we overindulge in drinking or eating, it begins to consume our heart (it becomes an idol and addiction), our money, and it can impact our work ethic and ability to be good employees who provide for our ourselves and our families. Overindulgence can have serious consequences.

Proverbs 23:29-35. Note what this proverb teaches us: When people are drunk, they don’t see clearly, they don’t think clearly, and they don’t act rightly. In v. 30, the one who “lingers over wine” and is constantly “in search of a drink,” their vision, their motor skills, their brain, and their conscience become distorted. Think about a party where a lot of alcohol is consumed. Perhaps it’s at a college party or a neighborhood block party or an annual party for work. When people get drunk, they just act stupid. They’re staggering around hugging everyone or getting mad at everyone, they’re saying ridiculous things, or they’re stripping down to their underwear riding a skateboard off a second story roof into a swimming pool (I’ve never seen this… I’ve only heard about this). And then some of them get behind the wheel of a car and kill somebody. Drunk people just get stupid. They don’t see clearly, they don’t think clearly, and they don’t act rightly. So the proverbs condemn drunkenness and describe the degenerative and destructive effects, physically and mentally, of the person who drinks too much. Be warned!

#2 The Bible & Alcohol

The Bible has a lot to say about drinking and consuming alcohol. Here’s the first thing we see about the Bible and alcohol.

The Bible speaks positively of alcohol in celebration.

Psalm 104:14-15. Notice what God gives… grass for cattle, vegetation for man’s labor, “wine which makes man’s heart glad.” As we see throughout the Bible, wine, the fruit of the vine, is a gift from God and can be enjoyed as such and is often used in celebratory occasions.

Deuteronomy 14:26. We see that God’s Law in the Old Testament permitted the consumption of wine and “strong drink” (fermented drinks of honey, wheat, grain, etc.), and in the specific context of the verse, as the worshipper celebrated God’s goodness, alcohol could be a part of feasting and celebrating with God and with each other.

John 2:7-11. One of the first places we go to for a New Testament perspective on alcohol is John 2 when Jesus turns water into wine. Here’s the backstory. Jesus, His mom, and His disciples are invited to a wedding party in a town called Cana. During the party, an embarrassing social faux pas happens… they run out of wine. So let’s pick it up in v. 7. Now please hear me on this… the main point of this passage is not a theology of wine and alcohol. The main point of the story is that Jesus supernaturally and miraculously changes the molecular composition of water and turns it into wine. Please don’t lose the proverbial forest for the trees. But nonetheless, there is something instructive about the reality that Jesus turned water into at least 120 gallons of wine. And He turned it into good wine… so good that the headwaiter goes up to the groom and asks him why he was saving the best wine for last.

Matthew 11:19. Here’s another verse, this time from the lips of Jesus as He explains what people were saying about Him. Let me read between the lines for a moment. All of the uber-religious people are calling Jesus a glutton and a drunkard because He’s going to these parties where people are eating and drinking too much. And here’s my assumption in this verse. Jesus is likely eating the same food as everyone else, but He’s not becoming a glutton. Jesus is likely drinking the same beverages as everyone else, but He’s not getting drunk.

Excursion on Wine in the Ancient World. When we read these passages about Jesus turning water into wine or being at the parties eating and drinking, some theologians and pastors teach that it wasn’t really wine as we know it today. It was really grape juice, unfermented wine. I’ve read the articles. I’ve heard the arguments, and here’s the deal. Wine means wine. Wine doesn’t mean grape juice. The Greek word oinos means fermented grape juice that is alcoholic in content. And historians tell us that the alcohol content was likely similar to our wine today. If it were only grape juice with no alcohol content or a dramatically reduced alcohol content, why would the Bible condemn getting drunk off of wine? In a moment, we’ll look one of the prohibitions against drunkenness in Ephesians 5:18, “Don’t be drunk with wine (oinos).” I’ve never gotten drunk off of grape juice. Please hear me on this. If you come to the biblical, prayerful, and personal conviction that you should abstain from alcohol, awesome! That’s the way the Lord is personally leading you. But please be biblically, historically, and intellectually faithful and accurate to the text.

The Bible speaks negatively of alcohol in drunkenness.

Ephesians 5:18. Don’t get drunk with wine (and by implication any other mind-altering substance). If you choose to drink alcohol, stop before you feel any physical or mental affects. Don’t let alcohol take control of you. Let the Spirit of God take control of your life, your attitudes, and your actions.

Galatians 5:21. In this passage, Paul tells us what it looks like to live life in our own power vs. living life in the power of the Holy Spirit. And drunkenness is an indicator and warning sign that we are living life on our own terms in disregard to the design and desire of God.

1 Timothy 3:3. Paul tells us what church leaders’ lives should look like, and then by implication, because church leaders are to model the heart and behavior of Jesus, he tells us what all of our lives should look like.

#3 The Believer & Alcohol

Here are some practical applications for us in regards to our perspective and practice concerning alcohol:

1. Don’t get drunk. I can’t get any clearer than that. We’ve seen that the Bible clearly speaks against drunkenness because of the degenerative physical and mental effects, as well as how drunkenness distorts our actions and judgment. And on a side note, if you’re under age 21, obey the law. Don’t drink at all. And if you’re over 21, if you do choose to drink, don’t get drunk!

