HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT HUSBAND/WIFE Practical Advice from the Apostle Paul I Corinthians 7

Who was it? He worked at Mini Putt and she played Mini Putt until she was sick of it!

Who was it? When she was a freshman she joined the ministry team he was on.

Who was it? She was dating his roommate.

Who was it? He sat in front of her in class at Vennard.

Freshman / Sophomore Year Verse: “I would not have you ignorant brethren” Ro. 1:13 (KJV)

Junior Year Verse: “I looked for a man among them” Ezek. 22:30 (NIV)

Senior Year Verse: “If any man will come after me, let him” Matt. 16:24 (KJV)

 Quit Looking

Quit looking Survey of 1,000 Female College Students 83% - “Being married is a very important goal for me”83% - “Being married is a very important goal for me” 63% - “I would like to meet my future husband in college.”63% - “I would like to meet my future husband in college.”

Quit looking “... Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife.” I Co. 7:27b (NIV)

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness

Seriously consider singleness “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am.” I Co.7:8

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage

Make the most of the single advantage “Our culture in general, and the Christian subculture in particular, fosters in young women a desire for marriage and the presumption that marriage will be part of life sooner rather than later. But reality regularly departs from the script. Almost six out of ten women today are not married by age twenty-five. Three out of ten are not married by age thirty.” – Jennifer Marshall, Now and Not Yet: Making Sense of Single Life in the Twenty-First Century

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage  Go Slow

Go Slow “Treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity” I Tim. 5:2

Go Slow LOVE IS BLIND!!

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage  Go Slow  Avoid Fanning the Flames of Physical Intimacy

Avoid fanning the flames of physical intimacy “If they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.” I Co. 7:9 (NLT) “But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.” I Co. 7:36 (NLT)

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage  Go Slow  Avoid Fanning the Flames of Physical Intimacy  Build Mutually Edifying Relationships

Build mutually edifying relationships “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband.” I Co. 7:14 (NIV) “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife? ” I Co. 7:16 (NIV)

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage  Go Slow  Avoid Fanning the Flames of Physical Intimacy  Build Mutually Edifying Relationships  Build Relationships That Enhance Your Ability to Serve God

Build relationships that enhance your ability to serve God “I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best... ” I Co. 7:35 (NLT)

 Quit Looking  Seriously Consider Singleness  Make the Most of the Single Advantage  Go Slow  Avoid Fanning the Flames of Physical Intimacy  Build Mutually Edifying Relationships  Build Relationships That Enhance Your Ability to Serve God