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One Man, One Woman, One Family - The Biblical Standard · Mount Eaton Church

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Good morning, family.
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Please turn to Matthew chapter 19, just short detour.
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I try not to get into topical sermons, though they're not biblical.
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Topical sermons have a tendency to be very, kind of, I don't know, topical.
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But it doesn't mean that we can't be expository in it.
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So we're going to be dealing with a subject that needs to be dealt with.
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Over the last couple weeks, Christendom has been rocked with some very bad advice, in
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my opinion, concerning how we need to handle the family, marriage, and whether a Christian
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should participate or not participate in such celebrations.
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I did not want to have to answer this question.
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I wanted to expound on that as we went through the Scripture.
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But because of the days we live in and the times that we live in, it has to be addressed,
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for one, so that everyone knows where we as a church stand.
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I've already spoken to the elders about this particular message, and they agreed.
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And where we stand as elders and where I stand as a pastor, what my responsibility is as
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a pastor, and what your responsibility is as a believer.
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It is a straight-to-the-point message.
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This is not a matter of opinion.
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This is a matter of Scripture.
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So I will tell you, it's going to be hard for some.
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It's just like it's not really, in a sense, hard for me to talk about, because I have
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no problem talking about God's Word.
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But me as a shepherd and caring for your heart, I know that this can cause some uneasiness,
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and it's not what I want for you.
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But in all growth, growth requires growing pain, so I'm okay with that.
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That being said, I'm not going to bring up the individual's name who really kind of started
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us – not really started us on this issue, but really brought it home for many of us.
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I said we're going to answer a lot of questions, deal with it directly and biblically, and
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then I have to leave it to you that you submit yourself to the authority of God's Word.
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It's not an issue of me.
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It's an issue of God's Word.
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It's not an issue of opinion.
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It's an issue of truth.
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So that being said, let's address it.
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Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.
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The Lord has asked that as we deal with this issue of the family and of marriage, that
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you would give me wisdom, that the full counsel of your Word would be taught, that your people
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have prepared their hearts, and the importance of marriage and the reflection of Christ in
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His church.
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Lord, we thank you.
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There are many ways we could go about this, Lord, but we are asking for your guidance
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and your wisdom in dealing with this concisely for your honor and glory.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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As many of you have heard, there has been a major stir in Christendom.
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The issue of where God's people should stand concerning marriage and family has been in
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the courts of public opinion, and I will tell you that God does not care about your opinion
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or mine.
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So let's deal with that right away, okay?
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This may be something that affects people and it hurts their feelings, but God does
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not care about my opinion.
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He cares about His truth and my aligning to His Word.
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We all have a lot of opinions, but opinions do not matter when it comes to the reality
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of the conviction of the Word of God.
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The Word of God is concise to the point, and we have everything for life and godliness
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in it.
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So God deals with this very clearly.
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So it's not an issue of opinion, it's an issue of fact, it's an issue of truth.
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I have decided to address this issue to clarify where we as a church and I as your pastor
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stand concerning the sanctity of marriage and what God clearly states on this issue.
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This will be a very clear and biblical statement on what God says about marriage, what it is,
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what it is not, what you should and should not do as a child of God concerning marriage
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outside of God's standard.
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It is a very straight to the point message, so I'm just letting you know that.
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I am open for any conversations or if you want to meet and have a conversation about
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these issues, I am open to do that.
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My job is to shepherd you through this time and also walk in wisdom and love and in kindness,
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but yet in truth with conviction.
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And I think that was the main issue and the failure of this particular man.
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So I will not address his name, but I will address his issues.
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First you would think it's a no-brainer and that it is true if you're holding to biblical
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standard concerning the reality of marriage and family, but we live in a very corrupt
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world and confusion is at the top of the list.
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If you have any question about the reality of the spirit of confusion, and I use that
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loosely, not actual spirit, it is everywhere.
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It is everywhere concerning migration, it's everywhere concerning family, it's everywhere
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concerning a man's role and his responsibility in the family, it's concerning the issue of
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women, it's concerning the issue of feminism.
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Everywhere is confusion.
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Everyone has an opinion on everything, even to the point of abortion.
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And God does not care about our opinions on these issues.
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There are very clear distinct truths and that's what matters and that's how I'm going to address
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this.