2. Don’t be a legalist. If you come to the personal, prayerful, biblical conclusion that you should abstain from alcohol, don’t use that as a tool for self-righteousness, and don’t force your personal conclusion on others. Don’t try to be holier than Jesus. In the early church, different groups were using different things to demonstrate that they were more holy than other people in the church. Some people thought that worshiping one day of the week was more holy than the others. Some thought that if you ate certain foods, you weren’t a true follower of Jesus. So here’s what Paul has to say about that (and it’s a long passage): Romans 14:10-23. If you come to a personal conclusion about something where the Bible hasn’t clearly spoken, don’t become a legalist and make it a mark of holiness.

3. Be sensitive about your surroundings. This is the other side of the coin of the legalism argument, also addressed in Romans 14. If you choose to use drink alcohol, be sensitive about who you’re around. For example, if you invite someone over to your house for dinner, and they’ve come to the personal conclusion to abstain from alcohol, don’t become a reverse legalist and look down upon them because they choose not to. And if you pressure them to take a drink, and they violate their personal conscience to please you, you’ve caused them to sin and therefore you’ve sinned. Also, if you’re around someone who struggles with alcohol, don’t drink around them and definitely don’t ask them if they’d like a drink. This is what it means to cause someone to stumble. Be sensitive about your surroundings. Don’t use your Christian liberty and freedom as a license to cause others to sin.

4. If you have a problem, get help. If you are struggling with any kind of substance abuse (alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal drugs), get help. And here’s what I mean by struggling. If you think you don’t have a problem and you can quit anytime, but you keep going back to it, you have a problem. If you’re drunk or high and your problems seem to disappear, you have a problem. And you know this… when you come back down and sober up, you realize that your problems didn’t disappear. In fact, now they’re even worse because now you have new problems… relationships are strained, work suffers, and finances are consumed by the costs of alcohol or drugs. As we discussed last week, we have an amazing ministry at Northshore called LIGHT. We have individual counseling, recovery groups, and people who can walk alongside you one-on-one to be a support. If you have a problem, get help.

 

So as we’ve discussed “Wisdom & Wine,” we’ve talked about the Proverbs and Alcohol, the Bible and Alcohol, as well as some practical applications for the Believer and Alcohol. I want you to think biblically about this subject. I highly encourage you to prayerfully develop a personal position on alcohol. If you’re a parent, take the initiative to talk with your kids about alcohol, especially if they’re in junior high or older… because it’s in their world (and if you think it’s not, you’re being naïve).

At the end of the day, we all need Jesus’ help. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can give us the wisdom and grace we need to develop a personal position on alcohol. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can give us the grace we need to extend to other people who come to a different conclusion. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can give us the self-control we need so that we don’t walk in sin and drunkenness. And that much needed self-control extends to every area of our lives where temptation abounds… our finances, our work ethic, our relationships, and our sexual integrity. Only Jesus and the Holy Spirit can give us the healing and hope we need when we’ve blown it or when we’re struggling with a dependence upon alcohol or something else.

Come to Jesus and ask Him for wisdom and grace… for self-control… for healing and hope. Jesus is fully God, and He came down here to die on the cross so that any sin, shame, guilt, and condemnation that you’re experienced might be removed. And He was raised from the dead to give us this new life… this new way of living life… this new power for living life. So come to Jesus, so that you might have His wisdom about how to live at the intersection of life and wisdom.

 

Here are some additional resources for further exploration on the Christian’s use of alcohol:

“The Bible & Alcohol” by Dr. Daniel Wallace
“Wine in the Ancient World” by Dr. R.A. Baker
“Is it Okay to Drink Alcohol?” Interview with Dr. John Piper
“Total Abstinence and Church Membership” A message by Dr. John Piper to his congregation on his personal and pastoral stance on alcohol

 

 

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Jun 07

The School of Jesus

Bible, Christian Life, Spiritual Disciplines, Theological Musings 2 Comments »

Yesterday on my monthly day of prayer and solitude, I spent time reading and meditating upon Ephesians 1:3-23. Take a moment and read it. It’s well worth your time.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight 9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him 11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

As followers of Jesus, those who have enrolled in The School of Jesus, we see the “cosmic” view of what God is up to through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is so powerful yet so personal. Jesus’ work is out-of-this-world yet for this world. Here are some lessons I learned yesterday in the school of Jesus.

  • Redemption (v. 7) means that I am forgiven. I no longer have to struggle with guilt and shame. The old has passed away, and the new has come.
  • Adoption (v. 5) means that I am loved. I am a son of God. And sons and daughters are loved extravagantly so.
  • Sanctification(v. 14) means that I am growing. Jesus is changing me. He is healing me. He is fixing the broken places in my life through the grace of His Holy Spirit.
  • Resurrection (vv. 20-23) means that I am empowered. There is a power that is outside of me that works inside of me. This fills me with hope because many a day, I feel so powerless

What is Jesus teaching you as a student in His school?

