Deep Roots

The New Orleans Outreach had an awesome night this past Thursday in the Big Easy.  But there is nothing “EASY” about what our team of servants do.  They are extremely committed to a life of sharing themselves with others. And that’s a beautiful thing.   Evangelism and the sharing our faith is an essential part of our spiritual growth, and more important than that…it’s a commandment from God.  Most of us are familiar with the “Great Commission”.  I would summarize Matthew 28: 19-20 like this.  Jesus said to get off your butt and go tell people about me, and don’t worry because I got your back when you do it.  That’s exactly what they do.

Let’s talk a moment about my home garden.  Some of you have heard me make reference to my garden during past offering teachings at Covenant Church.  Currently I’m growing bell peppers (different varieties), yellow squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and watermelon.   The seeds I’ve planted will yield me a great harvest for several reasons.  

• I've planted my seed in good soil.  My soil has been tested and proven.
• I’ve watered my seeds, picked the weeds, and treated them for pest.
• I’m patient.  The seeds I’ve planted need time.  They know when to turn into a harvest.  And I don’t question the process.

Because I’ve done these things and more, my seeds will start to grow and the roots will get so deep and strong that they will have no choice but to produce an abundant harvest over and over again.

It is impoprtant for us to live our lives in a similar way.  God called me and my family to Covenant Church over nine years ago for several reasons.  He planted us there.  He knew then like he knows now that Covenant Church was good soil.  It was proven soil.  Since that time, we like you, have been faithful servants.  People have poured into our lives along the way.  God’s word has removed past scars from our lives, and as for the pest, he removed them too.  God was patient with us because he knew we needed time.  And time has deepened our roots to the point that our harvest has been continually coming in. And now, just like that garden of mine, we are bearing an abundant harvest of fruit. I share that with you because my prayer is that your roots are deep too.  That you are excited about what God has done and is still doing in your life. That you are bearing so much fruit that the characteristics of Christ is evident in your life daily.

How deep are your roots?  Can God use you where you are right now, or is He waiting for you to decide on where the two of you should meet.  You are here for a reason.  Stay connected and prepare for your harvest to manifest in your life.

Can We Talk

Think back for a moment when you first met your spouse. Or when you first laid eyes on someone special in your life. Remember how you would stay up all night talking and getting to know each other. Your number one goal was to get close and personal with that special person. And it did not matter how late or how long you were at it. As long as they were giving you some feedback everything was all good. You probably even talked so much you fell to sleep with the phone on your ear. Remember those days? When I first met Nicole I could not wait to talk to her. I wanted to know all there was to learn about her. And let me tell you, my rap was strong, and I poured out my heart. And whenever the response to what I said was good, my rap became more intense. You see, the more I learned Nicole, the more confident I became. And the more confident I became, the more I wanted to learn. And I certainly could not have learned more without opening up my heart to her. There was purpose behind my method. I knew I just couldn’t wish or expect her know my heart, my desires, and my wants. Now reflect for a moment on your relationship with God. The principle works the same way. Or at least in theory it should. In order to learn more about God, we have to talk to him with that same energy, it took to get that special girl or guy in our life. God to wants to know our heart, our desires, and our passions the same way that special person did.

So How Do We Talk To God?
Simply Through Prayer. And what is prayer? Prayer is communion with God. And so I don’t confuse you, I know that some people might say that prayer is talking to God. But prayer is more than that. Prayer is really “Talking WITH God”. For example, if Nicole and I go out to dinner, it would be downright ridiculous for me monopolize the conversation without entertaining a response from her. And in essence that’s what we sometimes do to God. We get on our knees and pour out our heart, and say Amen. Then we go on with our lives like nothing significant just happended. God desires more than that when we talk with Him. He wants to talk too. Imagine you get a collect call from a best friend that you haven’t heard from in years. And when you pick up the phone all you hear is man, I need help, I need $200.00 and I’m behind on my rent and, and can you send me a plane ticket to New Orleans, and, and, and….then the phone goes dead. Some folks treat God like that. They call Him up in the form of a prayer. They pour out there heart with requests after request, then they close the prayer with an AMEN. At no point did they stop to listen what God had to say.

Prayer is the most important aspect of a Christian’s life, and yet probably the most neglected of all. “The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy…” And the most prolific means the enemy uses to accomplish this task is by hindering our prayer life. Or using distractions to keep us from talking to God. Now let’s go back to our pursuit of that special person. It did not matter who, what, when, where, why, or how. If it got in the way of that pursuit, we shut it down. Nothing else mattered…we were in love. Some of us may have even lost family members, and close friends that may have threaten that relationship. No, I’m not suggesting that you leave your family or friends. What I am saying is that in order for us to start communicating/talking with God, we will have to get the “who, what, when, where, why and how” out of our way. THE DISTRACTIONS!

Jesus is our best example of how we should talk to God. …“in the morning, before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where He could be alone to pray” (Mark 1:35). Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7 not to worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. I’ll be honest with you. There was a time when talking to God or praying was just not a priority in my life. It wasn’t that I did not want to pray, I really did not know how to pray. And I certainly did not understand the magnitude prayer, or the lack thereof, would have on my life. When I first started to take pray serious, I would leave myself strategically placed notes to remind myself to pray. I purchased tapes and cd’s. And I just opened my mouth and started talking. I realized that God wasn’t looking for a bunch of mumbo jumbo from me. He did not want a scholar or a theologian type of prayer.  He just wanted to talk to His buddy Kenney.  He just wanted to have a conversation with me.

To Whom Do We Pray
How do we know that we are praying properly. Well there are a few conditions that must be met in order for our prayers to be effective.

• First, we have to know who we are praying to. This is summed up in John 16: 23,24 where Jesus says, “..you will ask the Father directly and he will grant your request because you use my name” Jesus knew this would be out of the norm for some because in verse 24 He states it again. “Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

• Secondly, we must stay connected to the vine. My pastor, Pastor Corey eloquently spoke on this subject on many occasions. We must abide or remain in Him before we can ask for anything. (John 15:7)

• Thirdly, we must see ourselves already walking in whatever it is we are believing for. (Mark 11:24)

• And last, but certainly not least, we must be confident that God will listens to us if we ask according to his will. (1 John 5:14,15)



What Exactly Is God’s Will
- God’s Word and God’s Will are identical. His will is His word. Ensure that whatever it is you are praying for or about is clearly lined up with God’s Word or His Will for your life.

The Role of Faith in Prayer
- You’ve probably heard the phrase.”Faith begins where the will of God is known”. So basically faith is literally taking God at His word. We have to remain confident. Hebrews 10:35,36 tells us to not throw away our confidence which brings us great reward. That we need endurance so that after we’ve done the will of God we will receive our promises.

- We must speak positive confessions of faith. We can’t sit down and commune with God and then turn around and speak negative confession statements. For example..Lord, I thank you for saving my children from the hands of the enemy. And later on the phone with your best friend you say, “Girlllll, I’m going to kill that boy, he ain’t going to ever get it right. You’ve just negated your prayer with God on that subject. Hebrews 10:23 says to hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

- For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Mark 11:23. Jesus emphasized the importance of what we say in this verse. The word “say” is listed four times and yet he only states believe once.

And of course none of this will work without “LOVE”

Answered Prayers
Are your prayers being answered? If not, perhaps you might want to evaluate whether or not you are in the will of God? Perhaps you might want to pray specifically to be in the will of God in your life, your desires, your location, your job, your service, etc. Ask God to speak to you and to guide you into His will. And be prepared to wait on His answer.

MAC

Loyalty

It’s been sometime since I’ve expressed my thoughts about some of the issues that are important to me. And since my last writing a lot has happen. Other than the BLESSINGS that I receive on a daily basis, life is simply amazing. I finally went back to school to pursue a Masters degree. My lovely wife works for an awesome ministry. And we were blessed with a 2003 Anniversary Edition Harley Road King. Nicole's new motto is "Live to Ride". I can't keep that girl out of the Harley store. Roy and Mary, thank you so much for your love and kindness and for giving Nicole and I another tool to sharpen our marriage and magnify God.

Although I’ve been extremely busy, I’ve had plenty of time to reflect and focus on the things that are important to me. e.g., My God, My Family, My Job etc…These and many other “My’s” are the life blood that keeps a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

I want to talk to you about a little word that's been on my heart for some time now.  And that word is "Loyalty" If you've been spending time in the word and or hearing from your pastor, then you should at least have a basic understanding of why you or someone you know may not be receiving the many benefits and gifts that God has promised us. One of the reasons for that Benefit deficiency could be your Loyalty. Or, the lack thereof. I believe that one of the greatest problems in life today is a lack of a deep sense of loyalty on the part of many Christians. One of the Pastors (Pastor Ben) at my church told a story of how when his kids are told to perform a task, they would say “Right A Way, All the way, With A Happy Heart".  I thought that was pretty cool. We could learn a lot from kids. I also believe that as Christians we can become complacent and forget to activate that little cool phrase in our daily lives.  And that little cool phrase can be the link to your Benefits.

