SS Text and Lesson - To Love and Cherish Scriptures:Ephesians 5:21-33 | 1 Peter 3:7

I (Still) Do
Lesson: To Love and Cherish
Scriptures: Ephesians 5:21-33 | 1 Peter 3:7


Paul's instructions to submit to one another speak to everyone in the church - the husband and wife, the single person, and the widow.

Our speech to one another should be in the context of worshipful, humble, reverent service toward Christ, always giving thanks in every situation.

It's not only at home with our children, or out on "date night" that we should be exhibiting these qualities in marriage. Our brothers and sisters in the church need to see us fulfilling our God-ordained roles as husband and wife, too.

When we fail to fellowship regularly we rob the church of the Holy Spirit exhibiting His work within and through us for others to see.

There are so many problems with marriage today, and so many ways in which God's institution is maligned, marginalized, and discredited.

1. If you have a good marriage, are other believers seeing it on display?
2. Is your godly leadership as a husband, or godly submission as a wife, causing others to rejoice and giving them reason to seek the same qualities in their own relationship?
3. As you face trials and struggles, are others witnessing you work through them and trust them together?

No one has a perfect marriage. So, bring your imperfect marriage to church and praise God anyway. That simple act can minister in ways you may not fully appreciate.

Some Questions to Consider:

1. Wives submitting to their husbands seems like an old-fashioned concept in our "enlightened" culture. What do you know about the culture in which this was written? Were women liberated back in the day?
2. What is submission? Is submission being passive?
3. Some teach "mutual submission" - the idea that husband and wife submit equally to each other. Does this seem to be what the text says?
4. What two reasons are given for a woman to submit?
5. Does submission suggest a lack of equality?
6. What are the benefits for the woman, of learning to submit?
7. Verse 28. What is Christ's goal for the church? What is God trying to do to us?
8. How does Christ cleanse us? Look carefully at verse 26.
9. How does 1 Peter 3.7 say husbands are to treat their wives. How does your translation have it?
10. What bad things happen if we are not considerate with our wives?

Please pray for our Church, Our Nation and Our Families.  We are all facing many trials and struggles at the moment.  We need to lift each other up to Our Lord.

^ excerpts from Lifeway and Josh Hunt