1. CHRISTIAN COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
Genesis 24:1-67
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

2. Time to pray is now!

3. FINDING A TRUE LIFE PARTNER
Genesis 24:1-67

4. Wrong Reasons for Wanting to get married
Sex
Disappointment
Getting even
Escape from parents
Pregnancy
Money
etc

5. Right Reasons for Wanting to get married
LOVE
Loneliness-companionship
Maturity
Procreation
God’s purpose

6. Remember To be single is a privilege Maximize your singlehood
Not everybody will marry in this life e.g. Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle, e.t.c.
Marriage is a privilege also ordained by God as the first institution or ordinance
Before Marriage the following are necessary:
a. Physical maturity
b. Mental maturity
c. Spiritual maturity
d. Financial maturity
e. Educational maturity

7. You wont be young forever! The flower of your age!
First miss India in 1947
NOW!

8. Apart from your decision to accept Christ, this is the most crucial decision of your life!

9. About 80% of your chance of going to heaven and of being successful in life depends on your life partner!

10. Most modern day marriages end in divorce!

11. A good marriage and a successful marriage contrasted

12. The mystery of the rib
The rib bone is one of the few bones mentioned by name in Scripture. Genesis 2:20b–22 states, “But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” Matthew Henry states, “That the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.

13. Isaiah 34:16 Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together

14. A True Life partner Belong to same faith: Vs 3-4 cf 2Cor. 6:14-18
There must be a finding: vs 10 cf Prov. 18:22; 31:10
Must be obtained prayerfully and meditatively: vs12, 63
Must be obtained in the way of righteousness: vs 16
Should be with parental approval: vs 3
Must be a willing partner: vs 57-58
Must be someone you truly love: vs 67

15. Qualities of a good suitor
Maturity
Love for God
Love for you
Love for others-be kind to all!
Character(the content not the container) & Habits
Diligence
Vision(lack of vision leads to materialism and mundane considerations)-faith!

16. Knowing your true Life Partner Genesis 2:21 ¶ And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man And Adam said This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh
Love(Genesis 2:24)
Intuition-”the still small voice”(1Kgs 19:11-12)
Peace(Phil. 4:6-7)
Confirmations through others(2Cor. 13:1)
Others-dreams, visions, prophecies, etc

17. Proposing Consult your pastor and/or an elder Be natural Be sensitive
Avoid distractions
Do not sound ambiguous
Say exactly what you want!
The worse you will get is a No!
Don't assume you are in a relationship!

18. Responding
Prayerfully
Promptly

19. No perfect partner!

20. Courtship Different from dating
A time between saying “yes” and the wedding day
Things to do together-prayer, Bible study, witnessing, church, social gatherings, cell group meetings, etc
Get to know each other well enough
Don't pretend-a time to quarrel!
Get to know each other’s families
Holiness-2Tim. 2:22; 1Tim. 5:1-2-Avoid sex and its younger brothers!
Forgiving the past! Everyone has a past!
Don't court forever!

21. Pre-marital sex forbidden
1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
1 Corinthians 10:8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did- and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

22. Duration of Courtship No hard and fast rules!
Not too long and not too short!
But must have a wedding date plan in mind

23. The Wedding Types of weddings/marriages Choosing a date
Financial prudence-Dont waste money!
Good organisation
The “Saturday”
The honey moon

24. Make your wedding as simple as possible!

25. Its your Day!

26. Satan has vowed to destroy Christian homes and families. Rev
Satan has vowed to destroy Christian homes and families! Rev. 12:12 Therefore rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ

27. 2Tim. 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away

28. The Christian home and family like Christ and the Church!
Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

29. A message for Families The unsaved spouse and children
The Family altar
Unending love

30. Another Life The real life begins Adjustments and Readjustments
In-laws
Children
Ministry
The error of Eli-1Samuel 2:21-26

31. All will be well
God has made every provision for your success in marriage