John Mark Comer - Loveology Study Guide: God, Love, Marriage, Sex, and the Never-Ending Story of Male and Female

ZONDERVAN

Loveology Study Guide

Copyright 2014 by John Mark Comer

ePub Edition December 2013: ISBN 978-0-3106-8860-0

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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

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Cover design: Ryan Peterson

Interior production: Beth Shagene

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Contents

The human race can take credit for a lot of things, but love isnt one of them.

Marriage and sexuality. Romance and dating. Masculinity and femininity. It was all part of Gods creation. Marriage wasnt manufactured by society. Love wasnt designed by humans. It all came from Gods brilliant imagination. Straight from his Genesis story.

We are the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve. We carry the same DNA. We were designed for deep, meaningful, intimate relationships. We were set up to love. But somewhere along the way, just like Adam and Eve, we lost sight of what it all should look like.

Love is beautiful. Its hard and painful and arduous at times. But it is beautiful. And deep down, we know it is well worth the risk.

As you engage this five-week study, it is my hope that you will come to better understand what God intended back in the Garden. Before the forbidden fruit. Before the serpent. Before the fig leaves. If we can comprehend the brilliance behind Gods original vision for love and marriage and sex and romance if we can redefine that fuzzy, amorphous, confusing word love and look at it through the lens of Jesus our marriages and relationships and lives will be reshaped from the ground up.

John Mark Comer

This is a five-week study on the theology of love based on the book Loveology by John Mark Comer. You can go through this study alone, but it was designed to be used for small groups and missional communities. The hope is you will get with people you know those you do life with and learn alongside each other. If you can, include individuals at different stages of life. Single people. Engaged couples. Those who have been married for a few years. You can learn a ton from those with a different vantage point.

Read the book together. Dig into the Scriptures. Watch the videos as a group. And explore what this all means for you. How will this redefinition change your dreams, your relationships, and your marriage either now or in the future? Pray for one another. Challenge each other. Hold each other accountable.

Each session begins with a brief video from John Mark Comer highlighting the topic of the week. The video and discussion questions will correspond with specific chapters in the book. It is not necessary to read the book while you go through this study, but you are encouraged to do so. The reading will complement what you are learning, taking you deeper into vital content and helping you digest the key elements.

The rhythm for each week is simple. Read the intro for each session first. Get an understanding for the topic. Then watch the video. Following the video you will have time to discuss the questions provided in this study guide. There are a lot of questions. You dont have to cover all of them. Focus on the ones that most resonate with you and your group. Feel free to go back to the book or spend time digging into one of the Scripture references. Dont be afraid of the tough questions. Get your fingernails dirty. Scratch past the epidermis and explore the issues that really matter. Youll get what you put into this.

At the end of each session you will find a midweek study option for you to tackle on your own. These are optional, but highly recommended. If you have time, they will help you better understand the biblical basis for the teaching. After all, you shouldnt take John Marks word for any of this. The only thing that matters is if you are in alignment with God.

Lastly, each session will end with the Scriptures and prayer. Nothing is more powerful than chewing on the Scriptures and letting them sink down deep into your core. Challenge yourself and your group to focus on memorizing these verses as you do the study.

You can find more insight for leaders at the end of this study guide.

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]. Use your devices highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

Based on the preface and chapter 1 of the Loveology book by John Mark Comer

Love is the source of our highest highs and lowest lows. Love is joy and laughter and gift and freedom and faith and healing, but when love goes south, its a knife to the chest.

( Loveology , p.14)

Introduction 2 minutes

If you know anything about the Gospels, you know people are always coming to Jesus with questions about anything and everything. They ask questions about life, God, theology, and law. You name it, they ask it.

In the book of Matthew, chapter 19, we read one example. The Pharisees the religious teachers of the day come to Jesus and test him. They ask him if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife.

Contrary to what you might think, divorce was at pandemic levels in first-century Jewish culture. And sadly, more than 2,000 years later, here we are struggling with the same dysfunction and brokenness.

We are all facing abysmal odds when it comes to marriage and love. And many would argue its because somewhere along the way we lost the plotline. Were confused, at best, when it comes to love.

Jesus answers the question of the Pharisees, but not in the way they expected. He points them back to the plotline back to the beginning. Its from the lips of Jesus that we get our loveology.

Dig in 3 minutes

Before you watch the video, take time to dig into the following question. Think about how it relates to you as an individual and then briefly discuss it as a group.

Just as in the first century, divorce is all around us. Youd be hard pressed to find anyone today not affected by divorce. How has divorce had an impact on you and your view of love and marriage?

[Your Response]

Video 10 minutes

Play the 1 video. Take notes as you watch. What resonates with you? What concepts or thoughts are new to you? What do you disagree with?

Video notes

Tension between the world and God

[Your Notes]

Fifty percent fail rate: Fear and insecurity regarding marriage

[Your Notes]

Jesus view of divorce