Single. Dating. Engaged. Married. by Ben Stuart
Week 8: Chapter 7 — Engagement: Preparing for Marriage
Read Chapter 7 of Single, Dating, Engaged, Married. Key passages: Ephesians 5:22-33; Genesis 2:18-25
Previewing Week 8 of Single. Dating. Engaged. Married.
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Having established what engagement is for, Stuart now gets practical: what exactly should a couple be doing to prepare? These questions push you to move from understanding to action.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Stuart identifies several key areas that engaged couples must discuss and align on before marriage — finances, family of origin, faith, future goals. Which of these conversations do you think is most commonly avoided, and why?
2.He argues that understanding your own "family of origin" patterns — the relational habits and wounds you carry from your upbringing — is essential preparation for marriage. What patterns (healthy or unhealthy) have you absorbed from your family that you would need to be aware of going into a marriage?
a.What did your family model well about how to handle conflict, money, or emotional intimacy?
b.What patterns would you want to intentionally change?
3.Ephesians 5 presents marriage as a picture of Christ and the church — the husband's love reflecting Christ's self-giving sacrifice, the wife's respect reflecting the church's trusting response. How does this vision of marriage as a living parable change the stakes of what you're preparing for?