Relationship Goals by Michael Todd
Week 7: Chapter 6 — Love After Marriage
Read Chapter 6 of Relationship Goals by Michael Todd. Key passage: 1 Corinthians 13.
Previewing Week 7 of Relationship Goals
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 10-week guide when you’re ready.
The culture tells us love is what gets you to the altar — Todd argues that marriage is actually where love gets its chance to become everything it was designed to be.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Todd flips the cultural script by arguing that love doesn't lead to marriage — real love actually grows after marriage. What's your gut reaction to that claim? Does it match your experience or the experience of couples you respect?
2.He draws a distinction between the feeling of love (eros, romantic attraction) and the decision of love (agape, covenant commitment). Why is the feeling insufficient as a foundation for marriage? What happens in a marriage built primarily on feelings when those feelings fluctuate?
3.Todd uses 1 Corinthians 13 not as a wedding-day poem but as a practical job description for what love actually does day to day — it is patient, it is kind, it keeps no record of wrongs. Which characteristic on that list is hardest for you to live out in your closest relationship?
a.What specific situation in your current relationships most challenges your ability to live out that characteristic?
b.What would it look like to ask for God's help with that specific one this week?