3. Read aloud 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 . If you did a word search for Scripture passages using the words marriage , husband and wife , would you find this passage? Nevertheless, what is the obvious and needful application of Paul’s warning in regard to choosing a marriage partner? Read aloud 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 . Would this passage be identified by your word search? But what is its obvious and helpful application to marriage? What do you glean about the potential ineffectiveness of simple word searches for investigating biblical topics? What are some Bible passages that you are already familiar with, which may provide helpful marriage counsel, but that you have not previously considered in that context because they do not explicitly mention marriage? 4. “Romance is never the cause of a good marriage; romance is the result of a good marriage.” Read aloud Song of Solomon 1:2-4 (this is the wife speaking) and 1:8-10 (the husband)—it’s OK, it’s in the Bible. How does Scripture here implicitly affirm that romance is a good thing? As years go by, how has sweet romance become more of a result in your marriage than a cause ? What are some examples in your own marriage of little moments that have kindled the romantic flame? But do you always feel romantically inclined toward your spouse? Why would it be unwise to build your marriage on romantic feelings alone? 5. “You are a worshiper, you worship your way through every moment of every day of your life.” We humans are always serving something, always pursuing something. Discuss some of the gods that, specifically in your own life, compete with Jesus for the throne of your heart. How do your failed little moments serve to illuminate for you what those gods are? (Note: Tripp will return to the topic of worship as the root of marriage in the final sessions of this series.) 6. Read aloud Luke 6:43-45 . “Your words and behavior are more caused by what’s inside of you than what’s outside of you.” Do mini crises insert curse words into our mouths? Do inconveniences force our bodies into convulsions? Discuss what this means: “The heart is the causal core of your personhood.” So, what is the real cause of our cursing and convulsing? External coping mechanisms can be very helpful for those who have a proclivity to act badly in certain situations, but why are they ultimately ineffective in solving the real problems? Next week we will learn how to address—and how not to address—the core source of marital issues.
Session 1
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
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