10 Money Principles

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The following post is part of our Treasure Hunting series. Find out more about our Treasure Hunting series here.

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To help you in your biblical understanding of money and possessions, we've outlined 10 money principles (that are more about your heart than your money). Each principle comes complete with scripture references to study.

1. Jesus gives status, comfort, and security--money does not. Money is fool's gold that utterly fails to meet those deepest needs. (Ecclesiastes 5:10; Matt. 6:25; Luke 12:15)
2. Nothing I have is truly mine. Everything belongs to God. Everything I possess has been given to me by God for me to manage. When I use God's resources inappropriately, I am embezzling (1 Chron. 29:11-12, 16; Deut. 8:17-18; Psalm 89:11)
3. My money reveals what my heart loves. My budget is a fool-proof sign for what I value most in life. (Matt. 6:19-21; Luke 12:33-34)
4. I can’t take it with me. Neither money nor possessions will matter after death--I am just traveling through earth on my way to heaven. (Matt. 6:19-21; Luke 12:13-21)
5. My budget starts with being rich towards God. That is my first expense, before I determine what else I will do. (Prov. 3:9-10; Neh. 10:35; Matt. 6:33)
6. Tithing & generosity are natural responses to grace. Though tithing is not a specific New Testament command (other than a reference by Jesus), God's people after Jesus should be more generous than God's people before Jesus. 10% is the minimum generosity level for a New Testament believer (apart from special circumstances). Midtown members commit to supporting God's mission in our church family through tithing. (Psalm 112:5; Mal. 3:8-10; Matt. 23:23; 1 John 3:17)
7. If I am unable to be generous without going into debt, I need to rearrange my life and budget. Except for seasons of unusual need, generosity should be incorporated into my normal budget (Prov. 11:24; Prov. 21:26; Luke 6:38; 1 Timothy 6:17-19)
8. God wants me to enjoy the gifts He gives me. Like a good father, He is pleased when I enjoy His gifts and worship Him as the giver. (Matt. 7:11; Rom 1:21; 1 Tim. 6:17; James 1:17)
9. It is wise to save for expenses that will come up later. Thinking ahead and saving for purchases is wiser than going into debt for purchases. (Gen. 21:25-27; Prov. 6:6-8; Prov. 13:16; Prov. 21:20; Prov. 22:7; Psalm 37:21)
10. In Christ I have all the riches I'll ever need. Contentment is what Jesus produces in me--not the desire for more. (Phil. 4:11-13; Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:9-11; Matt. 6:25-34; 1 Tim. 6:8)

Being Rich Towards God

The following post is a follow-up from this last Sunday's sermon, "The Longest Term Investment." Listen to the sermon

here

, and find out more about our Treasure Hunting series

here

.

In Luke 12:13-21, Jesus doesn’t call the rich man who bought extra storage units built bigger barns wicked. Jesus calls him a fool. And Jesus diagnoses that his problem is that he wasn’t rich towards God.

Being rich towards God is not a moral act we do. It’s a way of being. It’s an attitude and a posture where our hearts see God, consider what He’s doing in the world, and gladly move our money, possessions and energy in His direction. Being rich towards God is being wise with our money so we aren’t constantly in financial chaos. Being rich towards God is guarding ourselves from the traps of selfishness, greed and materialism. Being rich towards God is generosity with our possessions to help others have their needs met. Being rich towards God is leveraging our money, homes and energy toward mission as we help others take next steps toward Jesus.

In all of these aspects, Jesus is our perfect substitute and example.

None of us is clean when it comes to financial sin. I’m not. You’re not. We are a lot like the rich fool in Luke 12. We are excessively rich toward ourselves. We spend on our needs and wants without hesitation; on both basic necessities and on lavish luxuries. We are greedy. We take and accumulate for ourselves with little concern for other’s needs. We consistently fall into the trap that money and possessions can deliver the good life to us, and so we constantly hunger for more. But in the cross, Jesus became our greed. He became our selfishness. He became our materialism and our money idolatry in the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus paid our financial sin debt so that we could be free from the punishment we deserve for our stinginess.

