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For the husband is HEAD of the wife, as Christ is head of the church, Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives should be SUBJECT to their husbands in everything [respecting both their position as protector and their responsibility to God as head of the house]. Husbands, LOVE your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify the church, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word [of God], so that [in turn] He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy [set apart for God] and blameless. Even so husbands should and are morally obligated to love their own wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own body, but [instead] he nourishes and protects and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members (parts) of His body. For this reason a MAN shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined [and be faithfully devoted] to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. Ephesians 5:23-31
1. Why is it important to have a vision of a good marriage and in starting a new family? What are the roles of the husband in taking on the spiritual leadership in a family and how should the couple walk in agreement when there is a vision or a target to achieve?
(Ephesians 5:25; 1 Timothy 3:22; Amos 3:3)
2. Knowing that the threefold cord represents God holding the married couple strongly together, discuss what the practical goals are that you would like to set for your marriage. What are some barriers of having trust in your relationship and how can you as a couple work on trusting each other more? (Matthew 5:18-19; Ecclesiastes 4:12; Ephesians 4:26-27; Romans 14:19)
3. How can your spouse/partner meet your physical, emotional, spiritual, social or intellectual need and how does God fulfill your needs? Discuss the Maslow’s levels of needs and what can you do to fulfill the different needs of your spouse/partner especially for love and belonging, esteem and self-actualization.
(Ephesians 5:29; Matthew 6:33-34; 1 Timothy 5:8; Ephesians 2:10)