[By Ron Halbrook]

2 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Introduction 2. God revealed the purpose of our lives: He created us to be His companions & friends He gives us all blessings including marriage He made a plan to forgive our sins & receive us in heaven 3

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11 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

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16 24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

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I. God C reated Us to be His Companions & Friends B. In the Image of God: Similar in Ways Allowing Us to be His Companions God is a spirit, man is a spirit Both have intelligence Both have moral capacity Both have volition 18

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20 1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

21 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

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23 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

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29 18 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

II. God Gives Us All Blessings Including Marriage C. God Gave the Gift of Marriage Violations of God’s plan destroy His blessings  Fornication: sex without marriage  Polygamy: multiple marriage mates  Adultery: married people having sex outside their marriage  Homosexuality: same sex partners 30

II. God Gives Us All Blessings Including Marriage C. God Gave the Gift of Marriage Violations of God’s plan destroy His blessings  Divorce: repudiating & leaving a mate  Abortion on demand: kill baby in womb to avoid loving & nurturing him/her  Conceiving babies without marriage  Verbal, physical, & sexual abuse in family 31

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33 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

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35 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

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44 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls …And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

45 16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

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52 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Invitation 2. God revealed the purpose of our lives: He created us to be His companions & friends He gives us all blessings including marriage He made a plan to forgive our sins & receive us in heaven 53

54 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.