Jesus succeeded in every way the rich man (and we) failed.

Rather than store up all of His wealth for Himself, Jesus gave it away. Rather than be rich towards Himself, Jesus was incredibly rich toward God. In all of history, He is the single richest-toward-God human being who has ever lived. Jesus never failed to see God or consider what God’s doing in the world. In His every waking moment, Jesus turned His life in the direction of God’s mission. He sacrificed His health, His riches in heaven, His material comfort, His high status, His power and position and He literally gave Himself up for us.

By Jesus’ richness toward God, we are saved. By His richness toward God, we are forgiven. By His richness toward God, we are washed clean. By His richness toward God, we are healed. By His richness toward God, we are set free. By His singular act of generosity in the cross, we are credited with His perfect generosity. By His poverty, we have been made spiritually rich. (2 Cor. 8:9)

And now in Jesus, we can become rich toward God like He is. We can live sacrificial and generous lives like He did. We can grow to become God’s kids who look like He does.

Jesus, help us to be wise and generous as we give more of our riches away. Amen.

Instagram Quote #1 TH

Treasure Hunting by the Numbers

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Statistically speaking, America is in a world of financial hurt. We mentioned some of these statistics on Sunday (you can listen here), but we wanted to summarize the stats and give you a numerical picture of how bad the situation really is:

• Average American credit card debt = $7,073
• Ignoring people with no credit card debt, the average increases to = $15,162
• In total, American consumers owe: $846.2 billion in credit card debt.
• In total, American consumers owe: $11.25 trillion in all types of debt.
• This includes credit cards, mortgages, student loans, etc (source).
• In total, as of June 3, 2012 the US outstanding national debt is $16.75 trillion (source).
• Total personal and public debt in American is: $28 trillion.
• Storage unit revenues for 2011 in America were $22.45 billion (source).
• America is $28 trillion in debt and we own so much stuff that we spend an extra $22.45 billion for additional storage space over and above what our homes can handle.
• “Financial issues are the primary reason for 90% of divorce cases I handle,” - John Thyden, prominent Washington, D.C., divorce attorney (source).
• A study by the American Psychological Association in 2004 found that 73% of Americans listed money as the single largest cause of stress in their lives (source).

Fortunately, we are not left alone to deal with our stress. Financial wisdom is not neglected by the Bible, nor is it even a small Biblical topic.

• Money is mentioned 2 times more than Heaven and Hell combined.
• Money is mentioned 3 times more than love.
• Money is mentioned 7 times more than prayer.
• Money is mentioned in 17 of Jesus’ 38 parables.
• 15% of Jesus’ recorded words are related to money.
• 2,350 verses in the bible mention Money.

So let’s go treasure hunting. There is too much at stake, and Jesus has too much wisdom, freedom and life to give for us to ignore Him in our finances.

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Sources: U.S. National Debt Clock, Natural Wellness, Good Housekeeping, National Christian Foundation of Indiana

Outlier* E-Book

[button label="Get the e-book here" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Outlier_Ebook_Final_Version_Transparent.pdf" shape="default"]

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On March 10 we begin our new series Outlier*. During the series we will be investigating Jesus' life together as a church. Because no other person has had as wide an influence of Jesus on history, no other person is as worthy of study as Jesus. Our LifeGroups will be synced up with the sermons throughout the series.

As a way to assist in the study, we've published an e-book as a companion to the series. The e-book follows along with the series week-by-week, but also provides exhaustive extra resources and material to help you and your LifeGroup dig deeper into the life of Jesus.

