Big Thought: As men and women, we are created in the image of God, while simultaneously in the image of God. It is through our and that we image the Trinity. Therefore, we must trust God’s design is . 

1. Who is ?

Genesis 1:1 (ESV) – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 

Deuteronomy 6:4 (ESV) – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 

Genesis 1:26a (ESV) – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness… 

2 Corinthians 13:14 (ESV) – The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

2. Who are ?

a. God created humanity in His .

Genesis 2:7 (ESV) – Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

b. God created humanity and .

i. Trouble in the .

1.) We can over-emphasize .

2.) We can over-emphasize distinction.

ii. Troubles in the .

1.) .

2.) .

 3. Where do we go from here?

a. who God made you to be.

b. Stand and lovingly in the biblical position.

c. hard because these foundational biblical truths are under attack.

d. Pray for friends and ones who are being .

e. Pray for our as they are immersed in this cultural and its ideologies.

Big Thought: As God created the cosmos with , He is now pursuing the restoration of that .

1. God is a God of .

1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 (ESV) – For God is not a God of confusion but of peace… all things should be done decently and in order.

a. What is order?

Order implies a neat and logical organization of items, tasks, or people.

b. He created in an orderly .

Psalms 104:19 (ESV) – He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.

c. Living are orderly.

d. God is a God of order within His own .

e. God created for the purpose of order.

2. The Word brings order out of .

2 Corinthians 5:16a (ESV) – From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh.

3. The Word is what sin has .

John 1:1-4, 14 (ESV) – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Corinthians 5:17a (ESV) – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV) – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV) – And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) – You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Big Thought: The Word of God creates instantaneously – filling the now-existent universe with matter, mankind, morality, and mission.

1. God created as He spoke into existence.

a. God created the to demonstrate His .

Psalms 19:1 (ESV) – The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.

i. The .

Colossians 2:8 (ESV) – See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

ii. The .

b. God created the to house His .

i. He created each according to its .

ii. All aspects of creation were from the very beginning.

Psalm 139:13-18 (ESV) – For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in Your book they were all written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

2. God spoke into His creation.

Three Implications:

i. God is in – over creation.

ii. God creating is the basis of the .

iii. God is a God.

3. God spoke into His creation. 

Big Thought: Only in Jesus can we truly experience

I. True love is .

a. Permanent love is .

James 1:2-4 (ESV) – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

1. Love stabilizes as we on each other.

2. Love stabilizes as we .

b. Permanent love is .

Psalm 18:2 (ESV) – The LORD is my rock, and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 77:11 (ESV) – I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.

John 10:27-30 (ESV) – My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, ad they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

II. True love is .

a. Love is as strong as .

b. Love is as jealous as the .

Holy jealousy is the righteous refusal to something that shouldn’t be .

Exodus 20:5-6 (ESV) – You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God ama jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.

c. Love is an unquenchable .

III. True love is .

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV) – In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

John 15:13 (ESV) – Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.

IV. True love is .

 

Big Thought: Jesus changes everything. He reverses the cycle of and the to bring us and .

Luke 24:44 (ESV) – Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Reversal #1: Defilement to .

Reversal #2: From Curse to

Genesis 3:16 (ESV) – To the woman he (GOD) said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 4:6–7 (ESV) – The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?]f you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

James 1:14–15 (ESV) – But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV) – No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Big Thought: God’s design for love is to oneness through when there is conflict.

1. Our creates conflict.

a. Doesn’t the other.

1 Peter 3:7a (ESV) – Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman…

b. Not .

c. the other.

d. Not wanting to be .

John 15:13 (ESV) – Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.

e. Thinking .

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) – Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

f. .

1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV) – Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

g. before resolution.

2. Handle conflict in a manner. 

a. the other.

Romans 12:14 (ESV) – Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

b. of sins.

2 Corinthians 7:10a (ESV) – For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret…

c. Speak of the other.

Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

d. Guard your .

Psalms 119:9 (ESV) – How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.

3. Repenting from our with Jesus.

a. Jesus .

John 15:16 (ESV) – You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.

b. Remember Jesus’ .

c. Remember Jesus’ .

Psalms 119:11 (ESV) – I have stored up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

d. Remember the of oneness.

BIG THOUGHT: God created love with the ultimate goal of .

I. The oneness in .

a. To share the oneness found in the .

Genesis 1:1 (ESV) – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:2b (ESV) – And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

John 1:1-4 (ESV) – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 17:22 (ESV) – The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one.

b. To share that oneness in .

Genesis 2:23-25 (ESV) – Then the mad said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

II. The of oneness.

a. Oneness with was destroyed.

Genesis 5:1-3 (ESV) – This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.

b. Oneness in the was destroyed.

III. The of oneness.

a. Oneness in .

1. oneness.

2. in oneness.

3. oneness.

4. Oneness in .

5. oneness.

b. Oneness in .

1. The issue of and .

a. Shadow: .

b. Substance: and the church.

c. Shadow: .

d. Substance: with God.

is the avenue of communion.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (ESV) – Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkly or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

 

Big Thought: We see God’s design for love is a relationship continued evaluation, clear communication, and commitment to sexual purity.

I. Continued Evaluation. 

of the Marriage Relationship:

1. .
2. and Sister in Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV) – Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

3. .

4. Fellow owners of the of family.

5. .

II. Clear Communication. 

III. Pursuing .

1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV) – As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

BIG THOUGHT: God designed love to begin with attraction.

Song of Solomon 6:3a (ESV)- Others: “Return, return, O Shulammite, return, return, that we may look upon you…

1 Kings 3:1 (ESV) – Solomon made a marriage alliance with Pharoah king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh’s daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem.

I. The seven character of attraction.

1.

2.

Proverbs 22:1 (ESV) – A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

II. The to wait.

Hebrews 13:4 (ESV) – Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

III. The between God and Us.

a. Why are we attracted to ?

 i. It’s NOT because of His appearance.

Isaiah 53:2 (ESV) – For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

ii. Jesus is the perfect .

b. What about us is attractive to Jesus?

  i. We are made in God’s .

 ii. God made us.

Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV) – For you formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. You eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.

iii. Who we in Him.