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Marriage—A God-Plane Relationship (Part Six)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The marriage union works to restore the the oneness of humanity; the man is incomplete without the woman, and the woman, without the man.

Marriage—A God-Plane Relationship (Part Seven)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God does not consider the sexual union of man and wife as cheap. To Him, it is so valuable that every time a person engages in it, he more intimately binds himself to his spouse.

Christian Dating: Advice for Today

Article by Staff

How are the young people in the church of God supposed to approach the dating situation today? Here is advice on dating, sex and enjoying one's youth.

Divorce and Remarriage

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Any given doctrine must be built layer by layer, combining and comparing scriptures rather than allowing a single scripture to determine the doctrine. When we understand that porneia includes all the hideous perverted sexual sins that go beyond ordinary adultery- including bestiality, pedophilia, homosexuality, incest, and every other imaginable sexual perversion, we understand that Jesus gave a greater latitude and flexibility in these divorce decisions than we had earlier assumed (based exclusively upon adulterous 'fraud'). Any violence against the marriage contract (stemming from unconversion) would constitute grounds for divorce, and would permit the converted partner to remarry. Mutual access to the tree of life (God's Holy Spirit) gives marriage the best (actually the only) chance to succeed.

The Perfect Marriage

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Under the best of conditions, marriage takes work to make it succeed. Next to baptism, marriage is the most important decision we could ever make.

Marriage—A God-Plane Relationship (Part Five)

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

A chief purpose of marriage is to teach godly government. It provides an environment to learn both how to submit to authority and how to oversee others in love.

Leadership and Covenants (Part Six)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Despite having served mankind well for millennia, marriage is crumbling under a three-pronged attack. Marriage is vital to understanding God's purpose.

Christian Marriage (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Cohabitation has led to increased divorce, marital violence, and lack of fidelity after marriage. Mass media has shamelessly used sex to promote materialism.

Remembering Who We Are

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

When we consider the awesome contrast of what we were before God called us and what we are now, we cannot allow ourselves to commit spiritual fornication.

Our Help

Sermon by Bill Onisick

Exploring the God-given role of women throughout history and the Scriptures, this message corrects an unfortunate long-standing misconception of female inferiority. Emily Roebling, who completed the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband fell ill, was denied acknowledgement of her role because of foolish cultural prejudices, reminding us that through the years, far too many women have gone unrecognized for their rightful intellectual and scientific achievements. In Genesis 2, Almighty God asserted that it was "not good" for man to be alone, so He created (Hebrew ay-zer and neh-ghed) a helper "comparable to him." Instead of connoting inferiority, these words (often describing God as our help) emphasize that the woman was created to be a strong, equal, complementary partner—not subservient. Marriage, as a divine covenant, was intended to mirror the intimacy between Christ and the church. Though men were given the role as head of the household, they were not to dominate, but to sacrificially love as Christ loved the Church, caring, listening to, and collaborating with their wives. Proverbs 31 demonstrates the strength, wisdom, and value of a virtuous woman, not only as a homemaker and mother, but also as a shrewd businesswoman and leader, proving indeed that a woman's worth is far above rubies. Consequently, women are equal image-bearers of Almighty God, created to complement, not serve. The biblical term "helper" connotes strength, capability, and partnership, not subordination. Godly marriage requires mutual love, respect, and sacrificial leadership.

Leadership and the Covenants (Part Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to follow the example of Christ rather than placing their desire to be right over unity. Godly leadership follows submission.

Leadership and the Covenants (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Becoming equipped for leadership requires that we discipline ourselves in following God's way of life, allowing the mind of Jesus Christ to be in us in.

Thank You For Being A Friend

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

True friendship is not just a casual relationship, but a deep commitment of trust, enabling the sharing of our deepest thoughts without fear of betrayal.

The Fifth Commandment

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The fifth commandment teaches our responsibility to give high regard, respect, and esteem to parents and other authority figures, leading to a prosperous life.

The Father-Son Relationship (Part Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Holy Spirit is never venerated as a separate being. Our hope is the indwelling of Christ, used interchangeably with 'Spirit of God' and 'Spirit of Truth.'

Belief and the Firstfruits (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Jesus said, 'Believe in Me,' and hundreds of millions have said, 'I believe.' But true belief is impossible until a person has been appointed to eternal life.

Friendship Within the Church

Sermon by Mark Schindler

We will be judged on our responsiveness to each other and our subsequent friendship with our brethren, one that goes through the grave for all eternity.