Saturday, June 13, 2026

MARRIAGE-A TEAM EFFORT

 

MARRIAGE - A TEAM EFFORT

Here are 5 ways to maintain a biblical and healthy marriage: Janet Thompson

1. Set Marriage Goals

Every anniversary my husband and I set goals for the coming year and reevaluate what we accomplished in the previous year. No topic is off the table. It gives us an opportunity to discuss our spiritual, personal, and material plans and goals. A reflective and introspective time. Are we on the same page or do we need to reconsider our objectives for our marriage and family? 

2. Think of Marriage as a Spiritual Discipline

   Since God created marriage, we should consider our marriage from a spiritual perspective and a vital part of our spiritual life is prayer. Couples should pray together daily as an intimate time of sharing our hearts and our souls together before the Lord. 

3. Marriage Is a Team Effort

   Marriage is about giving 100% to the one you love unconditionally. The more you give lovingly, not grudgingly, the more you receive back. It never hurts to have a few guidelines you each agree to, but when you reduce the relationship to keeping tallies, it becomes a lose/lose relationship. 

   Marriage teaches us to serve. Focus on marriage as a team effort and remember . . .   you’re on the same team.

4. Make Marriage Holy Not Always Happy

   Marriage puts a spotlight on the shortcomings of us in areas where we need to change. Marriage is between two imperfect people, who will always disappoint and disillusion each other unless they keep perfect Jesus at the center of their relationship. That might sound like a bold statement, and certainly many Christian marriages fail, probably because they didn’t keep Jesus at the center of every decision, discussion, and disagreement.

   Many issues subject a couple to divisive onslaughts attacking a marriage: finances, parenting, jealousy, in-laws, personalities, loneliness, illness, outside attractions, work . . . daily life. Statistics of crumbling marriages—even among Christians—indicate Satan is winning the spiritual battle in many homes because couples haven’t armed themselves with the only effective offensive weapon—the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God. We need to view our spouse as more than a lover. They are also a brother or sister in Christ.

5. Find Marriage Mentors

   How many marriages might elude divorce if spouses had spiritual mentors praying for and with them, teaching them how to pray together, study their Bibles daily, and showing them how to put God back on the throne in their marriage and family?

   Seek out couples you admire for their marriage and relationship with the Lord and ask them to mentor you. Then someday you can be mentors to other couples.

The Marriage Triangle

   In the marriage ceremony, there are vows we make to each other. True intimacy. Grace. Unconditional love. Unyielding commitment. Sacrificial serving. Sexual purity. It brings us back to where we started to reread those vows to each other every anniversary. We framed our vows and put on the wall in our bedroom as a reminder of the love and commitment we made to each other on our wedding day.

   In our premarital course, the pastor who married us would always start the discussion by drawing a triangle with a stick figure man in the left lower corner of the triangle. A stick figure woman in the right lower corner and God at the top of the triangle. His point was the closer we each moved toward God, the closer we moved toward each other. At the bottom of the triangle, without God, we were the furthest apart.

   Ecclesiastes 4:12 was on our wedding invitation with a picture of a cross and two cords wrapping around it to remind us always that “a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

   Related Resource: Listen to our new, FREE podcast on marriage: Team Us. The best marriages have a teamwork mentality. Find practical, realistic ideas for strengthening your marriage. Listen to an episode here, and then head over to LifeAudio.com to check out all of our episodes:

Let's pray-
   Father, as the subject of marriage comes up, may we know that to carefully plan to set goals is very important wisdom. Each year then, to review what has been accomplished, and what goals need to be set, is needed to reevaluate what was accomplished in the previous year, and to set goals for the coming year.
   To have mentors to look up to who have good marriages, is helpful too. Keeping the marriage holy, will provide more of a happy atmosphere and trust in one another. 
     Marriage is about giving 100% to the one you love unconditionally. The more you give lovingly, not grudgingly, the more you receive back. We need to view our spouse as more than a lover. They are also a brother or sister in Christ. We ask that You help those who are planning on getting married, to seriously consider taking Jesus as a third Partner in the marriage! He knows how to help folks love one another inspite of all the challenges that will come against them over time.
   We ask this for Christ's honor and for the good of each of those contemplating marriage, and those who have been married many years. Amen 

My weekly advice from the book,  Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo by Elaine W. Miller: (p.39)
"God never intended we make this (cancer) journey alone. Be willing to let people help us, love us, cry with us, pray for us, cut our grass, do our laundry, watch our children, sit with us, take us to the doctor . . . Now is the time to realize when we allow people into our lives, we are blessing them as they bless us because they are doing the work of God."

