KEY POINT:
Marriage is a journey of faith. God brings a man and a woman together for life so that through their union, they can be TRANSFORMED by His power and they can be a TESTIMONY of His love to others. In the process they go through at lease five stages.
OPEN:
Share your experience on falling in and out of love.
How does a marriage commitment impact your feelings of romance over time?
CONNECT:
- Read Song of Solomon 1:1-4. The Bible acknowledges the beauty of romantic love. How can romance make a marriage stronger? How do you avoid the negative impact that society has placed (pornography, premarital sex, etc.) so that you can have a pure romance in your relationship?
- What were the allowances you have had to make or are still making for your spouse? Read 2 Cor. 7:2. We learned that different is not wrong or right but just different. What does it mean to “make room” in your hearts knowing that you are simply different?
- What are the reasons most couples quarrel? When you have to focus on yourself because your needs are not being met, it causes resentment. How can effective communication help meet each other’s needs? Read Ephesians 4:15
TAKE IT HOME:
- Take a moment to think and write about some differences you have and how you can adjust to those differences with the goal of pleasing God.
- Write down a list of things about your spouse that bless you.
- Make a decision to schedule a couple’s night in your Life Group.
- Commit to reading and discussing 1 Peter 3:1-7 with your spouse over the weekend.