WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS

Love

Healthy Marriage – Unit 3

Healthy Marriage – Unit 3 – Assignments

Complete
Work on and be prepared to give your 60 Second Testimony

Have a spiritual conversation with your spouse, or, if single, your accountability partner; gain insight into his or her spiritual journey and needs

Leader Resources

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Exercises

Review the memory verse of the week.
2nd year JG members should share their testimony this week. Remind your JG of the importance of mastering this exercise.

Suggested Discussion

TRUTH – Discuss any of the In Bible questions you like. Here are some tips:
- Matthew 20:20-28 – The wrong use of authority is wielding strength to inspire fear. Husbands can do this with threats, shouting, silence and even body language. The right use of authority is by serving those whom we would have follow us. Servant-leadership will inspire trust and voluntary submission. This directly applies to a husband’s role in marriage because he must exercise his God-given authority in a Christ-like way.
- Ephesians 5:25-33 – Make sure your JG sees the elements of self-sacrifice and purification in Christ’s love for the church. You might also ask how they think this applies to a husband’s love for his wife. Point out that his love should also be as attentive to his wife’s spiritual/physical/emotional welfare as is a man’s love for his own body. This type of love certainly would be considered idealistic if not for the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
- 1 Peter 3:7 – Help your JG explore what it means to live with one’s wife “in an understanding way”. Challenge them to think of both right and wrong examples of how husbands should treat their wives.
TRUTH – This week, the main points you should stress are:
- Husbands must not exercise their authority in marriage by force or fear.
- Husbands should follow Christ’s example of exercising authority by servant-leadership. Stress that this is what inspires trust, submission and cooperation.
- The love that befits a husband’s servant-leadership is an act of self-sacrifice motivated by a desire to benefit her spiritually. This love is a commitment based on the will of God, often supported by emotion. This Christ-like love is the essence of a man’s husbandly duty to his wife. It is how he fulfills his role as head in marriage.
- Husbands should treat their wives in a way that reflects that they understand and value their unique nature and needs.
- Husbands and wives should respond to a difficult marriage situation by choosing to offer unconditional love or submission in obedience to God.
EQUIPPING – Use the first question to challenge your JG to think more deeply about love as a commitment vs. emotion. Discuss the fourth question to get your JG thinking about exercising authority to inspire trust vs. fear.
ACCOUNTABILITY – allow time for smaller groups of 2 or 3 to ask accountability questions and pray for one another.
MISSION – Be sure to allow adequate time for 2nd year members to share their 60-second Testimony and receive coaching.
MISSION – Invite a few JG members to share their experience having a spiritual conversation with their spouse (or potential spouse).

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