BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:icalendar-ruby CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260414T000953Z UID:38-133281@thecityofhope-jvl.com DTSTART:20250603T230000Z DTEND:20250604T010000Z CLASS:PUBLIC CREATED:20250419T093741 DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\n\nGetting Started\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA very lonel y woman wrote the following letter to a well-known counselor.\n \n“John and I were deeply in love when we got married\, we struggled in the first 2 or 3 years with our financial problems\, I loved him and I know that he loved me. But then something slowly began to change. I am not sure how to describe it\, but I think it had something to do with his receiving a pro motion about five years ago\, and that required him to work longer hours. We needed the money so I did not mind the extra hours\, but it never seeme d to stop. Now he comes home late every evening\, so tired\, I can actuall y hear his feet dragging as he approaches the door. I look forward to his coming home each night because I have so much to tell him\, but he never f eels like talking. So I fix his dinner and he eats alone\, of course I hav e already eaten earlier with the kids that night. After dinner he makes a few phone calls and works at his desk. Frankly\, I kind of like his talkin g on the phone so I can hear his voice\, then watches TV till he goes to b ed\, except Tuesday when he plays basketball with the guys or when he has a meeting at the office. Every Saturday morning he plays golf at the club with three friends. \n \nOn Sundays we are at church for a lot of the da y. It is easy for us to go 2 or 3 months without an in-depth conversation. You know what I mean. I get so lonely in that house with those three kids climbing over me I do not know what to do. There are no women in the neig hborhood I can talk to because most of them have gone back to work already . John never takes me out to dinner anymore\, and last month he forgot our anniversary. I do not think he has a romantic bone in his body\, he would not know the difference between a rose and a carnation. And his Christmas card last month was signed just John. There is no closeness\, no warmth a nd it is frankly more than I can handle.”\n \nThe woman probably though t that she was alone in these feelings\, but unfortunately\, she is a part of a majority of women who are physically living together with their husb ands\, but emotionally are very far apart. It does not have to be this way . In this lesson on marriage\, we will examine what it looks like to keep a marriage not only alive\, but also flourishing over the years. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nWarm-Up Question \n \n\n\n\n\nEach man share how they met their spouse and what they did for their first date.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \nBibl e Study\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBible Study: Matthew 5:1-10\n \nMatthew 5- 7 is often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. In this passage\, Jesus teaches the disciples about life in the Kingdom. Jesus in this passage sa ys your character\, relationships\, ethics\, priorities and attitude towar ds others will be different than the world. He is beginning to help them t o understand that as a Christ follower\, you will live a life that is coun ter-cultural. \n \nIn this opening section\, often called the Beatitudes \, he speaks specifically about character. Marriage starts with who you ar e as a person and how you treat others. Leo Tolstoy\, the great Russian au thor says\, “Everyone thinks of changing the world\, but no one thinks o f changing himself.” Let's study this passage with the goal of changing ourselves. \n \nRead Matthew 5:1-10\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWhat is the d ifference between the world’s version of “blessed” and Jesus’s ver sion of it?\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nWalk through each of the beatitudes a nd discuss what it means and what it looks like in marriage.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nHow do the promises made after each be atitude encourage you? How can these promises influence the way we see the world and live in the world?\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \ n\n\nIn what ways is the Spirit of God conforming you to the image of Chri st?\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nVideo\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarriages That Make It - Dan Seaborn\n \nAs Founder and President of Winning At Home\, Dan has le d the organization for more than 25 years. As a featured speaker at variou s large-scale events\, Dan has earned recognition as a powerful and passio nate communicator. His practical illustrations and memorable real-life exa mples teach others that winning at work goes hand-in-hand with winning at home. \nIn addition to running the organization\, Dan has authored more t han 12 books about marriage and family and is an international radio media personality. His “Winning At Home Moments” are broadcast over 300 rad io stations across the country.\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nDiscussion Questions\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDan spoke of two cones that describe how God made y our spouse. The more you try to move her cones\, the greater the likeliho od that she is going to try to move yours. Share with the group how you ha ve tried to move her cones? \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\ n\n\nDan points out the importance of listening to one another. He gives u s the chair example as Jesus being in all our conversations. How would ou r conversations be improved if we always remembered that He is there?\n\n\ n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nDan describes the importance of speaking softly in conversations. There is a tendency for husbands to raise their voice when trying to make a point. Dan points out that it never works. Share with the group the result of a conversation in which raising our voice was a part of it. What would the result have been if you had not lost your temper?\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nClosing\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShare and Prayer Time: \n\n\n\n\nE veryone share which of the beatitudes they want to grow in\, so as to beco me more like Jesus. \nIf married\, how can the men pray for your marriage ? \nPray for one another. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPrayer Requests/Notes :\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\nAssignment for Next Week: \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nListen to the talk by Joby Martin\, The World Needs Rescue. This can be found in Lesson 6\n \nRecommended Reading: \nThe Five Love Langu ages by Gary Chapman\nThe Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller\nSacred Ma rriage - Gary Thomas\n \nScriptures: Scriptures\nEphesians 5:25\, Mark 1 0:45\n \nQuotes:\n“The real transforming work of marriage is the twenty -four-hours-a day\, seven-days-a-week\ncommitment. This is the crucible th at grinds and shapes us into the character of Jesus"\nGary Thomas\, Sacred Marriage\n \n“Talk daily\, Date weekly and Retreat yearly to keep your marriage growing and alive.”\n– Steve and Colleen Sonderman\n \n \n  \nWhat’s Next?\n \nWith only one week left in this study\, take time to discuss what you want to do next as a small group. Over these past five weeks\, you have had the opportunity to get to know a new group of men an d start the process of becoming a “band of brothers”. While there are many things you could do as a group\, I recommend you go through the first study in the Base Camp Bible Study Series\, “Living as a Disciple of Je sus” This study is a six-week study of basic scriptural principles\, muc h like the one you have just participated in\; designed to encourage and e quip you to be a godly man in your home\, church\, workplace\, and world.  \n \nThe study covers topics like:  \n● What does it mean to follow Christ?  \n● Dealing with temptation  \n● Living life on purpose   \n● Building a band of brothers\n \nEach week you will gather toget her\, as you have for the past five weeks\, to share\, discuss and pray fo r one another and follow up on homework you did on your own.  \nTo learn more about Basecamp\, go to the No Regrets website - www.menwithnoregrets .org/basecamp \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n LAST-MODIFIED:20250419T093741 LOCATION:The City of Hope SUMMARY:Rescued URL;VALUE=URI:https://thecityofhope-jvl.com/events/rescued--38/2025-06-03 ATTACH;FILENAME=Rescued logo.jpg;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://dq5pwpg1q8ru0.c loudfront.net/2025/04/19/14/37/41/e53e1590-2aef-4b71-8662-bc44752ccb44/Res cued%20logo.jpg ATTACH;FILENAME=Lesson 5.pdf;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://dq5pwpg1q8ru0. cloudfront.net/2025/04/19/14/37/41/42a45fb4-4cfa-408c-8957-a94095481b9e/Le sson%205.pdf END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR