Lesson 1 Notes

God’s Design for Your Marriage Lesson 1

BIBLE STUDY METHODS IN THIS LESSON:

The Sufficiency of Scripture & Overview of Lessons to Come

Some Hebrew Types of Revelation Figures of Speech

Homework 1. Read Psalm 119 with your spouse 2. Complete the “Fruits of Pride” quiz at the end of this lesson 3. Complete at least one suggested project with your spouse

Works Cited in this Lesson: All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update, unless otherwise noted. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. Other references are quoted from The Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973. International Bible Society. Zondervan Bible Publishers. 1. MacArthur, John F. Jr. “Preaching and Biblical Counseling.” p. 327. Introduction to Biblical Counseling. 1994. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2. ibid. p. 328. 3. ibid. p. 329.

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I. INTRODUCTION A. GOALS √

To realize the sufficiency of Scipture to transform our lives and marriage.

√

To commit to change our lives and marriage as Scripture instructs us.

B. Foundations: A solid basis for a Godly marriage 1. Salvation A biblical marriage requires biblically-minded spouses. The responsibility we have to God in our roles as spouses are great, demanding, and completely counter to our natures. Without the Holy Spirit regenerating our hearts and empowering us, it is absolutely impossible to have a marriage that follows God’s design. *If you are in a spiritually incompatible marriage (your spouse is not a believer), don’t despair. There is hope. God will honor you as you follow Him as a Godly spouse. **If you are considering marrying an unbeliever, DON’T! 2. SCRIPTURE-UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL 3. SUBMISSION TO WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH II. SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE A. PSALM 19:1-10 1. NATURAL REVELATION (Psalm 19:1-6) The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; 2

Natural Revelation: The theological concept that God has made the reality of his existence known through creation. Biblically understood, we can learn things about our universe, our planet, and ourselves through natural revelation; but without special revelation, our interpretation and understanding will be not only tainted by our sinfulness, but in fact mangled, distorted, idolatrous, and wrong.

nothing is hidden from its heat. 2. SPECIAL REVELATION: SCRIPTURE LORD: YHWH. The name for God first revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Among other things, the name indicates a personal involvement in our lives rather than a detachment. Theologically called the “tetragrammaton” (greek for “four-letter word”). No one really knows how to pronounce it.

Stats from Ps 19:7-10-6 statements, -each with 3 elements 6 titles for the scripture (underlined) 6 characteristics of the scriptures (italicized) 6 benefits of the scriptures (boldfaced) Biblically, there is no distinction between mind and soul and spirit. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably. When they are used together (soul and spirit), the emphasis is “entire being.” Therefore, there is no such thing as “believing it in my mind, but not in my heart.” We either believe it, or don’t. The measure of your faith is evidenced by the measure of your obedience. FOR

WISDOM IS BETTER THAN

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. A. VERSE

Law of the Lord: torah. A very often used word for scripture. Divine instruction. God teaches truth to humanity. “It pictures Scripture as a complete manual laying out God’s law for our lives. In other words, the Bible is the law of the Lord for human living. As such, it is perfect.”1 perfect: comprehensive, exhaustive, complete, lacking nothing, whole, flawless, entire, absolutely, totally, undeniably sufficient. reviving the soul: nephesh, soul. The inner person. The being, the person, the mind/body/spirit. The entity. The scriptures are sufficient to completely renovate the human soul. They are utterly, totally, and completely capable of making dead souls live. They can transform sinful thinking. They can restore faith. They can grow a person to perfection.

JEWELS, AND ALL DESIRABLE THINGS

“The statement is made without any equivocation, without any caveats.”2

CANNOT COMPARE WITH HER .

(PROV. 8:11) SIMPLE:

DOES

NOT KNOW THE

TRUTH , THEREFORE IS UNABLE TO ABIDE BY THE TRUTH. FOOL:

KNOWS

THE TRUTH, AND

DOES THE OPPOSITE . WISE:

KNOWS

THE TRUTH AND

OBEYS OR APPLIES IT.

WARNING: IT IS BEST TO GO SIMPLE TO WISE, AND SKIP FOOL.

FROM

7A: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.

