Crosstalk: August 15, 2019

Jim opened this edition of Crosstalk with this question: How is your marriage?  

He came across a quote recently in a commentary from the late Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe.  He said, ‘Success in marriage involves much more than finding the right mate. It also requires being the right mate.’ 

Do you know how to be the right mate?  Is your marriage spirit-filled? What does it mean to have a spirit-filled marriage?  Is it truly attainable?

Joining Jim to analyze these critical questions was Susan Heck.  Susan has been involved with women’s ministries for around 4 decades, including teaching Bible studies, counseling, and heading up the Ladies with the Master women’s ministry at Grace Community Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where her husband is the pastor.  Susan is a certified counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and is the author of the ‘With the Master Bible Study Series’ which are designed for ladies. 

When Susan looks at the state of Christian homes and marriages today compared to those of non-Christians, what does she see?  Unfortunately she doesn’t see much difference. The breakdown of the Christian family concerns her very much along with the way that the world has come in and molded the ideas of men and women as to what marriage should be.

She believe the Christian family is under attack.  Young women are listening to their peers on social media instead of going back to the biblical model where Paul tells us that older women are to teach younger women how to love their husbands.  

Susan also placed some blame on pastors that have vacated God’s Word and are no longer preaching the Bible.  She described the preaching philosophy of many pastors today as ‘2 points and a poem.’

Many Crosstalk listeners are familiar with Ephesians 5:21-33 which is often quoted during marriage ceremonies.  However, Susan indicated that there is no way that a husband or wife can live out those verses without first living out chapters 1-4.  Since those earlier chapters don’t mention marriage, what does she mean by that?

The short answer is ‘doctrine before duty.’  So Susan has laid out not only 13 doctrines that guide a spirit-filled marriage but also precepts that grow that same kind of marriage.  This broadcast didn’t get to all of them, but the rest you can research by taking advantage of the special offer listed below.