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May 09

Urban Legend #2: A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids

Bible, Christian Life, Northshore Baptist Church, Urban Legends 3 Comments »

(This is the manuscript from “A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids” preached on May 8, 2011. Here’s the audio for the message. See additional resources at the end of the manuscript)

We’ve all seen and experienced it. We’re at the mall and there’s a little kid going berserk, screaming at the top of his lungs and flopping on the floor. And what do we typically think? “That kid’s parents need a parenting class!” Or we hear about a teenager in rebellion, partying, sleeping around, maybe even doing drugs. And what do we typically think? “I wonder where the parents messed up?” Or someone tells us about an adult child who’s going through a divorce, struggling with addiction or same sex-attraction. We speculate on where one of the parents failed. And all of these speculations of parenting failures are based on a spiritual urban legend that we’re going to look at today. And here it is…

A godly home guarantees godly kids.

Last week, we began a 7-week series called Urban Legends. We’re talking about some of the spiritual urban legends and myths we believe in our Christian faith. And they’re not harmless misunderstandings. They’re spiritually dangerous beliefs. When we believe these urban legends and life doesn’t work out the way we thought it would, we become disappointed with God and disillusioned in our spiritual life. And today’s urban legend is especially painful.

I’ve been nervous about preaching this message, especially on Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a day filled with all kinds of emotion. Some of you are single, and you desperately want to be married and be a mom.  Some of you are struggling with the pain of infertility, and Mother’s Day is a reminder of the pain. Some of you didn’t or don’t have a good mom. And some of you have lost your mother, and Mother’s Day seems to make her death that much more painful. My grandmother died on this very day 33 years ago, and it’s going to be a hard day for my mom. And lastly, some of you have children who’ve rejected Jesus and have walked away from a relationship with Him. And you feel all kinds of emotions on this Mother’s Day.

So today as we talk about the spiritual urban legend that “a godly home guarantees godly kids,” I want to talk about it with grace and compassion, but I also want to talk about the truth and what the Bible really says. Today, we’ll discuss four things: (1) the Myth, (2) the Reality, (3) the Problem, and (4) the Responsibility.

#1 The Myth

Here’s where we get the myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids – Proverb 22:6. “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Here’s what we think it says. If I “train” and raise my child or children in a godly home, a home that loves Jesus and lives out what Jesus says to live out, then my kids will be godly. And even if they go through a season of rebellion or play the prodigal for a while, eventually they’ll come back to Jesus because they’ve been raised correctly.

There are books, blogs, and seminars that all teach this urban legend. If you will simply apply the “biblical principles” then you’re kids will turn out to be godly. Many of us have read these books and blogs and have heard some of the seminar speakers… a godly home is guaranteed to produce godly kids.

Here’s what one writer says, “If our parents’ approach seemed closed to biblical parenting, yet bore bad fruit, we can be certain it was not biblical. Parents who accurately implement biblical principles will not be disappointed.” Another parenting “expert” advises use of their online Bible study to “observe and learn from winning parents… whose children are obedient and respectful and who know God’s will and live faithful Christian lives. We should be imitating those parents who are successful, not those who fail.”

Sounds good, huh? Almost too good to be true, huh? Well that’s because it is too good to be true. So let’s look at the reality.

#2 The Reality

What does the Bible really say about godly parenting and godly kids? Let’s go back to Proverbs 22:6. Let’s look at the first part of the verse.

“Train up a child” – Biblical scholars don’t agree on what this means exactly.  It could mean teaching and instructing a child. It could mean formally dedicating a child to the Lord. It could even mean tailoring training and parenting specifically for each child (“train up a child according to his way”). Regardless of the specific interpretation, the implication is that Christian parents should teach their kids the path of righteousness and do it in a way that fits their child’s unique personality. But it’s the second half of the proverb that creates the spiritual urban legend.

“Even when he is old, he will not depart from it” – the first obvious question is “when did depart become return?” What we want it to say is that a kid raised in a Christian home who rebels and becomes a prodigal will eventually return. But that’s not what it says. If it says anything, it says they won’t depart or turn away in the first place.

Now there’s something very important that we must understand: Proverbs aren’t promises. Proverbs tell us how life generally works out, but they don’t guarantee how life will work out. The Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III wrote this in his commentary on Proverbs:

A proverb does not give a promise. The book of Proverbs advises its hearers in ways that are most likely to lead them to desired consequences if all things are equal. The point is that this proverb encourages parents to train their children, but does not guarantee that if they do so their children will never stray.

Here’s another way of looking at the reality. If we believe that a godly home with godly parents guarantees godly kids, then we should be able to apply the test to God Himself. God the Father is the ultimate, godly parent. So how did the perfect “home” in the garden work out for his kids Adam and Eve? Not too well. And then in the OT, God calls Israel “my firstborn son.” How’d that ultimately work out? Not too well. If God’s success as a parent is to be judged by the fruit of His children, then God doesn’t pass our parenting test.

As parents we have a strong influence over our children but no ultimate control. As our children grow into and towards adulthood, they’re ultimately responsible for their own actions, conduct, and ownership of their faith and spiritual journey. Just because they rebel from what you have wholeheartedly and authentically taught them doesn’t mean that you have failed them or you are an ungodly parent and an inadequate role model.

