Small Group Discussion Guide
Sermon Series: Raising the Bar
Sermon Title: Marriage
Break the Ice:
When you hear that Satan, the Devil is walking around as a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour, what comes to your mind?
Transition:
- Say: God loves life, Satan seeks to destroy it. God sanctifies marriage, Satan seeks to destroy it.
Bring the Word:
- Read Matthew 5:27-32
- There is a sanctity to marriage, it is God’s sacred institution.
- In light of this scripture we all fall short of God’s intention? Jesus raises the bar! How?
- Read Malachi 2:14-15
- In verse 14, how does Malachi describe marriage? Is it a contract?
- Verse 15, says God made them . . .?
- Therefore, the command in verse 15 for you and me is what?
- How could you and I act treacherously against our spouse?
- Contract vs. Covenant
- Contract = I protect my rights, what’s in it for me. I limit my liability. There is an out.
- Covenant = I give up my rights. I own my responsibility. I give up the out clause.
- A silent question for personal application? Does your marriage look more like a contract or a covenant right now?
- Truth – the world desires to make marriage a contract. Youv’e heard of prenuptials?
- Remember God sanctifies marriage, however Satan seeks to minimize, contractualize and destroy Marraige
Bring it Home:
THREE POINTS TO REMEMBER
A. Don’t look for Loopholes
Truth is Any loophole, lowers the sacredness of marriage.
Resolve today to solidify your marriage as covenant, tear up the contractual mental thoughts and mindset.
Remember marriage and unconditional love is a picture of God’s love to you, and Jesus’ love for the church.
- Read Matthew 19:6
- Who joined you together?
- What does “oneness”mean to you? Some examples of oneness are . . .
B. Watch Your Eyes
Read Luke 11:34
In this verse, how is the “eye” described?
What does it govern?
Truth is the “eye is the window to the heart”.
Read Job 31:1
Homework assignment for you today. Think about making a covenant with your eyes.
Contemplate on what that would look like for you? Both men and women.
C. Stand On God’s Faithfulness
- Read Mark 10:9
- Let no man, or woman separate, split, tear apart what God has joined
- This includes you husband, this includes you wife.
- Let’s all recommit to sanctity of our marriages today. As we do individually, what guardrails need to
- be in place?
- What’s your one compelling take-a-way from our study today?
- Let’s close in prayer.