0.0 Pre-Session Questionnaire

Assignment

• Complete Fellowship’s Pre-Marital Questionnaire

1.0 Purpose of Marriage

Bible/Source

• Creation Story & Ephesians 5

Main Ideas

• God's purpose for marriage is to Image the Trinity (3 in 1)
• God's purpose for marriage is to Display Christ’s Covenant Love for the Church—His bride

Assignment

• Reading: Ch 1 & 2 from This Momentary Marriage by John Piper

2.0 Roles & Responsibilities

Bible/Source

• Creation Story & Ephesians 5

Main Idea

• The husband is the Servant Leader who lays down his life as Jesus has laid down His life for you. (The husband's servant leadership displays how Jesus loves the church.)
• The wife is the Submissive Helper who follows the loving leadership of her own husband.  (This displays how the Son, although fully equal with the Father, willingly submits to the Father).

Assignments

• Read & Discuss:   Male & Female Differences
• Listen or Watch: Marriage in Gospel Focus by Kathy Keller [Start at 25:25 into talk]

3.0 Conflict & Communication

• What kind of conflict can be expected based on Creation Story?
• How do you communicate graciously through conflict?

Main Ideas

• Marriage Unites Two Sinners in the closest relationship on earth (IE Expect Conflict  )
• We Blame and Hide 
• The Wife wants to Take the Husband's Leadership Role to pursue her own desires  (rejecting the husband's leadership—the opposite of a Submissive Helper)
• The Husband wants to Forfeit His Leadership Role to pursue his own desires (passively avoiding leading his wife—the opposite of a Servant Leader)
• It's not primarily about HOW MUCH conflict you have, but how communicate and believe the gospel IN conflict
• WENI (Withdraw, Escalate, Negative Interpretation, Invalidation)

Assignments

• Read & Discuss Communication
• Complete Marital Conflict Inventory 
• Listen to the sermon below by Ray Ortlund, Jr. (given at the 2011 Nashville Acts 29 Bootcamp) 

4.0 Finances

• Budget

5.0 Expectations & Differences

• Work through items that come up from Premarital Questionnaire
• Work through Culture Index results

6.0 Wedding Ceremony

• Cover all of the details for the wedding ceremony

7.0 Intimacy & Sex

• Needs of men & women and how each are designed differently
• Practical information for your wedding night