Love Stinks: Created for Relationships

[1:1] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. [2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2 ESV) [26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” [27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. [28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28 ESV) [31] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31 ESV) [15] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. [16] And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, [17] but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” [18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” [19] Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. [20] The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. [21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. [22] And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. [23] Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” [24] Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [25] And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. (Genesis 2:15-25 ESV) [22] And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24] By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25] and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. [26] They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:22-27 ESV) Outine: I. 2 Messages from our culture on relationships: __________________________ & ____________________________. II. 2 Messages from God on relationships: _______________________________ & ______________________________. Discussion Questions: 1. Are you a person who is more jaded and cynical about relationships or optimistic and romantic about relationships? Why is this? What is it about your personality/experience, or other factors that has led you to this place? 2. In what ways does the culture ultimately leave both extremes broken and without hope or fulfillment? 3. What are ways that you will change your posture toward relationships if the two messages from God about the bible are true? 4. What new purpose and resolve and vision did the message give for getting out of bed in the morning? 5. Depending on if you are a cynic or a romantic when it comes to relationships, how do you need to ask God to help your belief in Jesus being applied to your life? Schedule: Dating  Relationships- RUF Style. Love Stinks- Waiting, Dating, and Mating” Jan 16- Created for Relationships, Gen 1-2 Jan 23- Relationships Ruined,  Gen 3 Jan 30- Fallout: Whores, Donkey Dongs, Horse Emissions- Jesus and our idols. Ezekiel 16 & 23 Feb 6- Friendship & Community, 1 John 1:1-10 Feb 13- S-E-X is a gift that tells a story with your body, Eph 5; Feb 20- Sex in Dating Eph 5; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Feb 27- Sex in Marriage Eph 5; 1 Cor 6:12-20 Mar 6- Sex is Fun: The Joy of Biblical, Married, Orgasmic Sex. Song of Solomon Mar 13-Who to date? Studly Men 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Mar 27- Who to date? Beautiful Women Prov 31; 1 Peter 3:1-6 Apr 3- Dating and Love- 1 Corinthians 13; 1 John 4:1-10 Apr 10- Come and hear Coach Spates’ Story of Rescue (baby week) Apr 17- Dating and the Breakup: Single & Ready to Mingle Colossians 3:12-14; Apr 24- Get Married or Breakup, Hosea 1, 11. May 1- An Invitation to the Wedding Revelation 19