1. Marriage and the Bible Based on the Living in Love Series by Richard L. Strauss, Biblical Studies Foundation - 1998

2. Honeymoon’s Over! Chapter 1: Adam and Eve

3. Ground Rules Think before you speak. Use this series as an opportunity for honest self- evaluation. Be prepared to humbly seek help from God, your spouse, or others if you feel led to do so. Humility!

4. Warm-Up Questions How would you describe the marriage of Adam and Eve? How would you define a honeymoon? The honeymoon is not meant to be the pinnacle of our relationships. God’s plan is for our marriages to grow sweeter with the passage of time.

5. Adam and Eve’s Marriage We do not know precisely how long Adam and Eve enjoyed their relationship in the garden before the original sin. We do know that their relationship during that time would have been filled with ecstasy, joy, and delight. Theirs was the perfect marriage, designed by God.

6. Adam: Perfect Husband Adam was made in God’s own image. –Flawless physique, ruggedly handsome –Brilliant intellect, undiminished by sin –Capable of perfect emotions – tender and unselfish love. –No imposter syndrome – in harmony with his Creator and The Creator’s purpose for his life.

7. Eve: Perfect Wife Eve was created to perfectly fulfill a deep and fundamental need in her husband. God’s creative genius must have made Eve a truly and stunningly beautiful image. Eve must have personified grace and beauty in every from. Also created in God’s image with a purpose and intellect unblemished by sin.

8. A Match Made in Heaven Read Genesis 2:3 –Adam recognized that Eve had been made out of him and was part of him. –She was a perfect complement and counterpart, unmatched by any of God’s creations. –Imagine the genuine appreciation, love, and completion that they must have enjoyed! Why else would theirs have been the perfect marriage?

9. Their Environment Eden means “Delight” Read Genesis 2:8-10 –They lived in a green paradise of abundance –Their work was effortless –They were unhindered by external strains and could thus appreciate each other all the more Do you think they spent much alone time at this juncture?

10. Perfect Order Modern mentalities aside, there is no question that Eve was made for Adam. –1 Corinthians 11:9 Yet, their roles were in perfect harmony. God created Eve to be Adam’s helper (Gen. 2:18). Keep the context of their perfect love and appreciation for each other. The arrangement worked.

11. AND THEY WERE NAKED

12. Enter the Serpent The key lie delivered in Gen. 3:5 yielded the exact opposite – Adam and Eve would descend from their likeness of God. As with Jesus in the wilderness, Satan uses distortion as his primary weapon. Do you have any areas in your life that The Holy Spirit has revealed to you as distorted?

13. Enter the Serpent Why would God put those two trees in the garden in the first place? Read 1 John 2:16 Read Genesis 3:6

14. The Completely Sprung Trap The lust of the flesh – “Good for food.” The lust of the eyes – “A delight to the eyes.” The pride of life – “To make one wise.”

15. The Blame Game Eve took of the fruit and gave it to her husband. WHERE IN THE SAM HILL WAS ADAM DURING ALL THIS? Adam and Eve share equal blame for giving harbor to temptation and eventual birth to the world’s first sin.

16. The Ultimate Outcome Naked = Not Cool They attempted to blame each other. What is your response when blame is to be had in your relationship? What are the consequences of avoiding responsibility?

17. The Ultimate Outcome Careful – There was blame to be had on both sides and each shared equally in the consequences. –Childbirth –Irresistible urge for her husband –Adam has to work a job –Adam’s time and attention are now divided –“And he shall rule over you” Gen. 3:16 – the perfect harmony is upset in the hands of a sinful man

18. The Ultimate Outcome Adam and Eve were no doubt aware of all they had lost. Their new marriage paradigm would ultimately lead them to stand above the first recorded grave in history.

19. THE END

20. Wait! There’s Good News! Read Genesis 3:13 –At the height of man’s defeat, God foretells of man’s greatest victory and the reversal of this great tragedy! Christ puts the bondage of sin aside so that we can regain much of what was lost in Eden. The Scriptures and The Holy Spirit guide us toward productive and healthy relationships.

21. More Good News Christ’s sacrifice allows us to look past our sinful desires and ego-centric mindsets. Christ gives us to power to act contrary to the urgings of the flesh. The honeymoon can be restored, but only after the acknowledgement of sin and the centralization of Christ in our lives.

22. Closing Questions Is Christ the center of your marriage? Is there evidence of that? Which aspects of Adam and Eve’s marriage would prove helpful in improving your own marriage? Which of Satan’s temptations have your attention and have you contemplating destructive action?

23. Closing Questions How can you challenge your spouse in a way that builds-up instead of weakens? Are you owning up to your own problems, or are you playing the blame game? Husbands – Where are your wives on your list of priorities? Wives – Same question.