B. VERSE

7B: The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

statutes: divine witness. God is witness to Himself. He is personally testifying about who He is. trustworthy: unmistakable. It is reliable and completely dependable. There is no doubt of its reliability. wise: the character of a person who applies Godly truth to daily living. Applied intellect. One who makes right choices, has righteous conduct, 3

and lives on earth with heaven on the brain. simple: an open-minded person. Unable to keep anything out. In Proverbs, this person is naive. He is undiscerning. He cannot discriminate between good and bad, right and wrong. He is untaught, unschooled, and a blank slate for anybody to scribble on. C. VERSE

8A: The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

precept: Divine principles. Guidelines for living from God Himself. right: They are worth following because they are right. No need to ask which way is the right way to go. God’s way is always the right way. giving joy to the heart: True joy. Fulfilling joy. Overflowing joy. Joy comes from knowing and following God’s right precepts. God’s pathway is a road to joy. It is also a pathway to God. Where the righteous find God, they find joy. D. VERSE

Q. Have you ever thought of being “open-minded” as negative?

8B: The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

commands: Mandate from God. Indicates an authority over our life. It is not optional to be bound by these commands. Even those who do not believe in the bible as an authority over them will have to deal with the consequences prescribed by the scriptures.

Q. What are you dealing with? What are the struggles in your marriage? In order to walk through these things with joy, do so on God’s right path, found in His perfect precepts.

Q. How can God’s word be authoritative? How can we be submissive to a text? Q. Can you think of some examples of times when unbelievers have been affected by the authority of scripture?

radiant: lit. clear, plainly observed, purely seen. They are not a conundrum. They are not confusing, contradictory, or purposefully counfounding. They can be comprehended. “The point is that scripture enlightens our eyes to the dark things in life.” 3 giving light to the eyes: Scripture is clear because the eyes have been opened. What was not understandable before is understandable now. E. VERSE

9A: The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.

fear: We know that fear refers to the Scriptures by its context within these parallelisms. The point is that a major purpose of the scriptures is to teach us to fear God. This is the first step to true worship, true service, true marriage, true living. pure: Is there anything pure, or clean in this world? Yes. There is the scriptures. They are unaffected by sin. They are not cleaned--having been dirty once and now washed--they have never been soiled or marred or dirtied or stained. They are clean. Therefore, they are a completely reliable resource for us. Nothing in the scriptures will mislead us. 4

In v. 8b, the word “eyes” is used in place of “mind.” This figure of speech is called Metonymy. It is often used in the bible. Why do you think the writer (King David, and ultimately, God) chose to use this figure of speech? Q. What kind of things did you not understand before you became a believer? How did the scriptures “enlighten your eyes?”

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov 1:7)

parallelism:The Hebrew figure of speech in which the author illuminates and illucidates the thought or idea being communicated. It’s a way of looking at a thing from many different angles. It’s like examining the many facets of a diamond.

T H I N K Take a minute and consider the image of scriptures compared to gold and honey. What does the image conjure for you? Can you taste the beauty? Can you touch the value? Are you amazed by the singularly unique nature of scripture?

THE O P THE

E

WORD N S SOUL

enduring forever: As relevant today as the day they were penned. There is no need to make the scriptures relevant. There is no need to add or subtract. They apply to marriages today, just like they did to Adam and Eve. F. VERSE

9B: The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.

ordinances: judgements, God is the divine judge. The Scriptures are his verdicts. sure: Certain. There is no appeal. They are true. They are final. altogether righteous: A parallelism for “sure”. This is a moral statement. They are upright. They are so good... G. VERSE

10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

H.

OTHER SCRIPTURES During your discussion time, discuss some of the following verses: Hebrews 4:12

You may have learned this stuff before. Allow yourself to be impressed by the authority and sufficiency of scripture again. It will make all the difference in your marriage. Q. Are you willing to commit to change your habits and thinking if the Scriptures instruct you to do so?

2 Timothy 3:16 Isaiah 55:11 1 Corinthians 2:13 2 Corinthians 9:8 (notice the “all’s” and “every’s”) III. SUBMISSION: OUR RESPONSE TO THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE A. PSALM 19:11-14 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 5

