God’s Design for Your Marriage

BIBLE STUDY METHODS Lesson 1

IN THIS LESSON:

The Sufficiency of Scripture

Some Hebrew &
Types of Revelation
Overview of Lessons to Come
Figures of Speech
Homework

1. Read Psalm 119 with your spouse

2. Complete the “Fruits of Pride” quiz at the end of this lesson

3. Complete at least one suggested project with your spouse

Works Cited in this Lesson:

All Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update,
unless otherwise noted. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

Other references are quoted from The Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973.
International Bible Society. Zondervan Bible Publishers.

1. MacArthur, John F. Jr. “Preaching and Biblical Counseling.” p. 327. Introduction

to Biblical Counseling. 1994. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, a Division of
Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2. ibid. p. 328.
3. ibid. p. 329.

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I. INTRODUCTION

A. GOALS

√ To realize the sufficiency of Scipture to transform our lives and

marriage.

√ To commit to change our lives and marriage as Scripture instructs us.

B. Foundations: A solid basis for a Godly marriage

1. Salvation

A biblical marriage requires biblically-minded spouses. The responsi-

bility we have to God in our roles as spouses are great, demanding, and
completely counter to our natures. Without the Holy Spirit regenerat-
ing our hearts and empowering us, it is absolutely impossible to have a
marriage that follows God’s design.

*If you are in a spiritually incompatible marriage (your spouse is not a

believer), don’t despair. There is hope. God will honor you as you
follow Him as a Godly spouse.
**If you are considering marrying an unbeliever, DON’T!

2. SCRIPTURE-UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE SCRIPTURES REVEAL

3. SUBMISSION TO WHAT THE SCRIPTURES TEACH

II. SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE

A. PSALM 19:1-10

1. NATURAL REVELATION (Psalm 19:1-6)

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
2
Natural Revelation: The theologi-
cal concept that God has made the
reality of his existence known
through creation. Biblically under-
stood, we can learn things about
our universe, our planet, and our-
selves through natural revelation;
but without special revelation, our
interpretation and understanding
will be not only tainted by our sin-
fulness, but in fact mangled, dis-
torted, idolatrous, and wrong.

LORD: YHWH. The name for
God first revealed to Moses at
the burning bush. Among other
things, the name indicates a
personal involvement in our
lives rather than a detachment.
Theologically called the
“tetragrammaton” (greek for
“four-letter word”). No one
really knows how to pronounce
it.
Stats from Ps 19:7-10--
6 statements,
-each with 3 elements
6 titles for the scripture
(underlined)
6 characteristics of the scrip-
tures (italicized)
6 benefits of the scriptures
(boldfaced)
Biblically, there is no distinction
between mind and soul and
spirit. The terms are sometimes
used interchangeably. When
they are used together (soul and
spirit), the emphasis is “entire
being.” Therefore, there is no
such thing as “believing it in my
mind, but not in my heart.” We
either believe it, or don’t. The
measure of your faith is evi-
denced by the measure of your
obedience.
FOR WISDOM IS BETTER THAN
JEWELS, AND ALL DESIRABLE THINGS
CANNOT COMPARE WITH HER .
(PROV. 8:11)
SIMPLE: DOES NOT KNOW THE
TRUTH , THEREFORE IS UNABLE TO
ABIDE BY THE TRUTH.
FOOL: KNOWS THE TRUTH, AND
DOES THE OPPOSITE .
WISE: KNOWS THE TRUTH AND
OBEYS OR APPLIES IT.
WARNING: IT IS BEST TO GO FROM
SIMPLE TO WISE,
AND SKIP FOOL.
nothing is hidden from its heat.
2. SPECIAL REVELATION: SCRIPTURE
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
A. VERSE 7A: The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.
Law of the Lord: torah. A very often used word for scripture. Divine
instruction. God teaches truth to humanity.
“It pictures Scripture as a complete manual laying out God’s law for
our lives. In other words, the Bible is the law of the Lord for human
living. As such, it is perfect.”1
perfect: comprehensive, exhaustive, complete, lacking nothing, whole,
flawless, entire, absolutely, totally, undeniably sufficient.
reviving the soul: nephesh, soul. The inner person. The being, the
person, the mind/body/spirit. The entity.
The scriptures are sufficient to completely renovate the human soul. They
are utterly, totally, and completely capable of making dead souls live.
They can transform sinful thinking. They can restore faith. They can
grow a person to perfection.
“The statement is made without any equivocation,
without any caveats.”2
B. VERSE 7B: The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
statutes: divine witness. God is witness to Himself. He is personally
testifying about who He is.
trustworthy: unmistakable. It is reliable and completely dependable.
There is no doubt of its reliability.
wise: the character of a person who applies Godly truth to daily living.
Applied intellect. One who makes right choices, has righteous conduct,
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 and lives on earth with heaven on the brain.

