Scripture passage: 1 Peter 3:7

Martin Luther once said, “May the wife cause her husband to love coming home, and the husband make the wife sad when he leaves home.”

After a man and woman are married, a woman will value the family more, while the man will value his work more, so the man and the woman will have differing values. To have a happy marriage, the two must be willing to learn.

1. Instructions from the Truth / God’s word

a. Instructions for the wife: Submit to and Respect your husband

b. Instructions for the husband: Love your wife, just as Christ loves the church

2. Four marriage models

a. Hate and Defiance model – man does not love his wife, and wife does not submit; this leads to divorce

b. Hate and Obedience model – the wife is willing to continue and endures the relationship

c. Love and Defiance model – Husband loves the wife, but the wife does not submit.

d. Love and Obedience model – the ideal model: husband loves the wife, wife submits to get husband. It is not an easy model, but it is not impossible.

3. Three principles that must be learned for a successful marriage

a. Husband and wife must spend time together – otherwise the couple will not establish the pattern of loving and submitting. If you love the person, you will find time for the person.

b. Couple must share the housework – this principle pertains not just to the running of the household; this principle also includes raising and disciplining the children, especially in today’s age of working wives and moms.

c. Pay attention to the greatest problems in marriage:
– sexual temptation
– financial crisis
– miscommunication

We must go back to the Bible, return to the truth. Psalm 127:1 reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.

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Hebrews 10:24-25

24. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25. Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1. The Enemies of Authentic Community 正宗群體的敵人

A. Individualism 個人主義

B. Isolationism 孤立主義

C. Indifference 漠不關心

2. The Elements of Authentic Community 正宗群體的元素

A. Exhorting one another 彼此勸勉 v.24
Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works

B. Engaging with one another 彼此合作 v.25
Not neglecting to meet together

C. Encouraging each other 互相鼓勵 v.25
but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near

Our role in church is not just to show up. Our role is to have an impact on one another.

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Proverbs 23:22-25

You only have one mother who carried you in her womb for forty weeks. The Chinese refer to this period as “ten months in the womb.” There is a bond of life between you and her. You will never have another mother who gave you life and whose life is related in that way to you.

When our parents leave this world, we must remember them; more importantly, while our parents are alive, we must seize the opportunity to honor them.

Proverbs 23:22-25 teaches us how to honor our parents.

1. Listen to your parents v.22

2. Respect your parents v.23

3. Seek to please your parents. v24-25

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1 John 1:3 / 1 Corinthians 1:9

With only 50 friends, you can have a party everyday! The core value of fellowship with friends is Intimacy.

1. Mutual attraction
2. Mutual love
3. Mutually willing to lend a helping hand
4. Mutually willing to take risks

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Matthew 11:28-30

Come o me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Three Invitations

1. Come to Christ (v.28)

2. Walk with Christ (v.29-30)

3. Learn from Christ (v.29)

Full transcript available at http://michaelcarino.com

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The Church is a family. We fellowship with one another, but because of the ever-increasing number, we need to join small groups to have a real fellowship life. During the Lord Jesus’ ministry on earth, thousands followed him. However, he chose 12 Apostles to live together with him. They were a small group.

The core value of fellowship with small group is ‘sharing’. Acts 4:36 to 5:11 record two stories: the first is the story of Barnabas, the second is the story of a couple named Ananias and Sapphira. They sold everything they owned and gave the money from the sale to the Church, and they shared it with the brethren; however, one was true giving and the other false. Lt us learn from these examples the difference between true and false sharing.

1. Praise vs Flattery

2. Generous vs Greedy Sharing

3. Sharing to Give vs Sharing to Test God

4. True Sharing vs False Sharing

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If the Lord Jesus Christ had not really risen from to dead, he and his miracles would be easily forgotten, because the dead are not remembered for long.

Ecclesiastes 1:11 “No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.”

When a man leaves this world, people gradually forget him. However, why is it that even after 2000 years, the Lord Jesus Christ is still remembered? That is because He is alive. He lives in the life of every person who belongs to Him.

1 Cor 15:1-11 tells us a very important truth — Christ has really resurrected. Paul used three reasons to prove that Christ had really risen.

1. The Gospel that saves men is the Gospel that restores men to life (1-2)

2. The Bible’s authority proves that Christ really resurrected (3-4)

a. The Gospel’s Content

b. The Bible’s Authority

3. Witnesses to the Resurrection (5-8)

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The Lord Jesus hung on the cross from 9am to 3pm. In those six long hours, the Lord Jesus carried on himself the sins of the whole world. The Lord’s body, heart, and spirit underwent extreme suffering. When a man is in extreme pain, he cannot utter even one word. In his great pain, the Lord Jesus spoke seven sentences. We call these the Seven Words on the Cross.

1. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34) — Love’s Pardon

2. Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43) — Love’s Acceptance

3. Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother (John 19:26-27) — Love’s Concern

4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) — Love’s Substitution

5. I am thirsty (John 19:28) — Love’s Suffering

6. It is finished (John 19:30) — Love’s Declaration

7. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46) — Love’s Victory

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Romans 12:17-21 (NIV)
17. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
18. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone.
19. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
20. On the contrary: “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Full sermon transcript is available at michaelcarino.com

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