Sermon Series | The Family

1. Introduction. In our first week of Pastor Lane’s series “The Family,” we study five distinctive characteristics of a Christian family: designed by God, focused in Jesus, centered on the gospel, consumed with mission, and entrusted to reproduce. (February 1, 2009)
2. Biblical Manhood. This week in Pastor Lane’s “The Family” series, we study biblical manhood and what it means to be a man in light of the gospel. We look at two problems in today’s masculinity, three reference points for righting masculinity, and four practices of gospel-centered manhood. (February 8, 2009)
3. Biblical Womanhood. After spending one week examining biblical manhood, it’s time to look at biblical womanhood. In this sermon, Pastor Lane examines two feminist extremes, three reference points for biblical womanhood, and four practices of a biblical woman. (February 15, 2009)
4. Marriage Covenant. Four weeks into our family sermon series, we look at the marriage covenant. Because marriage was implemented before the fall, we know it was part of God’s perfect design. We’ll study three principle components of a biblical marriage covenant: suitable helpmate, becoming one, and naked without shame. (February 22, 2009)
5. Biblical Sex, Part I. After discussing the marriage covenant, it’s only natural to take a look at sex within the marriage covenant. In this sermon, we see that sex is God’s design, a gift from him. We also study the physical, emotional, and spiritual ramifications of sex within the biblical marriage. (March 1, 2009)
6. Biblical Sex, Part II. Too often the church engages in silence over biblical teaching regarding sex, but we need to build a strong community whereby those tough conversations can happen. This week we discuss giving ourselves to our spouses and fulfilling their needs over our own. (March 8, 2009)
7. Building Oneness. In our study of the marriage covenant, we look at how Christians should live a biblical marriage in their culture. In Ephesians 5, we see that headship of the husband and submission of the wife are God’s plan for marriage. (March 15, 2009)
8. Biblical Child-rearing, Part I. This week, we move from marriage to children in our study of the Christian family. As parents, our first goal is to raise godly children. Our second is to impress a love of God on our children’s hearts. (March 22, 2009)
9. Biblical Child-rearing, Part II. As we conclude our series on the family, we study the last two priorities of Christian parents: to orient their children’s lives to honor authority and to discipline for growth in godliness. Lastly, Pastor Lane addresses parenting questions raised by other LifePointers. (March 29, 2009)

Download all nine sermons (222 MB).

Jessen Family Plans for Summer in Peru

We received Kelly and Jenni Jessen’s quarterly newsletter today, and in it the Jessen’s shared what they’ve been up to in South America. Since SportReach’s partnership with e3, they are focusing more than ever on discipleship of new Christ-followers and are excited to see new churches planted. The entire family plans to be in Peru this summer. Download the Jessen’s newsletter (PDF) now…

Hauquitz Family Recovers From Trying Time, Needs Prayers

The Hauquitz family sent us their monthly newsletter from language school in Albertville, France, last week. Keep them in your prayers, as Bryn suffered a miscarriage this winter. Continue to pray for her health and heart as she continues in school and serves as wife and mom to Craig and Keenan. Craig and Bryn are impact partners with LifePoint who work with Campus Crusade for Christ. They are at language school for a year until they return to Cameroon, Africa, to continue Crusade work there. Download the Hauquitz’s March newsletter….

A Man’s War for Sexual Purity, Part III

Sexual purity demands that a man engage his heart, mind, and body in the battle. In part one, we looked at the heart and part two, the mind. In this article we will more fully consider the area of the body or flesh. There is no doubt that men are wired with an acute sensitivity to this realm. What we see and touch, or are touched by, triggers a rush that is comparable to a locomotive at top speed. If a man only fights his war on this battlefield, he will either experience great shame and condemnation from defeat or he will be frustrated by the relentless nature of temptation when legalisms he imposes upon himself do not fully relieve or satisfy the temptation. The heart and the mind are essential battles that must be engaged prior to and along with the battle in the body. While none of these battles are completely separate from one another, the man will never experience victory in the battle for the body if a priority is not given to the heart and the mind.

Three specific weapons are to be used in the body to fight for sexual purity. First Corinthians 9:27 teaches that there is a purpose for exercising discipline in the body, to accomplish a greater goal, live for a higher purpose, and not be disqualified. Men, we must exercise discipline in our lives in order to live for the higher purpose of God’s glory. The glory of God is the supreme priority of our lives. As Christian men we live on mission for God, to share the gospel, and make disciples. We should allow nothing to master our lives but to live for the full reward of God’s glory. Disciplines are the practical expression in the body of what consumes our heart and mind. They align our actions in the flesh with our knowledge of God’s truth and motivations of his glory. We willingly give up immediate pleasure for God’s eternal glory.