be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Submission to the scriptures results in “great reward.” Forgiveness is found. Resistance from sin is possible. Freedom from the bondage of sins is acquired. Submission is not just a chore. It is immediately rewarded. It is rewarded with forgiveness and innocence and freedom. B. BEDROCK OF MARRIAGE BASICS: THEOLOGY (AN OVERVIEW OF COMING LESSONS) Marriage is founded on the most foundational truths of Scripture and faith. It is founded on the very character and actions of God. 1. THE TRINITY: WHAT WE ARE IMAGING. The Trinity was in existence before marriage. According to Genesis, we were made in the Trinity’s image. That means we are made in relationship, just like the Trinity has eternally existed in relationship. Our understanding of the Trinity is in relational terms. (“Father” and “Son” indicate a relationship. “Holy Spirit” indicates a shared quality. The Spirit is sent b the Father.) Likewise, we are made to exist in relationship. As believers, our relationships should be more and more characterized by the type of perfect love that exists between the members of the Godhead. 2. CHRIST AND THE CHURCH AS A HUMAN MODEL FOR MARRIAGE Paul tells us that our marriages are to reflect the relationship that Christ Husbands, you are the agent of has with the Church. The Church is His bride. The Christian Husband redemption in your marriage. Woah. should be self sacrificial, selflessly loving, and always giving, like Christ. The husband has a God-ordained duty to be sanctifying his wife. The Wife is to be respectful, submissive, and always seeking the best for her husband. She is to be like the Holy Spirit to her husband, meaning she is finely tuned with God’s Word. She is indispensable as a counselor for her husband.

Q. Are you still improperly connected to your parents, grand-parents, siblings, etc.?

3. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MARRIAGE When God married Adam and Eve, certain precedents and purposes were made a part of every marriage. Be fruitful and multiply. Make your spouse more important than even your parents.

BECOME

ONE.

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Q. What does “becoming one” mean to you?

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:22-24, NIV)

4. BIBLICAL CHANGE GOD’S FORMULA FOR CHANGE: Put Off sinful behavior Change your Thinking Put On Righteousness 5. RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD MANY BOOKS AND TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE MAKE YOUR SPOUSE AND FAMILY AND EVEN YOUR MARRIAGE THE CENTER AND PURPOSE OF BEING MARRIED.

One Day.

THIS CAN LEAD TO IDOLATRY. THE PRIMARY PERSON IN OUR MARRIAGE IS NOT OURSELVES. NOR IS OUR SPOUSE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR US IN MARRIAGE. THE FOCUS AND CENTERPOINT OF OUR MARRIAGE IS OUR GOD. OUR MARRIAGE IS ABOUT GOD. WE ARE TO BECOME MORE GODLY SPOUSES NOT FOR OUR SPOUSE’S SAKE (THAT’S A BONUS). NOT FOR PEACE IN THE HOME (THAT’S A PERK).

In One Day, God created mankind.

WE ARE TO BECOME MORE GODLY AS SPOUSES BECAUSE OF WHO GOD IS, AND WHO WE ARE IN RELATIONSHIP TO HIM.

In One Day, God drowned the Egyptians and saved the Jews. In One Day, Jesus made atonement for all sins.

OUR MARRIAGES ARE ALSO MEANT TO SHOW A DYING WORLD THE SACRIFICIAL, COVENANTAL, AND UNENDING LOVE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.

MARRIAGE IS WORSHIP. MARRIAGE IS THE TRINITY IN ACTION. IT IS CHRIST REVEALED.

In One Day, your marriage can be better. To-Day. adapted from Jim Burns

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The Fruits of Pride Adapted from C. J. Mahaney 1. SELF-SUFFICIENT I tend to be self sufficient in the way I live my life. I don’t live with a constant awareness that my every breath is dependent upon the will of God. I tend to think I have enough strength, ability and wisdom to live and manage my life. My practice of the spiritual disciplines is inconsistent and superficial. I don’t like to ask others for help. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 2. ANXIOUS I am often anxious about my life and the future. I tend not to trust God and rarely experience His abiding and transcendent peace in my soul. I have a hard time sleeping at night because of fearful thoughts and burdens I carry. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 3. OVERLY SELF-CONSCIOUS I am overly self-conscious. I tend to replay in my mind how I did, what said, how I am coming across to others, etc. I am very concerned about what people think of me. I think about these things constantly. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 4. FEAR OF MAN I fear man more than God. I am afraid of others and make decisions about what I will say or do based upon this fear. I am afraid to take a stand for things that are right. I am concerned with how people will react to me or perceive my actions or words. I don’t often think about God’s opinion in a matter and rarely think there could be consequences for disobeying him. I primarily seek the approval of man and not of God. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 5. INSECURE I often feel insecure. I don’t want to try new things or step out into uncomfortable situations because I’m afraid I’ll fail or look foolish. I am easily embarrassed. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 6. COMPARE MYSELF I regularly compare myself to others. I am performance oriented. I feel that I have greater worth if I do well. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 7. SELF-CRITICAL I am self-critical. I tend to be a perfectionist. I can’t stand for little things to be wrong because they reflect poorly on me. I have a hard time putting my mistakes behind me. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