Let's start with your job. Ask yourself, how loyal am I to my employer. Do I spend time complaining or whining about the leadership. Am I just there for the check? Or do I take responsibility for what I was called to do right now, and go out of my way to work hard for the team in spite of the circumstances around me. Do I simply put the team first.

Loyalty can be the glue that keeps a friendship from falling apart. It inspires trust and commitment in a marriage that’s destine to stand the test of time. Michael Jordon coined a great quote about loyalty. "The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace" Unfortunately Michael Jordon didn't follow his own rule. But, regardless of Mr. Jordan's failures in his marriage, the rules don't change. The game could be your job, your friends, your family, and yes, even your church. If you give it. You will receive it. It's conditional. Sounds familiar. Yeah, our Lord and savior plays by the same rules. If you do ........., then He'll do .........

Now just in case you are confused as to the meaning of the word Loyalty, I went to the Thesaurus and did a search of like (synonyms) words. They are: adherence, allegiance, ardor, bond, devotedness, devotion, duty, earnestness, faith, fidelity, homage, honesty, honor, integrity, obedience, patriotism, reliability, steadfastness, submission, support, trueness, trustworthiness, and zeal.  Whatever word you choose, the meaning stays the same. And so do the results.

So as we approach this new year, recommit yourself to God and pray for a new refreshing spirit in your marriage, with family and friends, and on your job. Take on new challenges and rededicate your life to doing greater deeds for others. Until my next writing, stay Blessed and go receive your Benefits.


**********************************************************************
Here is a helpful tool you can use to assist in honestly evaluating where you stand when it come to you loyalty.
1- Examine your heart and grade yourself on your loyalty in the following areas:
Your God _______
Your marriage _______
Your family _______
Your friendships _______
Your job _______
Your church _______
Assigned tasks _______

2- Look at where you rate yourself the weakest, and ask yourself the following questions:
A- Do you see your absence of loyalty as sin?
B- Do you see your absence of loyalty in any of these areas as an absence of commitment to Christ?
C- What steps can you take in the next two weeks to begin to deal with your lack of loyalty in these areas?
D- Ask God to sensitize your spirit, especially to your family, your employer, and the Body of Christ. Ask Him to give you His mind and His kind of loyalty. Thank Him in advance for doing so.

Choose Life

From the moment we rise in the morning until we lie down at the close of the day, we are barraged with dozens, sometimes hundreds of choices. What time to wake up in the morning, what to wear, breakfast, choices at work, lunch. Most of these choices are simple choices that require very little thought. Then there are the tough choices that require intellectual mental training.

In my line of work I come into contact with all types of individuals all day long. Men and women, young and old, and all ethnic backgrounds. During these interactions choices are constantly being made. Choices such as, do I write a citation, tow a vehicle, change a tire on the interstate, make an arrest. There are also times when I have to make some very tough choices. How to approach a vehicle or a person that I think may have deadly intentions is probably one of the most difficult choices I make. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I rely on my training, and my faith, because it is likely that I may have little time to stop and think about the choice.

As Christians we are also faced with some very tough choices. Like my job, some of these choices can lead to life or death. In Deuteronomy 30:19 God states "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live". God makes it plain and clear. He tells us in simple terms that we will have choices to make in our lives, then He graciously tells us how to choose and then why.

I’ve gotten a few spankings in my time, and I’m sure you can relate. And as a father I’ve had to unfortunately give out a few of those spankings. There’s no doubt that all of those spankings came with a warning label. “Bad Choices Lead To Spanking”.  Now, there were times when I might have deserved a spanking and instead received a good fussing. We call that Mercy. Regardless of the consequence, it was due to making a bad choice.

The natural consequences of our choices remain constant throughout our lives. For example, if you run a red light, God will forgive you of the sin for breaking the law. But, God allows the natural consequence of you receiving that ticket flow. Bad choice = Bad Consequence. Let’s take this to the other extreme. Same scenario, but running the red light is something you often habitually do and this time you strike and kill a pedestrian. You are still forgiven, however, the consequences become much more severe.

