Couples In Christ

As the gospel transforms your marriage it will transform the hearts of your children. How you love, serve, and reconcile to each other is a glimpse -- a foresha...dowing -- of how Jesus loves them. Your actions and visible heart change speaks a thousand times louder than any sermon they will ever hear or understand. And by God's grace, they will respond by placing their trust in Christ. There are countless ways that the gospel transforms and bears fruit in marriage. Here are a few. 1.) The gospel disarms pride. In Christ, all are sinners saved by radical grace. This levels the playing field and produces genuine gratitude that says, "how dare I hold their sin against them, when Christ hasn't held mine against me?" This realization allows you to approach each other with grace and love in order to be reconciled -- even when it's difficult. 2.) The gospel is unconditional love. You are saved, not because of anything you've done, but because of what Christ has done. There is nothing you can do to earn it, and no sin too powerful to nullify it. Marriage is similar: when two imperfect people spend their lives together, conflict will happen. But the marriage covenant binds you together while the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit continues - -while you both grow. Covenant love always looks for ways forward, never for ways out. 3.) The gospel makes your identity secure. When you know who you are in Christ, everything changes. Your security is no longer dependant on anything or anyone that can fail. Instead, your peace, hope, joy, and satisfaction are secure for eternity. Security in Christ will birth surprising confidence and selflessness that seem ridiculous. The only explanation is Jesus. Remember: your marriage is the gospel you are preaching to your children. Their faith doesn't ultimately depend on you (only God changes hearts), but your marriage can put them face to face with a living, breathing example of the beauty and wonder of the gospel. Stay fierce, Ryan & Selena #fiercemarriage #twoasone #love

As men, it's so tempting to chase career goals before family goals. Society applauds financial success and positional prominence. However, if those things come ...at the cost of loving your wife and kids well, something is terribly amiss. As a man, your first calling is to love Christ. Your next calling is to love your bride, then your children. Finally, you're called to love others in Christ's name by perpetuating the message of the gospel through discipleship. Somewhere below those callings, you're called to steward your resources (time, energy, talent, money) well as if unto God. So many times, we men tend to flip those priorities around for all the wrong reasons. I'm urging you to not fall into that trap. Wisdom has told us time and time again not to chase vain pursuits. Seek to understand, chase the Gospel. Psalm 49:20 reads, "Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish." I believe this means that aside from an understanding of God, His goodness, His purposes, and the Gospel, we are men in form but we exist as animals. We live, we survive, and we die. Those are strong words, but for good reason! Life is short, don't waste it pursuing worthless things. I hope you're reminded of this just as I am, and you're urged to keep your priorities in line according to God's word. Stay fierce, men. Lead and love well. Ryan Note: this could apply to ladies as well, but I just wanted to share something I had on my heart for other guys!

Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, Why? It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. The man who hates and divorces his wife, says the Lord, the God of Israel, does violence to the one he should protect, says the Lord Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful. Malachi 2:13-16 NIV