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8. DESIRE CREDIT AND RECOGNITION I desire to receive credit and recognition for what I do. I like people to see what I do and let me know that they noticed. I feel hurt or offended when they don’t. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being misunderstood. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 9. DESIRE TO MAKE GOOD IMPRESSION I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments known. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 10. DECEPTIVE I tend to be deceptive about myself. I find myself lying to preserve my reputation. I find myself hiding the truth about myself, especially about sins, weaknesses, etc. I don’t want people to know who I really am. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 11. SELFISHLY AMBITIOUS I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead. I like having a position or title. I far prefer leading to following. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 12. OVERLY COMPETITIVE I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it bothers me when I don’t. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 13. CENTER OF ATTENTION I like to be the center of attention and will say or do things to draw attention to myself. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 14. TALK ABOUT MYSELF I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with. I want people to know what I am doing or thinking. I would rather speak than listen. I have a hard time being succinct. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 15. SELF-SERVING I am self-serving. When asked to do something, I find myself asking, “How will doing this help me, or will I be inconvenienced?” I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

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16. NOT EXCITED ABOUT OTHERS’ SUCCESS I am not very excited about seeing or making others successful. I tend to feel envious, jealous or critical towards those who are doing well or being honored. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 17. FEELINGS OF SUPERIORITY I feel special or superior because of what I have or do. For example: » my house » being a Christian » my neighborhood » my position or job » my physical gifting » my car » my spiritual giftings » my salary » my intellect or education » my looks I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 18. THINK HIGHLY OF SELF I think highly of myself. In relation to others I typically see myself as more mature and more gifted. In most situations, I have more to offer than others even though I may not say so. I don’t consider myself average or ordinary. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 19. GIVE MYSELF CREDIT I tend to give myself credit for who I am and what I accomplish. I only occasionally think about or recognize that all that I am or have comes from God. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 20. SELF- RIGHTEOUS I tend to be self-righteous. I can think that I really have something to offer God. I would never say so, but I think God did well to save me. I seldom think about or recognize my complete depravity and helplessness apart from God. I regularly focus on the sins of others. I don’t credit God for any degree of holiness in my life. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 21. FEEL DESERVING I feel deserving. I think I deserve what I have. In fact, I think I ought to have more considering how well I have lived or in light of all I have done. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 22. UNGRATEFUL I often feel ungrateful. I tend to grumble about what I have or my lot in life. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

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23. SELF-PITY I find myself wallowing in self-pity. I am consumed with how I am treated by God and others. I tend to feel mistreated or misunderstood. I seldom recognize or sympathize with what’s going on with others around me because I feel that I have it worse than they do. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 24. JEALOUS OR ENVIOUS I can be jealous or envious of others abilities, possessions, positions, accomplishments. I want to be what others are or want to have what other have. I am envious of what others have thinking that I should have it or deserve it. I find it hard to rejoice with others when they are blessed by God. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 25. INSENSITIVE I am pretty insensitive to others. I feel that some people just aren’t worth caring about. I have a hard time showing compassion. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 26. KNOW-IT-ALL ATTITUDE I have a know-it-all attitude. I am impressed by my own knowledge. I fee like there isn’t much I can learn from other people, especially those less mature than me. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 27. HARD TIME LISTENING I have a hard time listening to ordinary people. I listen better to those I respect or people I want to leave with a good impression. I don’t honestly listen when someone else is speaking because I am usually planning what I am going to say next. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 28. LIKE TO REVEAL OWN MIND I like to reveal my own mind. I have an answer for practically every situation. I feel compelled to balance everyone else out. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 29. INTERRUPT PEOPLE I interrupt people regularly. I don’t let people finish what they are saying. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 30. COMPELLED TO STOP PEOPLE I feel compelled to stop people when they start to share something with me I already know. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 11

31. HARD TO ADMIT WHEN I DON’T KNOW SOMETHING I find it hard to admit it when I don’t know something. When someone asks me something I don’t know, I will make up an answer rather than admit I don know. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

