Singleness

Welcome back to our second week of our ‘Relationship’ series. Last week we talked about brotherly love and how Jesus said in the book of John that his disciples will be known by how they love others. That ‘agape’ love right? not the mushy gushy kind right? The same sacrificial love Jesus Christ showed us.

I know we started this series talking about the relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ and while that relationship is so important and crucial to the church, because we are the church, that wasn’t what y’all were expecting to talk about when I said this series was on relationships right?

What did y’all expect whenever I said what this series was gonna be about?

Exactly, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. Well these next 3 weeks we are going to talk about the three major stages of relationships. That will include singleness, dating, and marriage.

Now this week we are going to talk about singleness and why it is so important. I know when you are single it is hard to see it that way. Some of you may feel lonely and find yourself desiring a significant other and some of you may be completely content in your singleness and both are okay. There is no shame in being in either of those stages of life. However there is a right way and a wrong way to carry yourself in the season of singleness.

As we explore the biblical perspective on singleness I want to highlight its value and purpose in your life as a disciple of Christ. Throughout your life many if not all of you will wrestle with the pressures of finding a partner and a spouse, often feeling less fulfilled when you are single. In this message I want to aim to encourage you all that are or will be in a season of singleness, to find joy and fulfillment in your identity in Jesus Christ and to understand how you can fully serve God in this phase of your life. I hope by the end of the evening you will view singleness as a gift and a unique opportunity for growth and ministry.

Can one of you turn to 1 Corinthians 7:7–9 and read it for us.

Here Paul is addressing the idea and desire of marriage to those who are single. He commends singleness as a spiritual gift. (what does that mean to HS and MS students) just like marriage is.