Week 4: Finances
- How has money been a source of conflict in your family?
- What are some ways you have mismanaged money?
- What are your values when it comes to how you handle your finances?
- What are some ways your values differ from your spouse when it comes to money?
- What is one way you can take a step toward honoring God in the stewardship of your money?
- On a scale of 1-10 (1 is easy-peasy and 10 is nearly impossible), is it difficult for you to agree with and buy into the concept that everything we have actually belongs to God? Explain your answer.
- Using the same scale, how difficult is it for you to give up control of your money? Explain.
- What might it look like to actually live out that Jesus is the Lord of your possessions and money?
- Where do you struggle to feel content when it comes to your financial situation?
- What are some steps you can take toward contentment with your present life?
- Does your stewardship of your money and possessions communicate to others that you are a citizen of this world or that your allegiance is to God's Kingdom? Can it be both? Explain.
Week 3: Family Discipline
- From the 1 Corinthians 13 passage, in which area do you need improvement (patience, kindness, etc.) What step will you take this week to improve this facet of love?
- If love is a critical component of a healthy home, how am I contributing to make this happen?
- How did I experience discipline growing up? How might this discipline been good for me? How might it have caused pain or struggle?
- In what ways are discipline and punishment different?
- (For parents) How do I need to separate discipline and punishment in my parenting?
- In what ways do I mirror God's love in my discipline? (of my children? self-discipline?)
- Should we avoid discipline because it is painful to experience? Why or why not?
- How do I spiritually lead my family? Where do I need to experience growth in this aspect?
- Do we need to re-evaluate our plan for discipline in our family? If so, what needs to change?
Week 2: Oneness
For marrieds:
For unmarrieds:
- What walls have we constructed that create a disconnect in our relationship?
- Which area of oneness is lacking vulnerability or connection: mental, spiritual, emotional, or sexual? How do we see that disconnect play out?
- On a scale of 1-10, how difficult is it for you to vulnerably share your feelings with your spouse? (1=I desire and crave it, 10=NEVER!) Next, where on the scale would you rate your spouse? Discuss your thoughts with one another and why you chose the numbers you did. (Don't make this an attack on yourself or your spouse. Also, don't be defensive about your spouse's opinion; listen to understand.)
- Besides going to church, what are some ways we connect spiritually as a couple? Are there any steps we might want to try in order to grow spiritually together?
- What are some ways that our courtship has faded? What are some ways we have continued to court one another in marriage?
- What are some activities we enjoy together?
- How have we lost joy in our marriage? How can we recapture joy in our relationship?
- What grievances or "records of wrong" am I holding against my spouse? Who can I talk to about figuring out how to release these hurts?
- As a couple, evaluate the pace and priorities of your lives. Where might your pace be unhealthy? What priorities need to change?
- Are there any good things that you need to say "No" to so you can say "Yes" to what matters most? What are these things? How can you walk through this process together?
- How have you misunderstood submission in your marriage? How can you better yield to and honor your spouse out of reverence for Jesus?
- As a couple, decide what step(s) you want to take together to foster deeper oneness.
For unmarrieds:
- Are there any friendships where I am seeking genuine oneness? If yes, how am I doing so? If not, why not?
- What experiences or hurts from my past have led to figurative walls in my relationships?
- How are you practicing vulnerability in trusted relationships?
- In what ways are you connecting spiritually with others?
- How can God use your singleness to serve His kingdom?
- Have you lost joy in any of your relationships? Do you need to restore that joy? If so, how can you go about that?
- What grievances are you holding against others? What forgiveness do you need to offer?
- Evaluate the pace and priorities of your life. Where might your pace be unhealthy? What priorities need to change?
- Are there any good things that you need to say "No" to so you can say "Yes" to what matters most? What are these things? Who could you invite to walk through this process alongside you?
- How have you misunderstood submission in your relationship with God? How can you better yield to and honor God as your Lord and Savior?