1. Now That Youve Said I Do! South Sound Church of Christ Marriage Workshop?

2. Future Sessions 1.What Is Marriage? 2.Uniqueness and Acceptance in Marriage 3.Expectations in Marriage 4.Fulfilling Intimacy Needs in Marriage 5.Roles Responsibilities and Decision Making 6.Communication in Marriage 7.Dealing with Conflict in Marriage 8.Sex in Marriage

3. What Is Marriage?

4. M arriage is one of the most important facets of your life. It contains unique and interesting potential. In presenting this workshop over the next several weeks, our goal is to help you evaluate your marriage and use the principles we will present to help strengthen your present relationship and to help you to have a more realistic perception of yourself, your spouse and your marriage.

5. Defining Marriage? Session #1

6. A Christian marriage is a total commitment of two people to the person of Jesus Christ and to each other. It is a commitment in which there is no holding back of anything. Marriage is a pledge of mutual fidelity; it is a partnership of mutual submission. A Christian marriage is similar to a solvent; It is a freeing up of the man and the woman to be themselves and become all that God intends for them to become. Marriage is a refining process that God will use to have us become more the man or woman He wants us to become. H. Norman Wright A Christian marriage is a total commitment of two people to the person of Jesus Christ and to each other. It is a commitment in which there is no holding back of anything. Marriage is a pledge of mutual fidelity; it is a partnership of mutual submission. A Christian marriage is similar to a solvent; It is a freeing up of the man and the woman to be themselves and become all that God intends for them to become. Marriage is a refining process that God will use to have us become more the man or woman He wants us to become. H. Norman Wright

7. Marriage Is Many Things Many people are propelled toward marriage without fully understanding all that they are committing themselves to for the rest of their lives. Thats why couples may experience surprises and upsets through the duration of their marriage.

8. Marriage Is Many Things Marriage is a gift. Marriage is an opportunity for love to be learned. Marriage is a journey in which we are faced with many choices and are responsible for those choices. Marriage is more often influenced by unresolved issues from our past than we realize. Marriage is a call to servanthood. Marriage is a call to friendship.

9. Marriage Is Many Things Marriage is a call to suffering. Marriage is a refining process. Marriage is not an event, its the way we live after the wedding! Marriage involves intimacy in all areas for it to be fulfilling. This intimacy must reach into the: Spiritual Intellectual Social Emotional Physical

10. Scriptures to Consider

11. Genesis 2:18-25 18 The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

12. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the mans ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

13. For Discussion 1.What are you receiving out of your marriage that you wouldnt have received by remaining single. 1.Look at Galatians 5:22-23, How would these traits manifested in you give your marriage greater potential for success? 1.In addition to utilizing the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23) as a guide for evaluating your marriage, the following 6 traits will also give you greater possibility of having a satisfying marriage relationship:

14. 1.Adaptability and Flexibility 2.Empathy 3.Ability to work through problems 4.Ability to give and receive love 5.Emotional Stability 6.Communication Share an example of how these traits have helped your marriage within the last few weeks. Share an example of how the last few weeks might have gone better if you had used these traits.

15. For Homework 1.Matthew 7:24-27 talks about building your house on a firm foundation. List what you believe are ten firm foundations you will or have used, to make your marriage relationship unmovable. (Discuss Next Week) 2.List the reasons why you married your spouse. Then list the reasons why you think your spouse married you. (Share the results on a date.) 3.Think of 3 of the most important verses of scripture that you would like to base your marriage relationship on.