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So we need to eliminate this issue of confusion because God does not give us the spirit of
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fear nor of anything else but the power of love and of sound mind and His Word is true
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and we can bank on that.
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So the first thing we need to understand is the standard of all things is Christ and He
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has created and established that standard.
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God did this from the beginning, He said it, He established it, it doesn't change because
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of what we think or feel.
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Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 2, Deuteronomy chapter 4 verse 2, here is the principle,
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no one should add or take away from what God has commanded.
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We don't break God's commandment or take away from God's commandment because it doesn't
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fit my life.
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God's standard will never fit your life apart from Jesus.
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That being said, this is what He says in Deuteronomy 4 2, you shall not add to the word that I
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command you nor take from it that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God
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that I command you.
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So we don't have the authority to take away or add anything to God's Word besides what
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God's Word says, regardless of what we think we imply.
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It's one of the reasons why we are an expository church.
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An expository church, as Dr. Steve Lawson says, is a biblical church.
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When you expound on the reality of the truth of the Word of God verse by verse, context
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upon context, precept upon precept, you can be sure that God will speak through His Word.
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It's not me speaking, I am speaking what He says.
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Pretty simple.
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In Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 through 19 says this, do not think that I have come to abolish
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the law or the prophets.
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I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
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For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota and not a dot will
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pass from the law until all is accomplished.
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So I want you to get that.
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It does not matter what we think or say, what the Supreme Court or anyone else says.
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I don't care.
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I follow Christ and Christ alone in His Word.
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It's important that you understand that.
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So if the Supreme Court decides they're going to approve gay marriage, that does not mean
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that it's a marriage.
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Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to
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do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
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Rule number one for the individual who did not think through as he gave advice.
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Whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
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So our responsibility as believers is to do the commandments, to follow His Word and we
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will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.
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We will hold true to the Word of God.
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And we will willingly give our lives for the freedom that Christ gives through His gospel.
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Alright second principle, the commandment of marriage and the establishment of the institution
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of marriage is God's and God's alone.
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Man does not have the biblical or God-given authority to redefine what God has ordained
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or established, period.
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I will clarify this so that you know this is all biblical.
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Matthew chapter 19 verse 4 through 6 says this, He answered, have you not read that
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He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?
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So I want you to get this very important statement here.
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God created them and He created them male and female.
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So anybody who decides that they're not a man because they feel like a woman does not
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matter.
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As a matter of fact, God has made it very clear He created you as a man.
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You may not like it.
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Well sin doesn't like God anyway.
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But that doesn't change anything.
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As a matter of fact, if you're in the medical field, you know it doesn't change anything
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because your chromosomes clearly tell you what you are.
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Your delusion does not change the reality of God's truth and the reality of your life.
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So, have you not read that He who created, God is the one who made you.
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He made them male and female, period.
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Secondly, He said, therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast
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to his wife and the two will become one flesh.
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First, very important thing, God has ordained genderism through the DNA.
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You are a man or you are a woman.
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That is a God-ordained created creature.
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Number one.
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Number two, God has ordained and established the family and marriage.
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For this reason, a man shall leave his mother and father and hold fast to his wife and the
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two will become one flesh.
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There is the family and there is marriage.
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It is not for you to self-define.
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Does not matter.
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God has made this very clear what it is.
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As a matter of fact, Jesus then states in verse 6 of Matthew 19, so they are no longer
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two but one flesh.
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And what God has joined together, let not man separate.
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Notice He doesn't say you cannot separate.
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He says you should do your absolute best to avoid it.
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Don't let it happen.
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If you can avoid it, avoid it.
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God has joined that institution and those two people together to create a family.
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The family is specifically designed for two reasons.
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To exemplify the love of Christ for His church.
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Number one.
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Number two, to procreate godly children.
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If there is not a family unit committed to the reality of the gospel of Christ, the family
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will die.
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Welcome to America.
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That's exactly what's happening today.
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Based on those two truths, well three truths really, I want to give some clarity on our
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response to those truths.
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These are very clear distinct truths that God has given concerning the reality of our responsibility
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according to His word and that will never change.
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And His creation of the institution of marriage and of the family and the creation of His
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creatures.
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Your responsibility, principle number three.
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Compassion without conviction leads to compromise.
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You do not participate in unfruitful deeds of darkness.
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Compassion without conviction leads to compromise.