simple: an open-minded person. Unable to keep anything out. In Prov-

erbs, this person is naive. He is undiscerning. He cannot discriminate
between good and bad, right and wrong. He is untaught, unschooled, Q. Have you ever thought of be-
and a blank slate for anybody to scribble on. ing “open-minded” as negative?

C. VERSE 8A: The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

precept: Divine principles. Guidelines for living from God Himself.

Q. What are you dealing with?
What are the struggles in your
right: They are worth following because they are right. No need to ask marriage? In order to walk
which way is the right way to go. God’s way is always the right way. through these things with joy, do
so on God’s right path, found in
giving joy to the heart: True joy. Fulfilling joy. Overflowing joy. Joy His perfect precepts.
comes from knowing and following God’s right precepts. God’s path-
way is a road to joy. It is also a pathway to God. Where the righteous
find God, they find joy.
Q. How can God’s word be au-
D. VERSE 8B: The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. thoritative? How can we be sub-
missive to a text?
commands: Mandate from God. Indicates an authority over our life. It
is not optional to be bound by these commands. Even those who do Q. Can you think of some ex-
amples of times when unbeliev-
not believe in the bible as an authority over them will have to deal with ers have been affected by the
the consequences prescribed by the scriptures. authority of scripture?

radiant: lit. clear, plainly observed, purely seen. They are not a conun-
drum. They are not confusing, contradictory, or purposefully
counfounding. They can be comprehended.

“The point is that scripture enlightens

our eyes to the dark things in life.” 3
In v. 8b, the word “eyes” is used
giving light to the eyes: Scripture is clear because the eyes have been
in place of “mind.” This figure
opened. What was not understandable before is understandable now. of speech is called Metonymy. It
is often used in the bible. Why
E. VERSE 9A: The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. do you think the writer (King
David, and ultimately, God)
chose to use this figure of
fear: We know that fear refers to the Scriptures by its context within speech?
these parallelisms. The point is that a major purpose of the scriptures
is to teach us to fear God. This is the first step to true worship, true Q. What kind of things did you
service, true marriage, true living. not understand before you be-
came a believer? How did the
scriptures “enlighten your eyes?”
pure: Is there anything pure, or clean in this world? Yes. There is the
scriptures. They are unaffected by sin. They are not cleaned--having
been dirty once and now washed--they have never been soiled or
marred or dirtied or stained. They are clean. Therefore, they are a
The fear of the LORD is the
completely reliable resource for us. Nothing in the scriptures will beginning of knowledge;
mislead us. Fools despise wisdom and
instruction. (Prov 1:7)
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 enduring forever: As relevant today as the day they were penned. There
is no need to make the scriptures relevant. There is no need to add or
subtract. They apply to marriages today, just like they did to Adam
and Eve.
parallelism:The Hebrew figure of
speech in which the author illu-
minates and illucidates the
F. VERSE 9B: The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.
thought or idea being communi-
cated. It’s a way of looking at a ordinances: judgements, God is the divine judge. The Scriptures are his
thing from many different verdicts.
angles. It’s like examining the
many facets of a diamond.
sure: Certain. There is no appeal. They are true. They are final.

