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Dating and Romance: Practical Principles

In the previous blog I laid some foundation for how to think about dating and romance. I now want to build on that foundation and discuss practice. Which practices help produce a healthy dating relationship? So here we go. Keep Christ first Marriage is merely a picture.  Your relationship with Jesus is the reality that marriage portrays.  Dating is just a preliminary to the picture of the reality.  Why would you sacrifice the reality in order to gain a preliminary step to a picture of that reality?  Maintain your relationship with Christ throughout the romance.  If the romance causes you…

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Dating and Romance

Your love is better than wine. (Song of Solomon 1:2) The greatest earthly blessings are often the greatest distractions from God.  Nowhere is this statement illustrated more clearly than in the issue of romantic relationships.  Sometimes God greatly blesses a man and woman by giving them each other; and when He does, the result is wondrously beautiful.  It can be a blessing beyond description, as it has been for Leanne and me. But it is precisely the beauty of romance that creates the distraction.  One of the most common stumbling blocks for a godly man is a girl, and one…

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The Christian and Work

For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.  Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own bread. (II Thess 3:11-12) I made great works.  I built houses and planted vineyards for myself.  I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees.  I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees . . . Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended…

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The Christian and Fasting

“When you fast . . .” (Mt 6:16-7) Father, may my life be yours.  Christian disciplines are a normal part of a healthy Christian life.  Time in the Scriptures, prayer, giving, service, and sharing your faith are all disciplines I have already discussed.  And while Christians may not practice these disciplines well, they generally agree that they ought to.  Today, however, I want to deal with a discipline that may be the least practiced of them all, and part of the reason for the lag in practice is that many Christians do not think they ought to practice it.  I…

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Tell Them

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . (Matthew 28:19) But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (I Peter 3:15-16) Lord, you have put me on Earth to proclaim your name.  Be gracious to me and grant me boldness and wisdom and clarity as I do…

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