#3 The Problem

Here’s the problem when we believe the spiritual urban legend and myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids. It produces three “false,” spiritually damaging things:

False Guilt. When we’ve raised our kids in a godly home and they don’t turn out the way we hoped and prayed for, we bludgeon ourselves with the sledgehammer of false guilt. We begin to believe that we’re either ungodly people or lousy parents. But perhaps it’s because human beings, including our children, have a sin nature and are inherently self-centered. And there are other factors at play as well. Perhaps we have children that are hyper-active, have learning difficulties, are emotionally handicapped, and even strong-willed or just plain incorrigible. There’s another group of parents that can get hammered under the false guilt of this myth… adoptive parents. They make an incredible sacrifice filled with incredible love, and they take in an unwanted or abandoned child. They long to provide a great home with a great spiritual foundation. And then that adopted child begins to exhibit some of the same struggles as their biological mother or father. The culprit is just as likely to be genetics as home life… there are other things at play. And so when our kids don’t turn out to be godly, this myth that a godly home guarantees godly kids plagues us with false guilt.

False Pride. The next thing the myth produces is false pride. If our kids do turn out to be Christ-honoring and Christ-following kids and adults, it’s all too easy to take too much of credit… and it’s only natural. When something we have a hand in turns out well, we’d prefer to think that we had a large role in it. We think it must be a result of our stellar, godly parenting. Larry Osborne shares in his book 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe this about false pride:

Before Nancy and I had children of our own, I would have titled a sermon on raising children something like “Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids.” But birth by birth, the titles changed. The progression went something like this:

“Ten Rules for Raising Godly Kids”

“Ten Guidelines for Raising Good Kids”

“Five Principles for Raising Kids”

“Three Suggestions for Surviving Parenthood”

False Hope. The last thing that this spiritually dangerous myth can produce is a false hope. Once again, a proverb is not a promise. It’s not a guarantee that just because you’ve raised your kids in a godly home that they will remain or won’t turn away. And if our kids don’t return and we’ve believed this myth, we invariably get disappointed with God and disillusioned in the Christian life.

#4 The Responsibility

What is the responsibility that we do have in creating a godly home, even though it’s not a slam-dunk guarantee that our kids will turn out to love Jesus and follow Him? What are some of the ways that we can increase our odds of success? What can we do to make it easier for our kids to know Jesus?

Parents. I want to speak to two different sets of parents:

Parents with kids at home. If you’re married, work at having a great marriage. I know some of you are going through or have gone through divorce. And I don’t say this to do a “drive-by guilting.” But the reality and truth is that a great marriage provides great stability for our kids. Put your marriage and not your kids first. I’m not saying that you lock them in a closet or don’t pay attention to them or do special things for them, but your first priority is your marriage and then your children. Don’t get that reversed.

Second, teach the gospel to your children and not behavior modification and sin management. I could do a whole sermon series just on this. When you’re training your kids, always take them back to Jesus and the gospel. Teach them about God’s great love for them. Teach them about God’s forgiveness and grace for them. Teach them about God’s empowering presence for their lives as they face and even succumb to life’s many temptations. Teach them the gospel… that’s the only thing that will change and shape their hearts to be godly kids and godly adults.

Parents with prodigal kids. Pray for your kids. I know this should go without saying… because I know that if you’ve got a prodigal son or daughter, you’re praying for them with every ounce of strength you have. And as hard as this sounds, pray for their brokenness because often that’s the only thing that will get them to re-evaluate the life they’re living. Pray for faith. As we talked about last week, faith doesn’t fix everything. But faith trusts God enough to do what He says even when we have doubts. Faith believes that God is good, that God is present with you through ups and down, thick and thin, and that God loves you more than you can ever imagine. If you’re in a place of struggling with having a prodigal child, I want to encourage you to go talk with someone in our recovery and counseling ministry. We have some amazing people who would love to walk with you through this pain in your life.

Kids. Take ownership of your faith… it’s your responsibility… not your parents’. “Choose this day who you are going to serve” and who you’re going to live for. And stop blaming your parents. Every person, every parent, and every family is dysfunctional at some level. And I’m not saying that some of the choices our parents made aren’t damaging and painful for us… but I’m saying, take ownership and responsibility for your life. If you’re playing the prodigal, repent, come back, and get some help and accountability in your life. You will not find what you’re looking for outside of a relationship with Jesus. And here’s the beauty of the gospel of Jesus… His grace and love is more than sufficient for you, regardless of what road you’ve been walking. There’s nothing you can do or not do that would cause Jesus to love you any more or any less. Come back to Him… choose faith… and live your life for Him. He’s the only way that you’ll find and experience what you’re really looking for.

A godly home doesn’t guarantee godly kids. And there are even godly kids who come from ungodly homes. So we know that God’s grace is present in all kinds of situations. But as parents, even though we don’t have ultimate power or control over our children, we do have influence. So use that influence well. But let’s not beat ourselves up nor puff ourselves up over the results. And to those that are hurting because of prodigal children, who’ve turned from God, let’s love and encourage them. Because Jesus is present with us and His grace is sufficient for all of it.