#141 Testimony-  Mary Southerland

   Trouble strengthens our faith and builds endurance, the ability to stay under the load. We have a loving Father who is committed to building the character of His Son in us. His love wants what is best for us, not what is easiest."
 
1851-1855 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1851- Ez. 6:11a "Thus saith the Lord God: Smite with thine hand and stamp with 
          thy feet."
1852- Luke 16:25b "Remember that thou in thy lifetime receiveth good things."
1853- Joel 1:16 "Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand."
1854- Prov. 13:21b "To the righteous good shall be repaid."
1855- Job 36:4a "For truly my words shall not be false;  He that is 
          perfect in knowledge is with thee."

 #141 Hymn-  Search Me, O God 

    J. Edwin Orr , besides praying for revival, gave the answer that It needs to begin with us. That is the exact point of this hymn, Search Me, O God, which he had written years before, in 1936, during an intense springtime revival convention in the town of Ngaruawahia, on the North Island of New Zealand. There had been an attitude of unusual expectancy about the meetings, and prayer meetings proliferated across the city. Many students were coming to Christ, and the area began overflowing with the testimonies of those being saved  and renewed in Christ.

 Some encouraging words-
   Andrew Murray says, "The believing Christian studies the life of Christ in its perfection and purity, in its strength and glory: it is the eternal life dwelling in a glorified man [or woman]. They long for holiness, to live well-pleasing unto God, or for power to do the Father's work, he looks up, and, rejoicing that Christ is his life, he confidently reckons that that life will work mightily in him all he needs."

Church Notes: 
The God we must learn to know is the Majesty in the heavens, God the Father, Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, and the only wise God our Savior. He is a Person and can be known in increasing degrees of getting acquainted because of the Salvation Jesus provides, as we prepare our hearts for the Word.

Upcoming posts:
 
20th-   THE WAY OF TRUTH- Jessie Parr Lewis
27th-   THE PEACE THAT JESUS OFFERS- David Frees
7/4th-  WELCOMED HOME BY GOD- Mike Wittner
 



The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 

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Saturday, May 30, 2026

PARTING WORDS

 

PARTING WORDS   

   Dave Branon- "As he neared the end of his life, John M. Perkins had a message tor the people he would leave behind. Perkins, known for advocating racial reconciliation, said, 'Repentance is the only way back to God. Unless you repent, you will all perish.'

   These words mirror the language of Jesus and many other people in the Bible. Christ said,' Unless you repent, you too will all perish' (Luke 13:3). The apostle Peter said, 'Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out' (Acts 3:19).

   Much earlier in Scripture, we read the words of yet another person who desired that his people would turn to God. In his farewell address 'to all Israel' (1 Samuel 12:1), the prophet, priest, and judge Samuel said, 'Do not be afraid. You have done . . . evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; (v. 29). This was his message of repentance — to turn from evil and follow God wholeheartedly.

   We all sin and miss the mark of His standard. So we need to repent, which means to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus, who forgives us and empowers us to follow Him.

   Let's heed the words of two men, John perkins and Samuel, who recognized how God can use the power of repentance to change us into people he can use for his honor."

My weekly advice from the book,  Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo by Elaine W. Miller: (p. 32, 33)

   "Whether we live long or short, we want to have a positive impact on our families, A cancer diagnosis gives us pause to realize our time to leave a legacy is brief. Most parents don't have that cancer pause and, therefore, may never grab the moments all moms and dads have to influence their children. We can be so busy living life, we miss teaching our little ones how life should be lived."

Let's pray-

   Father, what Perkins said and what the Bible says, is very important, as it is the only way to You. Our repententance of our sins will be what will help us get right with You initially, and to turn back whenever we sin.

 #140 Testimony-  Leonard Ravenhill 

"The Prayer Room in the church is the boiler room for its spiritual life. When Holy passion has ceased to move the intercessors in the Prayer Room, coldness ensues, power is lost, and mortification sets in. The place still looks viable, but it is no longer a birthplace of souls.

