Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
Week 6: Chapters 7–8 — The Energizing Cycle: C-O-U-P-L-E
Read Chapters 7 and 8 of Love and Respect. Primary Scripture: Ephesians 5:25–29
Previewing Week 6 of Love and Respect
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Having diagnosed the problem, Eggerichs now offers the cure — the Energizing Cycle, built on two acrostics that spell out what love and respect actually look like in practice. This week is practical and personal: which of these six expressions of love do you need to grow in most?
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Eggerichs introduces the COUPLE acrostic as the six ways a husband can communicate love to his wife: Closeness, Openness, Understanding, Peacemaking, Loyalty, and Esteem. Before looking at definitions, which of these words do you immediately sense is your weakest area?
2.Closeness is about a wife's need for face-to-face connection — to feel that her husband wants to be near her emotionally, not just physically. How does a husband's natural tendency toward independence and task-focus work against this need, and what is a small, concrete step toward greater closeness?
3.Openness refers to a wife's need for her husband to share his inner world — his feelings, fears, and thoughts. Many men find this genuinely difficult, not because they are withholding, but because they process internally. How can a husband honor his wife's need for openness without feeling like he is being forced to perform emotionally?