Here are some additional resources to explore:

“The Myth of the Perfect Parent” – Leslie Leyland Fields (Christianity Today Article)

Parenting is Your Highest Calling & 8 Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt - Leslie Leyland Fields

“Some Hard Facts About Child Rearing” – Dr. John Rosemond (Washington Times Article)

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Apr 25

Where Does the Gospel of Mark Really End?

Bible, Gospel of Mark 3 Comments »

On Easter Sunday, we officially finished 29 weeks in the Gospel of Mark, retelling the greatest story ever told in Mark 16:1-8: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some of you might be thinking, “Aren’t we going to finish the rest of the book in vv. 9-20?” My answer, “No, because it’s not part of Mark’s original Gospel.”  If you have a Bible with notes or cross-references, you’ll find a note near v. 9 that states something like this, “Later manuscripts (mss) add vv. 9-20.” That means, our earliest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel don’t contain vv. 9-20. Here are some of the reasons why I believe Mark ends his Gospel at v. 8:

1. The abrupt ending forces us to ask and answer the life-changing question: “How will you respond to the resurrection of Jesus Christ?” David Garland, in his commentary on Mark, writes:

The Gospel ends like one of Jesus’ parables and forces us to work things out for ourselves. This incomplete ending, therefore, has Christ still waiting symbolically in Galilee for His followers to come and forces us to ask whether we will go to meet Him there as well. It also prompts us to reflect on our own fear and silence.

2. Our two oldest Greek manuscripts do not have the longer ending (vv. 9-20). The church fathers Clement of Alexandria (c.150 – c. 215) and Origen (c. 185–254) show no knowledge of the longer ending’s existence. In addition, Eusebius (c. AD 263–339) and Jerome (c. 347 – 30 September 420) both state that the longer ending was not found in the majority of Greek manuscripts available to them.

3. The literary style (grammar and word choice) in vv. 9-20 does not match the literary style of the rest of Mark’s gospel.

4. The transition from v. 8 to v. 9 is awkward. In v. 8 the women are the subjects and then in v. 9, it abruptly shifts to Jesus as the subject, addressing Mary Magdalene with no mention of the other two women.

5. It seems as though vv. 9-20 is a compilation of the accounts found in the other three Gospels (Matthew, Luke, and John).

For a more in-depth analysis of Mark’s ending, see “Irony in the End: A Textual and Literary Analysis of Mark 16:8″

Ultimately, wherever the Gospel of Mark really ends, the life-changing question still remains: How will you respond to the resurrection of Jesus Christ?

What are your thoughts about Mark’s ending?

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Apr 04

Urban Legends

Bible, Christian Life, Northshore Baptist Church, Sermons, Urban Legends 1 Comment »

We have a lot of “spiritual urban legends” and misnomers in the Christian life. There are things we believe about the character of God, the Bible, and the spiritual life that are neither biblically grounded nor theologically sound. And sometimes, our hang-ups, hurts, and seasons of being stuck are intensified by these spiritual urban legends.

Larry Osborne writes in his 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, “Spiritual urban legends aren’t just harmless misunderstandings. They’re spiritually dangerous errors that will eventually bring heartache and disillusionment to all who trust in them.” This practical series, based on Larry’s book, is about busting some of the myths of the Christian faith that distort our view of God and disappoint us on our Christian journey.

May 1 (the Sunday after Easter) through June 12, we’ll explore seven spiritual urban legends. This series will be a great opportunity to invite friends and family who are exploring the Christian faith. We’ll deal practically with who Jesus really is and what the Bible actually says about real life topics. Here are the urban legends we’ll explore:

  • May 1 – Faith Can Fix Anything
  • May 8 – A Godly Home Guarantees Godly Kids
  • May 15 – God Has a Blueprint for My Life
  • May 22 – Forgiving Means Forgetting
  • May 29 – Christians Are Always Happy
  • June 5 – A Valley Means a Wrong Turn
  • June 12 – Christians Shouldn’t Judge

Join us at Northshore for “Urban Legends: Debunking Christian Myths”… sort of a snopes.com for following Jesus.

Invite a friend and send an email invitation HERE.

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Feb 14

Real Love

Bible, Christian Life, Theological Musings No Comments »

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him… There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:16, 18-19

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16

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Feb 07

The Servant Prayer

Bible, Gospel of Mark, Spiritual Disciplines 2 Comments »

In Mark’s Gospel, the first ten chapters cover the three years of Jesus’ earthly ministry. And the final six chapters cover one week, the Passion Week. Up to this point, Jesus has been training the twelve disciples, teaching them His heart and His kingdom values, and showing them what happens when the rule and reign of God shows up in the lives of people. Before we enter into the final week of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has one more lesson for the disciples and for us… a lesson that’s the culmination of His heart and His mission for this world. The heart of Mark 10:32-52 calls us to pray and live out the Servant Prayer:

#1 To know what You have done for me

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus doesn’t give His life simply as the supreme example of servanthood. Something much larger is happening… something much more significant. When Jesus dies on the cross and gives His life for us, He pays a ransom. He’s paying the price to free us from the penalty of our sin and rebellion against God. Jesus giving “His life a ransom for many” is the clearest statement in Mark’s Gospel about the redemptive purpose of God in Jesus’ death.