altogether righteous: A parallelism for “sure”. This is a moral state-

T H I N K ment. They are upright. They are so good...
Take a minute and consider the
image of scriptures compared to
gold and honey. What does the G. VERSE 10
image conjure for you? Can you
taste the beauty? Can you touch They are more precious than gold,
the value? Are you amazed by than much pure gold;
the singularly unique nature of
scripture?
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
THE WORD
H. OTHER SCRIPTURES
O P E N S
THE SOUL
During your discussion time, discuss some of the following verses:

Hebrews 4:12
You may have learned this stuff
before. 2 Timothy 3:16
Allow yourself to be impressed
by the authority and sufficiency Isaiah 55:11
of scripture again.
It will make all the difference in
your marriage. 1 Corinthians 2:13

2 Corinthians 9:8 (notice the “all’s” and “every’s”)

Q. Are you willing to commit
to change your habits and
III. SUBMISSION: OUR RESPONSE TO THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE
thinking if the Scriptures
instruct you to do so?
A. PSALM 19:11-14
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

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 be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Submission to the scriptures results in “great reward.” Forgiveness is
found. Resistance from sin is possible. Freedom from the bondage of
sins is acquired. Submission is not just a chore. It is immediately re-
warded. It is rewarded with forgiveness and innocence and freedom.

B. BEDROCK OF MARRIAGE BASICS: THEOLOGY (AN OVERVIEW OF COMING LESSONS)

Marriage is founded on the most foundational truths of Scripture and

faith. It is founded on the very character and actions of God.

1. THE TRINITY: WHAT WE ARE IMAGING.

The Trinity was in existence before marriage. According to Genesis, we

were made in the Trinity’s image. That means we are made in relation-
ship, just like the Trinity has eternally existed in relationship. Our under-
standing of the Trinity is in relational terms. (“Father” and “Son” indicate
a relationship. “Holy Spirit” indicates a shared quality. The Spirit is sent b
the Father.)

Likewise, we are made to exist in relationship. As believers, our relation-

ships should be more and more characterized by the type of perfect love
that exists between the members of the Godhead.

2. CHRIST AND THE CHURCH AS A HUMAN MODEL FOR MARRIAGE

Paul tells us that our marriages are to reflect the relationship that Christ Husbands, you are the agent of
has with the Church. The Church is His bride. The Christian Husband redemption in your marriage.
Woah.
should be self sacrificial, selflessly loving, and always giving, like Christ.
The husband has a God-ordained duty to be sanctifying his wife.

The Wife is to be respectful, submissive, and always seeking the best for
her husband. She is to be like the Holy Spirit to her husband, meaning she
is finely tuned with God’s Word. She is indispensable as a counselor for Q. Are you still improperly
her husband. connected to your parents,
grand-parents, siblings, etc.?
3. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MARRIAGE

When God married Adam and Eve, certain precedents and purposes Q. What does “becoming one”
were made a part of every marriage. mean to you?

Be fruitful and multiply.

Make your spouse more important than even your parents.
BECOME ONE.

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You were taught, with regard to
your former way of life, to put 4. BIBLICAL CHANGE
off your old self, which is being
corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the GOD’S FORMULA FOR CHANGE:
attitude of your minds; and to
put on the new self, created to Put Off sinful behavior
be like God in true righteousness Change your Thinking
and holiness. (Eph 4:22-24, NIV)
Put On Righteousness

5. RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD

MANY BOOKS AND TEACHING ABOUT MARRIAGE MAKE YOUR SPOUSE AND FAMILY AND EVEN
YOUR MARRIAGE THE CENTER AND PURPOSE OF BEING MARRIED.

