1. Dating and Relationships
Knowing what we’re aiming for

2. What is dating?

3. What is dating?
“to be in the early stages of a relationship where they go out on dates to find out what each other is like, as a prelude to actually being a fully fledged couple”
The way we view dating and practice dating has everything to do with what God has said about marriage, sexuality, and how guys and girls should relate to each other

4. Ephesians 5:25-32
“Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish…for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

5. What this means
This helps us understand why God has given us the commands he has about marriage and sexuality.
It’s not about Don’t do this until…God’s word says, when you have entered a covenant relationship with someone, then you’ll be able to live out this beautiful picture of my love for my people. But until you’re married, you can’t live out this picture. It’s impossible. So God’s commands are about us understanding His love for us and living out this picture of His love for us.
If you try to live out sexuality or marriage without actually being married, you’re breaking God’s image of His love, you’re disobeying God’s commands, and you’re trying to make sexuality or this relationship something it wasn’t intended to be and can’t do, and there will be significant consequences.

6. What this means
This means that any dating relationships should first and foremost be displaying and encouraging each other to display God’s character and love.
This friendship between a guy and a girl should encourage each other to know Christ and love Christ more
This friendship should be involved in serving others and being a part of God’s community, it shouldn’t isolate you from people

7. 1 Cor. 10 and Mark 12
“Whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “Love God, then do what you want.”

8. What this means
If we love God supremely, the things we want to do will be things that demonstrate our love, obedience, and respect for God!
Every time we cross boundaries or get off track with dating and relationships it is because our heart wants something, is finding satisfaction in something, more than it wants God.
So if you will love Him wholly, the questions of dating will sort themselves out under that.

9. What should I do now?
Prepare to be the kind of person a godly person would want to marry.
Second, Communicate with and obey your parents.
Third, Know that our culture has very different goals with dating, so be careful not to adopt their standards and expectations.