On the cross, Jesus dies in our place as a substitute. We deserved death because of our sin and treason against God, but Jesus takes it in our stead. We are freed from and forgiven the penalty of our sin. Understanding this is crucial as we press into the remainder of this Servant Prayer. It is the heart change that Jesus accomplishes as He pays the penalty for our sin that enables us to then live out Jesus’ heart of servanthood.

Pastor Tullian Tchividjian wrote in his book Surprised by Grace:

It’s the gospel (what Jesus has done) that alone can give God-honoring animation to our obedience. The power to obey comes from being moved and motivated by the completed work of Jesus for us. The fuel to do good flows from what’s already been done. So, while the law directs us, only the gospel can drive us.

It is only as we grow in our understanding and application of what Jesus has done for us that we begin to grow in our understanding and application of serving the people and world around us.

#2 To seek greatness in serving

Each year USA Today honors overlooked and often unappreciated football players by naming them to what the newspaper calls its All-Joes Team. Now in its 19th year, the All-Joes award celebrates men who sacrifice their egos for the good of their team. USA Today writes:

Our Joes are not average or even sloppy, but rather unheralded, unloved and, sometimes, underpaid since the one prerequisite for being an All-Joe is that you cannot have a Pro Bowl on your résumé. The NFL’s stars wouldn’t succeed without the adjacent All-Joes. They would never make the Pro Bowl minus those who perform the grittier tasks. That’s one reason the All-Joe team doesn’t allow Pro Bowl picks on its roster and it lends bitter truth to its motto: If you work hard, good things will happen — to someone else.

The motto of the All Joes team really is applicable to those who are servant-hearted: “If you work hard, good things will happen… to someone else.” I’d tweak it… if you live in the grace of Jesus Christ, good things will happen… in and through you… to the people in your world as you serve them in the name of Jesus. We serve others because Jesus first served us. And the Servant Prayer calls us to seek greatness in serving others. While the world entices us with the idols of power, position, and prestige, Jesus invites us to pick up the towel and basin and wash feet. D.L. Moody once said, “The measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves.” Seek greatness in Jesus’ His kingdom by serving.

#3 To follow You with spiritual eyes

The Servant Prayer ends by asking Jesus for the spiritual eyes to follow Him… asking Jesus for the gift of seeing people and the world around us the way He sees people and the world around us. It is asking Jesus to give us the spiritual eyes to be people who are servant-hearted and kingdom-minded. It is asking Jesus to give us the spiritual eyes to see through the deception of the world’s values and to give us the spiritual eyes to live with kingdom values. Jesus, please grant me the faith to follow You with spiritual eyes… with eyes that know what You have fully done for me… with eyes and a heart that seek greatness in serving others.  Jesus, please grant me the faith to follow You with spiritual eyes as I deny and surrender myself and daily pick up my servant’s cross and servant’s towel and follow after You.

When we pray the Servant Prayer, we’re transformed by Jesus’ great grace to be people that follow Him and serve the world around us with His eyes. We become people who are servant-hearted and kingdom-minded.

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Jan 23

Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage

Bible, Christian Life, Gospel of Mark 1 Comment »

The following is a manuscript from the message “Life Lab” (Mark 10:1-12) where we discussed marriage, divorce, and remarriage:

This is going to be an uncomfortable message. Today I am going to talk about marriage, divorce, and remarriage. For some, this is an uncomfortable message because you are married and you’re either contemplating or in the middle of a divorce. For some, you have gone through a divorce, and it’s still painful and always will be. For some, you are not married, and you really want to be, so any message that focuses on marriage is painful.

Now with that disclaimer up front, this message is still for all of us. First, let me address those who are married. For those who are happily married, our passage grounds us in the heart of God for the sacred covenant of marriage… and you will be encouraged and challenged to continually live in that place of deep union with God and with each other. For those who are married and having a rough time of it, God’s Word will possibly confront your reasons for thinking about or pursuing divorce. For those of you who have been divorced and are either contemplating remarriage or are already remarried, hopefully this message will help point you towards a path of success in your new marriage. Second, let me address those who are single. You have friends who are married, and this message will help you support and pray for them more effectively. And if God has marriage in your future, better to start learning now what a marriage covenant is to look like before you make that commitment. So I think I addressed every person in the room. Here’s the overarching question:

What if God designed marriage to make us more holy than happy?

As we go through Mark 10:1-12, I want to answer three questions: (1) What is God’s design for marriage? (2) Are there biblical grounds for divorce? (3) What about remarriage? Let’s read our passage and then begin to answer these three questions.

1Getting up, He went from there to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds gathered around Him again, and, according to His custom, He once more began to teach them.

2Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife.

3And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4They said, “Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY.”

5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

6“But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.

7“FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,

8AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; so they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9“What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

10In the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again.

11And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her;

12and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

Question#1: What is God’s design for marriage? (vv. 6-9)

Before we can talk about any possible biblical grounds for divorce or the possibility of remarriage after a divorce, we need to establish God’s design for marriage.

