RELATIONSHIPS

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1–13

Time: 25–30 minutes

Workpage: Text → Principle → My Life (optional)

Prompt: This chapter wasn't originally written for wedding decorations.

Directions: Read chapters 12:27–13:13 together. Identify the community problem surrounding Paul's description of love.

Take It to the Margin: How does context change the way you apply this chapter to relationships beyond romance?

For the Grown-Up: Let application include friends, family, church, and dating rather than steering immediately toward romance.

Scripture: Matthew 18:15–20

Time: 25–35 minutes

Workpage: Text → Principle → My Life (optional)

Prompt: Jesus gives a process for addressing wrongdoing.

Study the process before borrowing verse 20.

Directions: Track each step and what happens when someone listens—or doesn't.

Take It to the Margin: Does reconciliation mean pretending nothing happened?

For the Grown-Up: Make clear that this passage should not be used to require someone to confront an unsafe or abusive person privately.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Text → Principle → My Life (optional)

Prompt: This phrase is frequently applied to dating.

First question:

What is Paul talking about?

Directions: Read the entire section and identify Paul's contrasts. Research the broader Corinthian context before deciding how the principle might apply.

Take It to the Margin: What does the passage explicitly address, and what modern applications require another reasoning step?

For the Grown-Up: Don't skip straight to a dating rule. Let the student practice original meaning → principle → application.

Scripture: Matthew 18:21–35; Luke 17:3–4

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Text → Principle → My Life (optional)

Prompt: Are forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust exactly the same thing?

Investigate before answering.

Directions: Study what each passage commands. Then define forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust separately using Scripture and responsible resources.

Take It to the Margin: Which distinctions matter when someone has caused real harm?

For the Grown-Up: Never use this prompt to pressure a teen to restore access to someone unsafe.

Scripture: James 1:19–20; 3:13–18

Time: 25–30 minutes

Workpage: Text → Principle → My Life (optional)

Prompt: Conflict isn't automatically the problem.

How you enter it matters.

Directions: Build a list of behaviors James contrasts.

Take It to the Margin: Which characteristic would most change the way you handle disagreement?

For the Grown-Up: Personal examples should remain optional.