Tough Sayings: Divorce is Adultery

-Marriage is ultimately about the Gospel. Do you understand why?

-How does the fact that your marriage is about the Gospel impact your thinking about marriage?

-Let's talk about emotions.  Tell me what first comes to your mind when you think of these things:
(Group leader, I want you to write these down on a piece of paper.  You will need to reference these answers later in the group time).

a. A friend gets cheated on by their spouse.
b. An unfaithful spouse that continuously promises to be faithful but is habitual with their adultery
c. The faithful spouse that continues to take the unfaithful spouse back despite being hurt, betrayed, lied to.
d. What would your advice be to a friend that is being cheated on, lied to, hurt, and let down in their marriage?  (The one aspect to assume would be that your friend was 100% in the right and had no fault).

Now, let's tie these answers into what Jesus has done for us.

a.   What does it mean to commit adultery on God?  (elevating things above God, ascribing the highest worth and worshiping things other than God, turn our backs on the commitments that we've made to God)
b.  What could be God's reaction when we "cheat" on Him? (judgment, divorce, separation, leaving you, turning His back on you.  Compare to answers from question A and B above)
c.  Would God be justified to do those things?  Is it well within God's right to end the relationship? (compare to answers from question C and D above)

- What do you need to do in your marriage to make sure you are representing the Gospel and the story of Jesus correctly?  What do you need to change?   What do you need to stop doing?

-If you aren't married, does this text add a new kind of weight to the idea of marriage (knowing that the goal of your marriage is to accurately reflect the Gospel)?

-How do you plan to avoid spiritual adultery this week?

The trinity:

-What did this text teach you about God?
-What did this text teach you about yourself?
-What are you going to do about it?