When we indulge in practices that feed our urges and temptations, we only weaken the motivations of our heart for God and believe the lies of the evil one instead of God’s truth. Love for God and knowledge of God is to be fully expressed in the body by the way we live every day. Build godly disciplines into your life to feed and guard your heart, mind, and body. Understand where and when temptations most attack you and flee from the things that create them as much as you can. Stand courageously against temptations, trusting God’s faithful provision for your purity.

A second essential weapon for sexual purity is not just to oppose attacks, but to practice a healthy sexual relationship in marriage. Your wife is your greatest guardian for purity in the body. Entrust yourself to her. Communicate to her your needs and temptations, so she can pray and provide for you in order to guard you. Consume your heart, mind, and body with her, so there will be no desire or room for another woman or image. Work to build a strong marriage relationship in every way, so she can be the one woman that makes you a pure man. A strong marital relationship is critical in winning the war for sexual purity. Many men believe the lie that sexual temptation will disappear when they get married, only to realize the battle will intensify if the marriage relationship is not strategically utilized to engage the battle. Your wife should become your standard of beauty in which you fully delight (Pro. 5:18-19). She should be your constant meditation of gratitude unto God in the midst of temptation. She alone must be your guard as you fully entrust yourself sexually to her. May she consume your every sense so that when temptation comes it only reminds you of her all-consuming beauty.

A single man that struggles with sexual temptation and sin must engage the battle without this immediate guard in the body. If passion and desires consume him, he should entrust himself to wise counsel and do the hard work of pursuing, winning, and marrying a woman. Learning to live in purity is not an unreal goal. It is a vision for godliness that every man must discipline himself and train for.

Community among godly men for encouragement and accountability serves as another great weapon in the battle. Men, married and single, should encourage one another in the war for purity. Bravery, strength, and courage multiplies and spreads among men who are focused and surrendered to a common mission. Men who live with pretense around other men only serve to make cowards out of other men. Men, fight the temptation to hide in your struggle. This will only weaken you in battle. When your battle causes you to cower in this way, it is no solace to have other men cower with you. Invite them into the battle by speaking honestly and openly, wisely and authentically, truthfully and humbly.

May God bless us and use us as we trust Jesus’ redeeming work within us.

A Man’s War for Sexual Purity, Part II

Sexual purity never happens without a battle. The battles are often intense and may or may not be known to most people. But, until a man engages the enemy and wages war to kill it, he will find no rest and no peace. Sexual temptation and immorality is not something to be managed. It must be slain. An aggressive strategy is the only hope for a man to experience victory. The war rages. It is not easy, but the gospel gives hope and promise of victory. The war for sexual purity must be strategically fought on three battlefields: the heart, the mind and the body. In part one, we looked at the heart. Next we engage the mind.

The mind is the second battlefield on which a man’s war for sexual purity must be engaged. The mind is the most active battlefield in this war because every attack from the enemy begins here. How a man prepares for and engages this battle will determine much of his effectiveness in experiencing victory. If a man’s heart is not set on godly purity, his mind will not have the weapons required to win this battle. This is why the mind is the second battlefield. Second Corinthians 10:3-5 teaches, “We are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” If a man embraces a knowledge, thought pattern, rationale, or wisdom of this world, he will never know victory over sexual lusts and temptations that attack his mind. As well, any measure of victory he may achieve in his own strength will only serve as condemnation under the next defeat.

The man who sets his heart on Christ is set on growing his knowledge of God’s Word and living by faith in light of God’s truth. This man builds a storehouse of weapons in his mind ready to engage the enemy. When attacks come, they are measured against the truth of God’s Word and found to be meaningless, hopeless, deceptive, and false. The principle activity of the mind is not to focus on the enemy’s attacks, but the light of God’s truth. Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is noble, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” A man’s mind must be consumed with the things of God. When he exercises his mind in this manner, it will not accept the deception of Satan’s attacks. The mind that trusts in God captures the lie presented and destroys them.

For example, when a man trusts that his wife is God’s suitable helpmate for him, his mind and heart is grateful to God for her. When confronted with a tempting thought or situation, instead of capturing that thought to linger on self-gratifyng measures, he draws from the truth of God’s Word. He is reminded to thank God for his wife instead of betraying her for a false hope or deception. Even in his mind his wife serves as a guard of protection for him. If that man is not married, he trusts in God’s grace and goodness for the wife he will marry one day and the need to be pure for her. Any thought or fantasy that would dare linger becomes an attack against not only him, but his wife, for which he wars to guard her as well.

