Leaving a Legacy of Love
Presented by: (add presenter name here)
Written by: Willie and Elaine Oliver
Directors of the Department of Family Ministries for the General
Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist World Headquarters
From Revival and Reformation: Building Family Memories.
Bible Text
Therefore a man shall leave his
Father and Mother and be joined to
his wife, and they shall become one
flesh.
Genesis 2: 24
Introduction
• Marriage is one of the most challenging
and rewarding of relationships.
• God, the Creator of marriage, has given
us very clear instructions on how to
make marriage work.
• Couples can learn specific skills to
maintain and enhance their oneness.
The Dilemma of Modern Marriage
• Couples struggle to balance personal
fulfillment with relational fulfillment.
• Modern marriages have an individualistic
focus.
• If two people are to become one, there
must be a mutual desire that seeks the
good of the relationship not just the needs
of the individual.
God’s Plan For Marriage
• Our relational God created us to be in
relationship with Him; then He created
us to be in significant and fulfilling
relationships with others.
• God intends for our relationships to be a
reflection of Him.
Four Basic Elements Essential
to Healthy Relationships
• 1. Covenant
God’s intent is that the relationship
between husband and wife be modeled
after His endless covenant with his people.
• 2. Grace
God wants us to understand that grace is
about forgiving and being forgiven.
Four Basic Elements Essential
to Healthy Relationships
• 3. Empowerment
Empowerment is love in action. It’s about
mutuality and unity.
• 2. Intimacy
Couples who base their marriage on
covenant love, grace and empowering one
another, know each other deeply and
intimately.
Ellen White
Love imparts to its possessor grace,
propriety, and comeliness of deportment.
It illuminates the countenance and
subdues the voice; it refines and elevates
the entire being.
Ellen G. White, 1948, The Gospel Workers
Barriers to Oneness
• Self-protection and the fear of rejection
• Sin and selfishness
• Lack of knowledge
Building a Strong Marriage
• Commit to tearing down barriers in your
marriage and keeping them down.
• Commit to focusing on what you can do
to be a better spouse.
• Commit to loving your spouse like God
loves.
CPREP: Christian Preparation and Relationship
Enhancement Program.
Leaving a Legacy of Love
• When we base our marriage on a biblical
foundation and live by God-designed
principles, we will find fulfillment and
satisfaction in the marriage relationship.
• We will leave a legacy of love for our
children, our church and our community.
“Love is…….”
Love is patient, love is kind. It does
not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
1 Corinthians 13: 4, 7