The 5 Do's of Dating

Introduction

Series: Marriage, Divorce, Singleness, and Dating

Week 1: Origin of marriage

Week 2: Order of marriage

Week 3: Marriage is until death

Week 4: Be where you are

Week 5: Surrender in your singleness

Week 6: The 5 Do’s of Dating

*Example: Shallow Hal*

Title: The 5 Do’s of Dating.

Text: Matthew 19:1-12; Genesis 2:15-25.

Singleness is a gift...

1 Corinthians 7:7–8 NASB95

7 Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.

1 Corinthians 7:32–35 NASB95

32 But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33 but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

“Marriage teaches you about the sacrifice of Jesus, but singleness teaches you about the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus.”

- Jonathan Pokluda. Author Outdated

The 5 do’s of dating...

Be Intentional

Be trained

Be a friend

Be Loving

Be Careful

1. Be Intentional

Why date?

To get married.

Start with the end in mind.

Genesis 2:15–18 NASB95

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Men=Lead

Women=Help

TLC - Time to Learn with Community

2. Be trained

1 Timothy 4:7–8 NASB95

7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Corinthians 9:23–27 NASB95

23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

3. Be a friend

Date for clarity not for intimacy.

- JD Greear

Genesis 2:18 NASB95

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

Be a friend first...

John 15:12–13 NASB95

12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Proverbs 12:26 NASB95

26 The righteous is a guide to his neighbor, But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

4. Be Loving

Matthew 22:37–39 NASB95

37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Romans 13:8–10 NASB95

8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

John 13:34–35 NASB95

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

5. Be Careful

Proverbs 4:23 NASB95

23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.

Remain with Christians (community)

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 NASB95

14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Remain pure

1 Corinthians 6:18–20 NASB95

18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Lynn’s Laws

Nothing in the dark.

Nothing below the chin.

No lying down.

Nothing should last longer than 5 seconds.

Remain in Jesus

John 15:5 NASB95

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.