ROMANCE 101

Biblical & Practical Answers To

Romantic Relationships
RECAP
1. Why Biblical Foundations?
2. Dating
3. Courtship
4. Counterfeit Oneness and fake relationships
5. Singleness as a gift
6. Pure friendship
7. Good choice or God’s choice?
8. How do I prepare?
9.
10.
LESSON 8: HOW DO I Cecilia & Edwin
PREPARE? Injugu
3 PREPARATION QUESTIONS

Why should you prepare for marriage?

Which areas should you prepare in?

How do you prepare?

WHY SHOULD YOU
PREPARE?
GOD CALLS US TO PREPARE
“If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then
he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.”
(Ecclesiastes 10:10,
NKJV)

“Make plans by seeking advice; if you wage war, obtain

guidance.”
(Proverbs 20:18 NIV)
ISN’T MARRIAGE OBVIOUS?
MARRIAGE ISN’T OBVIOUS!
EPHESIANS 21-33
21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
22
Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is
the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the
Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their
husbands in everything.
25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to
make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her
to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and
blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who
loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and
care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will
become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the
church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife
must respect her husband.
1 PETER 3:1-7
Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of
them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior
of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty
should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the
wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner
self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in
God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in
God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own
husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her
daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
7
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat
them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of
life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
A NEW WAY TO LOVE

Headship is the divine calling of a husband to take primary

responsibility for Christ-like servant-leadership, protection, and
provision in the home.

Submission is the divine calling of a wife to honor and affirm

WILL YOU BE WISE OR
FOOLISH?
Matthew 7: 24 “Therefore everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock. 25 The rain came down,
the streams rose, and the winds blew and
beat against that house; yet it did not fall,
because it had its foundation on the rock. 26
But everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not put them into practice is like a
foolish man who built his house on sand. 27
The rain came down, the streams rose, and
the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell with a great crash.”
WILL YOU BE WISE OR
FOOLISH?
Are you on the path to life
OR
are you on the path to destruction?

Are you building on solid Rock

OR
are you building on sand?
WHICH AREAS SHOULD
YOU PREPARE?
 PREPARATION BEGETS
PRACTICE
 Discuss the hard things now

 Set patterns of spiritual leadership

 Your individual God-ward fellowship is vital

 Be intentional about your expressions of love and care

PURITY
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own
body in holiness and honor,
(1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 ESV)
HOSPITALITY
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some
have entertained angels unawares.
(Hebrews 13:2 ESV)
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against
all sound judgment.
(Proverbs 18:1 ESV)
 PARENTING

Psalm 127:3-5 New International Version (NIV)

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the
hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full
of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
HOW DO YOU
PREPARE?
1. MAINTAIN A CLOSE WALK
WITH GOD
Read the Word
Meditate on the Word
Let the Gospel sink in your heart
2. PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN
YOUR CHURCH
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.
(Hebrews 10:25 NIV)
3. GAIN PRACTICAL SKILLS
4. READ & LISTEN TO SOUND
TEACHING
The Bible – Especially the book of Proverbs.

“A Guy’s Guide to Marrying Well” and “A Girl’s Guide to

Marrying Well”
(www.boundless.org )

“Love and Marriage” by Voddie Baucham ( www.youtube.com )

“Preparation for Marriage” by John piper

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS