**God in creation instituted marriage and family before He created the Church. He has made the family the foundation of human society. The success of America depends upon the success of the family. It would appear that the family is failing. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC):

• (a) Marriage rate 7.5/1000people in 2005 - 6.8/1000 in 2010
• (b) Divorce rate 3.6/1000 in 2005 = 47.1% - 3.4/1000 in 2010 = 50%

Conclusion: Marriage is decreasing, divorce is increasing

• (c) Children in 1 parent homes - Ky 31% - Miss 47% in 2005
• (d) Children born to unmarried women 34% in 2002

What is the answer to this dilemma? What can we do?

WE MUST PRIORITIZE OUR RELATIONSHIPS

Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

**The Bible clearly states that God made us to be relational. In other words God never intended us to live alone but to be involved in relationships. What is the proper order of our relationships from God's perspective?

Deut 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Deut 30:6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

**The scripture leaves no doubt as to our top priority in relationships. A primary problem with the family today is we do not have our relationships in proper order We have made husband/wife/Children/Church/Mom/Dad etc our top relationship priority.

Deut 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Matt 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? (37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

**Both O.T. &N.T. agree that loving God and putting him in his proper place is our top relational priority.

Matt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

**Jesus made it even clearer in this powerful statement.

Ecc 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

**Solomon after a lifetime of searching for the purpose of life says our very purpose for living is to establish and grow our relationship with GOD. The success of the family depends upon the progression of this relationship.

The Foundation of The Family:

Matt 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: (25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. (26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: (27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

**Jesus says we must build our life and our family on a solid rock foundation V26-THESE SAYING OF MINE -which are the scriptures we have been looking at. Building on the right foundation is revealed thru obedience TO God's word. (1Cor 10:4 That Rock was Christ)

CONCLUSION: Today's family is built upon the wrong foundation. Therefore it is doomed to destruction.