Genesis 21:8-21
A Dysfunctional Family
Abraham's family fractures when Sarah forces Hagar and Ishmael from camp, revealing how sin creates lasting discord. Yet God remains faithful, ensuring His purposes are accomplished despite human failures.
Proverbs 20:7 · Proverbs 22:15
Proverbs
Children
This sermon examines biblical principles for raising children through discipline and for children honoring their parents, emphasizing consistency, physical training when appropriate, listening to parents, avoiding disrespect, and choosing worthy companions.
Ephesians 6:1-9 · Ephesians 5:21-33
Ephesians
Children and Parents
This sermon examines how followers of Jesus approach the relationships between children and parents, emphasizing obedience rooted in honoring Christ and parental leadership focused on nurturing children in God's ways rather than wielding authority for its own sake.
Genesis 24
Abraham
Choosing a Mate
This sermon examines Genesis 24 to offer practical guidance for parents and teens on selecting a marriage partner, emphasizing family values, the distinction between emotional feelings and committed love, and the importance of prayer in finding a spouse.
Family Retreat
Families leave lasting legacies through intentional traditions and practices that reflect God's love. Without purpose, we risk passing on unintended values to our children and communities.
1 Peter 3:1-7
Peter epistles
Harmony in the Home
This sermon examines how submission and respect in the home—rooted in Christ's example—quiet unbelievers and strengthen believers' relationships with God, emphasizing inner beauty over outward appearance.
Malachi 2:10-16
Malachi
Malachi: Prophet of Faithfulness
This sermon examines God's intensity regarding marriage through Malachi's rebuke of covenant-breaking. It calls believers to understand marriage as a sacred covenant modeled on God's faithfulness, rejecting the illusion of greener grass and recommitting to spiritual leadership within families.
Proverbs 5:15-20 · Proverbs 7:6-23
Marriage
This sermon examines Proverbs' teaching on marriage, emphasizing that both husbands and wives are called to serve one another, honor God, and find meaning in raising children who fear the Lord.
Titus 2 · Proverbs 31
Matriarchs of the Family
This sermon encourages mothers by affirming their vital role and addressing what they truly need: genuine appreciation, shared household responsibilities, and mentorship from experienced women. Rather than creating guilt through unrealistic comparisons, the sermon celebrates the profound impact of godly mothers.
Colossians 3:18-4:1
Colossians
Mom, Dad, and the Kids
God establishes clear, realistic expectations for family relationships. Wives and husbands are called to mutual sacrifice—wives through voluntary submission, husbands through self-giving love—while children obey their parents and parents nurture them with compassion rather than discouragement.
Genesis 2:18-25 · Matthew 25
Myths of Marriage
This sermon examines three common myths about marriage—that problems are someone else's fault, that good marriages should be easy, and that we shouldn't have to change—and contrasts them with biblical truths about responsibility, hard work, and mutual transformation.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Parenting with Purpose
Good parenting requires intentional time and purposeful conversation that connects daily life to faith, helping children understand and love God as their parents do.
Patriarchs of the Family
This sermon encourages fathers to recognize their vital role in the family, understand their purpose in passing down faith to future generations, and express love to their children while receiving appreciation from their spouses.
Genesis 37 · 2 Samuel 13:18
Playing Favorites
This sermon examines how parental favoritism creates family dysfunction and sibling rivalry, using Joseph's story to reveal God's providence working through human sin and deception to accomplish his purposes.
Job 1:4-5 · Genesis 24:12-15
Prayer for Family
This devotional explores biblical models of family prayer—for spiritual development, future spouses, gratitude, protection, and restoration—inviting believers to intercede specifically for their loved ones' spiritual health and well-being.
1 Kings 21:1-29 · Leviticus 25:23-28
Selling Your Soul
This sermon examines Ahab's covetousness and murder of Naboth, showing how sin's true price far exceeds its apparent gain. Believers must choose obedience, select spouses who strengthen faith, and resist sin's crouching door.
