Merge Agenda
Biblical Roles in Marriage
Tonight’s schedule:
· 5:30-6:20 Leader’s Dinner/Meeting/Prayer Time
· 6:20-6:32 Break, clean up tables and greet couples
· 6:32-6:37 Opening Announcements – Lance
· 6:37-7:40 Kyle & Lucina Intro, Video, teaching
· 7:40-8:00 Group Split (Men Chapel, Women Stage2 Room), Q&A
· 8:00-8:05 Closing Announcements & Surveys (Lance & Alyssa)
· 8:05-8:45 Discussion Groups
Leader Meeting Notes:
· Housekeeping
o Blended family panel/Q&A – September 23
o If issues or questions arise with your couples, please reach out to your coach first
o Leader Nametags – make sure we get them back at the end of the night
o If you’re going to be late to leader’s meeting, please let Lance, Beth or your coach know
o Men – in chapel – sit with your men, sit up front, bring pens
· Listen through dual channels tonight – for your group and for your own marriage - how can you better glorify God through your role as husband or wife?
· Merge Late night August 26th – 8:40-9:30 – What Couples Who Have Had an Affair Want you to Know (for leaders and participants, no Training Ground)
· Pray for re|engage
· Anonymous Financial & Sexual history surveys
· Main goals for tonight:
o Understand that God has created and designed marriage, and has uniquely designed the roles of the husband and wife to work together to build oneness
o Understand what leadership and submission are and are NOT
o Understand that the role of the husband is to love like Christ and lead like a servant
o Understand that the role of the wife is to accept God’s design for marriage, and love, support, and respect her husband
o Couples will be able to assess how they are doing in understanding and embracing these roles (once they are married), and will be able to assess how they are currently doing in moving towards those roles
· Please clean up your table – both after leader dinner and at the end of class.
· Next week: Strengthening Your relationship – Scott & Kristen Kedersha
Key Scriptures:
Galatians 3.28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 5.21-33
…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Genesis 2.18
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone;I will make him a helper fit for him.
1 Peter 3.7
Likewise,husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weakervessel, since they are heirs with youof the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Mark 10.42-45
And Jesus called them to him and said to them,"You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentileslord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.Butit shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must beslave of all.For even the Son of Man came not to be served butto serve, andto give his life as a ransom formany."
Discussion Questions:
Pre-Class Questions:
· What has been your most recent conflict/hard conversation? Were you able to immediately apply anything you learned from last week’s class?
· What most encouraged you or challenged you from last week’s class on communication and conflict?
Role of the Husband:
· What challenged you the most from Kyle’s talk on the role of the husband?
· What surprised you as he described what a godly husband looks like and does?
· Where do you anticipate having some challenges in leading your wife if you get married?
· What’s the next practical step you can take on this side of marriage in becoming a more Godly boyfriend (so that you can be a more godly husband down the road)?
· Leaders – be ready to share some of your own challenges in leading your wife, and some success stories on how you lead her (and if applicable – your children) well?
Role of the Wife:
· What challenged you the most from Lucina’s talk on the role of the wife?
· What surprised you as she described what a godly wife looks like and does?
· Where do you anticipate having some challenges embracing this role if you do get married?
· What’s the next practical step you can take on this side of marriage in becoming a more godly girlfriend/fiancé (so that you can be a more godly wife down the road)?
· Leaders – be ready to share some of your own challenges in being a godly wife, and some success stories on how you down well in your role of loving, supporting, and respecting your husband?