The Context. In the context of the passage, Jesus and His disciples are heading south towards the region of Judea and out towards the Jordan River in the east part of Israel. A crowd gathers around Jesus, and as He is teaching, some Pharisees begin to ask Jesus some questions. They are trying to trap Him. And what they ask Him is whether it’s lawful for a man to divorce his wife. They’re asking Jesus this question because Herod Antipas rules this region of Israel. Remember that John the Baptist was executed because he confronted Herod’s illegal and immoral divorce to his first wife so he could marry his sister-in-law Herodias. And they are trying to set Jesus up so that Herod will find out about it and take Jesus out. We’ll come back to Jesus’ answer of the legality or grounds for divorce, but I want to look at vv.6-9 to establish God’s design and ideal for the covenant of marriage.

v. 6. Jesus establishes that marriage was part of God’s design for humanity from the beginning of creation. Jesus quotes part of Genesis 1:27, “God made them male and female.” The rest of Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are image bearers of God, and part of that image bearing is relationship and community. God exists in community with Himself… God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We call this the Trinity. And since humanity is created in the image of God, some aspect of being in harmonious relationship with others is implicit in how God designed us. And in the text, the first place we see this design for relationship is in God’s covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.

vv. 7-8. Next Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24. In marriage the man and by implication the woman, leave their parents and become one flesh. And “one flesh” is much more than a sexual union. It’s an emotional, spiritual, and psychological union. They are no longer two… they are one.

v. 9. And God has created marriage to be a place where this deep, deep union takes place. And since He has created it, no man is to separate it. We’ll discuss the question “are there biblical grounds for divorce?” in a moment, but don’t miss v. 9 as Jesus clearly says that God’s design for marriage is permanence. Husband and wife are interwoven into each other.

Marriage is much more than a contract between a couple and the state. It is much more than simply a vow between two lovers. It is the fashioning of two worlds into one. And it is a profoundly spiritual journey. In marriage, we can experience the depths of love, selflessness, and sacrifice, which are at the core of the character of God. But marriage is also incredibly challenging because marriage exposes us… our sin, our selfishness, our pride, our anger. At its core, marriage is a spiritual journey that teaches us about God and about ourselves

1. Marriage teaches us about God. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that the relationship between a husband and wife is supposed to be a tangible object lesson of the true reality… the relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride the church. God establishes human marriage as a living, breathing illustration of the depth of His love for us.

2. Marriage teaches us about ourselves. Marriage teaches us how to love like Jesus. Marriage confronts our selfishness. Marriage “forces” us to think of another person first and to put their needs above our own. But marriage also teaches us that there is a joy in giving ourselves away to another person. God’s design for marriage is a permanent bond between a man and a woman where we have the opportunity to learn to deny ourselves daily and together surrender our hearts and lives, our sin and our selfishness, to Jesus so that He can do His transforming work in our lives so that He can use us to reveal His love to our world. What if God designed marriage to make us more holy than happy?

Q#2: Are there biblical grounds for divorce? (vv. 2-5)

So back in the passage, the question that prompts this whole conversation was the Pharisees asking Jesus whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. So Jesus initially responds with a question in v. 3, “What did Moses command you?” And in v. 4, they respond that Moses permitted a man to “write a certificate of divorce and send her.” So let’s take a look at what the Old Testament has to say about divorce, what was being taught in Judaism in the days of Jesus, and then we’ll look at a couple of New Testament passages that talk about divorce as well.

Deuteronomy 24:1. The Pharisees respond to Jesus by quoting part of this verse. The phrase that needs interpreting is “he has found some indecency in her.” Some people take the word “indecency” to mean “adultery.” It could mean adultery since the word “indecency” in Hebrew means nakedness, but one challenge to this view is that in the Old Testament, adultery was punishable by death, not merely by divorce. The precise meaning of the word “indecency” is unknown. It implies something unseemly or unbecoming and cannot simply refer to something trivial but something that violates the essence of the marriage covenant.

Intertestamental Background. In the days of Jesus, the question of permissible grounds for divorce was a source of dispute in Judaism. Some argued that a man could divorce a woman for any act, even one as trivial as a badly cooked meal. Others held that immorality and adultery was the only legitimate cause for divorce.

v. 5. Notice what Jesus says, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this commandment.” Jesus tells us that divorce, even on the narrow grounds allowed by Moses, was only tolerated, not recommended. It was permissible, but still not preferable. Jesus said that God’s intent is permanence in marriage.

Other NT Passages. We need to take a look at some other New Testament passages that talk about divorce.

Matthew 5:31-32 & 19:9. Jesus seems to say that marital infidelity is possible grounds for divorce. Once again, permanence in marriage is God’s will and design, but recovering from infidelity may not always be possible. But I want you to notice something about the context of the Matthew 19 passage. What comes immediately before this conversation at the end of Matthew 18? An extended parable and discussion on forgiveness. Here me on this… I am not saying that extending forgiveness and moving into a place of trust and intimacy is easy after adultery has been committed, but if God has given us the opportunity to receive forgiveness for sin, no matter how heinous, shouldn’t that be the ideal and the heart of God for us? Once again, that’s why I think divorce in the case of adultery is permissible but still not preferable. I think about the OT character Hosea who was to by God to marry a prostitute. Even as she committed adultery time and after time, God told Hosea to take her back as an object lesson of God’s covenant faithfulness and forgiveness towards us even though we commit spiritual adultery and rebellion against Him time after time. Once again, I’m not assuming this is easy, but I want you to ponder the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation.

