NEXT GENERATION FOR CHRIST
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Director
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • Testimonials
    • Next Gen Interns
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Mailing Address
    • Croatia Mission Trip
  • Speaking & Seminars
    • Preaching & Speaking
    • Next Gen Seminars
  • Story of Redemption
    • Story of Redemption Films
  • Resources
    • Stories/Illustrations
    • Next Gen Coaching
    • Covid Resources
    • Policies
  • International
    • Asia
    • South America
    • Western & Central Europe
    • Russia & Eastern Europe
    • Africa
  • Contact

Marriage Counseling Story - Funny But Too True!

5/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
John W. Smith tells a story of a couple who goes to marriage counseling. The husband, of course, does not want to go, but the wife does, and finally she gets him to go with her. And for four hours, the wife pours out her heart to the counselor saying how he never notices her, he never thanks her, he never compliments her. She feels lonely and unloved and wonders if she has any self-worth at all. 

At this, the counselor gets out from around his desk, walks over to the woman, gets down on his knees, grips the chair, and tells her--"You listen to me. You are one of the most kind, caring, compassionate and beautiful woman I've ever met. You have incredible self-worth."

The counselor then turns to the man, who is a bit dumbfounded, watching this, and he says, "Do you see this? Do you think that you can do this? She needs this EVERY week, three times a week. Can you make sure this happens for her?"

The guy says, "Man, I don't know. I can drop her off for you on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Fridays are tough. I play golf."

This is a funny story--except it  so unfortunately describes the reality of marital relationships in so many cases. 

Guys--if we do not value and compliment our wives, someone else will. And vice versa. That need for "admiration" and words that build up are one of the top 5 needs in "His Needs, Her Needs."  Song of Songs is filled with beautiful compliments and words from one spouse to another (even if some of these compliments don't translate well today:).
Paul says, "29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (4:29).


How can we better build up our spouses in our marriages with kind words? What is the danger if we do not do this? 
0 Comments

Top 10 Romantic Compliments from Song of Songs that MIGHT NOT TRANSLATE TODAY!!

5/22/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Song of Songs, or Song of Solomon, is another piece of Wisdom literature in the Bible. It describes in stark and explicit--though poetic terms--the physical and sexual relationship between a man and a woman, as well as intense emotional longing and romance. Viewed through the rest of Scripture, there is something about this relationship that also is intensely spiritual in nature. 

More on all of this later. What I wanted to point out in this post is how much the man and woman, husband and wife, really lay on the compliments. I have outlined some of these below. Now, guys, I would not try most of these lines at home--especially the highlighted ones. Telling your wife that she is like a "mare," that her hair is like a "flock of goats" might get you lying on the coach for a night, rather than its intended effect!

But what does this show us about a marriage relationship? Well, one thing it shows is the importance of building up your mate with words of love and admiration! And notice how both the man and the woman do this.

Here is a top ten list of compliments from Song of Songs that may not translate very well today!

  1. "I liken you, my darling, to a mare" (1:9).

  2. "Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead" (2:2)

  3. "Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn" (2:2).

  4. "Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate" (2:3).

  5. "Your neck is like the tower of David" (2:5).

  6. "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
        as lovely as Jerusalem" (5:4).

  7. "Your navel is a rounded goblet
        that never lacks blended wine" (7:2).

  8. "Your waist is a mound of wheat" (7:2).

  9. "Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus (7:5)

  10. "Your breasts like clusters of fruit. 8 I said, 'I will climb the palm tree;
        I will take hold of its fruitl'" (7:7-8).

Which of these ten do you like best? What would be good modern day alternatives?
0 Comments
    Search this site for a preaching topic or sermon illustration or click on the categories below!
    Picture

    Author

    Dr. James Nored is a minister and Executive Director of Next Generation for Christ.

    Categories

    All
    Adultery
    Bible
    Change
    Children
    Christ / Redemption
    Church Planting
    Conversion
    Early Christianity / Early Christians
    Empathy
    Evangelism / Sharing Our Faith
    Failure
    Fathers
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Funny / Humor
    Generosity
    Giving
    Gospel
    Grace
    Handicapped / Disabled
    Happiness
    Heart
    Heaven
    Hell
    Holiness / Holy
    Hypocrisy
    Hypocrisy / Hypocrite
    Inspiration
    Inspiring
    Islam
    Judgmental
    Justification By Faith
    Leadership
    Life Satisfaction
    Love
    Marriage
    Mission
    Morality
    Mothers
    Negativity
    Neighbors / Neighborhood
    Obedience
    Overcoming
    Persecution
    Preaching
    Race
    Reconciliation
    Restoration
    Revival
    Reward
    Risk
    Sacrifice
    Sanctification
    Satan
    Self-Deception
    Self / Selfish
    Service
    Sex
    Social Media
    Spirit
    Sports
    Suffering
    Terrorism
    Tongue
    Trials
    UnChristian
    World Missions

    Archives

    January 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    RSS Feed

Next Generation for Christ
25265 Riding Center Dr. , Chantilly, VA 20152
Contact: jamesnored@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
    • Executive Director
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • Testimonials
    • Next Gen Interns
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Mailing Address
    • Croatia Mission Trip
  • Speaking & Seminars
    • Preaching & Speaking
    • Next Gen Seminars
  • Story of Redemption
    • Story of Redemption Films
  • Resources
    • Stories/Illustrations
    • Next Gen Coaching
    • Covid Resources
    • Policies
  • International
    • Asia
    • South America
    • Western & Central Europe
    • Russia & Eastern Europe
    • Africa
  • Contact