The Voice of Hope

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7-9, 15-25 The Genesis record makes it clear that the creation of man was God’s crowning work. No other part of the created world had the distinction of being created “in the image of God.” At the conclusion of Genesis chapter one, we’re told; “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was VERY good.” In our study of the human family, we must ask ourselves a very b...

Genesis 1:26-28 ,  2:18-25

Genesis 1:26-28 ,  2:18-25 So, let’s review the three purposes for marriage that we’ve looked at so far. They are sanctification, illustration, and procreation. What I want to do now is look these in a broader way and show you how they are connected and how each of them impacts the others. We began our study a few weeks ago by acknowledging that there are millions of pages of Christian literature...

Genesis 1:26-28, 2:18-25 In this portion of our study, we’ll continue looking at Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:18-25 to focus on a third, important purpose for marriage. I’ll begin by reading Genesis 1:26-28. A Third PURPOSE for Marriage is, Procreation Notice with me that IMMEDIATELY following the creation of man and woman God BLESSED them! In the Old Testament the concept of God’s blessing [ bar...

Genesis 1:26-28 ,  2:18-25 An Additional PURPOSE of Marriage is, Illustration An illustration is something that is used to define or describe a particular point of teaching. Illustrations often use tangible, concrete things to express intangible or abstract ideas. An illustration can be “a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality.” Pastor John Piper believes that one of the primary purposes of marria...

Colossians 4:7-18 In the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, Germany, was a family with 18 children. The father was a goldsmith and worked almost many hours a day at his trade and then at any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood to provide for his large family. Despite their seemingly hopeless economic condition, two of the children had a dream. They both wanted to...

Colossians 4:2-6 How important are words in our human experience? Is that a foolish question? Think about it. God spoke words to create the world and He used words to communicate with the beings He created in His image. Because we are made in God’s image we too can communicate with words. And God referred to His Son, Jesus, as the Word, the logos . This Word, Jesus, was sent to us to show us the p...

Colossians 3:18-4:1 Have you ever asked yourself why you do things the way you do? You and I have predictable responses to certain experiences we face in life. This doesn’t mean our response isn’t genuine, it just means it’s customary, even reflexive. For example, I have friend who was raised in the southern part of the United States. Whenever I converse with him, if I ask him a question, his init...

Colossians 3:15-17 “Live life to the fullest” is a common phrase today. But what does it mean? That depends on whom you ask. The Dali Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said, “The purpose of our life is to be happy.” He thinks living life to the fullest means being happy. Most of the people in the world would probably agree with him. Maybe you would. After all, who wants an unhappy life? Indian...

Genesis 1:26-28, 2:18-25 A young, newlywed woman was preparing the first Thanksgiving Dinner since her marriage. As she was getting everything ready for Thanksgiving Day, she reminds herself to let the turkey finish thawing in the kitchen sink overnight. So, before she went to bed for the night, she placed the turkey in the sink and then placed an empty dish rack over it. About the time she’s doin...

Colossians 4:7-18 In the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, Germany, was a family with 18 children. The father was a goldsmith and worked almost many hours a day at his trade and then at any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood to provide for his large family. Despite their seemingly hopeless economic condition, two of the children had a dream. They both wanted to...

Colossians 4:2-6

Colossians 4:2-6 How important are words in our human experience? Is that a foolish question? Think about it. God spoke words to create the world and He used words to communicate with the beings He created in His image. Because we are made in God’s image we too can communicate with words. And God referred to His Son, Jesus, as the Word, the logos . This Word, Jesus, was sent to us to show us the p...

Colossians 3:18-4:1

Colossians 3:18-4:1 Have you ever asked yourself why you do things the way you do? You and I have predictable responses to certain experiences we face in life. This doesn’t mean our response isn’t genuine, it just means it’s customary, even reflexive. For example, I have friend who was raised in the southern part of the United States. Whenever I converse with him, if I ask him a question, his init...

Colossians 3:15-17

Colossians 3:15-17 “Live life to the fullest” is a common phrase today. But what does it mean? That depends on whom you ask. The Dali Lama, the leader of Tibetan Buddhism, said, “The purpose of our life is to be happy.” He thinks living life to the fullest means being happy. Most of the people in the world would probably agree with him. Maybe you would. After all, who wants an unhappy life? Indian...

Colossians 3:8-14

Colossians 3:8-14

Leviticus 9:22-10:7

Ephesians 2:1-10

In chemistry, there are certain elements that, when you mix them, they’ll just sit there; there’s no reaction, no change. But, if you introduce the proper catalyst, it reacts with the elements to create an entirely new substance. A catalyst is an agent of change. In our human experience, God’s grace is the catalyst for change. To continue the analogy, God and man are two separate elements. God is...