1 Peter 3:1-8 - Win Your Spouse - Study Notes

 To what sport would you compare your marriage?  Why?

Who was a role model for you as a married couple?  What qualities made set that couple apart?

Win Your Spouse:
Read 1 Peter 3:1-7
We have been asked to submit to authorities and our bosses.  Now, who are we being asked to submit to?  Why?

What makes a person beautiful to their spouse?  What is the hardest part for you?  Do you respond more to outward beauty or inward beauty?  Why?  What does that communicate to your wife?

In what ways does your wife make you a better man?  How are you helping her become a better woman?

The Weaker Partner:
Tim McGraw promotes a plan to discourage domestic abuse by refusing to be a friend to men who abuse their wives.  What do you think about that plan?

What can we do to discourage or eliminate spousal abuse?  As individuals?  As a Bible Study?  As a church?

What does Peter mean, “nothing will hinder your prayers?”

ApplicationWhat will you do to encourage your wife in her faith this week?

Homework:
Read 1 Peter 3:8-12.

Husband Under Construction

This weekend, I celebrate Valentine's Day again with Beth.  This is number 22, counting our dating life and over 20 years of marriage.

What a fantastic time I have had with Beth.  We have lived our adventure together in nine states, are almost done raising two wonderful daughters and reluctantly enduring two dogs.  As with any relationship, there have been difficult times.  Most of those have to do with my own stubbornness, selfishness and pride.  But we seemed to weather through those.  In fact, the last few months have seemed to be the start of a new chapter of our married life.  We seem to be more in tune with each other and trusting each other more lately.

Perhaps it is due to our perseverance through recent health challenges, or maybe we are finally changing patterns of dealing with crises from before.  Whatever it is, I have really grown to appreciate Beth more than ever lately.  At the risk of not sounding very romantic, she really is my best friend, and I'm more glad than ever that I married her.

I suppose that the key to this kind of success comes from following the advice in Ephesians 5:25-28:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

I have a lot of improving to do, and I appreciate Beth's patience.  But I'm glad that I've come this far and learned the lessons I have.

I sure do love you, my Valentine!

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