Love and Respect Challenge

Pastor Thomas Schoeneck, Grace Baptist Church, Laramie, WY

       It is always a joy to teach at MBS but teaching the Marriage and Family Class is a special joy for a couple of reasons.  First, and foremost, it is a joy because Carol comes with me to bring her perspective. As we share the realities of our 44 years together, all the students appreciate our openness and forthrightness but the young women especially respect Carol’s insights from her woman’s perspective.
 
          One of students from this class shared that in the beginning of the class she had a negative attitude because she thought the book we required them to read and some of the opening statements suggested that the class was advocating “keeping the wife under the husband’s thumb.” However, as the class progressed and she read more of the book and listened to Carol’s insights and applications of Biblical truth, she became excited about what she was learning. She saw more clearly the wisdom of God’s word relating to marriage and family.

         This leads me to the second reason this class is such a joy. We always ask on the first day for each student to write out their understanding of marriage. Very few have a solid, Biblical perspective. Even those married! By the end of the class each one is like the student above. They have come to see God’s purpose and plan for marriage. They understand the principles on which a Biblical marriage is based. They have an understanding of the spiritual battle that marriage is. They have come to understand that Satan desires to steal the joy from marriage just as he seeks to steal the joy from all aspects of the abundant life Jesus gives us. And, they have come to understand how the life of the Spirit is the key to victory over him.

Carol and I rejoice to have such an opportunity!

Thomas & Carol Schoeneck

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