Chapter 1: Assess Your Marriage Intimacy
Chapter Summary
- Important to Assess – examples: annual physical, business metrics, sports tryouts
- We are not just physical creatures, three dimensional life (Spiritual, Emotional, Physical) – Physical includes sex as well as meeting physical needs, work, etc
- Which dimensions do we do well? How can we improve?
- Why are some dimensions easier for us than others? What have we seen most?
- Healthy marriages are built on the foundation of individuals who know how to love well in each dimension of relationships.
- How are you doing? Can you improve? (Yes) Will you ever be perfect? (No)
- If your spouse knew you wanted to learn ways to remove aloneness, what difference would that make in your commitment to one another?
Small Group Questions
- Would you tell us how you met your spouse? (Small Group Facilitator: Careful to not let this take the entire Small Group Time)
- What new thought or insight did you discover about your marriage or yourself after completing chapter 1?
- Why is it more difficult for some people to develop soul / friendship and spiritual / fellowship than the physical / sexual dimension?
- How has your spouse met one of your needs in the past week (physical, friendship, or spiritual)?
- What are some ideas you have about how to increase intimacy in 1 of the 3 dimensions?
- What was one positive impression you had after your first Marriage Staff Meeting?
- Have you completed the introductory pages xiii and xiv and discussed them as a couple?
- Why do you feel those pages are important for the study you are beginning?
- What are some of the emotions you felt in the weeks prior to this discussion relative to this study and your participation? It is OK to be honest; in fact, it is greatly encouraged.