Friday, March 18, 2011

Marriage Life Group


Week 2 of our marriage life group is coming up this Friday night. As Jude has already mentioned we are going through Dave Harvey's When Sinner's Say I Do. Here's a few of the points I felt were notable from Chapters 1 and 2

Preface

p. 14 Gal 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do

p. 15 To say “I am a sinner” is to stare at a fundamental reality that many people don’t even want to glance at.

p. 16 “Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” (Thomas Watson)

Chapter 1 What Really Matters in Marriage

Theologians at the Altar

p. 20 What we believe about God determines the quality of our marriage

p. 21 So make no mistake about it. How a husband and wife build their marriage day-by-day and year-by-year is fundamentally shaped by their theology. It governs how you think, what you say, and how you act. Your theology governs your entire life and it determines how you live in your marriage.

p. 23 We obviously live in a day when the meaning of marriage is up for grabs. Unfettered from any source of authority, marriage follows culture…no matter where culture goes.

p. 25 The gospel is therefore central to all theological truth, … The gospel is the fountain of a thriving marriage. (This paragraph is the main connection to the message we listened to from Mike Bullmore on The Functional Centrality of The Gospel)

p. 25 God is the most important person in a marriage. Marriage is for our good, but it is first for God’s glory.

p. 26 Christ is the reference point for all our actions in marriage (Eph 5)

p. 27 The ‘mystery’ of marriage is that when God designed it, he had Christ and the Church in mind.

p. 28 Marriage is street level theology – i.e. a great spot to see your theology in action. …Christ certainly saved us but he does not transform us instantly and completely into non-sinners. (Justification vs sanctification)

p. 29 There needs to be an ongoing awareness of our need for ongoing grace and mercy.

p. 29 A really challenging thought… What if you saw your problems as they truly are: caused by a was within your own heart?

Chapter 2 Waking Up With the Worst of Sinners

p. 35 I Tim 1:15 (Paul – the worst of sinners) …This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. (p 36 and 37 breaks this down a little further)

p. 37 A great awareness of one’s sinfulness often stands side by side with great joy and confidence in God.

p. 38 I recognize the enormity of my sin, seeing myself as the worst of sinners, then I understand I have been forgiven much.

p. 40 (This made me laugh) “Christ Jesus came into the world to … meet my needs, of which I have the most!”

p. 41 (The crux of the argument) Once I find 1 Tim 1:15-16 trustworthy, then my spouse is no longer my biggest problem: I am. And when I find myself walking in the shoes of the worst of sinners, I will make every effort to grant my spouse the same lavish grace that God has granted me.

p. 41 In reference to God and sin, I am not a neutral actor. (This is interesting. You ought to ask yourself what you truly believe about people? Is your feeling that people are inherently good, neutral or inherently bad? Now try and support your view biblically. Keep in mind that the bible also has plenty of directions about how we should behave towards one another. So your answer to this question doesn’t immediately give you license to treat anyone in a particular manner which you see as fit)

p. 42 Sin is always aimed first and foremost at God

p. 42 Dave describes using “asking forgiveness” as a means to an end or “a tool” by leaving God out of his considerations

p. 43 …anything we do that isn’t sin is simply the grace of God at work (see discussions on common grace from previous life groups)

p. 44 “There are two things that are suited to humble the soul of men, a due consideration of God, and then ourselves. Of God, in his greatness, glory, holiness, power, majesty and authority; ourselves, in our mean, abject and sinful condition”

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