Song of Songs 1:1-4
-1 Kings 11:1-4
-Song of Songs 6:8
“I have also seen in my clinical experience that pornography damages the sexual performance of the viewers. Pornography viewers tend to have problems with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. Having spent so much time in unnatural sexual experiences with paper, celluloid and cyberspace, they seem to find it difficult to have sex with a real human being. Pornography is raising their expectation and demand for types and amounts of sexual experiences; at the same time it is reducing their ability to experience sex.”
- Dr. MaryAnne Layden
“We are the first society that has a widespread belief that there is no ultimate future. We think when you die you go to extinction. When the sun dies we all just disappear. There has never been a society that had such an understanding of the insignificance of Human life. And the result is there has never been a society that has put so much emphasis on romance and finding that one true love. Why? We still need to know that our life matters in the grand scheme of things. We still want to merge ourselves with a higher meaning. But if we no longer have God how do we do this? The self glorification that we need in our innermost being we no longer look to God we look to our love partner. We want to be rid of our faults rid of our feelings of nothingness we want to be justified to know our existence has not been in vain. We want redemption nothing less. So we live in a culture that says without sex and love you can’t possibly be satisified.”
- Ernest Becker “The Denial of Death”
Questions:
How have you heard this book interpreted in the past?
How much has your view of sex, marriage and relationships been informed by scripture and how much by the world?
Does your spouse feel safe to share what is really going on in their heart? Why or why not?
Why is it helpful to consider what others say when we look for a potential spouse? What are your friends and family saying? Or What did they say?
What kind of a reputation do you have?
How often do you admit you are wrong?
Have you ever experienced this kind of Grace in your life?