1 + 1 = ONE (Why Marriage Matters) - Grace Church on the Mount

Pt.7 - ONE is a Whole number (Singleness & Dating)

February 22, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • 1 Corinthians 7:25–38

We are in part 7 – the conclusion – of our series. We begin today with the reading of one of the most puzzling passages in the NT. At least on the surface of it. WHO ARE WE ADDRESSING TODAY? This is for those of you who feel pressured to get married because everyone else is getting married as well as those of you who are deep ambivalence (terribly mixed feelings) towards marriage.

Pt.6 - Headship & Submission

February 15, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Ephesians 5:22–25, Genesis 1, Genesis 2

Marriage is important for a couple of reasons. It’s about the gospel. You will not fully appreciate the gospel without a deep appreciation for marriage. Paul says in Eph 5:32 that marriage is a mega-mystery that is a portrait of Christ and His Church. Building durable marriages is also one of our strategic pillars. Regardless of your marital status, in the church you are in community with people who are married. God reveals Himself in the union of a husband and wife. God has ordained that husband and wife operate in different but complementary roles.

Pt.5 - Basic Skills

February 8, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Ephesians 4:15

I said several wks ago that you don’t initially know the person you marry. You only think you do. When we fall in love we do so with an idealized fantasy of who that person is. It comes with a euphoria that eventually fades, and we become aware of traits that we previously failed to notice. We think to ourselves, “He (or she) is not the person I married.” It dawns on us that a durable marriage will require time and effort. And we will need to master certain skills.

Pt.4 - The Ultimate Goal of Marriage

February 1, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Ephesians 5:25–33, Genesis 1, Genesis 2

“The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”” (Genesis 2:18, NIV) The word “helper” doesn’t merely refer to an “assistant”. It describes a defender, someone who “has your back.” (Of the 80 times it’s used in the OT, it most of the time refers to military assistance.) God has intended a husband and wife to be both defender and friend.

Pt.3 - Marriage for Life

January 25, 2015 • Pastor Armin Sommer & Aimee Huber

Today we need to address the Bible’s teaching that ONE of the purposes of marriage is to provide for the raising and nurture of children. The hand of God sometimes prevents couples from experiencing the joy of a child’s birth. God also calls some to adopt a child who might otherwise die prior to term. Marriage is not just for love. It’s for Life. Married or unmarried, the Church supports you in a decision to carry every unborn child to term. And if you at some point have experienced an abortion, our desire is to help you find healing from that experience. (Preached with Aimee Huber, director of 1st Choice Pregnancy center, Morristown.)

Pt.2 - What's Love Got to do With It?

January 18, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Ephesians 5:28–31

I have heard people disparage the marriage license, saying, “We love each other and don’t need a piece of paper to prove it.” But does that reveal a high view of love… or something lower? Love has a lot to do with it… But it takes more than love to make a durable marriage.

Pt.1 - The Mysterious Math of Marriage

January 11, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Ephesians 5:21–33

This relationship series is for those who long to someday be married and others who view marriage with deep ambivalence, even cynicism. This series is for married people who would appreciate some tools to help “maximize” their marriage, and those whose honeymoon ended long ago with a hollow thud. Both will discover that though romance and falling in love is easy, staying in love and sustaining marriage requires regular maintenance.