Marriage and Family Gifford Midterm

Friction/Problem areas in Relationships

-No Meaningful Friendships

-Lots of Relationship drama

-Unbiblical relationships

-Poor communication

-Bitterness

-Super-sensitive to others

Relationship Skills

-Communication skills

-Conflict resolution

-Understanding roles

-Worship (doctrinal differences)

-Time together

-Honoring and Serving one another 

Character Traits

-Heart of Compassion: Deep awareness and sympathy for another person

-Kindness: Quality of being considerate

-Humility: Evaluating yourself appropriately

-Gentleness: Mild, even-tempered

-Patience: A long holding out of the mind before going on emotion

-Bearing one another: Endure something unpleasant

-Forgiveness: Relinquishing a debt

-Love: A strong emotion or regard for others

What is the Tip of the Iceberg

Problem areas:

No meaningful friendships

Lots of relationship drama

Unbiblical relationships

Poor communication

Bitterness

Super-sensitive to others

What is the middle of the Iceberg

Relationship skills and Character traits

-communication skills      

-worship

-conflict resolution

-understanding roles

-time together 

-honoring and serving one another 

Bottom of the Iceberg

Where the root of the problem comes from: Your Heart

-Worship of control

-Worship of approval

-Worship of power 

-Worship of comfort

-Worship of pleasure

Teachings of the Heart

-Your heart is not basically good

-Your heart is active

-Inner man, not Outer man

-Seat of appetites and passion

-Totality of man’s inner or immaterial nature

-It reveals what I ultimately worship

-Your heart has thoughts, intentions, and emotions

Key passages that teach on the heart

Hebrews 4:12 (thoughts and intentions)

Proverbs 20:5 (takes work to understand)

Heart Theme definition and example

Heart motivation that can lead to potential relationship challenges

-Worship of comfort

-worship of control

-worship of pleasure

-worship of power

-worship of approval

The five purposes of Marriage

-Companionship

-Completer

-Covenant 

-Children

-Collaboration for God’s glory

The results of the comprehensive relationship of marraige

-unity

-partnership

-sacrifice 

What type of relationship is marriage? 

Covenant 

Differences between a contract and covenant

Contract:

-exchange of promises

-exchange of property

-profit and self-interest

-temporary

Covenant:

-solemn oath

-exchange of life

-Self-giving, loyalty, sacrificial love

-permanent 

Three steps to Prioritizing marriage

Step 1: God says children must leave their parents

Step 2: God says the man must cleave to his wife

Step 3: Results in weaving a new relationship (one flesh)

What does it not mean to leave your parents

1. Break off all relations

2. Bear no responsibility 

3. Abandon family

4. Geographic distance 

How does 1 Timothy 5:8 remind us of responsibilities to our family?

It reminds us to provide for them and not to abandon them because we become worse than an unbeliever. First, provide for your wife, then provide for relatives.