THIS CAN LEAD TO IDOLATRY. THE PRIMARY PERSON IN OUR MARRIAGE IS NOT OURSELVES.
NOR IS OUR SPOUSE THE PRIMARY FOCUS FOR US IN MARRIAGE. THE FOCUS AND CENTERPOINT
OF OUR MARRIAGE IS OUR GOD. OUR MARRIAGE IS ABOUT GOD. WE ARE TO BECOME MORE
GODLY SPOUSES NOT FOR OUR SPOUSE’S SAKE (THAT’S A BONUS). NOT FOR PEACE IN THE HOME
One Day. (THAT’S A PERK).

In One Day, WE ARE TO BECOME MORE GODLY AS SPOUSES BECAUSE OF WHO GOD IS, AND WHO WE ARE IN
God created mankind. RELATIONSHIP TO HIM.

In One Day, OUR MARRIAGES ARE ALSO MEANT TO SHOW A DYING WORLD THE SACRIFICIAL, COVENANTAL,
God drowned the Egyptians AND UNENDING LOVE THAT EXISTS BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
and saved the Jews.
MARRIAGE IS WORSHIP.
In One Day,
Jesus made atonement for all MARRIAGE IS THE TRINITY IN ACTION. IT IS CHRIST REVEALED.
sins.

In One Day,
your marriage can be better.

To-Day.

adapted from Jim Burns

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 The Fruits of Pride
Adapted from C. J. Mahaney

1. SELF-SUFFICIENT
I tend to be self sufficient in the way I live my life. I don’t live with a constant awareness that my every breath is
dependent upon the will of God. I tend to think I have enough strength, ability and wisdom to live and manage my life.
My practice of the spiritual disciplines is inconsistent and superficial. I don’t like to ask others for help.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

2. ANXIOUS
I am often anxious about my life and the future. I tend not to trust God and rarely experience His abiding and
transcendent peace in my soul. I have a hard time sleeping at night because of fearful thoughts and burdens I carry.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

3. OVERLY SELF-CONSCIOUS
I am overly self-conscious. I tend to replay in my mind how I did, what said, how I am coming across to others, etc. I
am very concerned about what people think of me. I think about these things constantly.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

4. FEAR OF MAN
I fear man more than God. I am afraid of others and make decisions about what I will say or do based upon this fear. I
am afraid to take a stand for things that are right. I am concerned with how people will react to me or perceive my
actions or words. I don’t often think about God’s opinion in a matter and rarely think there could be consequences for
disobeying him. I primarily seek the approval of man and not of God.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

5. INSECURE
I often feel insecure. I don’t want to try new things or step out into uncomfortable situations because I’m afraid I’ll fail or
look foolish. I am easily embarrassed.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

6. COMPARE MYSELF
I regularly compare myself to others. I am performance oriented. I feel that I have greater worth if I do well.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

7. SELF-CRITICAL
I am self-critical. I tend to be a perfectionist. I can’t stand for little things to be wrong because they reflect poorly on me.
I have a hard time putting my mistakes behind me.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

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8. DESIRE CREDIT AND RECOGNITION
I desire to receive credit and recognition for what I do. I like people to see what I do and let me know that they
noticed. I feel hurt or offended when they don’t. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being
misunderstood.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

9. DESIRE TO MAKE GOOD IMPRESSION

I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments known.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

10. DECEPTIVE
I tend to be deceptive about myself. I find myself lying to preserve
my reputation. I find myself hiding the truth about myself, especially about sins, weaknesses, etc. I don’t want people to
know who I really am.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

11. SELFISHLY AMBITIOUS

I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead. I like having a position or title. I far prefer leading to following.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

12. OVERLY COMPETITIVE

I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it bothers me when I don’t.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

13. CENTER OF ATTENTION

I like to be the center of attention and will say or do things to draw attention to myself.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

14. TALK ABOUT MYSELF

I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with. I want people to know what I am doing or
thinking. I would rather speak than listen. I have a hard time being succinct.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

15. SELF-SERVING
I am self-serving. When asked to do something, I find myself asking, “How will doing this help me, or will I be
inconvenienced?”
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

