Marriage | The Enemies of Intimacy: Marriage Rescue - Part 4

Send us Fan MailTHE ENEMIES OF INTIMACYMarriage Rescue - Part 4Senior Pastor Keith StewartAugust 21, 2022You were made to crave intimacy. We all have an insatiable desire to be known and loved at the deepest level. At the same time, our understanding of love has been distorted by our upbringing, our culture, and our experiences in relationships. In this weekend’s message, we’re going to discover what love is all about - the very love God designed for our hearts to crave. Do you have the kind of love that can go the distance? This message is all about how to keep your marriage healthy, happy, and strong.SERIES: Marriage RescueIt’s a hugely popular show on the Paramount Network and it’s called Bar Rescue. Jon Taffer, who has more than 40 years of experience in the business, offers his no-nonsense straight talk to struggling bar owners to help save their business and put them back on the road to success. What if there was such a person who could help us with our real life and relationships? What if a little no-nonsense straight talk about what it takes to build a healthy relationship could actually save our marriage and gets us back on the road to success? In this new series, Pastor Keith will share out of his 40-year relationship with Brenda the keys to help a couple move from status quo to spectacular – pointing out the stumbling blocks and steppingstones in achieving healthy, mutually-satisfying relationships.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMost of this message was an amplification of the three love foundations of marriage, looking at it first from an Old Testament perspective, then a New Testament perspective, followed by Sternberg’s psychological findings that validate all three as essential qualities in healthy, happy relationships.1.)  Take some time to discuss what you remember about each of the following qualities. What are their defining characteristics? Why are they so essential? What happens when they are absent? What area of loving needs more attention in your life, not just what you would like to experience more of but also where do you tend to be weaker in meeting that need in your mate?PASSION – Eros (Greek) and Dod (Hebrew)INTIMACY – Filia (Greek) and Raya (Hebrew)COMMITMENT - Agape (Greek) and Ahava (Hebrew)2.)  Sternberg’s research has found that when one aspect of love is neglected or absent, it leads to imbalanced, unfulfilling, and non-enduring loves. Discuss the following and if you have known examples of this.High passion + high intimacy = Romantic loveHigh passion + high commitment = Foolish loveHigh intimacy + high commitment = Companionship love3.)  God loves us in all three ways. In fact, it’s because of Him that we even have the capacity to love others in this way. What would you say to someone who says they struggle with really knowing, understanding, or experiencing the love of God? What practical ways would you suggest to them to have a greater experience of the love of God? How have you come to better know, understand and experience the love of God?https://www.springcreekchurch.org/#realspringcreekchurch #marriagerescue #relationalbaggage #relationships #anger #mad #intimacy #enemiesofintimacy