The same goes with every choice we make. From whether you should eat bacon or fruit for breakfast - to casually speaking or seductively flirting with the pretty women on your job. Sooner or later those choices will determine your consequences. Remember, no matter what choices we make today, they are ultimately creating our future because every choice that we make will either cause us to be blessed or cursed.

What about the impact to all those important people around you. Your spouse, children, the church, friends, co-workers, or your neighbors. Do the choices you make impact them? You better believe they do. And the consequences from your choices (good or bad) can be extremely rewarding or terribly devastating to them all. Christians must realize that it is our job to protect the church. If our goal is to be Christ- like then we have to be imitators of Christ. James 4: 17 says “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” God holds us accountable for everything we do. He especially expects us to protect those individuals He has placed in our path.

At a recent men’s meeting, my pastor shared with us some pointers about keeping our marriage strong and protected. One point he made was that men don’t always plan to have affairs, but more troubling is that they don’t plan not to have an affair. We (men) get complacent and allow the enemy to creep in. Making little bad choice along the way leaves the door open for the enemy to walk into our lives and wreak havoc on us. Whether it’s an affair, stealing, or some other form of addiction, we must plan not to make wrong choices. You will make a calculated mistake if you think you can sit back and just pray the enemy away. You must choose to prepare for battle. Choose to go on the offense. Recognize that your anointing is sacred and must be protected.

The choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the single most important choice you will ever make. One of the many benefits of choosing to accept Christ is the access you gain to His endless supply of weapons. With these weapons making the right choice becomes easy.

Friends, How Many Of Us Have Them

I bet if you gave it some serious thought you could probably think of three to five individuals in your lifetime that you’ve called your best friend. More than likely you haven’t seen or talked to that friend in years. I spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy and I’ve traveled all over the world. During those years I’ve had the pleasure of calling many of those Sailors I've traveled with my best friend. Typically after a 3-4 year tour, you and that best friend would vow to stay in touch and visit each other often. And so life continues. You write, call, and now days email each other as often as possible. Then comes that day. That day when the writing stops, the phone no longer rings and the emailing goes away. Why is that? What happens?

When I retired from the Navy I left making that same promise to two fine gentlemen that I am still personal friends with today. Bruce “BUC” Henry and Robert “Chris” Newton. I don’t get the chance to see Bruce or Chris as often as I like, but we stay in touch and I have an awesome relationship with these guys to this day.

In 2002 Nicole and I decided that it was time for us to step out in faith, leave our current church and start worshiping at Covenant Church. That was the turning point in our life, our marriage and our friendship. That move brought Nicole and I closer together spiritually. But it also drew us closer together as friends. Since worshipping at Covenant Church we've formed some extraordinary relationships. We also met Ronald and Pia Fortune. It’s difficult in this world for a man to find another like minded man that he can confide in and call a best friend. It’s also a beautiful thing when your wife can have that same type of friendship with that man's wife.

These are just a few examples of how three friendships of mine survive and flourish today. I can talk about many more great friends that I have on the job, in the community, and through my Christian family. I've been tremendously blessed with great friends in my life. The bottom line is we need friends in our life. We are social beings. Whether a best friend or just someone you frequently communicate with, we need these friends and the relationship they bring.

So what is true friendship? Jesus gave us the definition of a true friend in John 15: 13-15. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

There are plenty examples and scriptures in the bible that convey true friendship. Take the relationship between David and Saul's son Jonathan, who, in spite of his father Saul's pursuit of David and attempts to kill him, stood by his friend. 1 Samuel 18:3

- Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3

- If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:10

- A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24

Of course there can be a downside to friendship. Friends can hurt you emotionally. They can lead you into sin. What about the advice they give? It is extremely important that we choose our friends wisely. The person you may consider to be a good friend could easily keep you from experiencing all the benefits that God has for you.

1Cor. 15:33, says to not be deceived. "Bad company corrupts good morals." God's word says - evil friends, ungodly friends will corrupt you. Perhaps, you have already experienced this. God has called us to walk godly and keep from sin. Being a friend comes with tremendous responsibility. Perhaps you're a friend that needs to repent because you've been a poor influence on a Christian brother or sister. Maybe you need to apologize and ask forgiveness for being an ungodly friend. It could be a bad attitude or participating in the gossip game. You have a responsibility for what you know from God's Word. So be a godly influence on all your friends.

- A godly friend is going to warn you when he sees you going astray.

- A godly friend will really love you enough to point out your sin.

- A godly friend will be concerned about your walk with God.

- A godly friend will encourage you to be godly!

