Life in a Great Marriage - 1 Peter 3:1-7
Life in a Great Marriage
(1 Peter 3:1-7)
Household Expectations in the First Century - NIV Study Bible
God, Sex & Marriage - Slattery
Beyond Crotchety Husbands and Onery Wives - Swindoll
Peter on Marriage - Allen Ross
The Significance for Marriage Today - Karen Jobes
Marriage - J.I. Packer
Submission - Jim Samra
For the bulletin in PDF form, click here.
Definitions:
• Marriage: One man and one woman in a covenant relationship of mutual submission and love for life.
• Wives: God’s gracious gift of beauty, reflecting His grace given to men as an asset to complete and redeem them.
• Husbands: God’s gracious gift of strength, reflecting God’s power given to women as an asset to complete and redeem them.
Words for Wives
Submit to God’s will for your husband.
• The Command: Submission is a proper response to authority which maintains dignity, honor & equality as a reflection of the Trinity and takes place in the context of mutual submission (3:1a)
•. The Context: Disobedient Husbands—ἀπειθεω (apeitheo) disobedient, antagonistic, apathetic to the Word and will of God (3:1b)
• The Outcome: Won Over to God’s Will —the goal is spiritual growth (3:1c)
• The Manner: Quiet and Gentle Spirit—without nagging, but with quiet confidence in the Lord and your love for your husband on full display (3:1d-2)
• The Misunderstanding: Outward Beauty vs. Inward Beauty—Character counts more than physical appeal with these important matters (3:3-4)
• The Example: Sarah in Genesis —she knew God’s will for Abraham and moved toward the realization of that goal 18 (3:5-6a)
• The Challenge: Fear— (3:6b)
Help for Husbands
With growing insight, respect your wife as a gift from God.
• The Command: Be Considerate—γνωσις keen knowledge, insight, and tact (3:7a)
• The Context: You Live with Them—a growing relationship of honor & dignity (3:7b)
• The Manner: Treat Them with Respect—απονεμοντες τιμην (rendering honor, respect), acknowledging their value with gratitude, honor, respect (3:7c)
• The Need: Fragile Equal Partners—equal but different (3:7d)
• The Outcome: Answered Prayer—The health of your marriage is a spiritual matter (3:7e)
Marriages with spiritually strategic, submissive wives
and intentionally insightful, respectful husbands
make the gospel look good.
“Sanctify Christ as Lord in Your Heart”
Furthermore, it is my firm conviction that we have placed the wrong
emphasis on the word “submission”; we have also been preoccupied
with “what we can do” and “what our rights are,” whereas the biblical
injunction is that the wife ought to give her life to her husband, “to serve and
cherish him” and the husband ought to lay down his life for his wife.
Scot McKnight
Home Church Questions
1. How does Peter define marriage in this passage—as a personal relationship, a spiritual partnership, or a gospel witness? How does viewing marriage primarily as a platform for God’s glory reshape our expectations of it?
2. How does the fact that we are to submit to God’s will for our marriages—not our spouse’s will for us—change your view of your role in your marriage?
3. In verses 1–2, why does Peter address wives first, and how does submission function as obedience to God rather than submission to sin or abuse?
4. What does Peter mean when he says a husband may be “won without a word” (3:1)? How does godly conduct communicate the gospel more powerfully than arguments or pressure?
5. How do verses 3–4 challenge cultural ideas of beauty, worth, and influence—especially for women? What does cultivating a “quiet and gentle spirit” look like in today’s fast-paced and opinion-driven culture?
6. Why does Peter point to Sarah as an example in verses 5–6, and how does faith-driven obedience overcome fear in marriage? What categories of fear commonly hinder trust in God’s design for marriage today?
7. According to verse 7, what responsibilities does Peter place on husbands, and why is spiritual leadership inseparable from consideration and honor? How does treating a wife as an “equal heir of the grace of life” challenge passive or authoritarian models of leadership?
8. Peter warns that mistreating one’s wife can hinder prayer (3:7). How does this connection between marriage and spiritual life reinforce the idea that marriages with submissive wives and respectful husbands make the gospel visible and credible?
UPG FOCUS: The Mussali in Pakistan
The Mussali are a marginalized Muslim people in Punjab, Pakistan, historically forced into Islam and carrying low social status. Many work in sanitation and other overlooked jobs. Though New Testament resources exist in their language, few have heard the gospel. Pray that God would stir spiritual hunger among the Mussali, raise up workers, and reveal Christ as their true hope.
Finances
Weekly Budget 34,615
Giving For 02/01 378,325
Giving For 02/08 60,963
YTD Budget 1,107,692
Giving 1,424,238
OVER/(UNDER) 316,546
Fellowship Youth & College Silent Auction | March 8 | 4 pm - 6pm
Join us for a fun evening supporting our mission trips to Arlington, TX, and the Czech Republic! Bid on baked goods, service certificates, gift baskets, overnight stays, and more. Light refreshments provided. Childcare available for ages 6 and under by request (contact Shanna 501-336-0332).
New to Fellowship?
We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift.
Fellowship Men’s breakfast
Join us for a great breakfast, fellowship around the table, and time of prayer with other men from our body. As men, we are called to know, love, and serve God, and this is just one opportunity to gather with other believers to live out that calling. Please RSVP to Michael at 501-339-4222 if you are able to attend. Hope to see you on Wednesday, March 11th!
Fellowship 101
Whether you’ve been visiting Fellowship Conway for a few weeks or a few months, we’d love to invite you to take the next step in getting connected. Come hear our heart as a church — who we are, what we do, and why we’re passionate about it. It’s also a welcoming space to ask questions, meet others, and discover how you might grow and serve alongside us. Please register at fellowshipconway.org/register so we can plan well and keep you updated with reminders or any details about the class. If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Michael Harrison at mharrison@fellowshipconway.org — we’d love to help you get connected.
Fellowship Men’s Muster
Men’s Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men
Fellowship Men’s Ministry Game Night
Men, this night is for you. Bring your favorite game and snacks, kick back, and get ready for some friendly competition. Men’s Game Night is Friday, February 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the church. If you want a little taste of what Men’s Muster is like, here’s your chance.
Fellowship Kids P.J’s and Pop-Tarts
It’s that time of year again! Sunday, March 8, we are springing forward AND losing an hour of sleep. Don’t worry about getting your kids dressed or feeding them breakfast. You bring them in their pajamas, and we will provide the Pop-Tarts. We will be waiting for all of your sleepy heads!
Holy Week on Hogan Street
Pastors from several churches along Hogan Lane have come together to host a special Holy Week gathering, March 30–April 3. Participating pastors include Herschel Richardson of Grace Methodist, Larry White of Woodland Heights, Chase Moser of Cornerstone Bible, Jim Hays of Grace Presbyterian, along with Chris Moore and Ken Wilson from Fellowship Bible Church. You’re invited to gather each weekday of Holy Week from 12:00–1:00 pm at Grace Methodist for a brief time of worship, a devotional message from one of the pastors, and a shared meal. Donations will be welcomed and directed toward supporting local ministries.