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By Chris Hammond, M.S. Ever wonder what the Bible says about sex?   It is filled with plenty of practical information about our daily lives including advice on love, money, wisdom, relationships, and work but what about sex?   Surprisingly, there are many verses about the matter and even an entire book called Song of Solomon written about it.   Yet not much is discussed in Christian circles about how God views sex.   There is much discussion about how other people view sex (just look at the titles of magazines at your grocery store), but few if any discuss how God views it. So after looking over many verses, it all comes down to a couple of basic ideas and here are the top sexual no-no’s in alphabetical order. Adultery is sex with someone who is not your spouse.   This commandment was given by God through the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:14.   Jesus expanded the definition in Matt. 5:28 to include someone who looks at another ...

By Chris Hammond, MS A common issue among Christians is defining the proper balance between their parents’ expectations and opinions and their spouse’s expectations and opinions. Too often, Christians carry into their marriage the idea that they must continue to obey their parents long after they have reached adulthood because Scripture tells them to honor their parents. However, there is a huge difference between obeying parents and honoring parents although both are right depending on the maturity of the individual. The desire to honor parents is right but sometimes contrasts with their spouse’s opinion. This produces tension frequently resulting in an argument or worse in unspoken frustration. The unresolved issue can then potentially give seed to resentment which can in turn devastate a marriage. It does not have to be this way. By understanding the meaning and application of the Scripture for obeying your parents, honoring your parents and cleaving to your spouse, many Christian m...

By: Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC, CSOTS No….I’m not anti-American. Really, I’m not. My father was a WWII and Korea veteran, my oldest brother fought in Vietnam and my other brother has served in Iraq for the most part of four years. I’m proud of each of them and believe in what they did and are doing. Truly, in so many ways, America is the greatest country in the world. Yet….as I review the traits that will lead people to say we are “great Americans” I cannot help but notice that many of them are the opposite of what God wants from us. Let me show you what I mean: -Great Americans are known to be fiercely independent…yet Jesus spoke of being in total submission to the Lord……being a “slave” to Him and dependent on Him to meet our needs. -Great Americans are known to take “pride” in all that they do…yet scripture speaks of pride coming before a fall….and that we are to be humble and put others ahead of ourselves. -Great Americans are encouraged to work for what they want and pursue the...

By Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC God has really been speaking to me lately. Yes, really. Amazing as it sounds for a man who has been a Christian for 31 years, I am just now learning that God still speaks to us, if we will only listen. For years, I don’t think I fully believed this…..that we could really hear the Lord’s voice. I just thought that God only spoke through the scripture….an attitude that results from being raised in “the age of reason” where anything of the heart is portrayed as naïve at best and, at worst, a trick of the devil. It never dawned on me, until recently, that this attitude does not fit the God portrayed in those very scriptures. A God that actually states, when choosing David as king, that He looks MOST to the heart, while man looks at the externals. A God who continued to speak to and through the disciples even after Christ ascended to His throne. The question I never asked myself is, “why would He stop now”? Well, I’m not sure why it took me so long (I gue...

How our patriotism can hinder our walk with Christ By: Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC, CSOTS No….I’m not anti-American. Really, I’m not. My father was a WWII and Korea veteran, my oldest brother fought in Vietnam and my other brother has served in Iraq for the most part of four years. I’m proud of each of them and believe in what they did and are doing. Truly, in so many ways, America is the greatest country in the world. Yet….as I review the traits that will lead people to say we are “great Americans” I cannot help but notice that many of them are the opposite of what God wants from us. Let me show you what I mean: -Great Americans are known to be fiercely independent…yet Jesus spoke of being in total submission to the Lord……being a “slave” to Him and dependent on Him to meet our needs. -Great Americans are known to take “pride” in all that they do…yet scripture speaks of pride coming before a fall….and that we are to be humble and put others ahead of ourselves. -Great A...