A couple things worth knowing about the e-book:

• Easy-access links. Whenever you see a word underlined in red, the text acts as a link, taking you online to sources, online bibles, and additional information. Just clicking on the link in the PDF will take you to the browser on your mobile device or computer to find out more about what you're reading.
• Interactive discussion questions. While you can print off the e-book to fill in your answers to the discussion questions, most computers will allow you to type your answers directly into the PDF. (Note: interactive questions may not work on some mobile devices.)
• Charts and graphs. We've included some tongue-in-cheek charts at the end of each chapter to help show all the ways in which Jesus was the greatest Outlier* who ever lived.
• Just add community. The e-book was written and published with our LifeGroups in mind. If you're not in a LifeGroup, you'll miss a lot of what the series and e-book has to offer. If you'd like to sign up for a LifeGroup, do that here.

[button label="Ready? Download the e-book here" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Outlier_Ebook_Final_Version_Transparent.pdf" shape="default"]

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Text Us Any Question About Jesus

On March 10, we'll take a break from Galatians to study the life of Jesus for 4 weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, in a series called Outlier. Here's the question we're seeking to answer: how did a middle-eastern homeless man undeniably alter human history? The life of Jesus was fairly simple; he never married, never had kids, never wrote a book, and never traveled more than a few hundred miles from his hometown. Yet somehow, he has influenced, impacted and changed the course of history forever. Jesus is an outlier; a simple man with seemingly disproportional influence. Regardless of what you personally believe about him, his impact on the world is unmatched by any other figure in history.

We'll take the series to study four different aspects of Jesus life:

• He came.
• He lived.
• He died.
• He rose.

Our desire in this series is to be as helpful as possible. We won't just talk about Jesus theologically, but also historically. Who do people say Jesus is? Who did Jesus say he is? Who do you say he is?

Which leads us to ask you: what questions do you have about Jesus? What have you been dying to know about Jesus but never wanted to ask? Do you have questions about his virgin birth? Do you have questions about his life and ministry? Do you have questions about his relationship with his disciples or how he interacted with women he was friends with? Do you want to know what he looked like? Do you have questions about the reliability of scripture that mentions him?

We assure you, no question is off-limits, and we'll take time to answer as many as we can during the series.

Here's how to text in your questions:

Text OUTLIER followed by your question, to the number 411-247.

College Students: Join us in Miami?

Each year, we take our college students to a major U.S. city to love and serve the people there during spring break. We announced this Sunday that this year we'll be heading to Miami, Florida. Take a look at the reveal video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEQFwjNCUDc&feature=plcp

[button label="Ready to sign up? Click here" link="http://www.midtowncolumbia.com/miami" shape="default"]

Easter Gathering 2012

Each year for Easter, we gather to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. In 2012, we gathered at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center to celebrate the resurrection through baptisms. Below you will find the audio of the sermon that preceded those baptisms. [seriesengine_wo  enmse_dss=23 enmse_r=1 enmse_sort=1]

Porn Sunday at the Gathering

This Sunday, we'll be talking porn at all of our Gatherings. Why devote an entire sermon to discussing porn? Frankly, because our culture is obsessed and saturated with it. In 2006, US porn revenues  were more than the revenues of professional football, baseball, and basketball franchises combined. 90% of children between ages 8 and 16 have viewed porn on the internet, and 12% of all websites are pornographic. And the stereotype that porn is only an issue for men is blatantly incorrect. A full one third of women admit to intentionally accessing internet porn and 1 in 6 women admit to "struggling with an addiction to pornography."

We assume that because we're a church, most people know that we'll say porn is bad. So we're more interested in talking about why it's bad. We'll discuss the effects of porn physically, physiologically, spiritually, and relationally.

Here's some questions we'll answer:

• Isn't porn harmless?
• How does porn affect a marriage?
• How does porn affect the brain?
• What does the bible say about porn?

We hope you'll join us this week at the Gathering as we discuss what no one wants to say about porn and what to do about it.

