CALLING GOD A LIAR! (RELATIONSHIPS)

Devotional

Day 1: Bone of My Bones

Adam stood in Eden naming creatures, but none mirrored his form. Lions roared, birds soared—yet loneliness lingered. God split Adam’s side, crafting Eve from his rib. She wasn’t beneath or above him but beside him—a partner for life’s work. Their union began with divine surgery, flesh knit to flesh. [38:42]

God designed marriage as mutual stewardship. Eve wasn’t an afterthought but a strategic gift. Jesus later affirmed this pattern: two becoming one isn’t merger but sacred fusion. When Adam recognized Eve as “bone of my bones,” he saw God’s answer to isolation.

Many ache for companionship yet settle for counterfeit connections. Stop scrolling dating apps tonight. Open Genesis 2 instead. Where have you prioritized convenience over God’s blueprint for relationship?

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’… Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
(Genesis 2:18,22 NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal His purpose for your relationships—current or future.
Challenge: Write one area where you’ll trust God’s timing instead of forcing outcomes.

Day 2: Leaving to Cleave

Adam didn’t consult his parents when God presented Eve. The command was clear: “Leave father and mother.” Ancient Near Eastern culture prized multigenerational households, yet God prioritized the new covenant over tradition. Marriage required Adam to build fresh loyalty—a “we” before extended “theys.” [42:10]

Leaving isn’t abandonment but healthy prioritization. Jesus modeled this when He told His mother, “Woman, behold your son” at the cross—entrusting her care to John. Spouses become primary counselors, not parents or childhood friends.

Identify one relationship that currently overshadows your marriage or future marriage. Is it a parent’s opinion? A friend’s influence? This week, realign one decision to honor your spouse (or future spouse) first.

“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
(Genesis 2:24 NIV)

Prayer: Confess any divided loyalties hindering your relationships.
Challenge: Text your parent or mentor one boundary you’re setting to protect your marriage.

Day 3: Naked Without Shame

Pre-fall Eden knew no hiddenness. Adam and Eve worked, walked, and worshipped wholly exposed—physically and emotionally. Their transparency flowed from trust: no fear of rejection, no history of betrayal. Sin later bred shame, but God’s ideal remains vulnerability without armor. [45:49]

Jesus restored naked trust at the cross—stripped yet unashamed. He invites couples to drop fig-leaf disguises: secret debts, silent resentments, or performance-based affection. Oneness thrives when masks combust.

What facade have you maintained in your closest relationship? A fake smile? A hidden habit? Choose one layer to shed this week. How might confession deepen your intimacy?

“Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”
(Genesis 2:25 NIV)

Prayer: Thank God for loving your unfiltered self.
Challenge: Initiate a 10-minute conversation with no topic off-limits.

Day 4: Fleeing the Fake

Corinth’s believers rationalized temple prostitution as “cultural engagement.” Paul countered: sexual sin isn’t casual—it hijacks your very body, Christ’s temple. To “flee” demands sprinting, not strolling. Like Joseph bolting from Potiphar’s wife, escape requires urgency. [59:05]

Modern cohabitation often masquerades as “test-driving” marriage. But God calls couples to covenant, not convenience. Shared mortgages and Netflix accounts without vows breed disposable intimacy.

Unfollow one social account or delete one app that normalizes sexual compromise. Replace it with 5 minutes in 1 Corinthians 6. What compromise have you tolerated as “harmless”?

“Flee from sexual immorality… You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”
(1 Corinthians 6:18,20 NIV)

Prayer: Beg God for Joseph’s courage when temptation whispers.
Challenge: Write “Bought With a Price” on your bathroom mirror.

Day 5: Temples in the Park

Solomon’s temple hosted God’s glory; now believers’ bodies do. Yet society treats them as playgrounds, not sanctuaries. The National Day of Prayer isn’t ritual—it’s warfare. Packing Victory Park declares: “Our land’s healing starts with kneeling saints.” [25:25]

Jesus cleansed the temple with a whip, furious at its defilement. He’s equally passionate about purifying His living temples—us. Prayer isn’t wishful thinking but surgical strikes against darkness.

Commit to 7 minutes of prayer daily this week—3 for personal purity, 4 for your city. Will you let intercession replace complacency?

“If my people… will humble themselves and pray… I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV)

Prayer: Repent for areas you’ve desecrated God’s temple.
Challenge: Set a 7:14 PM alarm to pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 aloud.

Sermon Summary

Change City’s message frames marriage as God’s first design for human flourishing and calls for clear, practical fidelity to that design. Scripture from Genesis presents woman as a companion taken from the man’s side to stand beside him, not beneath or above him, establishing marriage as a covenant that creates a new family unit. Marriage requires leaving parental control, forming a distinct household, and pursuing mutual vulnerability—Adam and Eve walked naked without shame—so intimacy becomes whole rather than corruptible. The talk highlights the social consequences when culture treats cohabitation as equivalent to marriage: higher instability, poverty, incarceration, and emotional stress among children often trace back to weakened family structures.

The address challenges contemporary habits that test-drive relationships, exposing how sexual compromise, blurred boundaries, and casual cohabitation open doors to long-term pain and repeated cycles of abandonment. Biblical counsel—flee sexual immorality and honor the body as God’s temple—translates into concrete disciplines like guarding gaze, setting clear boundaries, and valuing covenantal commitment over convenience. Singles receive encouragement to embrace singleness as a season for service and growth, rather than a deficiency, while married couples receive exhortation to cultivate unity, mutual respect, and a shared pursuit of God so that the household flourishes.

