Memory Verse:
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Ephesians 5:33

Text:
Ephesians 5:22-25
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her



Ephesians 5:31-33
31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.


1 Timothy 3:3-6
3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect.
5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.

Ecclesiastes 7:9
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Introduction:
An ideal Christian home or family comprises of the Father, Mother and the Children. Apart from Christ being the head of such family, it is expected that they should live in harmony. Peace of God and tranquillity should reign supreme. It should be a home where mutual respect, love, understanding and other virtues of GOD are held in high esteem. Any home where domestic violence is the order of the day cannot be the template GOD designed for families, especially, when you consider the fact that the unit of the Church is the family. May the Holy Spirit teach us today in Jesus Christ Name. Amen.

What Is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is an aggressive or violent behaviour within the home or domestic setting like family, marriage or household, it is the use of physical force to harm someone especially in the household. It can be emotional abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse and physical abuse and can progressively lead to murder, divorce and many other social vices. It is on the rise now and we need to control the trend through its early warnings signs.

Causes of Domestic Violence.
A.
Failure of Husband to meet the family need financially.
1 Timothy 5:8
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

B.
Failure of husband to provide the needed leadership spiritually, physically, emotionally & otherwise.
Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

C.
Failure to love the wife and the children unconditionally like Jesus did for us.
Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.


1 Peter 3:7-11
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For,

“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good;
they must seek peace and pursue it.

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

D.
Failure of the wife to submit or recognise the husband as the head of the family.
Colossians 3:18
Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

E.
Failure of the wife to provide the husband with the necessary support spiritually, financially, physically, emotionally and otherwise.
1 Peter 3:1-6
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives,
2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.
3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.
4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands,
6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

F.
Infidelity on the part of the husband or vice versa.
Matthew 5:27
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

G.
Children, not given the right training when they are young, spiritually, educationally, physically, morally, mentally, martially, emotionally, etc.
Titus 2:4-10
4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.



Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.


Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.


H.
Children not imbibing the ethics of the correct training being given.
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—
3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”


2 Timothy 3:15
And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

I.
Extended Family Influences.


J.
Consumption of alcohol, hard drugs etc


K.
Temperamental Behaviour And Anger.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.


Attributes Of A Christian Home Or Family.
1.
Jesus is the cornerstone.
Colossians 1:18-19
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

Ephesians 1:22-23
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

2.
Respect for one another is the order of the day.

3.
Everybody – (Father, Mother, Children, Relatives and House Maids) – plays his or her role effectively, in accordance to God’s commandment.
Ephesians 6:5-9
Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ.
6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart.
7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,
8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.


4.
Individual within the family holds God in his esteem.


5.
Peace of God, like a river flows out of the family.


6.
The family serves as role model to others.

Conclusion:
Domestic violence is assuming an alarming proportion now a day. And gradually it is drifting into the believers’ homes. It used to be battering, but now it has graduated to maiming and killing one another. It is a good thing that we are teaching ourselves about it now so as to be conscious of the new and deadly tricks of the devil.


https://bummyla.com/2018/06/19/what-does-the-bible-say-about-domestic-violence/