Before You Say, "I Do" - Session 3 - When Can I Da...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Before You Say, "I Do" - Q & A - Session 3
This week's questions:(1) If you struggle with an addiction but are fighting it, are you a hypocrite when you try and share your faith?(2) What happens when God puts multiple godly girls in your life (whom you're romantically interested)?(3) How long should you date before proposing?(4) Is it wrong to do photoshopping (air brushing celebrities on magazine covers) as a career?Before You Say "I Do" - Q & A - Session...
Thursday, March 26, 2009
What do you say to church members who disapprove of your God-centered relationship? Part 2 (Jenn's take)
Well, I think Sean summarized it pretty well already, but here's my two cents:One thing that I think is essential in resolving conflict of any kind is a "safe" environment. Nobody is at their best behavior when they feel threatened, insulted, belittled, or disrespected. Keep this in mind when you think about this issue.In what context have these people expressed concerns about your relationship? How did you respond?If they're accusatory, chances are, you're going to go on the defensive and not listen to what they're saying -- that's what I did when I found myself in this situation many years ago. Here are just a few ideas to try to help you from...
What do you say to church members who disapprove of your God-centered relationship? Part 1 (Sean's take)
This is a difficult question to answer for several reasons. I'll just tell you my problems with the question and hopefully that will point you towards the answer to your question.1) I Don't Know Who these Church Members AreThere are a number of different church members who might be raising concerns.Is it your girlfriend's parents? If so, then you need to respect them as an authority over them. If you can't submit to their authority, you aren't ready to be dating.Is it a more mature believer who loves you and wants the best for both of you? In that case, you would be foolish to ignore their concerns. There are reasons why they could be wrong,...
Should a long distance relationship discourage you?
No but it should cause you to seriously consider the relationship.I've been in two long distance relationships. One ended with me heart broken and swearing off long distance relationships. The other ended with me engaged and then married. So I can speak from experience on the best and worst of long distance relationships.Things to Consider:1) Communication is HardAll of our communication will be through phone, email, text message, Facebook, and MySpace. Having extended planned phone calls is hard. My first serious relationship ended because I kept calling her when she was off to hangout with her new friends. I was desperate to talk to her, but...
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
How Do You Manage Your Struggles With Lust? Part 1 of 3
When addressing this subject, we need to make sure we have a correct understanding of the battle and the end goal. So I wanted to make sure a couple of points were clear before directly answering the question.Put Your Lust to Death, Don't Just Manage It1 Corinthians 6:18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.Colossians 3:5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.The name of this post is the exact content of a text message I received from a student. The...
How Do You Manage Your Struggles With Lust? Part 2 of 3
1) Acknowledge It is Sin and RepentThe first part is much easier than the second. If you have any faith in Christ then the Holy Spirit is in you, and you should be able to acknowledge that your behavior is sinful. However, choosing to repent and turn from your sin requires far more from you.Repentance means you are choosing to move in the opposite direction. It's not simply scaling back your lustful desires. It is pursing righteousness. If you're not pursing something else, you'll quickly drift back to where you were at.2) Confess Your Sin to a More Mature Believer Who Will Hold You AccountableJames 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each...
How Do You Manage Your Struggles With Lust? Part 3 of 3
BooksEvery Young Man's Battle - The title says it all. If you're a guy, read it.Every Young Woman's Battle - The girl version.Websitesxxxchurch.com - Videos and articles on how to battle lust, masturbation, and porn addictionPorn Again Christian - An ebook by Mark Driscoll on battling porn and masturbation. Written for guys onlyAccountability Softwarexxxchurch.com - Free softwareCovenant Eyes - Costs Mont...
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
What if there is someone that believes in God, but they don't go to church?
I'll start off by acknowledging that there are valid reasons someone might not "go" to church.Unusual circumstances (physical limitations, parent forbids attendance)Attend a house churchNo good local churchesMeet with believers in some alternative settingWith that stated, since you didn't indicate this person has some extenuating circumstances and we live in a city with 50 churches within a 5 mile radius, the fact they don't go to church is a bad si...
Is Picturing Your Girlfriend in a Sexual Way Wrong?
Matthew 5 27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.Having sexual thoughts about your girlfriend by definition is lust, and scripture and teachings of Jesus clearly forbid lust. Someone is either your spouse or they aren't. So while you may have a commitment to your girlfriend, she is no more your wife than every other girl you're not married to. Therefore, it is sinful to have sexual/lustful thoughts about h...
Before You Say "I Do" - Q & A - Session 1
This weeks questions:(1) "How do you manage your struggles with lust?"(2) "What do you do when you follow all of these rules and the relationship still fails?"(3)"Is picturing your girlfriend in a sexual way wrong?"Before You Say "I Do" - Q & A - Session...
