“They’re important. We should devote time, effort and attention to our families,” said Martin Knox, pastor at First Baptist Church in Temple. “And when there’s matters - err - problems that come up, we should focus on them, talk about them and resolve them. It won’t go away if we ignore it.”
Knox paused so that he could grin when he said the term, “matters.” The title of the six-week sermon series he started on Mother’s Day is Family Matters.
“There’s a double meaning there,” he said. “Family matters because it’s valuable, but there’s also matters that come up that families have to deal with.”
Remaining topics include priority setting, holy sex, transitions within the family and the father’s role in parenting.
“I thought that summer would give us a good opportunity to explore these issues,” Knox said. “It’ll do everyone a lot of good, even single people. The pressures that I’ll be talking about apply to everyone.”
With the “holy sex” topic, Knox plans to reiterate God’s stance on lovemaking, highlighting what’s moral, pure and beautiful act.
“Everybody else talks about sex, but the church seldom does. God gave it to us. It’s there to be honored and enjoyed,” Knox said. “But the world has made it immoral. If sexual immorality can be eliminated, then lot of problems would be eliminated as well.”
For the “holy sex” service, children 3 and under will be in the nursery, and children 4-15 will have the opportunity to participate in an alternative activity.
“The decision’s up to the parents though,” Knox said. “If they think the discussion will be beneficial to their child, then that’s OK.”
The best tip Knox can give to struggling families or individuals is to ask one question.
“What does God expect from me?” Knox said. “Answer that, and you’ll find yourself a little more able to deal with things.”
The pastor is looking forward to his next five sermons. He hopes those who need it most will hear his words of help.
“If families end up stronger, and if I can help each individual Christian along his own walk with Christ, well then, it’ll be a success.”
--tlunsford@temple-telegram.com