Ephesians 5:21-33
Ephesians
Serving in Marriage
This sermon examines mutual submission and service in marriage as rooted in Christ's example, arguing that changing selfish attitudes—not seeking escape routes—enables spouses to serve and submit to each other for God's glory.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 · Genesis 2
Sexuality
This sermon examines the biblical view of sexuality, warning against sexual immorality while affirming sexuality as God's good gift within marriage. Christians are called to honor God through sexual purity.
1 Thessalonians 2:10-12
Step Up!
Fathers are called to actively shepherd their children through encouragement, comfort, and insistence on godly standards, not to delegate this responsibility to mothers or remain on the sideline.
Genesis 48:1-20 · Genesis 49:1-28
The Blessings
Jacob's blessings of his sons demonstrate the importance of giving appropriate encouragement to the next generation and learning to release the past. Each generation needs affirmation from those older, and true blessing speaks truthfully about both promise and responsibility.
Isaiah 6 · Exodus 3
Family
The Holiness of God
This sermon examines God's holiness as revealed in Isaiah 6 and shows how believers are called to reflect that holiness in their family relationships, beginning with the recognition that Christ is the full revelation of God's holy character.
Matthew 5:27-37 · Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Sermon on the Mount
The King's Children Keep Promises
Jesus calls his followers to internal transformation—guarding hearts from lust, honoring marriage covenants, and speaking truth without needing oaths—because the King's children reflect the covenant-keeping nature of their Father.
Titus 2:3-5
The Ministry of Motherhood
Motherhood is a sacred ministry where mothers shape their children's faith and character. Though imperfect and overwhelmed by competing demands, mothers profoundly influence their children's love for God and ability to honor Him throughout their lives.
Colossians 3:18-4:1
Colossians
The New Person In Your Home
This sermon examines how believers transformed by Christ should live out their relationships—as spouses, parents, and children—by embodying Jesus's love, submission, and mutual care in the home.
Song of Solomon 1:2 · Song of Solomon 1:5
The Song of Songs
This sermon challenges allegorical readings of Song of Solomon to show that the text celebrates sexuality as God's good gift within marriage—a beautiful, mutual, exclusive, and multidimensional expression of devoted love between husband and wife.
2 Samuel 13-14 · 2 Samuel 12:10-11
Trouble at Home
David's sin with Bathsheba and Uriah produces a harvest of dysfunction in his family—sexual assault, murder, and exile—demonstrating that we inevitably reap what we sow, both in parenting and in our choices.
Genesis 2:20-25 · Song of Solomon 1:2
A Theology of Sex
This sermon examines how sexual intimacy within marriage reveals God's holiness and reflects the spiritual union between Christ and the church, calling believers to see sex as a covenant expression and spiritual demonstration rather than merely physical pleasure.
Matthew 20:20-28
Grandville
Communication
Poor communication in marriage is a symptom of deeper trust issues, not the root problem. Couples must address the underlying lack of trust and commitment to service rather than control, learning to speak directly and listen actively.
Grandville
Conflict
This sermon examines how conflict in marriage is inevitable but manageable through understanding underlying fears, avoiding blame-shifting, and choosing words that reassure rather than wound.
Genesis 2 · 2 Samuel 5:1
Covenant
Covenant of Marriage
This sermon examines marriage as a covenant relationship grounded in Genesis, challenging romantic idealism with biblical realism. Listeners are called to choose gratitude, forgiveness, and intentional connection over criticism and busyness.
Genesis 2-3 · John 8:1-11
Grandville
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the key to healthy families and relationships. This sermon explores why forgiveness is difficult, what Jesus teaches through the woman caught in adultery, and how to practice forgiveness as a reflection of God's grace toward us.
