What Did Jesus Say About Marriage?

One of the arguments I read over and over about the marriage debate is that Jesus never said anything against homosexual marriage, so it must be right. The problem with this logic is that Jesus does speak of heterosexual marriage in Matthew 19:1-10. In these verses, the Pharisees ask a question to which they already know the answer. They want to know if it is legal and right for a man to divorce his wife for any reason. In verses 4 and 5 Jesus references the Genesis account of marriage as being between a male and female, and that the male and female, when joined together, leave their families to start their own families. Jesus does not reference homosexual marriage in these verses, because marriage was and is between a man and a woman. Jesus is very plain in these verses as to the definition of marriage. Jesus' reference to heterosexual marriage as being defined by God is a reference to homosexual marriage being outside of God's word.
The problem that we face today, is we have destroyed and distorted marriage between a man and a woman. So that even standing on the principles of the bible are hard for us because of actions. Very few people save themselves for marriage any longer. People move through marriages like revolving door at a hotel. Even in the the Old Testament, the parameters of marriage between one man and one woman were not followed. I've even heard Christian people explain this away with, "it was the custom of the day." This is a very dangerous argument for this issue. If we are going with the custom of the day, homosexual marriage will more than likely be legalized in America. When it is, is that the custom of the day?
The principle to stand on is God's word.

Worship?

Let's worship! This phrase has different meanings to different people. To some, it is sitting silently while others do the work. To some, it is raising hands, clapping and singing. To others, it is simply a way of life. We should not put worship in a box and label it with our preferences. We should not put worship in a box and use it only at church. Worship is a way of life. We are never commanded in God's word to only worship Him at church. If we are truly appreciative to God for all He has done for us, we will live out our worship of Him on a daily basis. The bible says to put on the whole armor of God. It doesn't say to put it on on Sunday like a suit to wear to church. The same can be said for our worship. If we only put it on on Sunday, is it genuine?

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:2

A Few Thoughts on Killing a Church

1. Hyper-critical of Other's Work

As churches grow, the need for volunteer workers increases. Eventually, paid staff will have to be added, but until the church can afford to move in that direction, volunteers are a necessity. One issue with volunteers is they are volunteers. As the jobs increase, the ones who began the work will have to let some things go to newer members. When the newer members begin to work, the worst thing that church members can do is become hyper-critical of everything that the others are doing. We must understand that not everyone does everything the same way. If you want to drive someone away, give them a job and let someone come behind them and criticize the way they performed the job in front of others. This kills volunteer worker availability. Let them do the job and praise them for their willingness to give of their time and effort.

2. Be Unorganized

If a church wants to drive people away, become unorganized. Lack of organization causes trust issues with members of the congregation. If there is no organization in business matters of the church, people will eventually stop giving. And, eventually they will stop coming. Being unorganized in programs and services will drive people in a world that marches to times, crazy. 

3. Poor Communication

Poor communication causes uncertainty in the congregation. If people do not know when things are happening, they will not be there. If people do not understand why things are happening, they will not be there.