Scripture thought for the week:
…First, is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly-but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality-the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting-but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence – only providing my best counsel if you should choose them. Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me-a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. 1 Corinthians 7:1.-7 (MSG)
Dear Friend,
You may have heard the story of the night we gave our lives to Christ (in the back seat of a Ford Fiesta 🙂 and determined that we would now promise to abstain from sex until our wedding day. Scott determined that a short engagement would be best 🙂 Four months after our decision to follow Jesus Christ we were married. We have lived sexually pure for almost 3 decades now and God has blessed our marriage more than we could have asked for or imagined! We have very strong convictions concerning healthy sexuality and look forward to sharing them with you. God’s ways rule!
Still, we know that healthy sexuality is not everyone’s story. Believe us; we have heard more tragic and unfulfilled sex stories than we can count. Stories of breakup and divorce that have left people feeling like healing and sexual purity will never be theirs. Others have stories of one relationship after another adding to the sexual dysfunction of their lives.
Gratefully, we also know stories of healing that would blow you away! Jesus is the giver of sex and the healer of dysfunctional and broken sex for singles and married couples. Some people are walking testimonies of God’s grace and healing after sexual brokenness in their marriage. Their lives are proof of God’s power to restore to a “better-than-the-original” condition when people surrender to His ways. Thank God for His indescribable gift.
This Sunday we will be talking about the God-given sexuality of men and women, both single and married. We will talk about the way God has wired us that will give you abundant life and keep you out or get you out of the tragedy zone.
The Bible has a lot to say about sex. In fact the Author of Sexuality wrote this book, wired you sexually, and knows how to make your life everything you desire it to be. We want to help you grow and so…
For Married Couples:
* On Friday, July 25, we have a Marriage Tailgate party to give married couples ways to explore and discover the God given gifts for married couples.
* Marriage mentors available for those who need support (click here)
* Pastoral direction to help assess those in more difficult situations (click here)
* And our dear friend Dr. Sharon Morris May will be in Michigan during August working with couples who need more intense work. (Click here for Dr. Sharon)
* Recommended reading resources below.
One thing we know for sure is that couples who invest in their marriage…get what they pay for!
For Singles and Married Couples, ministries are available to help you grow as a follower of Christ:
* Celebrate Recovery (including sexual recovery)
* Divorce Recovery
* A Man’s Road
* Ladies Only
* Millenials (18-30 group)
* And many Life Groups to help you grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (click here for a list)
If you need more individual specific help, pastoral direction and assessment, click here. For professional counseling, click here. What you invest into your spiritual journey will pay great dividends!
We are trusting God this will be a season in all of our lives to live in God’s best design for our sexuality.
Living Pure and Loving It,
Scott & Clare
Click here to watch the 60 second commercial for the Money, Sex and Power series*, mymoneysexpower.com.
*The “Money, Sex and Power” series is designed for PG-13 audiences. Toddlers through 6th graders are invited to join in our C.R. AdventureKiDs “Fiesta del Verano” (Summer Party) during the 10:45 am service. (Childcare is not provided during our 9 am service.)
©2008 Scott & Clare Loughrige