STUDENT NOTES
– The Relationship Series –
DIFFERENT . FORGIVE . GUARD . THE RENTS
*WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Today we are talking about relationships. Raise your hand if you would like to be married someday. If your answer is “yes,” what are some characteristics you would want in your spouse?
For most of us, marriage is a long way away, but the qualities we look for in the people we choose to date or have romantic relationships with are often similar to the qualities we would want in a marriage. The number one thing most people look for is love. In our culture we throw around the word “love” all the time, but if we want to know how God defines love, we should look to the Bible.
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT THIS?
Two passages that will shine some light on our relationships are: I Corinthians 13:4–7 which defines love, and Proverbs 4:23 which talks about how we are to navigate through our relationships.
1. After reading the I Corinthians verses, how would you say this definition of love is different from much of the love we see in relationships today?
2. What parts of these verses describe ways you’d like for people to love you? (ie. patient, kind, etc)
3. If our dating relationships (or someday our marriages) reflected this definition of love, how would they be different from relationships built mostly on feelings and doing what everyone else is doing?
4. Read the Proverbs 4:23 passage and put it into your own words. What do you think God is trying to tell us here?
HOW DO WE APPLY THIS TO OUR LIVES?
5. From what should we guard our hearts in a romantic relationship?
6. Why does God want us to guard our hearts in romantic relationships?
*7. What are some ways we can guard our hearts better?
8. What role would you say the Holy Spirit and God’s word plays in protecting our heart in relationships?
What ideas do you have that could improve this study? Are there creative things you do to bring this topic home to your students? Please share with the community clicking the FEEDBACK button or leaving a comment below.
