Nicky Lee - The Pre-Marriage Course Study Journal

This journal is designed to be used with The Pre-Marriage Course sessions.

Please see for more information on how to join or run a course.

The Pre-Marriage Course Journal

2001, 2020 by Alpha International

All rights reserved. No part of this guide or any other Alpha publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder or the expressly authorized agent thereof. Where an Alpha publication is offered free of charge the fee is waived on condition the publication is used to run or promote Alpha and should not be subject to any subsequent fee or charge. This resource may not be modified or used for any commercial purpose without permission in writing from the copyright holder or the expressly authorized agent thereof.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. W Publishing Group and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc .

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicized. Copyright 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, a Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. NIV is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture marked CSB taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible, and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.

The teaching on the Five Love Languages is adapted from the bestselling book, The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts, by Gary Chapman ( 2015). Published by Northfield Publishing. Used by permission. To learn more about Dr. Gary Chapman and to take the free online 5 Love Languages Profile, visit 5LoveLanguages.com

ISBN 9780310122500 (softcover)

ISBN 9780310122449 (eBook)

First Printing 2020

Information about External Hyperlinks in this ebook

Please note that footnotes in this ebook may contain hyperlinks to external websites as part of bibliographic citations. These hyperlinks have not been activated by the publisher, who cannot verify the accuracy of these links beyond the date of publication.

In this ebook edition, please use your devices note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response Here]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

Contents

SESSION 1
Communication

SESSION 2
Conflict

SESSION 3
Commitment

SESSION 4
Connection

SESSION 5
Adventure

To help you get the most out of your journal, we have used symbols for specific activities:

	When you write something down
	When you talk with your partner
	When you sit back and reflect
	When you note down your intentionsfor example, your plans for a date night or hopes for the future
	When you swap journals and write something in your partners journal that will be helpful for them to look back on in the future

Following the course, we hope the journal will serve as a reminder of what youve discovered about each other and the journey youre on as a couple, and help you to put into practice what youve learned.

This course is built on universal principles about marriage that are relevant to any couple, anywhere.

Strong marriages dont just develop automatically. Our hope is that youll discover the attitudes, the values, and the habits that are needed to build a healthy and strong marriage that will last a lifetime.

This journal is designed for you to be able to reflect, to talk, and to dream together about your future, not only on the course but afterwards too. There are no right or wrong answers and no one else will see your journal.

Our hope is that you will pick up tools from the course that you can use to invest in your marriage for the rest of your lives. And we hope youll have fun finding out things you didnt previously know about your partner.

Whether you are engaged or exploring marriage, you are on an exciting journey.

Nicky and Sila Lee

Creators of The Pre-Marriage Course

Session 1
Communication

Marriage is a commitment that says, Im prepared, not only to spend the rest of my life with you, but to spend the rest of my life finding out about you. Theres always going to be more of you to discover.

DR. ROWAN WILLIAMS (FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY)

Its only when we get married that we realize that some of our deeply held assumptions about life are not universally shared!

CONVERSATION 1 5 minutes

DIFFERENT EXPECTATIONS

See if you can each identify one difference in your expectations for marriage that you have as a result of your family upbringing or your different cultural backgrounds.

For example: level of involvement with your wider family; how often you invite visitors to your home; whether you have new or old furniture; whether you throw broken things away or mend them; who does most of the cooking; how you relax.

Learning to communicate

Communication involves talking and listening effectively.

We are all different in the way we communicate and this is affected by:

- our personality

- our background

1. Our personality

Extrovert

They tend towards processing their thoughts externally. In other words, they tend to think out loud.

Introvert

They tend towards organizing their thoughts in their heads first before they speak.

Analytical

They work things out methodically and may take a long time to make decisions.

Intuitive

They often act on hunches and may jump to conclusions.

Being able to talk openly and honestly about our differences is vital if were to have a strong marriage.

I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.

PSALM 139:14, CSB

CONVERSATION 2 5 minutes

HOW WE COMMUNICATE

Tell your partner how you think their personality affects the way they communicate.