[button label="View Gathering times & locations" link="http://www.midtowncolumbia.com/gatherings" shape="default"]

Sermon Recap | Sexual Healing

For those of you who missed the sermon on Sunday, or couldn't get enough of the sermon on Sunday, here's a recap of the sermon, "Servant Lovers." This sermon is part of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want. Intro Video

http://vimeo.com/52380889

Tweetables

"In life, pastoral ministry, and in the life of our church, almost nothing brings shame like sexual sin does." http://ow.ly/ePDwq

"Because sex is such a beautiful invention from God, sin can distort it into one of the most damaging weapons." http://ow.ly/ePDC1

"Shame is the hangover of sexual sin." http://ow.ly/ePDEN

"Sexual sin is always rooted in selfishness. Taking and consuming rather than giving and serving." http://ow.ly/ePDHs

"Jesus didn't just die for our sin. He also was killed as an innocent victim on the cross to bear all of our shame." http://ow.ly/ePDUk

"Your sin and the sin against you does not define you. It does not have the last word on your identity. Jesus does." http://ow.ly/ePE9M

Listen to the Sermon

Want to listen to the sermon? Check the links below:

[button label="Download Devine Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10282012_Devine_Alan.mp3" shape="default"]

[button label="Download Main Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10282012_Main_Luda.mp3" shape="default"]

SB2013 Blind Sign-Up

Each year on Spring Break, we head to a major U.S. city to love and serve the people, churches, and organizations there. In the past we've traveled to Chicago, D.C., Boston, Philly, & New York City. On November 4, we'll be revealing the top-secret location this year. But before we do that, we wanted to feature a special offer for those of you who are convinced that you want to go on the trip, and want to save some cash by signing up early. So here's the deal:

The first 75 students who sign up for this year's spring break mission trip will save $30 on their registration price.*

You heard us right. If you trust us enough to be willing to go to whatever city we pick, you can sign up before knowing the location, and only pay $239. The full registration price after the first 75 people sign up will be $269.

*You can secure the early bird rate of $239 by paying the full amount now, or by just paying your $99 deposit now. You don't have to pay the balance until the beginning of 2013.

Ready to go all in?

[button label="Sign up for SB2013 here" link="https://midtowncolumbia.ccbchurch.com/w_form_response.php?form_id=301" shape="default"]

Sermon Recap | Sermon Lovers

For those of you who missed the sermon on Sunday, or couldn't get enough of the sermon on Sunday, here's a recap of the sermon, "Servant Lovers." This sermon is part of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want. Intro Video

http://vimeo.com/51915380

Tweetables

"The bible is probably more comfortable talking about sex than most of us are." ow.ly/eE0Lp

"Almost everybody knows God's rules about sex, but almost nobody knows the glorious reasons that he has them." ow.ly/eE0NZ

"Sex is a physical picture of the marriage covenant that communicates 'all of me belongs to all of you, forever." ow.ly/eE0Q8

"Since sex is a picture of oneness, sex outside of marriage is not just wrong, it's a lie." ow.ly/eE0Su

"Sex is the physical expression of the covenant of marriage." ow.ly/eE0TT

"Sex is a picture that points to the union between Christ and his Church in heaven." ow.ly/eE0Vp

"Sin is always the problem in sex. You don't primarily need better technique. You need Jesus." ow.ly/eE0X2

"Until Jesus is in view and we see our need for him, we can't even see the goodness that sex was meant to be." ow.ly/eE0Y5

Listen to the Sermon

Want to listen to the sermon? Check the links below:

[button label="Download Devine Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10212012_Devine_Adam.mp3" shape="default"]

[button label="Download Main Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10212012_Main_Jon.mp3" shape="default"]

Let's Talk about Sex | The Next 3 Weeks

In the next three weeks of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want, we'll be talking about the subject of sex in various capacities. This Sunday will be on the topic of Servant Lovers, where we'll discuss how selflessness factors in to a healthy sex life in marriage. Next Sunday, we'll be talking about how to deal with sexual sin and sexual assault. And the third week, we'll discuss the realities of pornography and what to do about it. For more information about each week, check our series page. We wanted to prepare people for these weeks, since sex is not something that is discussed with a great deal of honesty in the church at large. We also wanted to take some time and answer some questions you might have about those weeks:

Why take three weeks to talk about sex?

