you choose Q: Is God concerned and involved in who we choose to marry?
Q: Is God concerned and involved in our choice of marriage? —Olabisi
A: Yes, God is concerned about who we choose to marry. The Bible clearly states that God wants us to marry someone of the opposite sex who shares our same faith (Matthew 19:4-6; 1 Corinthians 6:14-16). He desires for us to pick a mate whose primary allegiance is to…
casualty hookups
According to Dannah Gresh, casual hookups can lead to casualties. In an article for CNN titled Nothing Brief about a Hookup, the author presents a compelling scientific case for the bonding process that occurs between two people who have sex—a process of special chemicals being released during the encounter. She explains that “there’s nothing biologically brief about a hookup,” and that…
May 21, 2012
What does your church do in effectively ministering to single young adults?
you choose Q: should I leave my unbelieving partner? do I marry an unbeliever?
Q: I was raised a believer but left the faith in my teens, during which time I became involved in a sinful relationship. The difficulties arising from this relationship brought me back to Christ and I am a practicing Christian. My partner knows this and accepts this. My problem is that I have asked for forgiveness for the sins that…
prized
When I was a kid, my parents had a rule that I was not allowed to call guys. Considered provincial back then, the rule seems positively antiquated according to current societal norms. While I am not new to youth culture, I am increasingly perplexed and concerned at the level of aggressiveness I see in young women today. Because they’re desperate…
run for your life
I will probably never run a marathon. I know this because I ran a 5K race a few years ago, and I nearly passed out after the event. While the contestants ahead of me seemed to glide across the finish line, I approached it huffing and puffing, red- faced, and with burning lungs!
When Paul commands us to “run from…
fashion police
The southern Italian town of Castellammare has created its own version of the "fashion police." The police force there is authorized to fine women who wear risqué clothing such as mini skirts, skimpy jeans, and low-cut tops. One town official claimed that the ban made Castellammare a “civilized city.”
While I’m not sure these laws elevate the city to higher…
true contentment
Whenever a friend succeeds,” Gore Vidal once said, ”a little something in me dies.” The words are sad, because a life lived in envy leaves little room for joy. But don’t Vidal’s words reflect our own feelings at times?
Every person who longs to be married knows that sinking feeling when yet another friend becomes engaged. Every childless couple feels…
predator and prey
I watched a ladybug devour an aphid. First, she pierced its midsection and chewed for a while. When her prey was mortally wounded, the ladybug munched up the left side of the aphid’s body and devoured it.
In the book of Proverbs, Solomon described the interaction between a female predator and her sexual prey. Although he wrote the passage to…
safety net
A friend of mine bought a trampoline for his young boys. After he had assembled it, his sons excitedly begged him to let them give it try. He reluctantly let them climb onto it but told them to be careful because he hadn’t installed the safety net around the trampoline. So his boys cautiously crept to the middle of the…
live forward
Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions (Ecclesiastes 7:10).
Several of my Facebook friends have been posting photos about their yester-years. It triggers some nostalgic moments for me. Spurring such a mood is my current phase of unpacking my boxes containing all kinds of stuff that reminds…
covenant eyes
A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2006 revealed that children who watch media with high levels of sexual content tend to be more sexually promiscuous. Researchers studied 1,017 adolescents, ages 12 to 14, over a period of 2 years. During that time, the teenagers were tracked as they took in varying amounts of sexual content in…
letting go
Li Yue fell hard for Hou You Jing. They were from the same province, shared a love for badminton and western movies, and—as if by fate—met while working second shift at a microchip processor company in Shenzhen. Li Yue couldn’t stand to be apart from Hou You Jing, and she didn’t notice that her constant calls and weekend plans were…
single or married
As a single woman, for years my view of marriage was based more on what it takes from a life than what it can add to it. But over time, I’ve been able to better understand marriage by studying God’s Word.
In 1 Corinthians 7:8-9, Paul’s general advice is that it’s better to stay unmarried because of the opportunities it…
