FACING YOUR FEARS

“Facing Your Fear of Marital Failure”

Pastor Duane Cross | 11.23.14

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” - 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity... No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” - Romans 8:35,37 (NLT)

STEP  #1. I must put Christ at the center of my life and marriage.

   “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:12a

STEP  #2.  I must invest time/energy in maintaining and enriching my marriage. 

"... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these other virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” - Colossians 3:12-14

“Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and truth.” - 1 John 3:18

• Work on communication
• Edify (10:1)
• Encourage
• Date

         and

• Forgiveness
• Expect the best
• Endure the hard times
• Dare to be other-centered

STEP #3.  I must change my focus from me to you.

“When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.” - Philippians 2:3-4

“In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing...” - Philippians 2:5-7

STEP #4. I must persevere through my marital problems.

1. We believe every conflict, past, present, or future, has a solution.

     2.  We will get help fast when a problem threatens our marriage.

     3.  We will actively move toward Christ, and toward each other.