President-Elect

1. Couples Building Rock Solid MarriagesBuilding the Table of Your Marriage“The Load, the Top, the Legs”

2. President-Elect • Proverbs 21:11 - The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord. • Ephesians 6:5-9 - Serve your leader, employer, as serving the Lord • Matthew 22:21 - Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto the Lord things that are His. • Romans 13:1-7 - read

3. What’s NEXT November 16 The Annual Marriage Panel Dick and Marcia Shultz, Chris and Rosa Henshaw Sid and Jeanette Buzzell November 23 “Thankfulness in Marriage” November 27th Thanksgiving--- NO CLASS the 30th December 7 “Trouble in Paradise” December 14 “I Was, Now I Am” + Annual Ornament Workshop December 20 “Christmas Dinner in the Atrium” December 21 and 28 No Class Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009 January 4 “Walking with Grace in your Life and Marriage”

4. New Couples • Prayer

5. Couples Building Rock Solid MarriagesBuilding the Table of your Life and Marriage Last Week--- “The Load”

6. Galatians 6:1-7

7. As a couple • Where are you feeling distressed about the load you are burdened under? • How can your mate help bear your burden a bit more? • Where are you bearing your own load and don’t need so much help? • Are there times you are bearing your load, your mate is appearing to falter, and you are judging their performance and comparing your relative workload, instead of helping them?

8. Couples Building Rock Solid Marriages Building the Table of Your Marriage “The Top”

9. At your G6 • When you think of a table top, and the load expected on it, what design features would you consider? • Finish • Hardness • Expandability • Size, shape • How protected • Storability, mobility • Short/long term purchase • Material, ornate, sharp edged or rounded • Affordably matched to use and need • Care required; attractiveness/beauty/appeal • As you consider the table top of your marriage, where there is an expected load, what principles are important, and what Scriptures come to your mind? • Protection; permanence; usability; purpose; strength of materials; fake or real; care required (Needs, wounds, baggage), appeal

10. Consider these Scriptures when thinking about the table top of your marriage • Use with purpose -- Jer 29:11 • Attractive to others -- 1 Peter 3:15; Eph 5:25-33 • Whole Armor for protection -- Eph 6:10-18 • Run the race, throwing-off every weight -- Hebrews 12:1-2 • Repair, rebuild, restore, renovate -- Psalm 51:10

11. Couples Building Rock Solid Marriages Building the Table of Your Marriage “The Legs”

12. At your G6 • Complete this equation: The strength and design of a table’s legs = the expected ____ + a factor of _____ + the ___ of the _____ The strength and design of a table’s legs = the expected LOAD + a factor of SAFETY + the WEIGHT of the TOP

13. Table Leg Design--what does your G6 have to say about the features of the legs of a table? • Equal length on a level floor • Right length for the use • Equal symmetry • Support the expected loads and worst loads • and the leaf’s cantilevered loads • Support the full load being applied over one of the legs • Sufficiently attached to prevent wobble • Sufficiently attached for side loads

14. G6 view of legs in marriage • When you think of a real table’s legs, and consider the table legs of your marriage table, • What are some candidate marriage table legs (pillars, foundational columns), and what Scriptures come to mind? • Trust, honor, dignity, Christ-centered, faithfulness, open/transparent, one-anothers, selflessness, walk, all in, total dedication and focus • Eph 4:13-15 tossed to and fro; 2 Tim 1:7 power and soundness; Psalm 27:13-14 lost heart; Matt 7:24-27

15. Consider our class principles, or underpinnings, or table legs, for your marriage table legs • Worship as a lifestyle • Oneness as our marriage goal • Excellence in all we do • All People matter • Pray with focus and faith • Witness with respect and love • Authentic Community • Everyone Serving • Obedience to God and His Word • Growth and maturity as an expectation of ourselves • Look for God’s Hand and Power in our lives, and give Him all the Credit

16. Other marriage table leg candidates 1.Love(agape) One Another --John 15:17 2. Encourage One Another --I Thess 5:11 3. Build up One Another --Rom 14:7; Eph 4:29 4. Admonish One Another-- Rom 15:14; Col 1:28 5. Comfort One Another --1Thess 4:18; 6. Assemble Together w/One Another-- Heb 10:25 7. Bear One Another’s Burdens --Gal 6:2 8. Seek after what’s good for One Another --1 Thess 5:15 9. Be honest with One Another --Col 3:9 10. Show hospitality to One Another-- 1 Pet 4:9

17. Other marriage table leg candidates 11. Greet One Another with a holy kiss --Rom 16:16 12. Be at peace with One Another --1 Thess 5:13b 13. Be devoted to One Another in brotherly love (pheleo) Rom 12:10 14. Give preference to One Another in honor-- Rom 12:10 15. Clothe yourself with humility toward One Another; and be subject to One Another --1 Pet 5:5; Eph 5:21 16. Show forbearance toward One Another --Eph 4:2 17. Accept One Another --Rom 15:7 18. Be kind to One Another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another --Eph 4:32;Col 3:13 19. Serve One Another --Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 4:10 20. Live and work as One with One Another --Rom 4:4-8

18. This week • Define the table of your marriage---the load it carries and is designed for; the top design and its use, attractiveness, protection; the foundational legs that carry the load and top. • For further suggestions, read “Principles for Marriage”, by Martha-Lynn Henshaw, posted on rsmarriage.org under lessons. • Prepare some questions for the panel next week.