Ephesians 6:1-3 · Colossians 3:20
God's Desire for Children
This sermon examines God's command for children to obey their parents as an expression of faith and maturity. Obedience demonstrates submission to God's will, requires thinking beyond immediate circumstances, and honors parents as a lifelong calling.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 2:24
God's Desire for Husbands
This sermon examines God's call for husbands to lead through sacrificial love modeled on Christ's love for the church, emphasizing servant leadership that nourishes, protects, and spiritually directs rather than dominates.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 2:24
Family
God's Desire for Marriage
Marriage is a covenant reflecting the relationship between Christ and the church, calling husbands and wives to mutual submission, loyalty, and holiness as they honor one another as God's gift.
1 Corinthians 12:14-20 · Ephesians 3
I Shouldn't Have to Change
This sermon exposes the lie that we don't need to change and that others are the problem, calling believers to celebrate differences as God-ordained strengths that build unity in marriage and the church.
1 Corinthians 7:25-31 · Genesis 2:15
Lies
Marriage Is Supposed to Be Easy
This sermon examines the cultural lie that marriage should be easy, arguing instead that difficulty in marriage reflects the post-sin world and serves as a means for spouses to sharpen and help each other overcome their deficiencies.
Recommended Books
A curated list of resources on marriage, relationships, and family life from Christian authors and publishers.
John 14:1-4
Grandville
The Last Marriage
Jesus uses wedding language and Jewish marriage customs to assure disciples of eternal life and his faithful return, calling believers to ready themselves as a bride for her groom.
Genesis 3:17-19 · Genesis 2:15
Family 2 Men
The Man God Wants
God created men with purpose, responsibility, and the courage to protect and lead. Today's men must balance gentleness with determination, accepting their created role to tend, guard, and rule for God's honor.
Ephesians 5:18-24 · 1 Corinthians 7
Family
The Wife God Wants
God calls wives to submit to their husbands as an act of spiritual obedience rooted in being filled with the Spirit, not cultural expectation. This counter-cultural practice, grounded in relationship to Christ, reflects God's light in the home.
Ephesians 6:4 · Ephesians 5:18
Family
What God Wants In a Father
God calls fathers to nurture and train their children in his ways through present, patient investment—not domination or emotional provocation. Fathers build spiritual foundations through time, consistency, and intentional involvement.
Ephesians 6:1-9
Ephesians
Household
Paul instructs children to obey their parents and fathers to nurture their children in the Lord's ways, grounding family relationships in Christ rather than worldly authority.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Ezekiel 16:8-14
Ephesians
Submission and Love
This sermon examines how the marriage relationship between husbands and wives reflects the spiritual intimacy of Christ and the Church, calling believers to mutual submission and sacrificial love as signs of being filled with the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:1-7 · 1 Peter 2:17
1 Peter
The New Hope in Marriage
Peter calls believers to mutual submission and respect in marriage—wives and husbands alike—as a counterculture witness to unbelieving spouses and a reflection of Christ's humble sacrifice.
Genesis 2:20-25 · Genesis 2:24
Basics
Why Did God Create Sex?
God created sex with purpose and intent as a celebration of the marriage covenant. Sexual intimacy within marriage expresses both the covenant commitment between spouses and the spiritual relationship between Christ and the church, calling couples to mutual acceptance and honor.
1 Corinthians 7:25-40
1 Corinthians
Devoted to God
Whether married or single, believers are called to dedicate themselves to honoring God with undivided loyalty, recognizing both relational statuses as valid gifts from God in a temporary world.
1 Corinthians 7:1-24 · 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
1 Corinthians
Marriage Questions
Paul addresses Corinthian questions about marriage, singleness, and mixed-faith unions, establishing that spiritual status is not determined by physical or marital condition but by obedience to God's commands and faithful service in one's current circumstances.
Genesis 21:8-21
Genesis
A Divided Family
Sin creates long-lasting family discord, yet God's purposes prevail despite human failure. When we pursue our desires against God's will, we bring disharmony to ourselves and others—but God remains sovereign over all circumstances.
