DATE
NIGHT
IN
BOX
ide u G n o i s s Discu
COMMIT TO LOVE WELCOME It is G od’s pr omis e to yo u th at as y o u co n ti n u e to l ove e a c h o t he r a nd s e e k H is wisdom in your r elati o n sh i p , He w i l l r e v e al Hi m s e l f t o yo u i n b e a ut i f ul ways. C o zy up a nd dive i n to w h at G o d h as i n sto r e fo r yo u t hro ugh s o me hon est dis cus s ion, r efle cti o n an d p r ay e r . B e su r e to ha ve yo ur Bi b l e ha nd y. If you d o n’t ha ve a ccess to o n e , ch e ck o u t th e B i b l e G a t e w a y a p p a va i l a b l e on your Apple or Andr o i d d e v i ce . For a c us tom Da te Nigh t I n — F ai th p l ay l i st fe atu r i n g Chri s t i a n a rt i s t s , vi s i t n i ghti nbox e s.c om /m us i c . M AT T H EW 19:6 s a ys “S o th ey a re n o l o n ger two , b ut o n e f l e s h. Ther efore wha t God h a s j o i n ed to geth er, l et n o o ne s e pa r a t e . ” L i k e a ny thin g wor th fighting fo r , a str o n g r e l ati o n sh i p tak e s t i me , e ne rgy a nd most of a ll, com m itmen t. I n a G o d l y r e l ati o n sh i p , w e a re c a l l e d t o p e rs e ve re beyond the na tur a l s tre sse s o f l i fe . G o o d r e l ati o n sh i p s d o n’t j us t ha p p e n; they are m a de. T onight ’ s d i scu ssi o n i s ab o u t p u tti n g i nt o p ra c t i c e s o me o f the b uilding blocks that r e i n fo r ce a so l i d fo u n d ati o n .
L o ve i s no t a f l e e t i ng f e eling ; it is a c ho ic e t o hold f as t t hr o ug h t hic k and t hin. I t i s a c o mmi t me nt ma d e t o endur e t hr oug h pain, ang er , c o nf us io n, jealous y and p ri d e . Y o ur c o mmi t me nt t o eac h ot her is binding . A s we r em em ber f r om MATTHEW 1 9 : 6 “ S o t h e y a r e n o lo n g e r tw o, but one fl e s h. The r e for e w ha t God ha s j oi ne d t o g e t h e r , le t n o o n e s e pa r a te .” This is Go d’ s des ig n f or m ar r iag e, and it of f er s us t he j o y o f p ure , s a c ri f i c i a l lo ve. L e t ’s re f l e c t o n t he p ri nciple Jes us t eac hes us in JAMES 3 :1 6 : ”F or w he r e you ha v e je a lo u s y a n d s e lf is h a mbi ti on, the r e you fi nd di s or de r a nd e v e r y e v i l pr a cti ce .” A re yo u a c t i ve l y p ut t i ng t he needs of your par t ner bef o r e your own? A beaut if ul t hing ha p p e ns w he n yo u c ho o s e t o s eek t he needs o f your par t ner abo ve per s onal g ain. --
Y o u r c h o i c e t o l a y d o wn y our s elf is h d es ires d a ily a nd f ully f org iv e a nd receiv e one a n o t h er w i l l t el l a st o r y .
--
Y o u r c h o i c e t o p u r su e the other, ev en when he or s he d oes n’t ea rn it, will b ea r a w i t n ess.