1 Corinthians 7. Even though we don’t have time to read 1 Corinthians 7 (but I encourage you to read it), this is Paul’s most in-depth discussion on marriage, divorce, and remarriage. One thing that he discusses in-depth is the marriage between a believer and an unbeliever. Now, you need to hear this… Paul is not saying it’s okay for a believer and an unbeliever to marry. Paul is addressing the reality that in the ancient world and in ours that after marriage, one of the partners, either the husband or the wife, might become a follower of Jesus. And therefore, now in the marriage, there is a believer and an unbeliever. And in this situation, Paul taught that it was better for the believer to stay married for the spiritual sake of the unbelieving spouse and any children. But if the unbeliever sought divorce and deserted the believing spouse, then the believer should allow the unbelieving spouse to leave. But if the unbelieving spouse wants to remain married, the believing spouse should not pursue divorce.

So here’s the bottom line to the question, “Are there biblical grounds for divorce?” I believe the only biblical grounds for divorce is adultery or divorce by an unbelieving spouse. And even with adultery, I believe it’s permissible but not preferable. I truly believe that the heart of Jesus always calls us ultimately to be like Him, and that includes a radical willingness to forgive. I know many of you are asking are there any other exceptions. I would pastorally address this on a case-by-case basis. Some of you are thinking about or have experienced an abusive spouse… physically or emotionally. I would pastorally have to hear more about the circumstances and situation surrounding this before I could make a pastoral, biblical, and theological recommendation.

Q#3: What about remarriage? (vv. 10-11)

I think that this is the most difficult part of the passage and the message. In the passage, after Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees is over, He and the disciples have a private conversation about remarriage.

vv. 10-12. If a husband or a wife divorces their spouse on unbiblical grounds, then Jesus says they cannot remarry. If they marry, they are committing adultery because technically they are still biblically married to their former spouse because they cannot dissolve the marriage covenant on unbiblical grounds.

If we believe that the only permissible grounds for divorce is adultery or divorce by an unbelieving spouse, then the implication is that the only permissible opportunity for remarriage is for one who has been the victim of adultery or one whose unbelieving spouse has left them. If your spouse has committed adultery and it ultimately results in divorce or if your unbelieving spouse has left you, then I believe it’s okay for you to get remarried. And here’s another case in which I believe the Bible allows remarriage. If your spouse divorces you, even on unbiblical grounds, and they get remarried, they have committed adultery. They divorced you on unbiblical grounds. So technically and theologically, you were still married. And if they got remarried, I am going to assume they consummated that marriage, and therefore committed adultery. The marriage covenant is broken, and you are now allowed to get remarried.

So that leaves the intense, personal, and painful question about all the other people who were divorced on potentially unbiblical grounds and then remarried.  Let me be as pastoral, loving, and caring as I can possibly be when I say this. I have to ground what I am saying in what God’s Word says. If you divorced your spouse on unbiblical grounds, seek forgiveness from God. That’s the starting place for anything in our lives, which is contrary to God’s heart. Also, seek reconciliation with your former spouse. If you are remarried or they are remarried, that doesn’t mean restoration of your previous marriage, because God doesn’t expect your new marriage to end in divorce to restore your previous marriage. But if there is lingering pain and offense that you caused and you haven’t dealt with it, you need to. If neither of you are remarried, is there a possibility of restoration and reconciliation?  If so, pursue it to that end. Get help from a pastor or biblically based, Christian marriage counselor to help you walk this journey.

Conclusion

Back to the original, overarching question: What if God designed marriage to make us more holy than happy? God has designed marriage to make us more holy than happy. And as I titled this message “Life Lab,” I believe there is not other earthly relationship that has the potential to help us live, love, and look more like Jesus. So we start by asking Jesus to help us in our marriage. We start with realizing that we need Him desperately if we are going to have a successful, thriving marriage.

At Northshore, we love helping to cultivate loving, thriving marriages. One opportunity that you have to grow and pursue a deeper, life-giving, life-transforming marriage is through a new marriage elective we are offering called The Art of Marriage. Here’s a short video that gives you a taste of what you’ll experience in The Art of Marriage.

YouTube Preview Image

Here’s the schedule for The Art of Marriage at Northshore. Check “Grow” on our website for more information.

  • Married with or without kids under 12 years old
    Sundays 8:45am starting February 6, Room 212
  • Married with teens (POTS)
    Sundays 8:45am starting February 13, Room 141
  • All Marrieds Wednesdays 7:00pm starting February 16.
  • Young Marrieds without kids or expecting
    Thursdays 7:30pm starting February 17

If you’re interested in any of the “Art of Marriage” classes or need some help in your marriage, please contact Pastor Wayne Phillips (waynep@nsb.org).

What if God designed marriage to make us more holy than happy?


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