The divorce rate has risen greatly in the past 100 years.

In 1900 the rate was about 8%.

In 1940 the rate was about 20%.

In 1970 the rate was about 33%.

In 2011 the rate was about 50% of first marriages.

The rate was about 60% of second marriages.

The rate was about 73% of third marriages.

Regardless of the cause, God hates divorce.

One of the best safeguards against divorce is marrying a Christian.

I Kings 11:1-8

The four major causes of divorce have been listed as follows:

Sexual incompatibility

I Corinthians 7:1-3 - Husband and wife are to fulfill their duties to each other.

Financial irresponsibility

Galatians 5:3 - Christians are to show self-control.

Alcoholism

Proverbs 20:1 - Drunkenness condemned

I Peter 4:3-5.

Religious discord

It is a great strain to a marriage when both are not Christians.

Things that will make divorce impossible:

Love and respect for God’s law

Love and respect for one another

Do not be angry at the same time.

Do not go to bed angry.

Knock out selfishness. Do not say: “My mate is not treating me as he/she should.” Rather ask: “Am I treating my mate as I should?”

Summed up: be a Christian!

Romans 5:1-11 - God helped the helpless.

God has given us hope of salvation through the death of His son. He helped us even while we were still dead in our sins.

II Corinthians 5:18-21 - God took the first step by offering Jesus on our behalf.

Romans 5:12-19 - Adam vs. Jesus: Follow Jesus!

Adam introduced sin and death, but Jesus brought the gift of life. Adam’s action led to condemnation, but Jesus’ action led to justification.

Ephesians 2:12 - Our outlook is indeed bleak without Jesus.

Romans 5:20-21 - Grace reigns!

Romans 3:20

Rmans 5:2 - We should rejoice in our salvation!

Mark 14:22 - Jesus meant that the bread and fruit of the vine were memorials of His body and blood. This was a figure of speech. He did not mean that the bread and fruit of the vine literally became His body and blood.

I Corinthians 12:27 - a similar figure regarding Christ’s body

I Corinthians 11:23-26

Mark 14:25 - Jesus did drink of the fruit of the vine again on earth after His resurrection. “That day” shows that Jesus was pointing to a specific day when He would drink it again, which ties in with the examples we have of early Christians partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.

Mark 14:33. Jesus did not violate this verse by being anxious about His impending crucifixion because the verse is stressing the importance of bringing our troubles to God. This is exactly what Jesus did by praying in the garden.

Mark 14:36 - In a similar way, we must deny ourselves and obey God’s will in order to be pleasing to Him. Jesus may simply be praying that the whole ordeal would pass quickly, rather than praying that He would escape it completely. He knew it was His mission to die on the cross, so it would not make sense for Him to pray against His mission.