Every church needs some monsters.

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Every church needs some monsters. I’m not talking about carnal Christians, I’m talking about people who love God with such an intense passion that they will fight for what they believe in. I’m talking about people who don’t care about what odds are against them because that’s just numbers, and that’s God’s business anyway!”
(from from The Way Of The Warrior)

Graham Cooke

I think the biggest enemy in the church is not the devil.

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I think the biggest enemy in the church is not the devil. It’s our own passivity to the majesty of the Lord Jesus. At some point the Good News becomes okay news and Christianity is no longer life changing but merely life enhancing. If Jesus doesn’t change people into radicals anymore, just nice people, then the church becomes dull, predictable, and monotonous. Dullness is the absence of brightness in our soul. Sometimes I think that sin is not necessarily immorality or selfishness. Sometimes it just means we live drab, colorless, stale, and unimaginative lives before God.

(from The Practice Of Delight)

Graham Cooke

Steven Furtick: God has not changed his mind about your final destination.

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“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the world preaching the Gospel. While I certainly appreciate the privilege, I’m a pretty uptight traveler…especially when layovers are involved.

It’s like airport purgatory. While these layovers have tested my patience and have been a cause of frustration in my life, they’ve also taught me a valuable lesson.

They’ve taught me that a temporary stop to a journey — while inconvenient — doesn’t mean I won’t reach my destination. In fact, in all of my layover experiences, I’ve never been permanently stuck somewhere.

The layover is part of the process – and sometimes necessary to get you where you need to go.
If you’re experiencing a layover right now, you might as well get Starbucks and make the most of it!

God has not changed his mind about your final destination.

Your marriage is the gospel you are preaching to your children.

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https://m.facebook.com/fiercemarriage/photos/a.127999030700220.27749.113102895523167/853788864787896/?type=3

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 foreshadowing — 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