The Creek Church

Group Questions

You > Me - April 23

Overview:

Relationships aren't easy. In fact, they take lots of work. Many people want to have a better marriage but don't want to put in the work to have a better marriage. Once we discover what our spouse's greatest need is, it takes work, effort, and perhaps a plan to see that their need is met. 

Discussion Questions:

1. Did this sermon change the way you viewed marriage? 

2. How have you viewed love up to this point? Did you view love more as a noun or as a verb? Why do we tend not to think of love as a choice but rather as some force that we have little control over? Has anything changed for you about that view? 

3. Before today, had you ever heard a sermon about how to have a successful marriage? Do you think marriage is something that the church should be talking about? Why or why not?

4. Do you agree that a husband's greatest need is unconditional respect and a wife's greatest need is unconditional love?

5. Do you find it challenging to show unconditional love or unconditional respect? Why do you think it's so difficult?

6.  At the time it was written, Ephesians 5 was a revolutionary passage. In a society where women were considered property and given no rights, the idea of mutual respect was groundbreaking. Do you think the church today still holds a revolutionary view of the worth of women? Do you think the marriages you see within the church show to the world around us a groundbreaking respect for wives?

7.  For those that are single, how should a Christian understanding of marriage shape the way the we date? Is it possible to begin modeling the principles seen in Ephesians 5 even before marriage?

8.  Are there relationships you've been approaching with a "How can you help me?" mentality by accident? How can they be changed by a "How can I help you?" mentality?

9. Why is selfishness so hard to see in ourselves? Why do you think it comes so easy to us? What practical steps can we take to insulate ourselves from being selfish? 

9. What are some ways a wife may unknowingly disrespect her husband or make him feel disrespected? 

10. What are some ways a husband may be making his wife feel unloved and not be aware of it? 

Application:

Make an effort to ask this week, “How can I help you?”

Memorization: 

Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) — However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.