Slides from our 'Marriage Matters: Reviving the Romance' presentatrion at Spring Harvest Skegness 2010

1. marriage matters
principles and practises
1

2. 2

3. And further, submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as
to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as
Christ is the head of the church. He is the Saviour of his
body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so
you wives should submit to your husbands in
everything. For husbands, this means love your
wives, just as Christ loved the church. He
gave up his life for her to make her holy
and clean, washed by the cleansing of
God’s word. He did this to present her
to himself as a glorious church without a
spot or wrinkle or any other blemish.
Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
In the same way, husbands ought to love
their wives...
Ephesians
5:21-28 (NLT) 3

4. love
power
trust
4

5. power
love
5

6. power
trust
6

7. Philippians If you've gotten anything at all out of following
2:1-4 Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life,
(The if being in a community of the Spirit means anything
to you, if you have a heart, if you care - then do me a
Message)
favour: Agree with each other, love each other, be
deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the
front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put
yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be
obsessed with getting
your own advantage.
Forget yourselves
long enough to lend a
helping hand.
7

8. ... a God-given
opportunity to
learn how to
love ...
8

9. let God in
Don’t just invite God to your
wedding - invite him into your
marriage.
Seek agreement on your
foundational values: find
meaning in mission.
9

10. be willing to work
Love beyond feelings: commit
beyond convenience.
Look to the long return.
Learn what works: fix what fails
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11. be friends first
Build foundations of friendship.
Cheer like champions: believe the
best of each other.
Nurture, don’t nag.
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12. deal with the real
Kill your expectations of
perfection: abandon unhealthy
comparisons.
Build on every positive: grow
good habits, beat bad ones.
12

13. learn to listen to learn
Discover the joys of difference.
Embrace your greatest critic.
Use words well.
Never say the lesson’s over.
13

14. weave a web
Free one another up for
friendships.
Establish joint role models.
Have people who pray for you.
14

15. take time
Find sabbath times and spaces
just for two.
Commit to common pastimes.
Watch over the gatepost
times of days, weeks,
years.
15

16. make a safe space
Create an emotional safety zone.
Guard against intruders: put
protection above popularity.
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17. plan for pressure
Don’t be taken by surprise:
prepare the actions you will take
when pressures rise.
Seek God in times of stress.
Be careful who you share
your struggles with.
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18. savour the seasons
Be aware of changing contexts:
accept each phase for what it
brings.
Be patient in times of waiting.
Remember friendship, and return.
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19. Dual careers.
Two become three.
Outnumbered by children.
Mid-life crises.
Parent issues
Ageing gracefully.
Greying agefully... 19

20. marriage matters
principles and practises
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21. You call to our broken hearts.
You see our craving for companionship
Our desperation for depth
And dependency.
You notice our need to be known
Yet you know we are afraid
To be familiar
You feel that we fear your freedom
Yet you see our hearts

22. And hungry for the healing
That is promised and assured
We come to you

23. You accept our condition,
You receive our resolution,
Our deep determination:
To press on, to wrestle,
Pursuing restoration.
Let all that is in us be open
To your operation
NOT closed to your correction
NOT averse to your intervention
As you reshape our souls

24. And hungry for the hope
That is promised and assured
We come to you

25. You restore your image in us,
You sine our scratched surface.
You find diamonds
Where there has been dullness,
And bring gloss
Where there has been gloom
Pouring peace into places
Perverted by past pains
You re-paint our planet

26. And hungry for the Heaven
That is promised and assured
We come to you