COMMUNICATE LOVE A h ealthy r ela tions hip pr a cti ce s h e al th y co m m u n i cati o n . E ve ry o p p o rt uni t y f o r c o mmu nica tion s hould be v al u e d as an o p p o r tu n i ty to g l o ri f y G o d a nd re f l e c t H i s i m ag e. PROVER BS 15:1 s ay s, “ A gentl e a ns w er turns a w a y w r a t h , b u t a h a r s h wo r d st i rs up anger.” Eve n so , i f a h ar sh w o r d i s sp o k e n t o yo u, re me mb e r t ha t y o u r resp ons e ha s the po w e r to d i ffu se th e co n fl i ct. I n it i a t e w i t h l o ve . R e s p o nd w i t h love. S e t y ou r p r ide a s ide a nd ack n o w l e d g e w h e n y o u n e e d Go d t o re d e e m yo ur c o n v ersatio n. Le t God be p r e se n t i n y o u r b attl e s. E v an g e l i s t R . A . T o rre y o f f e rs t hi s w i sd om; “ The r e a s on why m an y fai l i n b attl e i s b e cau se t he y w a i t unt i l t he ho ur o f b a t t le. Th e r e a s on why oth e r s su cce e d i s b e cau se th e y ha ve ga i ne d t he i r vi c t o ry o n their knee s long before th e b attl e cam e … An ti ci p ate yo ur b a t t l e s ; f i ght t he m o n y o u r knees be for e tem pta ti o n co m e s, an d y o u w i l l al w a ys ha ve vi c t o ry. ”
PURSUE LOVE W h a t are you doing to a ct i v e l y p u r su e l o v i n g y o u r p ar tn e r? It c a n b e s o e a s y t o sl i d e in t o a comfor ta ble r o u ti n e . O fte n , w e p u r su e w h a t p ro vi d e s s e l f -c o mf o rt , se c u rit y and e njoym e nt; a n d w e sh ar e th e o v e r fl o w w i th o ur p a rt ne r. E ac h of us r e s ponds to di ffe r e n t l o v e l an g u ag e s. . . m ay b e yo u p re f e r t o s p e nd q u ality t ime with your s ign i fi can t o th e r m o r e th an h e ar t he m vo c a l i z e t he i r l o ve f o r y o u , or v ic e ver s a . When we g o o u t o f o u r w ay to sp e ak o r a c t o n o ur l o ve f o r e a c h o t h er, our founda tion will b e r e i n fo r ce d . E p h e si an s 4: 2 e nc o ura ge s us t o l i ve “ w it h al l h u mi lity and g entlenes s , w i th pa ti ence, bea ri ng w it h o n e a n o t h e r in lo v e . ” T h i s p assage de s cr ibes exactl y h o w w e ar e cal l e d to p u rs ue e a c h o t he r.
--
Y o u r c h o i c e t o c o m p l etely s urrend er to one a nother, ev en when y ou would ra ther b e r i gh t , w i l l sp ea k a t est imony .
PRAYER & REFLECTION T a k e a l o o k b a c k t hr oug h yo ur dis c us s io n g uide and hig hlig ht s om e ar eas t hat s t o o d o ut t o yo u. T ak e t im e t o dis c us s t hes e ques t io ns : W h e r e w e r e y o u e ncour a g e d by w ha t God ha s be e n doi ng i n your r e la t io n s h ip ? W h a t a r e a s c o u ld u s e s ome r e i nfor ce me nt? T a k e a mi nut e t o p ray t o g et her ; s ilent ly or aloud. I f yo u ar e uns ur e wher e t o s t a rt , p ra y t he s e w o rds : “ L o r d, w e a ck now le d g e t h at ou r r e lat ion sh ip is a b le ssin g fr om Yo u . W e pr a y t h at Y ou w ou ld c on t in u e t o b le ss it an d st r e n g t h e n it a s w e s t r i ve t o b r in g Y ou g lor y in all t h at w e d o. We t h an k Y ou for Yo u r pr o m i s e t o g u id e u s an d st r e n g t h e n u s t h r ou g h e ve r y ob st ac le t ha t l i f e m a y pu t b e for e u s. B r in g u s t og e t h e r e mot ion ally an d s pi r i t ua l l y f o r t h e g ood of t h ose w h ose live s w e t ou c h . T h an k Y ou f o r Yo u r k i ndne ss t ow ar d u s an d for t h e p e ac e of Y ou r L ovin g Sp ir it m a n i f e s t i n g i n ou r h e ar t s…” .
In Jesus'’ name, Amen.