- A godly friend will encourage you to be faithful to God.

Remember this, your goal as a Christian is to become more and more like Jesus Christ. So choose friends that will help you toward that Goal.

Confront The Enemy

Let me first apologize for the absence in my postings. I want make any excuses because excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure. And God’s people don’t fail.

I woke up this morning feeling great. After a busy Friday and long work day on Saturday, I came home to a nice warm bath, ran compliments of my lovely wife. We played a board game (Life) with the kids and then went straight to bed. I finally got a chance to relax and get a full night of sleep. The opportunity to clear my mind of everyday life allowed me to make room to clearly hear from God.

My wife recently came to me and stated that she was considering closing her Facebook account. Nicole was never really in to Facebook. She started selling candles (by the way they smell great) and I encouraged her to try it. I told her that it might be a great way to start networking and get the word out about her candles. Reluctant at first, she tried it and has been online for about a year now. Today, she mostly uses it to keep track of the kids and has connected with many past and current friends from growing up and from her church family. So for her to tell me that she was considering closing the account was surprising. More surprising was her reason for wanting to close the account. It was due to some negative comments some folks had left about some friends of ours. You know the kind of comment I’m talking about. The ones people make that leave little clues about who the target is without saying there name. I basically told her that she should reconsider closing the account and here’s why.

I know some of you out there may have had to stand up for a friend and family member and go toe to toe with someone over it. Yeah, I’m talking about a fight. There may have been a time when you heard that the guy at school or work was making negative comments about someone in your family or a friend. If so, you probably would have confronted that person. Right! Well I believe that it’s about time for Christians to stop being wimps and cowards and start standing up to those folks who think they can make any comment they want without it being challenged. It’s time to get bold and courageous and start standing up to folks who leave comments that do not line up with the will of God. We have to confront them and call them out when they say things that are hurtful and wrong. Regardless of who they are. I am sick and tired of Christians sitting idly by while these cyber thugs write there hate allowing it to go unchecked.

On June 25, l962, 39 million students were forbidden to do what they and their predecessors had been doing since the founding of our nation – publicly calling upon the name of the God at the beginning of each school day. Our kids can no longer do that. Do you know why? It’s because Christians were lazy then and are still lazy today. In any survey you find you will see that almost 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christians. So you tell me how we can allow a politician to past any law that does not line up with God’s will. How prayer in schools can be deemed unconstitutional if that many folks call themselves Christians. It’s simply because Christians have given up there voice. Instead of standing tall and proclaiming God’s word, we hide behind passive religion, afraid to stand up. You here statements like—"I’ll just pray for them". Or, “I’m just going to walk in love and ignore them” Chritians have been ignoring the world for so long that they never realize the rights they are giving up until they are gone. We have to stop running and ignoring the fact that we are in a war and the only way to win this war is to engage the enemy. We have to confront those who use the internet (Facebook) as a tool to spread negative thoughts like a virus.

When someone leaves a comment that you know to be wrong, don’t be afraid to confront that person. Start by telling them I disagree with your comment and then tell them why. Before deleting that person from your account make an effort to teach them that what they are saying is wrong and why. Stop hiding behind passive religion and start standing up for God.

Remember the Great Commission. It is one of the most significant passages in the Bible. First, it's the last recorded personal instruction given by Jesus to His disciples. Second, it's a special calling from Jesus Christ to all His followers to take specific action while on this earth.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Study God’s word and know what He has commanded you to do. More importantly, know that He is with you. Don’t be afraid to confront and challenge those folks who use Facebook or any other avenue to spread hate and lies. If you turn away and not confront it, you join the rest of the so called Christians who have given up their voice.

Why Did I Get Married

If you’ve seen the movie “Why Did I Get Married” then you know the plot. If not, the films basic premise is about the difficulty of maintaining a solid marriage in modern times. Both movies were full of laughs and it certainly lived up to its purpose of entertaining its audience.
The unfortunate truth is marriage today has become more like a reality show. Talk show host from Dr. Phil, to Oprah Winfrey broadcast endless shows on divorce, cohabiting outside of marriage, and same sex marriage. There seems to be on a weekly basis some famous athlete or tv/movie star whose marriage or lack thereof is being paraded in the news. Just this past week it was announced that former Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper were divorcing after 40 years of marriage. “That’s a down right shame” Fortunately this a positive message, so I am proud to say that today is the founders of my church, Dr. Jesse and Cathy Duplantis 40th Anniversary. Read on to learn of the benefit package they are enjoying.