32. DON’T GET MUCH OUT OF TEACHING I don’t get much out of teaching. I tend to evaluate a speaker rather than my own life. I grumble in my heart about hearing something a second time. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 33. LISTEN TO TEACHING WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN MIND I listen to teaching with other people in mind. I constantly think of those folks who need to hear the teaching and wish they were here. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 34. NOT OPEN TO INPUT I’m not very open to input. I don’t pursue correction for my life. I tend be unteachable and slow to repent when corrected. I don’t really see correction as a positive thing. I am offended when people probe the motivations of my heart or seek to adjust me. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 35. HARD TIME ADMITTING TO BEING WRONG I have a hard time admitting that I am wrong. I find myself covering up or excusing my sins. It is hard for me to confess my sins to others or to ask for forgiveness. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 36. RESENT CORRECTION I view correction as an intrusion into my privacy rather than an instrument of God for my welfare. I can’t identify anyone who would feel welcome to correct me. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 37. I RESENT PEOPLE I resent people who attempt to correct me. I don’t respond with gratefulness and sincere appreciation for their input. Instead I am tempted to accuse them and dwell on their faults. I get bitter and withdraw. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

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38. CONTENTIOUS AND ARGUMENTATIVE When corrected, I become contentious and argumentative. I don’t take people’s observations seriously. I minimize and make excuses or give explanations. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 39. EASILY ANGERED AND OFFENDED I am easily angered and offended. I don’t like being crossed or disagreed with. I find myself thinking, “I can’t believe they did that to me.” I often feel wronged. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 40. PERSONALITY CONFLICTS I have “personality conflicts” with others. I have a hard time getting along with certain kinds of people. People regularly tell me that they struggle with me. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 41. SELF-WILLED AND STUBBORN I am self-willed and stubborn. I have a hard time cooperating with others. I really prefer my own way and often insist on getting it. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 42. INDEPENDENT AND UNCOMMITTED I am independent and uncommitted. I don’t really see why I need other people. I can easily separate myself from others. I don’t get much out of our small group meetings. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 43. UNACCOUNTABLE I am unaccountable. I don’t ask others to hold me responsible to follow through on my commitments. I don’t really need accountability for my words and actions. I think I can take care of myself. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 44. UNSUBMISSIVE I am unsubmissive. I don’t like being under the authority of another person. I don’t see submission as a good and necessary provision from God for my life. I have a hard time supporting and serving those over me. I don’t “look up” to people and I like to be in charge. Other people may need leaders but I don’t. It is important that my voice is heard. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 45. LACK RESPECT I lack respect for other people. I don’t think very highly of most people. I have a hard time encouraging and honoring others unless they really do something great. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 13

46. SLANDERER I am a slanderer. I find myself either giving or receiving evil reports about others. Often times the things I say or hear are true about other people. I am not concerned about the effect of slander on me because of my maturity level. I think I can handle it. I only share with others the things I really think they need to know. I don’t tell all. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 47. DIVISIVE I am divisive. I tend to resist or resent authority. I don’t like other people to give me orders or directions. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 48. DEMEAN I like to demean or put others down. I often think people need to be adjusted and put in their place. This includes leaders. Other people need to be more humble and have a “sober” assessment of themselves. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 49. CRITICAL I tend to be critical of others. I find myself feeling or talking negatively about people. I subtlety feel better about myself when I see how bad someone else is. I find it far easier to evaluate than to encourage someone else. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5 50. I THINK I’M HUMBLE I really appreciate somebody taking the time to put this paper together. It will really be a big help to my friends and family. However, I don’t really need this because I think I’m pretty humble already. I ————————————- I 1 2 3 4 5

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Project Suggestions Do one or more of the following before Lesson 2 1. Hire a baby sitter, turn off your cell, and go on a long date with your spouse. Take your notes with you. At dinner, take about 30 minutes to discuss the notes from lesson 1. Ask each other the questions from the sidebars. What was new to you? Did any of your thinking change as a result of this study? 2. Take some time separately and answer the following questions on separate paper: a. I believe there is a God because ______________________. b. I am absolutely certain the bible is _____________________. c. What questions do you have about the bible and/or God himself? 3. Show your Fruits of Pride quiz to your spouse. Ask him or her to rate you on each question. Discuss your answers for yourselves and for each other. Then pick the top 5 manifestations of pride in your life to work on. Let your spouse advise you on where your pride is most obvious. 4. Pray wth your spouse this week. Thank God for His Word and revelation to us. During your prayer, read Psalm 19 back to God. 5. What has to change? What has God revealed to you has to change in your heart and in your family? Make a prioritized list (The most important on top) and discuss this with your spouse.