In a house, the foundation is critical.  Doors and windows may become hard to open and shut.  Large cracks may appear in the floor and walls.  Additions may start to pull away from the house.  These are all signs of serious foundation problems.  Sometimes marriage is like that fixer upper with foundation problems. The cracks get bigger.  Circumstances can become unlivable.  Stress gets bigger than your love.  When these things happen your marriage can begin to fall apart.  Today we will examine 3 ways to keep your marriage from falling apart from Ephesians 5 verse 33. 
Podcast Notes
Foundation Problems
Types of Foundations

* A slab foundation that has reinforce footers.
* A basement has foundation walls reinforced with metal re bars.
* A crawl space has a concrete footer along the edges with reinforced pillars throughout.

Things that Go Wrong

* The soil settles over time.
* It was installed improperly from the beginning.
* Water, mold, and rust creep in.

Signs of Foundation Problems

* The doors and window will not shut.
* Large cracks appear in the floor and walls.
* Additions pull away from the house.

The Importance of Foundation Problems

* Authorities could condemn the house.
* The house could completely fall apart.

Marriage Problems
The Foundation

* It is love reinforced with faith.
* The foundation goes all the way back to when you met.
* This is what you have built your entire marriage on.

Signs that Your Marriage Foundation Is Falling Apart
The cracks are getting bigger.

* Arguments are louder.
* Disagreements last longer.
* Words are more hurtful.

The house is becoming unlivable.

* Moving out becomes an option.
* You start considering a way out.
* The problems get too big to deal with.

The stress is getting bigger than your love

* The stress is growing.
* Your love is shrinking.
* Your marriage is failing.

 
Keeping Your Marriage from Falling Apart
Install the Reinforcements of Faith.
Reestablish Your Walk with the Lord.
Sometimes the answer hides in the simple things.

* Read your Bible every day.
* Pray every day.
* Memorize Bible verses.

Your strength and effort are not enough to have a godly marriage.

* You must live a Spirit filled life.
* We are trying to make things better, when we need to let God do it.

The best way to fix your marriage, is to fix you!

* Focus on your problems first.
* Before you critique your spouse, critique yourself. 

Trust in Doing Things God’s Way.

* Nagging your husband will drive him away.

* Mothering will not help your marriage.
* Scolding will break your relationship.

* Ignoring your wife will break your marriage.

* Not listening to your wife will destroy your happiness in marriage.
* Retreating will not end your marriage problems.

* Doing things God’s way will give you a Holy Marriage.

* It will become a picture of Christ and the Church.
* You will discover it as means to making you Holy.

* Even when you spouse is not doing right, you learn how to.

Choose to Believe in Your Spouse.