First of all, because the bible has lots to say on the topic. Second of all, because sex is an important part of marriage. So to do a marriage series that didn't talk about sex would be a little silly. And thirdly, because our culture has a lot to say about sex. Things are being communicated about sex through movies, music, and in daily conversations, so it's important that we bring a biblical perspective to see what Jesus and the Bible have to say on the subject.

Will the content be unsafe for children to hear?

We will be talking candidly about sex during all three weeks. We won't be crude, but we will be honest and direct. What you allow your kids to hear is ultimately your choice as a parent. We offer Kidtown for kids 5th grade and under during our 9:00am, 11:15am, and 5:00pm Gatherings. If you're uncomfortable with your kid attending one of these weeks, you can take them to Kidtown. If your child is in middle school and you're uncomfortable with them hearing about sex, we would suggest that they probably already have heard about it. So having them hear a biblical perspective on things may actually be extremely helpful.

What if I'm single?

A lot of single people dread hearing sermons about sex, because generally speaking, there's less to apply. We would encourage single people to attend all three weeks. The last two weeks on sexual sin/assault and porn will be just as applicable to single people as they are to married people. This coming week on sex within marriage is simply important because everyone has a perspective on sex and it's purpose, so seeing what the Bible says about it is a good idea for single people and married people alike.

Want an idea of what we'll be talking about? Listen to "Sex," a sermon from our series, God, Sex & Romance, from a couple years ago.

Sermon Recap | The Only Reason a Marriage Fails

For those of you who missed the sermon on Sunday, or couldn't get enough of the sermon on Sunday, here's a recap of the sermon, "The Only Reason a Marriage Fails." This sermon is part of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want. Intro Video

http://vimeo.com/51442123

Tweetables

"Sin is the only reason a marriage fails. Sin enters the relationship, and people don't know what to do with it." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"Adam blame-shifted his sin in the garden, and spouses have been blame-shifting their sin ever since." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"Apart from Jesus, you will either take revenge on other people's sin or sweep it under the rug. Neither one helps." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"The cross of Jesus allows us to take sin seriously, while still extending forgiveness and grace." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"A sinful response to sin is still sin." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"Your spouse doesn't make you sin; they only expose the sin that was already there." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"When you own your sin and treat it as the primary problem in your marriage, conflict starts melting away." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

"You do damage to your marriage and confuse your spouse if you only confess sin and never repent of it." http://bit.ly/OEPjiY

Listen to the Sermon

Want to listen to the sermon? Check the links below:

[button label="Download Devine Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10142012_Devine_Adam.mp3" shape="default"]

[button label="Download Main Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10142012_Main_Alan.mp3" shape="default"]

Sermon Recap | Love the One You're With

For those of you who missed the sermon on Sunday, or couldn't get enough of the sermon on Sunday, here's a recap of tweetables from the sermon, "Love the One You're With." This sermon is part of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want. Intro Video

http://vimeo.com/50987401

Tweetables

"Stop focusing so much on finding the right person, and start focusing on being the right person." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"Warning: you are not ANYONE'S fantasy spouse. So quit looking for your fantasy spouse." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"God doesn't give Adam options to choose from. He gives Adam a spouse." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"Your spouse is your standard. Love the one you're with." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"There has to be room in your marriage for your spouse to have weakness." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"Jesus loves you right now. Not future, when-you-get-it-together you. But right now, despite-all-your-weaknesses you." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

"To love the one you're with, you have to grasp--not just know--the love Christ has for you." http://bit.ly/OieO9n

Listen to the Sermon

Want to listen to the sermon? Check the links below:

[button label="Download Devine Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10072012_Devine_Adam.mp3" shape="default"]

[button label="Download Main Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/10072012_Main_Jon.mp3" shape="default"]

