Basic Tools Helping the Marriage
Ephesians 5
Learning to march together in marriage
- Essence of a Good Marriage
- Five essentials:
- Communication
- Confidence
- Cherishing
- Conflict Resolution
- Christ
Communication
- Importance as a lifeline
- Five levels of communication:
- Cliché conversation
- Reporting facts
- Ideas or judgments
- Feelings or emotions
- Open communication
- Characteristics of good listening:
- Wholehearted listening
- Listening between the lines
- Understanding the big picture
- Self-awareness in communication
Confidence
- Described as a bridge over troubled waters
- Anchored by respect and trust
- Scripture references:
- Philippians 2:3
- Ephesians 5:3-4
- Distinctions:
- Possible to love without trust
- Possible to respect without trust
- Impossible to trust without respect
Cherishing
- Giving positive vibes to your partner
- Four aspects of cherishing:
- Loving (beyond just physical affection)
- Liking (acceptance of your partner’s true self)
- Encouraging (affirming and supporting your partner)
- Enjoying (having fun together)
- Emphasis on cherishing as acts of will, not just emotions
Conflict Resolution
- Importance of resolving conflicts rather than repressing anger
- Repressed anger will resurface
- Steps for conflict resolution:
- Identify and define the conflict
- Attack the problem, not the person
- Seek to resolve rather than repress
Christ
- Christ as the core and cohesive force in marriage
- Illustration of the equilateral triangle:
- Husband, wife, and Christ at the center
- Balanced relationship with Christ
- Christ’s role in making marriage work
Questions and Answers
- Seeking outside counsel early
- Conflict resolution strategies
- Communication and understanding within marriage
- Balancing seminary studies and marriage
- Individual fulfillment and outside activities for wives
Conclusion
- Encouragement to rely on Christ and apply the discussed principles
- Openness to learning and growing together in marriage
*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.
About the Contributors
Howard G. Hendricks
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks, known simply as “Prof,” directly or indirectly touched millions of lives in the evangelical community and beyond. For more than sixty years Prof served on the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), where he taught more than ten thousand students. He served as the chairman of the Center for Christian Leadership for over twenty years. He also ministered in person in more than eighty countries. Through speaking engagements, radio, tapes, films, the sixteen books he authored and coauthored, countless journal and popular-market articles, his service on numerous boards, and his work as a chaplain to the Dallas Cowboys (1976–1984), his reach was and is worldwide.
His legacy, in partnership with Jeanne, his wife of more than sixty-five years, includes four children and six grandchildren. Holding large audiences enthralled at venues such as Billy Graham’s conference center or Promise Keepers’ stadium rallies, Prof would confide, “It’s wonderful to be here with you, but I have a group of delicious students waiting for me back at the seminary.”
Contributors
