We’ve been in a series called Building the Church, and today we launch a sub-series: Christ-Solid.
We’re in Ephesians 5:22–33—a passage that makes people uncomfortable. The words “Wives, submit” have been twisted, avoided, and weaponized—used to silence women, justify control, and even excuse abuse and neglect. And many men have either dominated in the name of “leadership”… or checked out completely.
But hear this: the text isn’t the problem—what people have done with it is.
When you actually read Ephesians 5 the right way, Paul isn’t handing men a crown and turning women into footstools. He’s doing something radical: he puts Jesus at the center of marriage.
Wives: submission isn’t to a tyrant—it’s worship to the Lord.
Husbands: authority isn’t for comfort—it’s a call to lay your life down like Christ.
Marriage: was never primarily about you. It’s a living picture of Christ and His church.
In this message, we walk through three features of a church built on Christ-solid marriages:
Wives who honor Christ by willingly submitting to their own husbands (vv. 22–24)
Husbands who honor Christ by loving their wives with sacrificial, sanctifying love (vv. 25–27)
Marriages that preach the gospel by reflecting Christ’s covenant union with His church (vv. 28–33)
This sermon is for everybody—single, married, divorced, waiting, recovering—because if we’re going to build a healthy church, we need homes built on Christ.