S11 E15 Bride Part 3: Faithful & Honoring Love

In this episode, we continue with part three of our series on the identity of Bride: Faithful and Honoring Love. We discuss where we have been wounded or where we have wounded others and how that affects current relationships. We chat about how being guarded can inhibit vulnerability and how to navigate our blocks to grow in intimacy. We offer insights into how to come before the Lord with our preconceived ideas and allow Him to speak the truth, as well as how to maintain fidelity in relationships. This week, let us not resign ourselves to mediocrity, but recommit to loving well. 

Sister Miriam’s one thing - Tweet about faithful married love

Heather’s one thing - Restore the Glory Episode 35 “Healing in Marriage with Heather Khym”

Michelle’s one thing - “Be Devoted” by Dr. Bob Schuchts, “Intimate Allies” by Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III, and “Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love” by Dr. Edward Sri

Discussion Questions:    

1. What stood out to you from this week’s episode?
2. What wounded parts of your early story might you be bringing into current relationships that inhibit your ability to love and be loved fully?
3. Have you had an experience of a healthy, loving relationship in your life that has brought restoration to previous hurts?
4. How has witnessing faithfulness is a loving relationship, whether in your life or in the life of others, given you hope?
5. Vows need to be lived out daily. If you’re married or consecrated, how do you live out your vows daily? If you’re not married, allow yourself to sit at the feet of those who share.

Journal Questions:

1. In what relationship do you need God to give you the gift of hope?
2. What ways do you tend to run away in your relationships? What would it be like if you chose not to run?
3. Ponder where you bring your desires that aren’t being met. Take some time to offer those desires to Jesus?
4. “We are better in community”. Who makes you a better person? Offer some prayers of thanksgiving and blessing for them.

Quotes to Ponder: 

“Nothing cools love quite like resigning oneself to mediocrity.” - Fr. Jacques Philippe

Scripture for Lectio Divina: “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man[a] there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. - Genesis 2:18-25 

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