Audio: Download and Listen
Topics: Dating, Depression, Add, Marriage
Hosts: Steve Arterburn, Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. Sheri Denham
Caller Questions:
- I would like to hear more on the gift of singleness.
- The woman I am dating is being treated for depression.
- I have ADD. Shall I stop smoking?
- Shall I stay in my marriage until my son’s graduation?
Suggested Resources:
Walking Into Walls
Necessary Endings
Link to New Life Live: January 23, 2012
January 23, 2012 at 10:42 pm
I relate to the first caller. I would also like to see more people become ‘whole’ before they are even allowed to even think about marriage. I think this is why there are so many problems in marriages. It seems nearly impossible to find good Christian men, because there are so many hard-up women pursuing men. I used the words ‘hard up’ to be nice, because the word I really wanted to use was much worse. So often people lack patience, and are so desperate to hook up with anyone. I wish there were more singles groups in churches. It seems every church focuses on kids and families. Ho hum.
I would be so happy to find a church for adults!
January 24, 2012 at 10:44 am
I agree, marriage is over-valued and singleness under-valued in our American church culture. However, kids and families is no “ho-hum” matter. You can argue that two Christians having kids may be one of the most efficient ways the kingdom is being propagated today. The form of evangelism with perhaps the best chance for success. But that only happens successfully if marriages and families are strong in the Lord, which is why churches tend to put emphasis on the family and employ a family minister and stuff like that. It’s HIGHLY important, especially today when more and more families are falling apart. Additionally, the New Testament makes it VERY clear that families were living together in churches with singles, and vice-versa. In other words, today we cannot be exclusive with our groups. Singles need to learn how to be church along with families while at the same time seeking encouragement from other singles. Likewise, families have to lean to be church with singles while at the same time seeking encouragement from other families. Separation of age groups, ethnic groups, economic groups, and other demographic groups is happening way too much in today’s churches, and that’s clearly not the vision of the church that God calls us to. There is “neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
January 26, 2012 at 2:06 pm
So agree, Hunter. When the church is always subgrouped into singles, ages, etc, we miss so much of what it is to be the church. As a single, I appreciate when families “take me in.” There is more comfort there than being in a singles group and feeling like it’s a glorified dating service.