Singleness, whether a mere season in one’s life or a permanent calling, is a time ripe with tremendous opportunity but also grave temptation.  As others today have pointed out, singleness affords wonderful opportunities for ministry and missions that would be otherwise impossible while in a relationship.  It would be a mistake however, if we didn’t also acknowledge the hardships of singleness.  In prolonged singleness there is loneliness, sadness and frustration at being unable to find a mate, a sense of social awkwardness when spending time with couples, and the trial of sexual temptation.

In this article, we will briefly discuss the cluster of challenges and temptations involved in maintaining sexual purity while single and how the joy of Jesus Christ can fill those longings. [...]

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the does of the field, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. -The Song of Solomon 2:7

Temptation is remarkably tricky. By itself, removed from its own disastrous context, temptation looks amazing, it feels so alluring, and it offers so much promise. But that is not the full face of temptation. Context tells us the rest of the story. [...]

Have you ever wondered why God commands us to be virgins until we are married?  Why is it so bad to have more than one sexual partner?  Why is premarital sex a sin?  In this article, Tyler Smith tackles these hard questions and then some. [...]

Have you ever noticed that although our culture glorifies anonymous sex, casual sex, and sex without commitment we still believe sex is a really big deal. It is primarily on the college campus that people promote the lie that sex is not a big deal, but even on the campus it seems that we cannot escape the truth. Having sex, our sexuality, and not having sex is always a big deal to us. [...]

At one time in my life I was guilty of preaching a gospel I did not fully understand.  As a young Christian who was on fire for God, like most new Christians, I had a great deal of zeal that coupled with very little biblical knowledge. [...]

According to a poll taken by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2007, “Over 12 million unmarried partners live together in 6,008,007 households.” The same poll indicated that the number of cohabiting unmarried partners increased by 88% between 1990 and 2007.[1] Other sources show that the majority of couples marrying today lived together before tying the knot.[2] Unless one has lived in a hole for the past hundred years, it is not difficult to observe the moral decline that seems to permeate the cultural horizon of America and the world. One thing is for sure: Cohabitating has become the norm for unmarried couples.

If we as Christians are to be responsible creatures, then we need to give thoughtful and intelligent responses to such a reality. How are Christians to react to those individuals who, with glee, announce for all the world to hear, “We’re moving in together!”? Should we smack them over their heads with a Bible and pronounce judgment? This doesn’t quite seem to be the most appropriate and tactful way to approach the situation. For many, this is a very important step in life. A new chapter of their lives is being unfolded before them. It is an exciting time for them and a huge leap forward in their relationship. Should we as Christians join them in their jubilance?

Surprisingly enough, this trend seems to be catching on not only among the non-Christian population but also among those who profess Christ (maybe these are the ones who need to be smacked over their heads with a Bible). Churches and Christian families must regularly deal with this dilemma. Christians—that is genuine Christians—stand beneath the authority of Scripture. We as Christians, therefore, are to consult Scripture for answers concerning life’s questions and all of life’s moral issues. The Bible does not explicitly say, “Thou shall not live together before marriage.” However, it does speak to this issue.

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What is Great Commission Dating?

Classic boy meets girl. Nobody escapes relations with the opposite sex, but strangely I don’t know many people who want to escape it. Rather, the thrill of love captivates every man and woman in the world. Here in the U.S., we start at an early age seeking that middle school sweet heart.

With each passing year, the consensus has become the expression of love comes through dating. Maybe it’s the surprising number of failed marriages or maybe it’s the rise of a postmodern worldview, but the goal of love is not necessarily marriage anymore. The Christian worldview that God created man and woman to leave their parents and hold fast to one another in a covenant called marriage has fast faded. What have been left are men and women with tons of emotional baggage as they try to navigate through love.

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