Are you believing the gospel of Jesus Christ for your life—that Jesus died for your sins and in forgiveness and cleansing, redeems you to live in righteousness by faith? Are you engaging the battle for sexual purity in your mind, consuming it with the truth of God’s Word? Are you taking thoughts captive that tempt you toward lust and destroying them by the truth of God’s Word? Take time to ask God to search your heart and reveal unconfessed sin in your life. Ask him to consume your heart with a love and honor for him. Meditate on Philippians 4:8-9. What is in your mind and heart that is not of these traits? Repent. Thank God for your wife. Ask God to purify your heart and set your mind on truth for his honor and glory.

News from Costa Rica, Sunshine Loveland Continues Spanish Studies

Sunshine Loveland, our impact partner in Costa Rica, sent us her January/February newsletter this week. In the last two months, Costa Rica has suffered from a 6.2 earthquake. Sunshine is fine; however, many in Costa Rica died in the quake or in resulting aftershocks. Sunshine is also well into her second trimester of language school and is learning more about herself every day. For complete news and prayer requests, download Sunshine’s newsletter (PDF) now…

As a bonus, Sunshine also shared this YouTube news video of the earthquake. It’s in Spanish, but the images are amazing.

A Man’s War for Sexual Purity, Part I

The UNIT is a television show about a group of army special operations soldiers. Their identities are hidden or falsified so their cover will not be blown. They perform military missions that no one else is trained to do or wants to know about. Their orders remain top secret and hidden, often even from the highest of ranking officials. Their work is rarely known, seen, or even acknowledged by others. But what they accomplish never holds less than a high significance for the safety and security of the country. Yes, it is just a television show, but it illustrates much about how the war for sexual purity in a man’s life must be engaged.

Sexual purity in a man’s life never comes without a battle. This war will be one of the toughest battles he will ever face. The enemy is relentless in pursuing and punishing him if he remains passive. Many men try to avoid the war while others simply try to ignore it. But the enemy will not retreat. The battles that have to be fought are often intense and may or may not be known to most people. But until a man engages the enemy and wages war to kill it, he will find no rest and no peace. An aggressive strategy is the only hope for a man to experience victory over sexual temptation and sin. The war rages and awaits every man to enter the battle. It will not be easy, but the gospel gives hope and promise of victory. The war for sexual purity must be strategically fought on three battlefields: the heart, the mind, and the body.

The heart is the first battlefield in the war against sexual immorality because it is the core where every major life component (mind, will, emotions, desires, etc.) converges to shape the defining motivations of life. This is the most intense ground for battle. Proverbs 4:23 teaches that we are to guard the heart above all else because it is the source of life. This is no small command. A Christ-follower must be vigilant in defense of their heart. This fight is for the health and well-being of their very life. That which controls our heart controls all of life. Until God’s grace so consumes the heart that sexual immorality finds no room for existence, a man will not only struggle with defeat and condemnation in this area but will experience little victory in mind and body.

Paul challenges the Christians in Thessalonica to continue grow in the way they were to walk in life in order to please God. The first mention Paul gives in sanctification is abstaining from sexual immorality in contrast to how people in the world who do not know God were living. God has not called Christians to impurity, but in holiness. Men who live for Jesus must be consumed with a vision of sexual purity for life. This call must first be rendered complete in the heart of a man in order to experience victory over sexual sin and condemnation. The only way this will happen is to believe, as Paul says in Romamns 6:11, I am “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This is surely no passive reality but a truth to be firmly established within the heart by faith. A man must engage the battle for his heart with this truth. Sin does not go away or improve when left alone. It must be mortified. If a man is slack or passive in engaging the battle for his heart, sin will take root, grow, and consume him. When a man reckons in his heart that he has been crucified with Christ, that he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him (Gal. 2:20), then he will experience freedom from sin and will offer his body to God as an instrument of righteousness (Rom. 6:13).

Have you received God’s work in Jesus Christ on the cross for your life by faith? Are you laboring to lessen the condemnation of sexual sin, trying to overcome the urges and temptations by sheer force of your will alone? Is your heart full of desires that compel you to think and act in ways that you know are contrary to God’s will? Confess these desires to Jesus. Repent and ask him to forgive you. Read Romans 6:1-14. Ask God to establish the truth of his Word within your heart. Thank him that he is faithful to forgive and to cleanse (1 John 1:9). Share your prayer with a brother in Christ who can encourage you and pray for you. Do not forget. Take time to meditate on Romans 6:11 for the next several days. Let Holy Spirit lead you.