Benjamin Murphy
Small Group Questions
Benjamin Murphy
Sermon Series Highlights
Sermon Series Highlights

Tighten the Knot

Living in a One-Sided Marriage (Men's Edition)

Honoring God in Your Marriage (When Your Wife is Not):

  1. Get to KNOW her. (1 Peter 3:7a)


  2. TREASURE her. (1 Peter 3:7b)


  3. ENJOY life with her. (1 Peter 3:7c)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 1 Peter 3:7 (Men: Multiple times!!!)

  1. Name some practical ways men can learn more about their wives and how to meet their needs. Ladies, please chime in. We need the help.
     
  2. What does Peter mean to to honor your wife as the “weaker vessel”? How should that affect the way you think about your wife?
     
  3. How can our conduct towards our wives hinder our prayers for our wives?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for the marriages (and the singles in the group) to:

  • grow in oneness
  • understand our God-given roles
  • show grace

Living in a One-Sided Marriage (Women's Edition)

Honoring God in Your Marriage (When Your Husband is Not):

  1. Your CONDUCT must be more important than your words. (1 Peter 3:1-2)


  2. Your CHARACTER must be more beautiful than your clothes. (1 Peter 3:3-4)


  3. Your FAITH must be bigger than your FEARS. (1 Peter 3:5-6)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read 1 Peter 3:1-6

  1. How is a husband won over by his wife “without a word”? Explain what this means. If the wife isn’t to “preach”, how will the husband hear the Word of God?
     
  2. What are ways some women tend to focus on the external appearance? What kinds of “internal beauty marks” does Peter say to work on (1 Peter 3:4)? What are practical ways to work on those?
     
  3. Pretend a (saved) coworker with an unsaved husband comes to you asking for advice on how to handle her pagan hubby. He is not interested in church or anything spiritual, which is important to her. He shows her no Christlike love like he is supposed to, so she is thinking about a divorce. “Why would God want me stuck in a marriage like this?” she says. What would you tell her to do, in light of this passage?

Breakout Questions:

  1. Same theme, all month. This time: Pray for your spouse, specifically. Their walk with Christ. Their health. Their emotional well-being.
     
  2. Not married? Pray for your future spouse. Don’t plan on getting married? Pray for a marriage you know of that needs the knot tightened.

Marriage: God's Picture

Two Words for a God-Glorifying Marriage:

  1. A word for wives: SUBMIT. (Eph 5:22)

    2. How? Like the church does to Christ!

    1. It’s Exclusive. (Eph 5:22-23)
    2. It’s Exhaustive. (Eph 5:24)

  2. A Word for Husbands: LOVE. (Eph 5:25)

    3. How? Like Christ does for the church!

    1. It’s Unselfish. (Eph 5:25-30)
    2. It’s Unstoppable. (Eph 5:31-32)

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Ephesians 5:22-33

  1. What does the word “submit” mean, in general terms? Why is this instruction given to wives? What are some things submit does NOT mean? How would you explain this concept to a young female friend that just got married?
     
  2. Describe, in your own words, the picture of Christ and the church that is supposed to play out in marriage. Why did God design marriage to work that way?
     
  3. Why does God tell men to LOVE their wives, but tell wives to RESPECT their husbands (Eph 5:33)? Why did God use these specific words?

Breakout Questions:

  1. Please continue to pray for marriages in your small group and those you know who are struggling in their marriages. (church, family, friends, coworkers, whoever!)

Parents Children's Questions:

  1. Discuss with your kids! What does authority mean? What does submit mean? How does Jesus treat the church? How should the church treat Jesus?
     
  2. If the wife is supposed to be like the church, how should she treat her husband? If the husband is to be like Jesus, how should he treat his wife?

Marriage: God’s Plan

God’s Plan for Marriage (Genesis 2:24):

  1. LEAVE for your new priority.

    2. Four Things Parents Say:

    1. Do it my way.
    2. Let me do it for you.
    3. Do what we've always done.
    4. Criticize your spouse.

  2. CLEAVE to your wife/husband exclusively.

    • Keep no secrets.
    • Do nothing that makes your spouse uncomfortable.
    • My money is our money.

  3. WEAVE your lives together in unity.

Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!

Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Genesis 2:18-25

  1. Why was it “not good” for man to be alone? What does this statement say about God (Gen 2:18)?
     
  2. What is the significance that woman was taken “out of man” (Gen 2:22)?
  3. Explain God’s plan for marriage (Gen 2:24) in your own words. Why is this the most important verse in the Bible about marriage?

Breakout Questions:
Pray for the marriages in HBCPN that

  • God would strengthen those that are healthy, in order to encourage others
  • God would do a miracle in marriages that are struggling