Husbands & Wives: Love & Submission

January 15, 2012 Message by David Johnson


Practice:
Steve gave us four invitations this week as we head into this series. Set aside time each day and use these invitations as a prayer. Spend some time listening for what God might want to say to you this week.

  1. Search me, oh God (not him/her).
  2. What needs to be healed in me?
  3. Where do I need to simply listen?
  4. Hold the mystery.
Experience:
If you are married, set aside an hour this week to talk with your spouse. Create a space where you can sit down uninterrupted and be face to face. Turn off your phone, tv and anything else that might distract you. Include these questions for each person:
  • What is your favorite thing about our marriage right now? What is the hardest thing about our marriage right now?
  • In what ways do you see me trying to keep control of something in our life or relationship? In what ways are you holding on to control?
  • What is one thing I could do this week to show you that I am for you and fully engaged in this relationship?
If you are single, seek out a married friend and carve out some time to have a conversation about how you can better support each other in your singleness and their marriedness. Ask each other these questions:
  • What is the hardest thing about marriage right now?
  • In what ways could I better support you as a married person?
  • What is the hardest thing about being single right now?
  • In what ways could I better support you as a single person?
Questions:
  1. Think about two different marriages that you were influenced by as a kid. What did they communicate about what marriage is? How has that influenced you?
  2. Steve talked three main ways people approach the issue of men and women in marriage: a theological argument, a foregone conclusion or a reservoir of pain. Which of those do you most closely resonate with?
  3. What keeps you from giving up control in your life? What are you afraid of?
  4. If you are married, what kind of spouse do you want to be? What are you most afraid is true about you as a spouse? If you are single, in what ways would you like to support your married friends? In what ways do you fear you fall short?
  5. What do you need from God to continue to fully engage in this conversation?


Husbands & Wives: Love & Submission (PDF)

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