01 Marriage Devotional: God's Purpose For Your Marriage

Show notes

About This Episode This is week one of our 30-week devotional series through Husband After God and Wife After God. We start with purpose, something every human longs for and something no other creature considers. Because we are made in God's image, we carry purpose, and so does our marriage. We talk about honoring your spouse as someone God made in His image, becoming one flesh, and why Ephesians 5 calls marriage a profound mystery that points to Christ and the church. Jennifer shares how, when we went to Zambia just four months after our wedding, we saw our marriage and our ministry as separate things. It was kind of like our marriage was serving us while we served God. Now we see our marriage as part of how we serve Him, as ambassadors of reconciliation. We close with encouragement for parents and a challenge for couples.

About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.

In This Episode A longing for purpose — Why humans, unlike every other creature, ask what they were made for. Made in God's image — How Genesis 1:26-27 grounds the value and purpose of every person, including your spouse. One flesh — How individual purposes come together in marriage (Mark 10:6-9). The profound mystery — Ephesians 5:25-33 and marriage as a reflection of Christ and the church. A love story — True love, reconciliation, and forgiveness as the marks of a gospel-shaped marriage. Ambassadors for Christ — What 2 Corinthians 5:20 means for how you treat each other. Marriage and ministry — Our story of learning that our marriage itself serves God. Speaking purpose over your kids — Encouragement for parents to remind children they have purpose. This week's challenge — Talk with your spouse about how you reflect God's image and the purpose of marriage.

Scripture Referenced Genesis 1:26-27 Mark 10:6-9 Ephesians 5:25-33 2 Corinthians 5:20

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