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16. NOT EXCITED ABOUT OTHERS’ SUCCESS
I am not very excited about seeing or making others successful. I tend to feel envious, jealous or critical towards those
who are doing well or being honored.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

17. FEELINGS OF SUPERIORITY

I feel special or superior because of what I have or do. For example:
» my house » being a Christian
» my neighborhood » my position or job
» my physical gifting » my car
» my spiritual giftings » my salary
» my intellect or education » my looks
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

18. THINK HIGHLY OF SELF

I think highly of myself. In relation to others I typically see myself as more mature and more gifted. In most situations, I
have more to offer than others even though I may not say so. I don’t consider myself average or ordinary.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

19. GIVE MYSELF CREDIT

I tend to give myself credit for who I am and what I accomplish. I only occasionally think about or recognize that all that
I am or have comes from God.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

20. SELF- RIGHTEOUS

I tend to be self-righteous. I can think that I really have something to offer God. I would never say so, but I think God
did well to save me. I seldom think about or recognize my complete depravity and helplessness apart from God. I
regularly focus on the sins of others. I don’t credit God for any degree of holiness in my life.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

21. FEEL DESERVING

I feel deserving. I think I deserve what I have. In fact, I think I ought to have more considering how well I have lived or
in light of all I have done.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

22. UNGRATEFUL
I often feel ungrateful. I tend to grumble about what I have or my lot in life.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

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 23. SELF-PITY
I find myself wallowing in self-pity. I am consumed with how I am treated by God and others. I tend to feel mistreated
or misunderstood. I seldom recognize or sympathize with what’s going on with others around me because I feel that I
have it worse than they do.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

24. JEALOUS OR ENVIOUS

I can be jealous or envious of others abilities, possessions, positions, accomplishments. I want to be what others are or
want to have what other have. I am envious of what others have thinking that I should have it or deserve it. I find it
hard to rejoice with others when they are blessed by God.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

25. INSENSITIVE
I am pretty insensitive to others. I feel that some people just aren’t worth caring about. I have a hard time showing
compassion.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

26. KNOW-IT-ALL ATTITUDE

I have a know-it-all attitude. I am impressed by my own knowledge. I fee like there isn’t much I can learn from other
people, especially those less mature than me.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

27. HARD TIME LISTENING

I have a hard time listening to ordinary people. I listen better to those I respect or people I want to leave with a good
impression. I don’t honestly listen when someone else is speaking because I am usually planning what I am going to say
next.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

28. LIKE TO REVEAL OWN MIND

I like to reveal my own mind. I have an answer for practically every situation. I feel compelled to balance everyone else
out.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

29. INTERRUPT PEOPLE

I interrupt people regularly. I don’t let people finish what they are saying.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

30. COMPELLED TO STOP PEOPLE

I feel compelled to stop people when they start to share something with me I already know.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5
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31. HARD TO ADMIT WHEN I DON’T KNOW SOMETHING
I find it hard to admit it when I don’t know something. When someone asks me something I don’t know, I will make up
an answer rather than admit I don know.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

32. DON’T GET MUCH OUT OF TEACHING

I don’t get much out of teaching. I tend to evaluate a speaker rather than my own life. I grumble in my heart about
hearing something a second time.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

33. LISTEN TO TEACHING WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN MIND

I listen to teaching with other people in mind. I constantly think of those folks who need to hear the teaching and wish
they were here.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

34. NOT OPEN TO INPUT

I’m not very open to input. I don’t pursue correction for my life. I tend be unteachable and slow to repent when
corrected. I don’t really see correction as a positive thing. I am offended when people probe the motivations of my
heart or seek to adjust me.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

35. HARD TIME ADMITTING TO BEING WRONG

I have a hard time admitting that I am wrong. I find myself covering up or excusing my sins. It is hard for me to confess
my sins to others or to ask for forgiveness.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