Move to Main Video

http://vimeo.com/50706001  

[button label="Gathering Times & Locations" link="http://www.midtowncolumbia.com/gatherings" shape="default"] [button label="Directions to Main Street" link="http://goo.gl/maps/LEjxz" shape="default"]

Sermon Recap | What Your Annoying Aunt Doesn't Realize

For those of you who missed the sermon on Sunday, or couldn't get enough of the sermon on Sunday, here's a recap of tweetables from the sermon, "What Your Annoying Aunt Doesn't Realize." This sermon is part of our series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want. Intro Video

http://vimeo.com/50531751

Tweetables

"We are all designed to put the gospel on display. Whether you're married or single, you have an opportunity to do that." #marriage

"Don't just ask if you should be married or single. Ask WHY you want to be married or single." #marriage

"People look to marriage to answer the question 'does anyone want me?' In the cross, that question has already been answered."#marriage

"Our identity is not in our earthly family. Our identity is in being a part of God's family. So marriage is optional." #marriage

"Whether you're single or married, a spouse doesn't complete you. Jesus does." #marriage

Listen to the Sermon Want to listen to the sermon? Check the links below:

[button label="Download Devine Street Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/09302012_Devine_Alan.mp3" shape="default"]

[button label="Download Earlewood Audio" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/sermons/09302012_Earlewood_John.mp3" shape="default"]

Li'l Help Please

Family: We have a fantastic problem: a lot of people come to our Gatherings. In particular, a lot of people come to our 7:00pm Gathering at Devine Street. We've always had a lot of college students coming around, and 7:00pm tends to be the most optimal time for college students to attend. The reason that it's a problem is that we have limited seats at that Gathering. The past few weeks, we've had anywhere from 10-30 more people than we have seats.

So here's what we want to ask of you: if you normally attend the 7:00pm Gathering at Devine Street, please consider attending the new 5:00pm at Main Street. Our new Main Street Campus opens this Sunday, and for the first time in a long time, we have room to grow. But in case you're still hesitant, here's 4 reasons you should attend Main Street this week:

1. It's closer to campus. As I mentioned earlier, our 7:00pm is largely made up of college students. If you're a USC student, our new Main Street Campus is actually closer to campus for you. Google Maps lists the trip to Devine Street as a 7 minute drive, while the drive to Main Street is a 4 minute drive. Get to the Gathering faster by going to Main Street.
2. The building is beautiful. We have seriously been blown away by how incredible the Main Street building is. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you look at the photos or take the video tour.
3. Opening up seats is missional. If the 7:00pm Gathering is our most popular service, then you going to Main Street could be opening up a seat for someone who needs to hear about Jesus. You going to Main Street may be more effective for the kingdom than you realize.
4. Grab dinner with people afterwards. Attending an earlier Gathering frees you up to grab dinner with people you meet at the Gathering, or go to the Gathering with. As we mentioned in Party Jesus, meals are great opportunities to build relationships with people. A 5:00pm Gathering makes going to dinner afterwards and inviting people to go with you a more natural thing to do.

Some of you still don't want to go to Main Street because your friends don't go there. Good news: go to Main Street, and bring all your friends there with you. That would help even more!

Thanks in advance for helping us open more seats at a more ideal time so that we can together reach more people for Jesus. You can always find all our Gathering times and locations on our Gathering page.

For Jesus' Glory, Adam Gibson Devine Street Campus Pastor

Parking at Devine Street

Our parking situation at our Devine Street Campus is a little unique. Because of the amount of people attending our Gatherings, and the limited amount of spaces behind our building, parking is graciously provided by local businesses in the area. In an effort to keep your car from getting towed, and in order to love our neighbors well, we drew a map to help you know where to park for our Devine Street Campus.

[button label="View the map here" link="http://goo.gl/maps/p0l4m" shape="default"]

Want to sign up to help our family park at Devine Street? Sign up here.