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That was problem number three for this particular pastor.
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He let his compassion overrule his conviction which led to compromise and now he can't take
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it back.
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In Romans chapter 12 verse two, which I read last week, I'm going to use it again because
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it's very clear.
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So if you want to understand the mind of Christ and walk in the truth of Christ, then you
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need to be transformed in the renewal of your mind.
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What is the opposite of the transformation of your mind?
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The conformity to the world.
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If your mind is not being changed to be like is, then you cannot test and approve what
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God's will is.
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It's good, pleasing, and perfect will.
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You will automatically conform to the ideals and the philosophies of the world and think
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it's okay.
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When it's not.
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Proof Ephesians chapter five verse three through 13.
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This is going to be hard, but I say it in love.
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This is God's word, not me.
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The sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among
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you as is proper among the saints.
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Do you hear that?
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Can't even be named among us.
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Let there be no filthiness or foolish talk nor crude joking which are out of place, but
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instead let there be thanksgiving.
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Here it is, for you may be sure of this.
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This is a guarantee.
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When Paul says you may be sure, it is a declarative.
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You can bank on it.
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That everyone who is sexually immoral or impure or who is covetous is an idolater has no inheritance
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in the kingdom of God.
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That's his word.
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It's not mine.
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This is not for me to decide on my opinion what I will accept and not accept.
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This is the reality of the situation.
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This is the truth unadulterated straight from the word.
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Anyone who practices sexual immorality, impurity, or is covetous has no inheritance in the kingdom
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of God.
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That's hard because we have loved ones that we want in the kingdom of God.
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That does not mean that our compassion for them and the reality of the lostness isn't
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there.
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Absolutely, it's there.
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My aunt is a homosexual.
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She's a lesbian.
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She lives with a woman in union with a woman named Michelle.
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Going to her wedding was never an option.
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Made that very clear.
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I love you, Anna Reen, and I love Michelle, but I cannot agree nor participate and say
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it's okay that what you're doing is okay because it's not.
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But understand something.
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I will sit down with them and have a meal and love them and tell them I love them like
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I do all the time.
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My love for them doesn't change.
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My heart is heavy for them because they're living in a deceitful, living in a fake relationship.
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It's not a God-ordained relationship.
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It's heartbreaking, but that's the truth.
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That doesn't mean that God doesn't have compassion for them either.
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I mean, he gave his son.
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How much more compassion do you want?
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Let there be no...
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Let's continue reading.
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I'm sorry, verse 6.
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Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God
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comes upon the sons of disobedience.
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The reason why God will judge the world is because of sin.
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It's coming.
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You either accept God's wrath being poured out on his son on your behalf, or you will
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experience the wrath of God for your sin.
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One way or another, you let him be your substitutionary atonement for it, or you're going to have
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to deal with it yourself.
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But guess what you don't get?
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You don't get the free gift of eternal life.
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This is God's word.
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It's not an issue of opinion.
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Therefore, do not become partners with them, for at one time you were darkness, and now
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you are light in the Lord, walkers children of light.
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My compassion and heart for people doesn't change my conviction.
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If anything, my convictions to solidify my compassion in order to tell them the truth
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and warn them that they're going to walk into a forest fire and burn to death.
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But what do we do?
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We classify and say, it's okay, go ahead and walk into the fire and burn to death because
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I love you just the way you are when I have to be made a new creature in Christ Jesus.
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God makes me new.
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He doesn't keep me old.
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Focus children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good, right, and true,
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and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
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This is what Paul is saying here.
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Your responsibility, if you are being transformed in the renewing of your mind, so you can test
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and approve what God's will is, good, pleasing, perfect will, you need to be able to discern
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what is good.
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What is the right thing to do?
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Call a grandmother to go to a transgender wedding and put a Bible on her lap?
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I get it.
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I understand.
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I said this on Wednesday.
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I totally get why he would have said that.
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But the one thing he wasn't taking into consideration is she wasn't his sheep.
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He didn't belong.
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She didn't belong to his church.
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He should have never given advice to a sheep that didn't belong to him.
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Send her to her pastor.
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That's the problem with celebrity pastors.
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They think they shepherd everybody.
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I will address this in 2 Timothy chapter 2 in a minute.
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But when anything is exposed, for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in
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secret, but when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible for anything that
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becomes visible as light.
