Marriage Seminar
Please find below a little outline of a marriage seminar conducted recently. Be blessed.
A. GOD’S PLAN FOR MARRIAGE
Gen 1:27 - “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Gen 2:7 - “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Gen 2:15 -23
The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden in order to have him work it and guard it. The LORD God commanded the man: "You may freely eat from every tree of the garden, but you are not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because you will certainly die during the day that you eat from it."
Later, the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a companion that is a suitable match for him." After the LORD God formed from the ground every wild animal and every bird that flies, he brought each of them to the man to see what he would call it. Whatever the man called each living creature became its name.
The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds that fly, and to each of earth's animals, but there was not found for the man any companion corresponding to him, so the LORD God caused a deep sleep to overshadow the man. When the man was asleep, he removed one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh where it had been.
Then the LORD God formed the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. So the man exclaimed, "At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one will be called 'Woman,' because she was taken from Man."
1. God knows man was alone
2. God made man to recognize his need
3. God made the exact fit to take care of that need
4. Adam saw and accepted what God created of him and was delighted “this is the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone”
Mal 2:15 – “Did he not make them one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.”
5. The ultimate plan of God is to have ‘a man & a woman living together under His rule’
B. ROLES IN MARRIAGE
1. The Husband
-Man is to take care, lead and take charge of the home with his wife under God’s rule
Eph 5:28 – “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
Eph 5:29 - “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”
Eph 5:33 – “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself;”
Pro 18:22 – “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”
-The husband found a good thing - his wife
Col 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
Please note:
Love needs expression
Love is like a plant – needs watering
Many waters cannot quench love
Song of Solomon 8:7 – “Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.”
2. The Wife
Pro 14:1 - “A wise woman makes her home what it should be, but the home of a foolish woman is destroyed by her own actions.” (Easy Read Bible)
Tit 2:4-5 – “So train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (ESV)
C. SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP IN MARRIAGE
Gen 2:25 - “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
1Co 7:3-5 – “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
- Say the right word and be romantic
- Listen to each other (effective communication is not achieved without listening)
- Settle miss-understanding at once
Pro 5:15 -“Now, about sex and marriage: Drink only the water that comes from your own well” (ERV)
Pro 5:18-19 – “Let your own fountain be blessed, and enjoy the girl you married when you were young, a loving doe and a graceful deer. Always let her breasts satisfy you. Always be intoxicated with her love.” (God’s Word translation)
D. FINANCES IN MARRIAGE
What God has joined together – should not be separated by money
E. Bits & Nuggets
1. Encourage & help each other to love and serve God
2. Work together to build the home
“If husbands and wives would work as hard to keep each other as they did to catch each other, most domestic home problems would be forever solved”
3. Bring children up in the way of the Lord
4. Be good examples for their children
5. Discipline their children
Pro 29:15- “The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother.”
6. Be in agreement concerning the upbringing of the children
Pro 22:6 -“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
7. Settle misunderstanding at once
8. Let love prevail
Jas 2:12 -“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”
9. No abuses
Eph 4:29 – 32 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
10. Preserve unity at all cost
Psa_133:1 – “A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
Eph 4:3 - “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Mat 18:19 - “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”
Gen 1:27 - “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Gen 2:7 - “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
Gen 2:15 -23
The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden in order to have him work it and guard it. The LORD God commanded the man: "You may freely eat from every tree of the garden, but you are not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because you will certainly die during the day that you eat from it."
Later, the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a companion that is a suitable match for him." After the LORD God formed from the ground every wild animal and every bird that flies, he brought each of them to the man to see what he would call it. Whatever the man called each living creature became its name.
The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds that fly, and to each of earth's animals, but there was not found for the man any companion corresponding to him, so the LORD God caused a deep sleep to overshadow the man. When the man was asleep, he removed one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh where it had been.
Then the LORD God formed the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. So the man exclaimed, "At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one will be called 'Woman,' because she was taken from Man."
1. God knows man was alone
2. God made man to recognize his need
3. God made the exact fit to take care of that need
4. Adam saw and accepted what God created of him and was delighted “this is the flesh of my flesh and the bone of my bone”
Mal 2:15 – “Did he not make them one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.”
5. The ultimate plan of God is to have ‘a man & a woman living together under His rule’
B. ROLES IN MARRIAGE
1. The Husband
- God created man and put him in charge of the garden – to tend/dress it (to work it) & to keep it (guard it) – take care & protect
-Man is to take care, lead and take charge of the home with his wife under God’s rule
- The Husband is to love and cherish the wife
Eph 5:28 – “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”
Eph 5:29 - “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:”
Eph 5:33 – “Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself;”
Pro 18:22 – “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”
-The husband found a good thing - his wife
Col 3:19 – “Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
Please note:
Love needs expression
Love is like a plant – needs watering
Many waters cannot quench love
Song of Solomon 8:7 – “Much water may not put out love, or the deep waters overcome it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be judged a price not great enough.”
- The Husband is to honour and respect his wife
- The Husband is to provide for his family
2. The Wife
- The wife should meet her husband needs
- The wife to submit to her own husband
- The wife should be a builder
Pro 14:1 - “A wise woman makes her home what it should be, but the home of a foolish woman is destroyed by her own actions.” (Easy Read Bible)
Tit 2:4-5 – “So train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” (ESV)
- The wife is to respect and admire her husband
C. SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP IN MARRIAGE
Gen 2:25 - “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
1Co 7:3-5 – “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
- Husband & wife naked and not ashamed
- Be open and discuss everything (no secrets, no hidden agenda)
- They have become one flesh
- Good communication prepares the way
- Say the right word and be romantic
- Listen to each other (effective communication is not achieved without listening)
- Settle miss-understanding at once
- Drink water from your own ……
Pro 5:15 -“Now, about sex and marriage: Drink only the water that comes from your own well” (ERV)
Pro 5:18-19 – “Let your own fountain be blessed, and enjoy the girl you married when you were young, a loving doe and a graceful deer. Always let her breasts satisfy you. Always be intoxicated with her love.” (God’s Word translation)
- Sexual life should involve a discovery and should be on-going
- Sexual life should involve the power of love, prayer and the Holy Spirit
- Sex should not be used as a weapon of intimidation or threat
- Learn to give – to receive
- Find out what your spouse like best and give it to him
- Show understanding when it does not work right, try again and use different methods
D. FINANCES IN MARRIAGE
What God has joined together – should not be separated by money
- Be one in finances
- Discuss all things & agree (if it not possible to agree, the wife should concede; keep praying for a change of heart)
- There should no hidden agenda (be open in all things)
- Joint ownership in financial issues
- Provide
E. Bits & Nuggets
1. Encourage & help each other to love and serve God
2. Work together to build the home
“If husbands and wives would work as hard to keep each other as they did to catch each other, most domestic home problems would be forever solved”
3. Bring children up in the way of the Lord
4. Be good examples for their children
5. Discipline their children
Pro 29:15- “The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother.”
6. Be in agreement concerning the upbringing of the children
Pro 22:6 -“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
7. Settle misunderstanding at once
8. Let love prevail
Jas 2:12 -“So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”
9. No abuses
Eph 4:29 – 32 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
10. Preserve unity at all cost
Psa_133:1 – “A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”
Eph 4:3 - “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Mat 18:19 - “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”
