It doesn't have to be this way
Session 1 of 2
Build it better. Guard it well.
Building a Stronger Foundation Together
Key Verses
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
New Living Translation
Read in context on Bible.comEphesians 5:21-25
"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."
New Living Translation
Read in context on Bible.com1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
New Living Translation
Read in context on Bible.comColossians 3:12-14
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
New Living Translation
Read in context on Bible.comHebrews 13:4
"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."
New Living Translation
Read in context on Bible.comThe Big Idea
A great marriage isn't found; it's built. Most couples start with the best intentions — to love, to cherish, to build a happy home — but then life gets busy, frustrations pile up, feelings get hurt, and walls go up. It doesn't have to be this way. There's a stronger foundation and a better blueprint: a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. When Jesus is at the center, when you choose to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, when you love the way 1 Corinthians 13 describes — patiently, kindly, without keeping score — your marriage gets better, not bitter. A better marriage isn't about finding the right person; it's about being the right person and building together with God at the center. The work is worth it. Your marriage can be better than before.
Fruit Focus
Love — choosing patience, kindness, and forgiveness over keeping score, and building your marriage with God at the center.
Talk It Through
When you think about your marriage right now, would you say it's getting better or getting bitter? What's contributing to that direction?
Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. A 'cord of three strands' includes God. How present is God in your marriage right now — on a scale of 1-10?
Ephesians 5:21 says to 'submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.' What does mutual submission look like in your daily life together?
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes love that 'keeps no record of wrongs.' Is there a record you've been keeping that you need to let go of?
Colossians 3:12-14 lists compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Which one is hardest for you to 'put on' in your marriage?
What's one thing you could do this week to be the right spouse instead of waiting for your spouse to be the right person?
Hebrews 13:4 calls marriage honorable. What would it look like to honor your marriage and your spouse this week?
Simple Daily Action
Write down one specific way you can love your spouse the way 1 Corinthians 13 describes — patiently, kindly, without keeping score — and do it today before the day ends.
Power Reminder
A great marriage isn't found; it's built. Be the right person, build with God at the center, and your marriage gets better, not bitter.
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