1. “The Importance of the Home”

2. 3 institutions God has ordained: Civil Government (Rom. 13:1-7) The Church (Eph. 3:10-11) The Home (Gen. 2:18-25)

3. The Traditional Family Under Attack Cohabitation: In 1970 72% of the adult populationwas married In 1970 72% of the adult population was married 61% of the adult population was married in 1992 61% of the adult population was married in 1992 According to a recent census, over 4million couples live together in theUnited States without being married.700,000 of them are raising children. According to a recent census, over 4 million couples live together in the United States without being married. 700,000 of them are raising children.

4. The Traditional Family Under Attack Broken Homes: Those who cohabitate before marriage areat greater risk of divorce than couples whodo not. One study found that most coupleswho cohabitate before marriage: Those who cohabitate before marriage are at greater risk of divorce than couples who do not. One study found that most couples who cohabitate before marriage: Less committed to the marriage (consider divorce an option) More likely to suffer unfaithfulness (cheating) Women 5x more likely to suffer from domestic violence

5. The Traditional Family Under Attack Broken Homes: Children: Raised in broken homes 10x more likely to divorce Increased: Rate of suicide (up 300% since 1950) Rate of homicide has increased Rate of arrest for violent crimes has increased

6. The Traditional Family Under Attack Broken Homes: Children: 17 year olds form the largest criminal agebracket in American society. 17 year olds form the largest criminal age bracket in American society. 1/5 of all crimes are committed by juveniles. Twice as many crimes are committed bypersons 18-24 Twice as many crimes are committed by persons 18-24 That means half of the crimes are committedby people under 25 years of age – people whohave just left the home! That means half of the crimes are committed by people under 25 years of age – people who have just left the home!

7. The Traditional Family Under Attack Single-Parent Homes: Increase in the rates of illegitimacy: 14.1 per thousand (1950) 43.8 per thousand in 1990 (a 310% Increase) Teen Pregnancy: (Age 15-19) 12.6 per thousand in 1950 42.5 in 1990 (a 337% Increase)

8. The Traditional Family Under Attack Abusive Homes: 3.3 million reports of child abuseeach year in the U.S. involvingnearly 6 million children 3.3 million reports of child abuse each year in the U.S. involving nearly 6 million children The United States has the worstrecord in the industrialized nation– losing five children every day dueto abuse-related deaths. The United States has the worst record in the industrialized nation – losing five children every day due to abuse-related deaths.

9. The Traditional Family Under Attack No Marriage: Over one million teenagers get pregnant each year. 30,000 of these teens are under the age of15! 30,000 of these teens are under the age of 15! 40% of fourteen year olds will be pregnantat least once before the age 20! 40% of fourteen year olds will be pregnant at least once before the age 20! 30% of abortions performed in the U.S. areperformed on teenagers 30% of abortions performed in the U.S. are performed on teenagers 114 out of every thousand teenage girls getpregnant and 40 of them abort 114 out of every thousand teenage girls get pregnant and 40 of them abort

10. The Traditional Family Under Attack No Marriage: Ephesians 5:3 (NKJV) 3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;

11. The Traditional Family Under Attack Homosexual Marriages:

12. The Home Is Important! Speaking of the home and its origin: “What of it’s origin? Just how did this family life come into being? What was it’s earliest type? What was its prototype? These questions we still cannot answer with certainty…we do not know.” - Ray E. Baber, Marriage and the Family

13. The Home Is Important! Because God Designed It: Genesis 2:18 (NKJV) 18 And the L ORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

14. The Home Is Important! Because God Designed It: Matthew 19:4–6 (NKJV) 4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

15. The Home Is Important! Because It Has an Important Purpose: Genesis 1:28 (NKJV) 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

16. There Is Hope! Philippians 3:13 (NKJV) 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

17. Things That are Attacking the Home: “The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the bases of human society.” – Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon

18. Things That are Attacking the Home: “We are positively assured that no example of a divorce occurred for more than five centuries after the foundation of the city.” However, toward the end of the republic: “Divorce took place upon the most frivolous pretext, and frequently without any pretext at all and such was the laxity of public morals, that little or no disgrace was attached to the most flagrant abuse of this license.” – Manual of Roman Antiquities

19. Things That are Attacking the Home: Employment Opportunities: 1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV) 8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

20. Things That are Attacking the Home: Marriages That Are Unequally Yoked: 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

21. Things That are Attacking the Home: Weak Spiritual Leadership: Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV) 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

22. Things That are Attacking the Home: Women Working Outside the Home: 1 Timothy 5:14 (NKJV) 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

23. Things That are Attacking the Home: Materialism: Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) 5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have…

24. Things That are Attacking the Home: Worldliness: 1 John 2:15–17 (NKJV) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.