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Principle number 4.
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Test everything.
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Hold on to the truth and walk as children of light.
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When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak
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on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak and He will declare to you the
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things that are to come.
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He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.
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John chapter 16 verse 13 through 14.
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That's the other issue.
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As pastors, we have a responsibility to listen to the Spirit of God as He guides us in His
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truth, not guides us in our opinion of compassion.
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First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 19 through 22.
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Do not quench the Spirit.
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Do not despise prophecies, but test everything.
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Hold fast to what is good, abstain from every form of evil.
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Your responsibility is to test everything, to hold to the good for the sake of the lost.
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If we give in at one little moment, they will miss the grace of God and walk in their compromise.
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Responsibility as a pastor.
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My final thoughts, faith that the men of God must have.
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This is what Paul says to Timothy, and I want you to hear clearly, you then, my child, be
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strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me in the
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presence of many witnesses and trusted faithful men.
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What have you heard?
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Not what you think or what your opinion is or what your advice would be.
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What have you heard?
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Because these faithful men must be able to teach what they've heard.
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Who will be able to teach others also?
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Verse 2.
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Verse 3.
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Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
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Verse 4, no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one
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who enlisted him.
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He's saying this to Timothy.
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Timothy, don't get involved in everybody's issues that doesn't belong to you.
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That's what he's saying here.
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That was the problem that this particular pastor did.
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He got involved in a situation he should never have been involved in because he is not her
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pastor.
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His responsibility was to tell her to go to your pastor.
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And if she decides that she doesn't want to go to that pastor anymore but is willing to
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come under his shepherding, then that's a different story.
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But either way, there is something called confidentiality.
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That what you give, advice or counsel to someone doesn't mean that you go onto a radio show,
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the third largest radio show in all of the world and proclaim it to everyone for them
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to hear.
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Because you don't know the realities of what's happening in everyone's life who listens to
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you.
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Give Biblical truth.
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Teach the Word in its full counsel.
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But don't give advice.
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That's your opinion.
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You can't give opinion.
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And if I do give an opinion, for example, I will let you know this is my opinion.
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Don't take my opinion.
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Because sometimes I'm very opinionated.
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This is not one of them.
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This is not an issue of opinion.
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It's an issue of truth here.
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So as your pastor, I have counseled several people and I continue counseling people.
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If those individuals are willing to come under my shepherding as their pastor and under the
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elders as their shepherds, as shepherds for him or them or her, then we can deal with
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issues like that.
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But if you're already under the shepherding of someone else, don't come to me and ask
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me my opinion for you to use it against me in the future.
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Because that's not going to be good.
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Number one.
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Number two, I'm hoping I'm wise enough to deal with the issue of confidentiality.
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I'm a counselor.
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That's my degree, that in the Bible.
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When they talk to me, it stays with me.
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It doesn't go anywhere else.
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That's called good counseling.
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So ethically he failed and morally he failed because he got involved with a situation that
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wasn't for him to get involved in in the first place.
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Wisdom must prevail.
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This is what Paul says, continues to say, he says, an athlete is not crowned unless
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he competes according to the rules.
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In other words, everyone who's involved must follow the rules.
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You don't get to make up your own rules.
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It is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.
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Think over what I say for the Lord will give you understanding.
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This is what it means.
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Don't get involved in people's business and do your own work.
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Pretty simple.
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Mind your business.
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That's what should have happened here.
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And if he was going to give counsel, it should have been confidential.
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Never brought up in the reality of a radio show.
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Lastly, he says, remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, the offspring of David as preached
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in my gospel for which I am suffering bound with chains as a criminal.
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But the word of God is not bound.
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That's the one thing I think he forgot.
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It's the one thing I think a lot of us forget.
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Priest the truth of God in love and let the word do the work.
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Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the elect.
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Here it is again.
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Can never outrun that doctrine.
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It just shows up everywhere.
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And they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
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The saying is trustworthy.
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For if you died with him, you will also live with him.
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And if we endure, we will also reign with him.
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And if we deny him, he will also deny us.
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And if we are faithless, he remains faithful regardless of whether we're faithful or not.
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Why?
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Because he cannot deny himself.
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And then he says to Timothy this, remind them of these things.
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Timothy gives us, Paul gives us very clear, distinct responsibility as a pastor and as
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men as elders.
