W e l come
WELCOME to GATEWAY LIFE RECENTLY I WAS PREPARING TO TEACH
on the subject of marriage. Everyone knows when you teach on that topic you have to include Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” But when I reviewed that passage, something I’ve never noticed before jumped out at me: “They shall become one flesh.” As I was reading that passage, I thought about how my wife, Rose, and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary in
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2 FEBRUARY 2016
May. During our marriage, we’ve had many seasons of “they shall become one flesh.” It didn’t automatically happen the moment we said, “I do.” But after the wedding we started living together, and we were faced with the daily challenges of married life. Even the small issues like does the toilet paper roll from the top or the bottom? made it clear that becoming one flesh was a process. Then we had kids, and our need to become one was even clearer. In marriage, you never really leave the season of “they shall become one flesh.” One tool that has made this process easier is a vision retreat, and I want to encourage every married couple at Gateway to take one. When Rose and I
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take a vision retreat, we select a place to go for a weekend, and we spend time relaxing mixed with time focusing on our vision for the current season. We use it to discuss our thoughts, dreams, and impressions from the Lord as well as topics from previous retreats. At the end, we’ll write down our vision and some action items. These times have been very significant for us over the years. One of the best resources for vision retreats comes from Pastor Jimmy Evans, who is bringing the XO Marriage Conference to Gateway February 12 to 13. I’m so excited about this conference, and I believe it will benefit every married couple at Gateway. I’m also excited about this issue of Gateway Life, which features a great article on marriage by Pastor Jimmy Evans (page 12). We have an incredible testimony from our Relational Care Ministry (page 10), and an article about how everyone can benefit from freedom ministry (page 16). I hope that as you get settled into 2016, you’ll be encouraged by all that Gateway has to offer you and your entire family. And if you’re married, please take advantage of Gateway’s resources to help you as you and your spouse continue in the process of becoming “one flesh.” Blessings,
Bobby Bogard Associate Senior Pastor
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