Marriage: For God’s Sake & the Children “Taken Captive: Marriage and Family Held Hostage by Men’s Philosophies and Traditions” – Colossians 2:8  (Part 1)   

This installment takes the Marriage: For God's Sake & the Children's Sake series to one of its most sobering and revealing subjects yet. Why do so many churches teach something different about marriage, divorce, remarriage, and sin than what Jesus plainly taught? When did human traditions begin replacing the commands of Christ, and what are the consequences for the church, the family, and eternity? Drawing from Colossians 2:8, this message exposes how deceptive philosophies and cultural pressures have slowly taken marriage and family captive, even while continuing to use the name of Jesus. You'll examine the biblical definition of sin, true repentance, and why Scripture repeatedly warns that the greatest deception of the last days would come from those claiming to follow Christ while abandoning His clear commands. This message also traces more than 1,500 years of church history, revealing how the early church understood and practiced Jesus' teachings on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, and contrasts that with the dramatic shift that has taken place in recent decades. Finally, we begin examining the life and influence of Martin Luther, honoring the biblical truths recovered through the Reformation while asking an important question: Where should every believer draw the final authority, from church tradition or from the words of Jesus? If you've ever wondered whether today's teaching on marriage reflects Scripture or culture, this message will challenge long-held assumptions and call you back to the authority of Christ alone.