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I'm speaking to our elders too.
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We have to be reminded of these things.
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We have more at stake.
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The gospel is at stake.
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The picture of Christ's love for his church is at stake.
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And the truth is at stake.
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And he says, and I charge them and charge them before God not to quarrel about words.
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In other words, opinions don't matter here.
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Which does no good, but only ruins those who hear it.
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That's exactly what's been happening on YouTube and everyone's quote unquote opinions.
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I am not going to throw out this man's amazing ministry of truth and sound doctrine over
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a failed advice.
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Nor am I going to slander or say things that are belittling in order to prove my point.
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One of the things that's driving me nuts about this.
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I got to commend Dr. John MacArthur.
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He has not said a single word.
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Wise man.
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We have to be thoughtful and kind and thinking through the reality of the impact of these
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moments and not on a whim because we are moved by compassion to miss the point of what's
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at stake.
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This is what he says, do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker
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who needs no needs, has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
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But look what he says, but avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more
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and more ungodliness, which is what we're seeing.
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And their talk will spread like gangrene and it has.
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That's why I have to address this issue because it's even, even our people here have heard
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what's been happening.
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If I don't address it and kill the gangrene, then people will come up with their own opinions
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and walk around going, it's okay.
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And I can't do that as a pastor.
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I have to address it.
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And make a clear, concise statement because I didn't have enough time on Wednesday.
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Among them, two particular individuals who have, who are gangrenous, Hemenius and Phaletus,
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their names in general sound, sound contagious.
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Just saying.
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I figured you guys would find that funny.
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Who have swerved from the truth.
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You ever notice that?
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That's the issue.
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When someone swerves from the truth, it's because they got involved with everyone's
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opinions.
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That's the problem.
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Verse 19, but God's firm foundation stands bearing this seal.
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What is God's firm foundation?
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His word.
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This firm foundation stands bearing a seal.
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What's that?
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That the Lord knows those who are His and that everyone whose name, who names the name
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of the Lord, depart from iniquity.
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Quote unquote.
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That's what Paul's giving a quote here.
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That's the one thing I think that this particular individual wasn't thinking.
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It doesn't matter if the granddaughter was going to be saved.
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It will happen because God will make sure it happens.
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Grandmom doesn't have to show up.
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The reality is we as God's people must depart from iniquity.
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Now in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay.
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Some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
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Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel
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of honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every
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good work.
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What's that mean?
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We were all dishonorable vessels.
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All of us were dishonorable vessels.
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He's made us honorable.
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That's the point.
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It's kind of confusing when you read it, but that's what it means.
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So flee useful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who
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call on the name of the Lord from a pure heart.
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Have nothing to do with foolish and ignorant controversies.
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This should not be even something that we...
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If we're teaching the full counsel of God's word and God's people are growing in the truth
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of his word, this should not be an issue on YouTube.
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The problem is there are not enough pastors teaching the full counsel of God's word, and
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they're lazy in the pulpit.
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And some of them probably even shouldn't be in the pulpit.
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So what do they do?
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They get involved with these ignorant controversies over and over and over again when they're
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missing the point.
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Where is Jesus in all this?
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That is the main issue here.
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Where was Jesus in this advice?
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Why?
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These particular ignorant controversies you know breed quarrels and fights.
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Verse 24, and the Lord's servant, you hear this?
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He's talking to Timothy, the pastor.
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This is for all of you, but especially for the elders and the deacons.
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I want to give this to the deacons.
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And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently
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enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.
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This particular individual is not my opponent.
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He's my brother.
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My wife and I watched a lot on this issue, and trust me.
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She knows I get extremely passionate about God's truth.
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She goes, why are you yelling at me?
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I said I'm not yelling at you, I'm yelling at the TV.
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Why can't they get it?
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She goes, I don't know.
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Verse 26, oh sorry, God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of
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the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after
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being captured by him to do his will.
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I'm not going to get into the terminology of the, or the words of this, the word study
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of this particular last verse, but the reality is, is when we get involved in these things,
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we participate in the evil things, and as a result of us participating in the evil things,
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we are captured by them, and we end up doing exactly what our sinful nature wants us to
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do.
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So, what do I want to leave with you?
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This is not an issue of public opinion.
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This is an issue of biblical truth.
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Marriage is marriage.