5 Ways a Marriage Series is Helpful for Single People

In our city and in our church family, the probability that you are not married is as good if not better than the probability that you are married.  Those who are single in college, single out of college, single living at home, lifelong singles, divorced, widows, and those dealing with same sex attraction make up a majority of our urban community. We want to make a few things extremely clear:  Our decision to do a series on marriage is in no way an attempt to make you feel unloved, ostracized, excluded, or out of place in our church family.  Your marital status does not dictate your identity or your value.  A wedding is not graduation into a more valid status of life.  Marriage is not heaven.  It’s not our hope for the good life.  Jesus is.

At the same time, marriage is a gift (Proverbs 18:28) and throughout the Scriptures, God uses marriage as an incredible picture of the gospel. So, for a number of reasons we are excited to see God use this series to sanctify our entire church family, including those who are married and those who are not (a.k.a. you).

“How?!  In what ways can I possibly grow from a ten-week series on marriage when I’m not married?  It doesn’t apply to me!  You guys must hate me and don’t care about me!”  That is simply not the case.  Here are five ways this series applies to you:

1. Understanding marriage helps you understand the gospel. The marriage relationship is used over and over throughout the Bible to describe Christ’s relationship to the church.  What that means is that whether you are married or not, properly understanding God’s design and intentions for marriage helps you understand how Jesus loves, leads, forgives and walks in relationship with His bride, the church.
2. Understanding marriage helps you understand other relationships. Marriage is the first human relationship that God ever invented.  As such, it serves a specific role in informing all of our relationships.  Marriage is a microcosm stage where the friendship, tensions, conflicts and reconciliations we experience in all of our relationship gets played out on a daily basis and in extraordinary ways.
3. Understanding marriage helps you interact with married people. Whether you are married or not, you are likely to either already have or to have in the future close friendships with people who are married.  Understanding, studying and praying about what God and His Scripture have to say about marriage allows you to interact with married people (neighbors, parents, coworkers) in an informed and helpful way.  It’s interesting here to note that much of the teaching about marriage that we’ll be looking at comes from Paul and Jesus, neither of whom was married.
4. Understanding marriage helps you live on mission. Marriage is one of the most prevalent and clear pictures of how we live in a good world gone bad.  Broken marriages are in the news.  It’s in the tabloids.  It’s in our family histories.  It’s in our personal histories.  And no one believes that the brokenness of marriage in our society is how it was designed to work.  Everyone knows that marriage has been skewed since sin entered the world, whether or not they would use those words to explain it. So, the more you understand how Jesus loves to repair broken marriages, the more equipped you are to offer a uniquely Jesus-centered and hopeful position to the people in our city.
5. Understanding marriage equips you in the event that you get married.  We intentionally left the most obvious reason for last.  Statistics show that some 87% of all people will be married at some point in their lives.  That’s almost nine out of every ten people. Some have accused the church of rounding this number up and treating it like one hundred percent.  We don’t want to do that.  But we also don’t want to fail to prepare and equip the 87% of people who will statistically get married.  So if you turn out to be one of the 87% of people who get married at some point in the future, we hope this series goes a long way to equip you now in terms of preparation.  If you are single and turn out to be part of the 13% who don’t get married, refer back to reasons 1 through 4.

(This post was adapted from the Campaign Resource Guide)

Campaign Resource Guide

(Update 9/7/12: The PDF has been updated to include editable fields in place of blanks.) As we gear up for our new sermon series, A Marriage You'd Actually Want, our desire is for the series to be as helpful as possible, especially to the LifeGroups of our church.

As a resource to our LifeGroup leaders and members, we've published a Campaign Resource Guide to help learn and apply the teaching from the series. The guide walks through additional content for each week and includes discussion questions for you to discuss with your group, whether you're single or married.

Want to begin preparing you and your LifeGroup for the series?

[button label="Download the Campaign Resource Guide" link="http://midtowncolumbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/AMYAW_LGBook_Editable.pdf" shape="default"]