So, why did you get married? And if you are not married, why should you? I’m certain that you can do a Google search and find all kinds of reasons why you should never get married. Someone reading this may even be asking themselves the question, “Why Did I Get Married”? Through this writing my prayer is that you will discover, reaffirm, or confirm that despite what you see on television, in the news or at the movies, marriage is still a good thing. So let’s talk about some of those good things.
Marriage is a good idea:
Since the beginning of time man and woman have joined together. From the Garden of Eden until today, men along with their wives have created families, communities, and nations. They have received God’s blessing to “Be Fruitful and Multiply”. In Genesis 2:18 the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” The Hebrew translation for helper is “ezer”. But wouldn’t you know it, this is not the only translation. It also means strength. Another translation is to save or rescue. Often times we think of this verse to mean that God created woman to play a supportive role. Sort of like, you stand in the back ground until needed role. Genesis 2: 18 simply means that God has made woman (your wife) a power (or strength) corresponding or equal to man. God knew something that some men never figure out. That we as men can’t do it alone. We are stronger and wiser with our wives by our side. Equally making our families stronger, our communities more prosperous and forging a God-like bond that’s unbreakable to the enemy around us.
The Blessings of romance:
Have you ever taken the time to read the Song of Solomon. This guy had it figured out. Solomon talks about how marriage should be celebrated, enjoyed, and revered. There are five themes that are illustrated is his song: Sex, Love, Commitment, Beauty and Problems. Let’s briefly touch on them.
SEX - God wants sex to be motivated by love and mutual commitment. Sex should come with mutual pleasure not selfish enjoyment.
LOVE - In Chapter 8: 6,7 the girl states that love is strong as death; it can't be killed by time or disaster, and it cannot be purchased with any price, because it is freely given. (Also see 1 Corinthians 13 for a biblical meaning of love)
COMMITMENT - Lets think of marriage as a car. Washing the car keeps it pretty and makes you feel good. Changing the oil and routine maintenance keeps the car running. Well romance is like washing the car, while commitment is the oil that keeps the romance from dwindling away. Got it men.
BEAUTY - Our praise should not be limited to physical beauty; beautiful personality and moral purity should also be praised.
PROBLEMS - Now you didn’t think that the enemy was going to just sit back and let you enjoy all that loving and romance while all the time praising God. Did you? Go back to the car. Wash it, and change the oil. Take vacations together, communicate often, and cover your marriage. My pastor always talks about making a plan. Most Christian men never plan to let the enemy (in all its form) come into their marriage. However, men seldom forget to plan not to allow the enemy to come in. It's a battle. We as men have to fortify out marriage. Put up barriers. Purposely make an effort to protect your wife and marriage on a daily basis.

Marriage as a symbol of Christ and the Church
- Ephesians 5:21-31 is a well known scripture that really indicates the importance of Marriage to Christ. It speaks of submission which is an often misused word. In marriage both the husband and the wife are called to submit. For the wives it means the willingness to follow her husbands leadership in Christ. For the husband it means to put aside your own interest to care for and protect your wife. Husbands if you are not leading a godly principle life in every area of your life, then it becomes difficult for your wife to follow (submit) to your lead. In contrast, if you are, then I believe the teaching Paul is referring to will naturally occur. Paul’s teaching also speaks of risking your life to help or save your wife. Christ's love for the church is without limits, nothing is held back. He gave His life for the church - before you loved Him. His love does not depend on your love for Him. Under God's authority - love your wife as service--as giving your life to God.

Why did I get married? Look at all the benefits. We love our benefits don't we. Benefits are God's way of showering his folks with blessings. Marriage is a beautiful thing. I've been married to my lovely queen for 10 years. We have an awesome marriage that has garnered thousands upon thousands of blessings. I have to be honest with you, Nicole and I did not get married knowing about any of these blessings. I've missed a few oil changes along the way. Fortunately Nicole kind of got hip to the benefit package that God was offering married folks that were committed to His way. The only problem was we could not receive any of those benefits until I stepped up and figured out my part. God saw that I needed help and so he was gracious enough to place married couples in our path that were not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. And so here we are. Receiving the benefits. Those blessings.
Marriage is a great thing. If you are married and already receiving the package. Awesome- Seek out folks that need to know. If you are married and want these blessings- seek out someone that can show you how to receive them and stay in the word. If you are not married, now is the time. Don't wait. The benefits are awesome.