Establishing the Christian Home

Text:
Ephesians 5: 22-31, "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church: and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be unto their own husbands in everything. Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself. For no man ever yet hateth his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the Church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh."

Preliminary Remarks:
After a number of years of pastoral ministry, I have become aware of at least seven principles that are a necessary ingredient toward building strong churches.

A love for the presence of the Lord.
A maintaining of the joy of the Lord.
A love for the unity in the Church body.
A love for the Word of God.
A love for discipline in the House of God.
An understanding of priesthood responsibilities.
A maintaining of healthy family structures in the home.

Now all of these principles could be enlarged upon, but it's the seventh one I want us to focus on as we attempt to discover the biblical approach to building strong family relationships in the home. This teaching is Part one of a two part lesson entitled, Establishing the Christian Home.