What God Has Joined Together

1. What did Jesus say God made marriage to be?

Jesus answered the Pharisees by going back to the beginning of the Bible. He said:

Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother, and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

When you look at your own family, how does knowing God joined your parents together change the way you see your home?

2. Why did Jesus say Moses allowed divorce?

Jesus told the Pharisees that Moses permitted divorce because of the people's hard hearts, but that was not God's original plan. When a friend hurts your feelings, is it easier to walk away or to work toward forgiveness? What is one way you can soften your heart this week instead of giving up on someone?

3. How does a healthy marriage show us Jesus' love?

The sermon explained that marriage is meant to be a picture of Christ and the church. A husband is called to love like Jesus, and a wife is called to trust and respect. Watching a marriage full of love and sacrifice can help us understand how Jesus laid down His life for His people.

Look at the marriages around you—your parents, relatives, or other godly examples. What is one way their love for each other reminds you of how Jesus loves us?

4. What kind of forgiveness keeps a promise?

The pastor said a happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. Jesus teaches that His followers must practice unlimited forgiveness. In Matthew 18:21, Peter once asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone:

Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'

Who is someone you need to forgive right now? How does practicing forgiveness today help you learn to keep promises when you are grown?

5. Who should a Christian choose to marry?

The sermon taught that Christians must not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, and that a widow is free to marry again only in the Lord. If one day you hope to be married, why is it important that the person you choose already loves and follows Jesus? How can choosing close friends who love Jesus now prepare you for keeping that future promise?