Decision Making In Marriage

Logic
Irving, TX
Sunday August 16, 2009

Read Jeremiah 32:1-9 from The Message – notice the difficult decision Jeremiah had to make – explain
how this narrative is representative of Hebrew __________ __________ – now read Romans 6:11 (NIV)
– “think” – logizomai – to __________ , to __________ , to suppose, to __________ – v1-10 provide
logical evidence of the conclusion in v11.

Discussion Questions

1) What are some of the differences you see between the other types of decision making we have
discussed so far (lots, fleece, desires, doors) and logical decision making? How is it similar to the
others?

2) Sadly, the rich young ruler (Mark 10:21-22) used logic to keep himself from obeying Jesus’
command. Do you think there is a natural conflict between our human reasoning and God’s
reasoning?

3) In our marriage relationship, how do we use logic to make good decisions? How about using
logic to protect ourselves against bad decisions?

Concluding Thoughts

 The less _______________ our reasoning contains, the more we should ask ourselves if we
are ____________ ___________ ___________ with logic. Indeed, paralogizomai, the
Greek word that contrasts against logizomai, means “to __________ ” (Colossians 2:4).

 On the other hand, the more __________ we seek and find from the Lord, the more our logic
will morph into __________ . (Colossians 2:2-3)

 In general, the use of logic for low-impact decisions is a __________ __________ : 1) it

shows we are being _____________ about our decisions, and 2) it provides more
opportunity for ______________ with our spouse and the Lord.
Logic 08/16/09

COURSE: Begins at Badwater, Death Valley, Calif. -- 280 feet below sea level -- and finishes on Mount Whitney at an elevation of 8,360 feet.
DISTANCE: 135 miles TEMPERATURES: Can reach 130 degrees, according to badwater.com. WHEN: Began Monday, July 13,
and concluded either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the competitor. FACTS: The competition is invitation only. The endurance athletes
were given 60 hours to complete the race. Forty-five of the 86 people whose times were listed on the race results finished. WINNER: Marcos
Farinazzo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 23 hours, 39 minutes, 18 seconds.

Jeremiah 32:1-9 1 The Message Jeremiah received from GOD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah. It was the eighteenth year of
Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was holding Jerusalem under siege. Jeremiah was shut up in jail in the royal
palace. 3 Zedekiah, king of Judah, had locked him up, complaining, "How dare you preach, saying, 'GOD says, I'm warning you: I will hand this
city over to the king of Babylon and he will take it over. 4 Zedekiah king of Judah will be handed over to the Chaldeans right along with the city.
He will be handed over to the king of Babylon and forced to face the music. 5 He'll be hauled off to Babylon where he'll stay until I deal with
him. GOD's Decree. Fight against the Babylonians all you want--it won't get you anywhere.'" 6 Jeremiah said, "GOD's Message came to me like
this: 7 Prepare yourself! Hanamel, your uncle Shallum's son, is on his way to see you. He is going to say, 'Buy my field in Anathoth. You have
the legal right to buy it.' 8 "And sure enough, just as GOD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me while I was in jail and said, 'Buy my field
in Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, for you have the legal right to keep it in the family. Buy it. Take it over.' "That did it. I knew it was
GOD's Message. 9 "So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I paid him seventeen silver shekels.
Jer 32:15 For GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel, says, "Life is going to return to normal. Homes and fields and vineyards are again
going to be bought in this country."'

Romans 6:11 From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue,
and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did.

Colossians 2:1-4 1 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my
face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of
understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and[a] of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge. V4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

means to reckon, compute, calculate, to take into account, to deliberate, and to weigh. Logizomai refers to a process of careful study or reasoning
which results in the arriving at a conclusion. Logizomai conveys the idea of calculating or estimating. Logizomai was a term frequently used
in the business community of Paul's day and meant to impute (put to one's account) or credit to one's account. Logizomai is related to our
English term logic (which deals with the methods of valid thinking, reveals how to draw proper conclusions from premises and is a prerequisite
of all thought). This word deals with reality. If I "logizomai" or reckon that my bank book has $25 in it, it has $25 in it. Otherwise I am
deceiving myself.

Paralogizomai par-al-og-id'-zom-ahee From G3844 and G3049; to misreckon, that is, delude: - beguile, deceive.

Read Jeremiah 32:1-9 from The Message – notice the difficult decision Jeremiah had to make – explain how this narrative is representative of
Hebrew block logic – now read Romans 6:11 (NIV) – “think” – logizomai – to account, to impute, to suppose, to conclude – v1-10 provide
logical evidence of the conclusion in v11.

The less foundation our reasoning contains, the more we should ask ourselves if we are disguising personal desires with logic. Indeed,
paralogizomai, the Greek word that contrasts against logizomai, means “to deceive” (Colossians 2:4).

On the other hand, the more truth we seek and find from the Lord, the more our logic will morph into wisdom. (Colossians 2:2-3)

In general, the use of logic for low-impact decisions is a good thing: 1) it shows we are being intentional about our decisions, and 2) it
provides more opportunity for relationship with our spouse and the Lord.