Cherish by Gary Thomas
Week 12: Chapter 11 — A Cherishing Church
Read Chapter 11 of Cherish by Gary Thomas. Key passages: Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 3:10.
Previewing Week 12 of Cherish
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Thomas closes with a vision that extends beyond the individual marriage to the community of faith — asking what it would mean for the church to become a place that actively cultivates and protects cherishing marriages.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Thomas argues that no couple can sustain a cherishing marriage in isolation — that the church community is meant to be the ecosystem in which marriages grow and are protected. How does your church currently support marriages? What more could it do?
2.He draws on Hebrews 13:4 — 'Let marriage be held in honor among all' — and argues that this is a communal command, not just an individual one. What does it look like for a *community* to hold marriage in honor? What habits or practices would that require?
3.Thomas is concerned that the church often treats marriage as a private matter — something between two people that the community doesn't intrude on. He argues, instead, for a culture of appropriate accountability and mutual support. Where is the line between accountability and intrusion? How do you build that kind of community without it feeling surveillance-like?
a.Do you have a couple or a friend who knows the real state of your marriage and speaks into it? If not, why not?
b.What would it take to cultivate that kind of relationship?