Is There Hope for Us? – Marriage in Light of God’s Promises
FIRE STARTER
Marriage Pictionary or Charades – Think of words or situations that will help you and your spouse recall positive memories. For example, draw the place where you got engaged, act out your fist kiss or mime an inside joke. As you draw or act these memories, rejoice in the symbols, rituals and unifying meanings that make your marriage special.
WATCH TOGETHER
Session 5: https://www.youandmeforever.org/study-videos%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8
ASK, LISTEN, SHARE
Discussion Questions:
1 – Picture standing with your family before God at the end of your life. If your marriage continues on just as it is, what do you think you will regret when you look back on your marriage that day? What would it look like to begin weeding out these elements now?
2 - If you were given the choice today between staying with your family longer and going immediately to be with Jesus, which would you choose? Don’t just give the church answer, try to be completely honest. What would make this decision difficult? Which factors push you one way or the other? What do you think your honest answer reveals about your heart?
“If you are hesitant to affirm that you would choose to be with Jesus immediately, it’s likely that your spouse is serving as a replacement for God in some sense. This is common, even in Christian marriages. We look to our spouses for validation, identity, reassurance, and love. Of course, God designed marriage as a means of meeting many of our needs. But ultimately, everything we need comes from God. He often chooses to use our spouses in meeting our needs, but if my hope or identity becomes rooted more in my spouse that in God, then my spouse has become an idol, and I am not relating to God properly.
You will probably be quick to deny that your spouse functions as an idol in your life, but I’m asking you to take some time to consider this possibility. Think about the way you view your spouse, the way you relate to one another, and how all of this ties in with your relationship with God.” -Francis Chan, You and Me FOREVER study guide.
3 – Generally speaking, what things do we try to get from our spouses that we should be getting from God? Specifically, what are you trying to get from your spouse that should ultimately come from God?
PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
Spend some time in prayer. Ask God to shape your heart and imagination with His promises. Pray for faith to cling to these and ask Him to empower you as you seek to shape your life in light of eternity.
EMBERS
Choose and review one main thought from tonight’s time together that you want to remember and apply.