Message Notes
Men and Women

Today: The Stamp of Initiative
February 15, 2004

 

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

 

John 3:16a “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…”

 

1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.

 

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

God has stamped our character with His character in many ways. One of the strongest in men is the area of INITIATIVE.

 

Setting the stage for Biblical Initiative…

Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

 

Ephesians 5:25a Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…

 

A result of “The Fall:” Genesis 3:16 Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.


Ephesians 5:21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

 

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

 

Biblical leadership is all about SACRIFICE and SERVING, not RULING, that is why we are using the word “Initiative.”

 

There are two main areas that we need to take the initiative in…. SPIRITUAL and ROMANTIC 
 

Ephesians 5:25-31 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her  26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,  27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—  30 for we are members of his body.  31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”

 

A few ways to take spiritual initiative in your relationship:

  1. Spend time ALONE with God!
  2. Get in a TRANSFORMATION group
  3. PRAY with her!
  4. Take spiritual responsibility for your family.
  5. Get a children’s BIBLE and read it to your kids.
  6. PRAY with your kids, too.

 

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…


 A few ways to take romantic initiative in your relationship:

  1. Do more household chores, also known as FOREPLAY
  2. DATE your spouse! Plan a DATE NIGHT…
  3. PDA
  4. Non-sexual TOUCHING
  5. A word to both…Plan time for SEX

 

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.  4 The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.  5 Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

 

A prayer to begin a relationship with Christ: Jesus Christ, I admit to you that I am messed up. I realize today that I am not living my life for you. I turn from my sin. I realize my sin has offended you. I ask for the forgiveness that you freely give. I turn to you, Christ, and ask you to take control of me. I give you everything I am and everything I will be. Please take charge of my life. Amen.