Status Updates From Engagement: Preparing for M...

“Church membership call us outside ourselves and gives us a context for serving others. It is good for you to be reminded that you two are not the most important people in the world. Couples who serve the body of Christ will find it more natural to serve each other in marriage.” (Pg. 67)

“Why are you getting married? What do you hope to accomplish together with your spouse? When you picture married life, what did you envision?”

“Maybe you picture a lifetime of raising children, sharing experiences, and going on vacations together. But as much as I hate to say it, none of those things are guaranteed.”

“Even after our fall into sin, marriage is a relationship in which a man and a woman can be open and know. There ought to be no secrets, no hiding, and no shame. Ideally, your spouse would know you the way that you know yourself.” (Pg. 50).

“Create a plan for how you will handle a situation involving a serious disagreement about an important matter. How can the wife express her concerns as well? Can you agree that you will be open to outside counsel if one or both of you find it necessary?” (Pg. 46)

“Why is hard to be under authority? Think back over your life - which leaders have been the easiest for you to follow? Which have been the most difficult?”

“A Christian husband gives himself up for his wife - not by dying on the cross for her (she already has a Savior) but by putting her needs ahead of his own. A Christian husband will need to sacrifice his time, his ambitions, and his personal preferences in order to love his wife well.”

“Idolatry kills marriages. Your spouse is not meant for the task of filling your heart’s deepest longings. They will never be able to love you enough, make you feel good enough about yourself, serve you enough, or bring you enough of a purpose for your life.” (Pg. 32)