Ephesians 6:1-3 · Colossians 3:20
God's Desire for Children
This sermon addresses God's call for children to obey their parents as an expression of faith, explaining that obedience demonstrates maturity in faith and produces long-term wisdom for life.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 2:24
God's Intention for Marriage
Marriage is a covenant relationship that mirrors Christ's relationship with the church, calling spouses to mutual submission, loyalty, and honor as a spiritual reflection of divine love.
Exodus 34:4-8 · Genesis 3
God's Intention for the Family
God's Intention for the Family -- Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the key to family harmony. This sermon examines three elements of biblical forgiveness—relinquishing rights, clear communication, and unconditional love—and calls believers to mirror God's grace toward one another.
Malachi 2:10-16
Malachi
Respect for Marriage
Marriage is a covenant binding two people at all costs, not a casual agreement to be discarded when circumstances change. God calls believers to keep their marriage promises and lead their families toward him.
Genesis 33:1-20 · Genesis 32:8
Reunion
This sermon examines Jacob and Esau's reunion to explore how guilt can prevent us from accepting forgiveness. True reconciliation requires both parties to extend and accept grace, modeling God's merciful forgiveness.
Ephesians 6:1-9
Ephesians
Household
This sermon explores biblical instruction for households—children obeying parents and parents nurturing children—within first-century Roman culture, calling believers to honor Christ through family relationships.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Ezekiel 16:8-14
Ephesians
Submission and Love
This sermon examines how the marital relationship between husband and wife reflects the spiritual intimacy between Christ and the church, calling Spirit-filled husbands to sacrificial love and wives to respectful submission as demonstrations of their devotion to God.
Proverbs 20:7 · Proverbs 13:24
Proverbs
Children
This sermon explores biblical principles for raising children and honoring parents, emphasizing parental discipline rooted in integrity and love, and children's responsibility to listen to and respect their parents.
Proverbs 8:34-35 · Proverbs 18:22
Proverbs
Marriage
God's wisdom for marriage teaches that a godly spouse is a blessing to be valued and protected, while a critical, quarrelsome spouse causes spiritual decay; Christians are called to see their spouse as God's gift and choose to build up rather than tear down.
Ephesians 6:1-3 · Colossians 3:20
Family
God's Desire for Children
This sermon examines God's command for children to obey their parents as a mark of spiritual maturity and faith. Children are called to honor parents consistently throughout life, recognizing that obedience pleases God and demonstrates submission to His will.
Proverbs 4:20-24 · Proverbs 12:18
Family
God's Desire for Communication
God calls families to communicate with respect and care—listening closely, speaking directly and kindly, and treasuring one another's words as gifts rather than dismissing them.
Exodus 34:4-8 · Genesis 3
Family
God's Desire for Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the key to family harmony. This sermon examines three essential elements of forgiveness—relinquishing rights, clear communication about sin, and offering love without guarantee of return—and calls believers to forgive as Jesus forgave.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 3
Family
God's Desire for Husbands
Husbands are called to love their wives sacrificially, reflecting Christ's love for the church—not through authoritarian rule but through servant leadership that nourishes, protects, and spiritually directs the family.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 2:24
Family
God's Desire for Marriage
Marriage reflects the covenant relationship between Christ and the church. Spouses are called to mutual submission, loyalty, and honor—treating marriage as a sacred mystery that reveals God's design for intimacy and oneness.
2 Timothy 3:14-16 · 2 Timothy 1:5
Family
God's Desire for Mothers
Mothers fulfill God's desire by intentionally teaching their children Scripture from infancy, comforting them with compassion, and eventually releasing them to live their own faith.
Genesis 2:20-25 · Song of Songs 2:1
Family
God's Desire for Sexual Union
God created sex as a covenant act that reveals his holiness and his character. Sexual intimacy within marriage, rooted in mutual acceptance and vows, demonstrates spiritual truth and honors God's design.
Ephesians 5:21-33 · Genesis 2:24
Family
God's Desire for Sexual Union, Part 2
Sexual union within marriage reflects the intimate relationship between Christ and the church, transforming sex from mere physical pleasure into a spiritual demonstration of God's covenant and oneness.