Marriage Course - August 20, 2012

Day 4 - The Third and Fourth Seasons of Marriage - Autumn and Winter

Autumn
• season of richness and maturity-reaping
• the benefits of what has gone before
• marriage more established having weathered tough times
• may be teenagers in the house
• emotionally the most exhausting stage of parenting
• the greatest need is to support and encourage each other

Winter
• empty-nest stage for many
• probably fewer demands with an opportunity for more time together
• can be the most exciting stage of marriage
• the greatest needs are shared interests and good communication

Question:Reflect on what you've heard so far. If you are in one of these seasons, talk together about the pressures you've worked through until now in your relationship, and the pressures you're currently facing. If you’re not here yet, what do you think it will be like?

From Series: "Marriage"

Study Guide

More From "Marriage"

Powered by Series Engine

  • Forgiveness IS essential and one of the greatest forces for healing In a marriage
  • Degrees of difficulty in forgiving
    • Jesus on the cross of those who crucified him
    • Small Issues, e.g. husband or wife forqeting to do something or making you late
    • Big issues, e.g. unfaithfulness
  • Forgiveness, is first and foremost, a choice, not a feeling
  • Question is not, “Do we feel like forgiving?

Question IS, “Will we forgive? Will we let go of our self-pity / demand for justice / desire to retaliate?”

What does forgiveness mean to you?  Have you been forgiven, or had to forgive someone recently?  Do you find it easy, or hard to forgive?