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It's between a man and a woman.
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There is only two people, two genders, male and female, and he has established the family
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as the institution to continue to propagate the gospel, to proclaim the truth of Christ's
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love for his church, and to bring about godly children.
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That is the only means by which the church continues to survive and live.
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One day he will return, and all of these opinions and things will go out the door.
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Because, when I see face to face perfection, and I will know even as I am fully known,
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the reality is, it doesn't matter.
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The only thing that matters is him.
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My promise to you as your pastor is, I will absolutely do my best to not get involved
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in public affairs that are not my responsibility.
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My responsibility is, if anyone comes to me and they have no church, and I counsel them,
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it stays there.
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If they want to come under my shepherding and the shepherding of the elders, praise
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God, we have had that happen several times, and I am thankful.
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But if they are under the shepherding of someone else, I'm going to tell them, go to your pastor,
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and work this out.
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And if you can't, no problem.
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I understand.
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But it's not my job to shepherd someone else's sheep.
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So that's my promise.
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I will shepherd you.
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And anyone who God brings to us becomes part of our family, as I have continued to do for
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the last two years.
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Where do we stand on this issue of marriage?
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Marriage is between a husband and a wife, between a man and a woman.
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This is God's biblical standard.
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I can't change that standard, nor will I.
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And I will not apologize for that standard.
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It makes a lot of people uncomfortable, it makes a lot of people very unhappy.
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But you need to work that out with God, not me.
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I will help you walk through the truth of God's Word so that you can come to the conviction
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of the reality of God's Word.
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I will absolutely love to do that with you.
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I will love you through it.
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I have done it for several people who have at one time had same-sex attraction and now
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don't, just through letting God's Word do the healing in their life.
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Where do we stand concerning marriage?
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I mean, concerning the family.
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There is only a family.
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A family is a husband, a wife, and children.
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And in some cases, because of sin, that family gets broken.
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And then there's a mom who raises kids or a dad who raises kids or there are blended
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families.
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God in His grace handles all that anyway.
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Lastly, what is your responsibility?
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I cannot tell you what you should and should not do.
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I can tell you what the Word of God says you should and should not do.
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I would tell you that if there is sin in your life and we have to deal with that as a church,
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then we would deal with that through church discipline.
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But that being said, you have to decide.
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I've given you the truth.
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It's your responsibility to work that out.
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I will not go to a same-sex wedding, transgender wedding, at all.
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That does not mean that I do not love them, nor does that mean that I do not want them
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to come to Christ.
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But my presence there supports a false reality for them in that they are a family ordained
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by God and they are not.
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God has defined marriage.
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It does not matter what we say concerning what we think marriage is.
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A union between a man and a man and a woman and a woman is not a marriage.
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That's not the definition of marriage.
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So that being settled on those things, I think it's important that we as a church love people
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deeply and that we stand in the gap, warning them of the impending doom and giving them
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a hope called the gospel.
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But if they continue running headlong into a forest fire that's fully engulfed, regardless
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of your warning, there's nothing you can do.
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But pray that God would be merciful and by His grace snatch them out.
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That's the whole point of soteriology.
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God is the one who saves out of His wrath.
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Not you.
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We answered this question, we dealt with it, had to deal with it, and if you guys ever
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want to get together, if you guys ever want to meet and discuss these things, please schedule
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time with me.
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I will sit down with you, we will open up the Word of God, we will talk about it, I
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will help you to work through those feelings.
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Here's the reality.
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My aunt and her friend, when they die, will die and go to hell.
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I have warned her and she believes the opposite of God's Word.
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Well, God's love.
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That's right, God is love and God warns you that if you don't repent, His wrath is going
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to be poured out upon you.
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That's a loving God warning you of what's to come, not saying it's okay to go out and
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run in the middle of the street and play in traffic.
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It's not love.
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So we have to lovingly care and warn and guide and help, but the only help you can give is
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the gospel.
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Father, I want to thank you so much for your faithfulness and goodness.
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Thank you Lord for your Word and thank you Lord for our time together.
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Thank you Lord that you have helped us to get through this very hard issue.
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Help us to walk in wisdom and love and in grace.
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To stand not in compassion without conviction, which leads to compromise, but to stand in
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conviction because of compassion, which leads to grace.
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Lord we thank you in Jesus name, amen.