Connect Group Guide

Ephesians 5:15-33


Theme: This week, we launched a marriage series called “When Sinners say I do.” In week 1, we discussed God’s design for marriage out of Ephesians 5. God is the creator of marriage. He designed it to reflect Jesus’s relationship with His Church. The husband plays the part of Christ: sacrificially loving, serving, and leading. The wife plays the part of the church: sacrificially submitting, helping, and following. 


Major Points:

  1. God’s Design for Marriage

Marriage begins with the gospel and ends with the gospel. Marriage done God’s way ends with us portraying a picture of the gospel to those around us. Marriage done God’s way begins with the gospel because it produces three prerequisites in our lives. Salvation, gratitude, and surrender are essential for marriage to function the way God intended for it to function. Salvation leads us to being spirit filled. Gratitude leads us to see marriage as a gift from God. Surrender leads us to mutually submit to God’s design and not try to do marriage our way. Ultimately, the question becomes, “Will we do marriage our way or do it God’s way?” His way is better!

  1. The Godly Wife  

The Bible sums up a Godly wife up in three important words: submission, encouragement, & sin. Submission means we allow our husband to lead. Encouragement means we don’t nag or try to be the Holy Spirit, we support and encourage him to step into His God given role. Sin means we recognize that sin in us will fight against our submission and encouragement. Sin will lead us to conform to the world rather than God’s Design that so clearly displays his glory for the world to see. 

  1. The Godly Husband 

The Bible sums up a Godly husband in three important words: love, lead, & sin. Love means that we unconditionally love our wives the way Jesus loved his church. Lead means that we step into the role and take responsibility for leading our family. Sin means that we battle the passivity that keeps us from loving and leading well. When the man falls into passivity, the whole family suffers, When the man loves and leads, the whole family flourishes.

 
Question Bank: 

  1. How has your week been spiritually? / What is God teaching you?

  2. What sins are you struggling with that you need to confess?

  3. What does this passage teach us about God’s Design for marriage?

    Married:

  4. If married, would you say that your marriage is functioning within God’s Design?

  5. What does this passage teach us about being a Godly Wife?

    1. Discuss Submission - What does it mean to submit to your husband?

    2. Discuss Encouragement - What does it look like to encourage your husband?

    3. Discuss Sin - What hinders you from being submissive and encouraging? 

  6. What does this passage teach us about being a Godly Husband?

    1. Discuss Love - What does it look like to love your wife like Jesus? 

    2. Discuss Lead - What does it look like to lead your home?

    3. Discuss Sin - In what ways do you wrestle with passivity?

  7. What is your personal next step in becoming a godly husband/wife?

Single:

  1. Read Eph 5:15-33. How does knowing God’s design change the way you pursue marriage? 

  2. Read 1 Cor 7:25-40. How do you honor God with your singleness?