  God ignores the cold church.

  He rejoices in the church hot with the Spirit's presence.

  He vomits the lukewarm church from His holy mouth."


1846-1850 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1846- Jer. 5:19b "Wherefore doth the LORD our God all these things unto us?"
1847- Prov. 21:4a,c "An high look and a proud heart . . . is sin."
1848- Ps. 101:1 "I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee , O LORD, I sing!"
1849- Ez. 48:12b "That is offering shall be unto them a thing most holy."
1850- Pro. 5:7b,c "Hear me now therefore. . . and depart not from the words of 
          my mouth."


 #140 Hymn-  Precious Lord, Take My Hand

 
   This gospel was written by Thomas Andrew Dorsey, and was the son of a Black revivalist preacher. He became enamored with the blues and began playing piano at a vaudeville theater. Thomas was converted at the National Baptist Convention in Chicago in 1921, and began writing gospel songs. 
   His wife and son died, and he later said that he didn't want to serve God anymore, as he felt that God had done him an injustice by taking his family. He didn't want to write any more gospel songs. But the next Saturday, while alone in a friends' music room, he had a "strange feeling" inside—a sudden calm and a quiet stillness. "As my fingers began to manipulate over the keys, words began to fill in place on the melody like drops of water falling from the crevice of the rock:
 
    "Precious Lord, take my hand
        Lead me on, let me stand
     I am tired, I am weak, I am warn . . ."


 Some encouraging words-

   1). Confess to God that you are a sinner and deserve death. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God' (Rom 3:23. "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).

   2). In sorrow, turn from your sins to God and ask His forgiveness. 'Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. . . let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him. He will abundantly pardon' (Is. 55:7).

   3). Believing that "Christ died for our sins . . . was buried, and that He rose again"
(1 Cor. 15:3-4), trust Christ as Savior and confess Him as Lord.  ". . . If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9). "Then Peter said unto them, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you . . . "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized . . ." Acts (2:38,41).


Church Notes:   Our Souls Thirst for God's Presence!

Nothing else will satisfy
Nothing else makes dead men live!
Our main need is to become thirsty for God!
Yesterday's experiences lit the fire - we're to seek more fire!
When we prepare our hearts to seek more, His love will flow because God loves us!
He wants us to know His Presence!
He is a relational God. He cares about large and small matters.
He fills the temples of believers in Christ Jesus.
He is close, He is with us!


Upcoming posts:

6/6th-  No post
13th- MARRIAGE - A TEAM EFFORT- Janet Thompson
20th- THE WAY OF FAITH- Jessie Penn Lewis
27th- THE PEACE THAT JESUS OFFERS- David Frees


The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 




 
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Saturday, May 23, 2026

THE EXCHANGE

 

   Jasmine GOH-  Elijah had accidentally ripped a ten-dollar bill while playing with his friends. But instead of admonishing him, his father offered to exchange the torn bill with a fresh one from his wallet. $10 bill

  "Why would you do that?" Elijah asked, confused. "For one, you're my son," his father explained. "It's also a reminder of what Jesus did for us. Because Jesus came and gave His life in exchange for ours, as we can not live new lives."

   Every human life is valuable to God because He created each of us. But our sinful nature—"the body ruled by sin" (Romans 6:6).—keeps us from living a life worthy of God's holiness. So God, in His great love for us, willingly gave up His Son to pay the price of our sin. Our old self was put to death, and in exchange, He offers us a new one—"no longer . . . slaves to sin" (v.6).

   When we accept God's offer of new life, we can be assured that even though our old self was sinful and broken—"corrupted by its deceitful desires: (Eph. 4:22), we are now being perfected "to be like God in true righteousness and holiness' (v. 24)

   Elijah's father was willing to offer him something of his own because he loves him. But the even better offer is the one God extends to us: the redemption of our lives. When we accept His offer of new life, we aren't the same as we were before.

