At a glance: this is a 12-week study and discussion guide for This Momentary Marriage by John Piper, with 95 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.
This Momentary Marriage by John Piper is a book-length meditation on what marriage is for — not primarily. It is a compelling, counter-cultural argument that marriage is not mainly about romance, companionship, or personal fulfillment, but about displaying the covenant-keeping love of Christ for his church. Drawing on Ephesians 5, Genesis 2, and decades of pastoral experience, Piper contends that the reason marriages fail — and the reason even good marriages stay disappointingly small — is that we have aimed too low. The book's animating thesis is captured in Piper's own words: "Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. And ultimately, marriage is the display of God." When couples see this, everything changes: the purpose of sex, the meaning of conflict, the weight of vows, and even the dignity of singleness and the pain of divorce are all transfigured by a bigger vision of what God is doing through the institution of marriage.
This study guide is designed for use in a small group or for individual study over twelve weeks. Each week, read the assigned chapter before your meeting, then work through the questions — first in your own journal, then with your group. Some questions ask you to recall what Piper actually argues; others ask you to press his ideas against your own life and experience; still others push toward theological reflection and application. Don't rush. The questions are designed to slow you down and help the chapter's ideas take root. Close each week's time in prayer, using the suggested prayer as a starting point or praying it together as a group.
By the end of this guide, you will have a clearer, higher, and more gospel-saturated vision of marriage than you began with — whether you are married, single, divorced, or remarried. You will see that the stakes of marriage are far greater than happiness, and the resources available to married couples are far richer than willpower or good communication. You will find that Piper's vision, though demanding, is not burdensome, because it is rooted in the grace of a Savior who himself is the Bridegroom, keeping covenant with his bride at infinite cost.