Building on the Foundation

  The Goal of Marriage An equal partnership in marriage works if your only goals are a happy union, peace, met needs, and companionship.  If marriage has no higher purpose or mission beyond a sense of community, it can still work fairly well. Most would identify a peaceful marriage where all their needs are met, or where an effort is made to meet them, as a strong and happy marriage.  People can have a marriage like this that lasts for 70 years, and it’s viewed as a success, but what defines success? Is the goal of marriage simply to be happy and get along with each other? Most people, especially Christians, would say that it absolutely is the goal of marriage to be happy, get their needs met, and all that jazz. In fact, most of the marriages in the various Churches I have associated with have exactly that goal.  A strong marriage means you’re connecting better, getting along better, and both parties are constantly yielding to each other with no one really in charge....

  When He appeared before Pontius Pilate for judgment, Jesus Christ had a revealing exchange. Questioned by Pilate about whether He was a king, “Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” (John 18:37-38). Indeed, what is truth? We live in a world so filled with lies that it can be hard to know. At times, it seems as if almost everything you hear is a lie. Politicians lie, scientists lie, doctors lie, the news media lie, “influencers” lie, and many people you interact with will simply parrot whatever lies they’ve been brainwashed into believing. Worse still, many lies seem to be mixed with an element of truth. A few elements of the narrative can often be verified as fact, causing people to believe the rest. God spoke of ancient Israel, shortly before sending her into captivity, ...