Practical action steps accompany the theological core: congregational initiatives, prayer gatherings, leadership training, youth and community outreach, and invitations to join a local faith family. The address concludes with an appeal to spiritual decision—restoration, salvation, and church membership—positioning the local community as a place for growth, accountability, and service. The posture throughout combines pastoral seriousness about sexual ethics and family formation with mercy for those who have erred, offering restoration through repentance and renewed obedience. The overarching thrust affirms that honoring God’s design for marriage and purity serves both spiritual fidelity and the tangible wellbeing of future generations.

Key Takeaways

1. Marriage: first divine human institution Marriage exists as God’s foundational arrangement for human flourishing, not a cultural afterthought. It creates a new household with obligations, identity, and moral clarity that buffer children from social harms. Treating marriage as primary reframes decisions about sex, finances, and family roles toward permanence and responsibility. [40:10]
2. Leave, cleave, form new family Marriage requires a decisive break from parental authority that preserves respect while establishing autonomy. Cleaving forms a triadic pursuit—both spouses and God—so decisions center on the covenant rather than external expectations. Healthy boundary-setting prevents generational dysfunction from being handed down. [44:38]
3. Guard sexual boundaries with conviction Sexual choices shape bodies, hearts, and future responsibilities; they are not merely private pleasures but acts with moral weight. Fleeing sexual immorality protects emotional integrity and prevents complex entanglements that haunt families for years. Discipline of gaze, speech, and proximity creates space for honest, covenantal love to develop. [59:05]
4. Cohabitation does not equal marriage Living together as a trial run normalizes escape routes and erodes long-term commitment, producing higher rates of instability for adults and children. Legal vows and mutual obligations change incentives and foster investment; informal arrangements rarely produce the same social benefits. Choosing covenant over convenience yields better outcomes for family health. [47:55]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[15:30] - Worship and Praise
[21:58] - Connect Card and App
[24:26] - Kingdom Men Huddle & Events
[29:55] - Transition to the Word
[34:21] - Series Introduction: Calling God a Liar
[37:27] - Genesis Reading: Creation of Woman
[40:10] - Marriage as God’s Institution
[46:29] - Cultural Trends: Cohabitation vs Marriage
[59:05] - Flee Sexual Immorality: Practical Counsel
[69:37] - Invitation: Salvation and Membership
[75:56] - Offering, Logistics, and Close

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Genesis 2:24 (ESV)
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (ESV)
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."

Observation Questions

According to Genesis 2:24, what three actions define the formation of marriage?
What does the sermon highlight as key differences between marriage and cohabitation? (See [47:55])
How does 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 describe the uniqueness of sexual sin compared to other sins?
What practical disciplines does the sermon associate with guarding sexual purity? (See [59:05])

Interpretation Questions

Why might God design marriage as a covenant requiring "leaving" parental authority and "cleaving" to a spouse? How does this protect families?
The sermon argues that cohabitation "normalizes escape routes" and harms long-term commitment. How might informal relationships undermine the stability described in Genesis 2:24? (See [47:55])
How does viewing the body as "God’s temple" (1 Corinthians 6:19) reframe decisions about physical and emotional boundaries in relationships?
Why might children raised in unstable or cohabiting households face higher rates of emotional stress? (See [49:27])

Application Questions

What specific boundaries (e.g., time, communication, physical space) could you set to honor God’s design for relationships in your current season of life? (See [59:05])
If you’re in a dating or cohabiting relationship, how might you intentionally move toward covenantal commitment or reevaluate your boundaries? (See [47:55])
Married couples: What habits could you build to prioritize mutual vulnerability and shared pursuit of God, as modeled by Adam and Eve’s "nakedness without shame"?
Singles: How can you actively serve others or grow spiritually in this season instead of viewing singleness as a "deficiency"? (See [40:26])
Parents: What steps could you take to model healthy marriage or intentional singleness for your children? (See [07:20])
How might you support someone struggling with guilt from past sexual choices, pointing them toward God’s restoration? (See [57:50])
What practical accountability (e.g., friendships, routines, media choices) could help you "flee sexual immorality" daily? (See [59:05])

Sermon Clips

35s

#CohabitationRaisesDivorce

“You got kids together. You got joint banking accounts. You go on vacation together, but you won't get married. That is the dumbest thing in the world. It makes no sense. You're already together. But, oh, you know, I don't know if we're gonna make it. Y'all been together for a decade if you don't know by now. But here's the problem. See, people think, I'm a try it out, and then I'm a see if it work. Do you know the rates of divorce are greater when couples live together beforehand, before they get married?”

37s

#HealthyInLawBoundaries

“That doesn't mean that you completely shut out your old family. See, sometimes we go to two extremes. We either get married and cut everybody off, which is incorrect, or we get married and let everybody in. It's incorrect. When you get married, you don't let your mama be telling you to tell your wife what to do. Right. Right. Right. And you don't let your your your your your mama be telling woman, you don't let your mama tell you how to treat your husband all the time. I know y'all like this. This is good teaching. Because, see, some of y'all come at households where mama didn't have a man.”

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