36. RESENT CORRECTION

I view correction as an intrusion into my privacy rather than an instrument of God for my welfare. I can’t identify anyone
who would feel welcome to correct me.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

37. I RESENT PEOPLE

I resent people who attempt to correct me. I don’t respond with gratefulness and sincere appreciation for their input.
Instead I am tempted to accuse them and dwell on their faults. I get bitter and withdraw.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

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38. CONTENTIOUS AND ARGUMENTATIVE
When corrected, I become contentious and argumentative. I don’t take people’s observations seriously. I minimize and
make excuses or give explanations.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

39. EASILY ANGERED AND OFFENDED

I am easily angered and offended. I don’t like being crossed or disagreed with. I find myself thinking, “I can’t believe
they did that to me.” I often feel wronged.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

40. PERSONALITY CONFLICTS

I have “personality conflicts” with others. I have a hard time getting along with certain kinds of people. People regularly
tell me that they struggle with me.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

41. SELF-WILLED AND STUBBORN

I am self-willed and stubborn. I have a hard time cooperating with others. I really prefer my own way and often insist on
getting it.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

42. INDEPENDENT AND UNCOMMITTED

I am independent and uncommitted. I don’t really see why I need other people. I can easily separate myself from others.
I don’t get much out of our small group meetings.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

43. UNACCOUNTABLE
I am unaccountable. I don’t ask others to hold me responsible to follow through on my commitments. I don’t really need
accountability for my words and actions. I think I can take care of myself.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

44. UNSUBMISSIVE
I am unsubmissive. I don’t like being under the authority of another person. I don’t see submission as a good and
necessary provision from God for my life. I have a hard time supporting and serving those over me. I don’t “look up” to
people and I like to be in charge. Other people may need leaders but I don’t. It is important that my voice is heard.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

45. LACK RESPECT

I lack respect for other people. I don’t think very highly of most people. I have a hard time encouraging and honoring
others unless they really do something great.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5
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46. SLANDERER
I am a slanderer. I find myself either giving or receiving evil reports about others. Often times the things I say or hear are
true about other people. I am not concerned about the effect of slander on me because of my maturity level. I think I
can handle it. I only share with others the things I really think they need to know. I don’t tell all.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5
47. DIVISIVE
I am divisive. I tend to resist or resent authority. I don’t like other people to give me orders or directions.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5
48. DEMEAN
I like to demean or put others down. I often think people need to be adjusted and put in their place. This includes
leaders. Other people need to be more humble and have a “sober” assessment of themselves.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

49. CRITICAL
I tend to be critical of others. I find myself feeling or talking negatively about people. I subtlety feel better about myself
when I see how bad someone else is. I find it far easier to evaluate than to encourage someone else.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

50. I THINK I’M HUMBLE

I really appreciate somebody taking the time to put this paper together. It will really be a big help to my friends and
family. However, I don’t really need this because I think I’m pretty humble already.
I ————————————- I
1 2 3 4 5

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 Project Suggestions
Do one or more of the following before Lesson 2

1. Hire a baby sitter, turn off your cell, and go on a long date with your spouse. Take your notes with you. At dinner,
take about 30 minutes to discuss the notes from lesson 1. Ask each other the questions from the sidebars. What was
new to you? Did any of your thinking change as a result of this study?

2. Take some time separately and answer the following questions on separate paper:

a. I believe there is a God because ______________________.

b. I am absolutely certain the bible is _____________________.
c. What questions do you have about the bible and/or God himself?

3. Show your Fruits of Pride quiz to your spouse. Ask him or her to rate you on each question. Discuss your answers
for yourselves and for each other. Then pick the top 5 manifestations of pride in your life to work on. Let your spouse
advise you on where your pride is most obvious.

4. Pray wth your spouse this week. Thank God for His Word and revelation to us. During your prayer, read Psalm 19
back to God.

5. What has to change? What has God revealed to you has to change in your heart and in your family? Make a
prioritized list (The most important on top) and discuss this with your spouse.