FAQ’s Part 2 - Love & Marriage This Weekend
By Stovall Weems
This past weekend was incredible! What a great kickoff to our “FAQ’s of Life: Relationship Q & A” Series. We covered Part 1 of Love & Marriage and discussed these topics:
• Cultural adjustments
• Unmet expectations
• Financial stress
• Inability to resolve conflict
• Loss of trust
I really do feel that this is going to be the best relationship series we’ve ever done. This weekend, we’re going to be picking it back up on Part 2 of Love and Marriage. If you missed this past weekend, make sure you grab the CD or you can even still attend service tonight on our Online Campus at 9:00pm EST. Either way, make sure you check it out, because we covered a lot of great things and this weekend’s message will build on that one.
I also want to encourage you to try out a Message-Based Small Group this month. While I be answering many of your questions during the messages, I obviously can’t get to them all, so we will be offering a video component in these message-based small groups where Kerri and I answer many more of your questions. To get connected to a group, simply visit the Information Center at your campus, or checkout our GroupFinder online.
Lastly, keep the questions coming! Below are the topics we’re going to be covering. Let me know what you would like for me to specifically answer or talk about. I want to hear from you.
Message # 2 – This Weekend – October 11/12
Questions about love and marriage Part 2
Message #3 – October 18/19
Questions about men, women, singles, dating and sex (PG-13)
Message#4 – October 25/26
Questions about parenting kids and teens
Message#5 – November 1/2
Questions about finances and stress
Simply submit your questions by leaving a comment. It’s going to be another awesome weekend, don’t miss it!
Stovall
Ed Young - This Wednesday Night
By Stovall Weems
This Wednesday night, October 8th, we will have Ed Young from Fellowship Church in Texas speaking at our Midtown Campus at 7:00 p.m.
All campuses are coming together for this special service, and trust me, you won’t want to miss this one! It’s going to be off the chain! See you all there!
Stovall
FAQ’s Of Life: Relationships Q & A
By Stovall Weems
This weekend, we’re kicking off our best relationship series ever! This one’s going to be an interactive series where we cover questions that come directly from you.
There have already been several great questions submitted to my blog as a result of last week’s post. Thank you for all of those. I’m really looking forward to answering as many of them as I can in this series.
This Weekend: Questions About Love and Marriage Part 1
You can continue to submit questions about marriage, dating, sex, parenting, finances or any of these topics during the course of the next 4 weeks. What would you like for me to specifically answer or talk about during this series? Here are the topics we’re going to cover:
Message #1 – This Weekend
Questions about love and marriage Part 1
Message #2 – October 11/12
Questions about love and marriage Part 2
Message #3 – October 18/19
Questions about men, women, singles, dating and sex (PG-13)
Message#4 – October 25/26
Questions about parenting kids and teens
Message#5 – November 1/2
Questions about finances and stress
We will be covering these specific things on the weekend messages, however we will continue to answer questions that relate to all 4 of these topics throughout the month.
You really don’t want to miss a single part of this series. Another exciting thing about it is that we’re partnering with Pastor Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, AL. They are doing the same series throughout the month of October and you will also have the chance to hear from Pastor Chris and some of the questions he will be answering from the people in his church.
This is going to be awesome! See you this weekend.
Stovall
Submit Your Questions Here (Feel Free To Be Anonymous)
The Answer to the Marriage Poll
By David Branker
Thanks for all the great responses to the Blog Poll on Marriage. Ready for a surprise? All three marriages have equal potential to go the distance. Why? The last characteristic of each.
It’s not whether we’re perfectly compatible, but more importantly, how and if we work out our differences. A lasting marriage results from a couple’s ability to resolve the conflicts that are inevitable in any relationship. Disagreements can actually be pretty healthy!
God understands our need to have a mate, so He has given us someone that may have differences, but whose differences enhance us. Truth be told, being different is what brings chemistry to a marriage. We actually grow in our relationship by reconciling our differences.
Attention All Guys - Part 2
By Guest Blogger, Chris Brooks
This Friday, October 3rd at 7AM at the Midtown Campus Annex we are launching a men’s breakfast. We will have copies of The Measure of a Man available for $10. What I love about teaching from this book is that it simply takes the qualifications of a leader from 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-10 and breaks them down into Paul’s Maturity Profile— 20 attributes of a Godly man. There is nothing like the convicting power of God’s Word partnered with strong friendships to sharpen us and keep us focused. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” (Pro 27:17) See you Friday!
Chris Brooks
Blog Poll: Marriage
By David Branker
Consider the following couples. They each have different characteristics particularly in the way they relate to each other.
Jane and John: the validating couple
- Great communicators
- Listen to each other with respect
- They have an ability to understand each other even if they don’t agree
- They say lots of “Mmm-Hmms” and “I sees”
- They mirror each others facial expressions during intense conversations
- Their arguments are more like conferences
- They negotiate compromises that work well for both
- They value “we-ness” over individual pursuits and goals
Bonnie & Clyde: the volatile couple
- They bicker a lot
- They compete against each other
- They show little interest in hearing each other’s point
- They are highly persuasive
- Winning is what it’s all about
- They say lots of “Yes you do” and “No I don’t” instead of “Mmm-Hmm” and “I see”
- They interrupt each other
- They are independent and consider themselves equals
- They believe strongly in honesty – even if it has to be brutal
- They make up as good as they fight – or sometimes even better!
Marisol y Miguel: the avoidant couple
- They are conflict minimizers
- They make light of differences instead of resolving them
- They conspire to dodge and hedge difficult issues
- Very little gets settled
- They have a very low degree of introspection
- They feel their bond is so strong that they can afford to overlook their disagreements
Which of these marriages do you think will make it? Which have the potential to keep their “till death do we part” vow?
Interested in your comments. Tune in later this week for the answer and don’t forget to send in your questions for the Relationship Q & A series beginning this weekend.
Losing “It”
By Stovall Weems
I think we lose “it” when we lose that raw heart to reach people. Such as when we lose the passion to reach the lost and think it is all about “the service”. The heart to reach people produces the “intagible“ that leads to “it”. When we have a heart to have great services without a heart to reach the lost we lose the “intangible”.
Coming Soon…
By Stovall Weems
“Disciple” has been a great series. We have one more week to go and then after this we are kicking off “Relationship Q and A”. I am going to be taking some of your questions that you post on my blog on marriage, family, parenting, dating, relationships, etc and speak about them during the weekend. So let me hear from you. What would you like for me to specifically answer or talk about during the series?
Stovall
Extension Gathering Update
By Stovall Weems
These things are just unbelievable. It looks like the extension gatherings that are really taking off are the institutional and outreach ones. It is kind of like the opposite of the bus ministries of the 80’s and 90’s. Remember when churches like Tommy Barnett’s Phoenix First Assembly (awesome church by the way!) would bus in so many demographics of people who for whatever reason could not get to church? Well this is the same thing except instead of busing people in, we are busing church out! Which brings me to my theory #3 on Extension Gatherings. (Remember, I have several more theories to go. I just wanted some of these things to launch so I would have some evidence, ha ha! So now that I have the evidence, I can change them from being theories to actual principles.)
Principle #3: Ministry environments are very important, but to certain demographics they are very secondary.
People can connect to Christ and be part of a local church by connecting to the vision of the church and having Christian community where they are.
Stovall
Seeking God
By Stovall Weems
Spent the day praying and seeking God today. It’s so awesome to be unhurried in God’s presence….Lots of peace and lots of strength.
Stovall
