Understanding the Heart of Your Wife
Ephesians 5:22-33

I. GENERAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

A. LIFE PURPOSE:

Gen 2:15

 

B. Relationships:

1 Cor 11:8

 

C. Romance:

 

 

D. Emotions:

 

 

 

A. LIFE PUPOSE:

Gen 2:18

 

B. Relationships:

Gen 3:16

 

C. Romance:

Song of Solomon

 

D. Emotions:

1 Tim 2:14; 1 Pet 3:7

 

II. A HUSBAND'S DUTY IN LIGHT OF HIS WIFE'S NEEDS

A. vs 23 Headship means he must __________ ___________ ___ the home and family

Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

1 Cor 11:8-9; Gen 18:19; Josh 24:15; 1 Tim 5:8; Exo 6:14; 6:25; Num 1:4; 7:2; 31:26; 32:28; 36:1; Josh 21:1; 22:14; 1 Ki 8:1; 1 Chr 5:15, 24; 7:2, 7, 9, 11, 40; 8:6, 10, 13, 28; 9:9, 13, 33, 34; 15:12; 23:9, 24; 24:4, 6, 31; 26:21, 26, 32; ;27:1; 2 Chr 1:2; 5:2; 19:8; 23:2; Ezra 1:5; 2:68; 3:12; 4:2, 3; 8:1, 29; 10:16; Neh 7:70, 71; 8:13; 11:13; 12:12, 22, 23

The existence of a "head" indicates a wife's need for ____________ _____________and_______________

1. _________ __________ and set ______ _________ for your family

2. _______________ you wife and children

3. Leadership means _________ ________

 

B. vs 25 He must be willing to ___________ _____ ___________himself for her

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

The call to sacrifice indicates the extent of _________________ required to properly love your wife

1. Loving her takes ________

2. Loving her may not be ________________

3. Sacrificing for her communicates to her ________________

Ø Inconveniencing yourself says to her _________ __________ _____ 

C. vs 26-27 He is to ___________ _____ ___________

Eph 5:26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

The call to spiritual nurturing reveals a wife's __________ ______ _______

1. Make certain she is in the ________

2. Take her to Lord in ____________

3. Make sure she is in ____________

D. vs 28-29 He must _____________ ______________and_______________ his wife

Eph 5:28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church

The call to nurture reveals her ___________________________

1. Do not _____________ her when she needs _________________

2. She entrusted her _____________ to you – be careful with it

3. Do not _____________ her for her ___________ – ____________ her from them.

 

E. vs 29,33 A wise husband ____________________his wife

Eph 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church … 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband

The call to cherish her indicates her inner wish to be __________________

1. AFFIRM HER value to you and the kids

2. Be careful of sending her the message that she is NOT WORTH IT

3. Do not DEFEND yourself when she accuses you of not LOVING her. Express COMPASSION !

4. PAY ATTENTION to her when she speaks to you. Try to UNDERSTAND her.

5. Touch her without SEXUAL INTENTIONS.

6. SMILE at her.

7. Affirm her about her FIGURE.

8. Ask her about her THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, and DREAMS.

9. Learn to speak her LANGUAGE OF LOVE.

10. DATE her.

 

F. vs 31 He must be a ______________ _____________in the relationship

Eph 5:31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

The call to cleave reveals her need for _______________________

1. He must treat her_________________ -- as the____________ _______________

Col3:19 - not be harsh with his wife

1 Pet 3:7 - be considerate and respectful of his wife as the weaker partner

2. Never threaten _____________________