Has everything already been said about marriage, and why, despite countless guidebooks, is living together still so hard? This sermon walks us through the Letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 5 and 6), where submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ turns out to be the key to the relationship between husband and wife, parents and children. The preacher weaves together the Word of God, modern research on relationships, and his own 49 years of marriage, with humor and without cheap moralizing. Listen and discover that at home the real question is not who rules, but who serves whom.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Paul begins with the call: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Ephesians 5:21). How does this sentence change the way we read the words that follow to wives and husbands?
- Husbands are to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. What does this picture teach about true leadership and love in marriage?
- The sermon says a wife's submission is expressed through respect and a husband's through sacrificial, unconditional love. Which of these comes hardest to you, and why?
- According to the speaker, trouble starts when we ask "who's in charge?" instead of "how can I serve you?". Where in your family relationships does that first question most often win?
- The sermon reminds us that we need to truly leave father and mother, and that fathers should not exasperate their children (Ephesians 6:4). What does a healthy balance between honouring parents and independence look like in your family today?
- The speaker encourages us at times to put the relationship above being right and to say words of reassurance out loud. What is one concrete step you can take toward your spouse or child this week?