Let's pray-

    Father, You have made it clear that each of us is valuable to You, as you created each of us individually in our mother's womb. Because of the inherent sin nature, we are not worthy of being in Your presence. Thankfully, You gave us Your beloved Son to pay the price of our sin!
   When we become new creatures in Christ Jesus by being born again through the Salvation He provided, we put off our old sinful self and exchange it for a new one to be true to You through Christ's righteousness and holiness. This redemption of our lives, brings new life so we aren't the same as we were before!
   We thank and praise You for all You have done in and through the Lord Jesus! It's in His Mighty name that we pray. Amen

My weekly advice from the book,  Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo by Elaine W. Miller: (p. 27)

   "No one chooses cancer. Those lousy test results aren't our idea. But we do choose how we respond. What good does sulking do? Let's replace sad thoughts with songs of praise. Ask, allow, and expect God to use this illness for His purpose, to show God's power, so His name will be proclaimed wherever our cancer journey leads us."


#139 Testimony- Notes from A. W. Tozer's book, The Knowledge of the Holy

   "When  God infuses eternal life into the spirit of man, the man becomes a member of a new and higher order of being. What peace it brings to the Christian's heart to realize that our Heavenly Father never differs from Himself.

   In all our efforts to find God, to please Him, to commune with Him, we should remember that all change must be on our part.

  God knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us. Atonement too was accomplished with the same flawless skill that marks all of God's acts.

  God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him.

  His all-sufficiency makes it unnecessary for Him to look outside of Himself for a renewal of strength. All the power required to do all that He wills to do lies in undiminished fullness in His own infinite being.

 The knowledge that we are never alone, calms the troubled sea of our lives and speaks peace to our souls."



1841-1565 One-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted- 
 
1841- Is. 53:12b "He shall divide the spoil with the strong."
1842- Pro. 21:6a "The getting of treasures."
1843- Ps. 142:1 "I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD
           did I make my supplication."
1844- Is. 28:11 "For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this 
          people."
1845- Job 11:13 "If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands towards him."


 Some encouraging words-  Lois Stucky

"Living in Christ and Christ living in me! The blessed reality of this Christ-life is not something we can initiate or imitate. It is a supernatural life made possible as we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us in rich and full measure. He is the One who bears the Heavenly life in us and causes it to flow out from us. It is the Holy Spirit who gives reality to our Christian profession. It is by the Spirit that we mortify the flesh that Christ might be manifested."


Do you wish you had a new house to call home? Give thanks for how God is your True Shelter and thank Him for providing the home you currently have. You can trust the character of God with contentment and pray for growth and change. And when you do, the way you speak of your right-now circumstances begins to change. 

 (Great book, Jean highly recommends it!)

Church Notes: 

Only the growing pains of maturity produce stability and humble hearts.
For the sake of the Gospel, we need to stay engaged and unwavering in our standards.
We need to hold tight to God's Word, but extend it in a manner the world can relate to.
Ask God to help you keep your balance in these trendy times.
God intended prayer to be just conversation; talking with Him.
God's not impressed with the words we use; He wants to hear what's on our hearts.
The authority of God's Word must energise our efforts, or we'll be doomed to fail.
What we need is to always keep God's revealed will in our sight, minds and hearts.
God wants us to sharpen our spiritual sight and trust in His revealed will for us.
The opening of our eyes will be the silencing of our fears.
God's Word gives stories to help us persevere, take courage, believe and have hope.
We're to follow the dreams and visions He's given us that fire our passion.


 #139 Hymn- O For a Closer Walk with God

   William Cooper, composer of this hymn, believed that the promises of God were all true, but he’d always thought that they didn’t apply to him. He considered himself to be a castaway. It was said that at his passing, his “expression was that of calmness and composure, mingled as it were with holy surprise.” It was as though he finally realized he was a child of God and was being welcomed home to heaven. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

Oh! for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heav’nly frame;
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!
 
Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus, and his word?
What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their mem’ry still!
But they have left an aching void,
The world can never fill.
Return, O holy dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest;
I hate the sins that made thee mourn,
And drove thee from my breast:
The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.
So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

(I wasn't able to add a picture of the hymn today. Sorry)


Upcoming posts:

5/30- PARTING WORDS-  Dave Branon
6/6-   MARRIAGE-A TEAM EFFORT- Janet Thompson
13th- THE WAY OF FAITH- Jessie Penn Lewis


The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,

located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,

broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15

You can view past services too.

Sermon listing:https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library 




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