Embracing Seasons: A God-First Approach to Relationships
Summary
In today's gathering, we celebrate a significant milestone as we officially open our university campus, marking a new chapter for our church community. This moment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of many, and it is a reminder of the vibrant and growing fellowship we are building together. As we welcome new members, I want to emphasize that while no church or pastor is perfect, our commitment to loving God, loving people, and serving others remains steadfast. We encourage everyone to "stick for six" weeks to truly experience what God is doing here.
Our current series, "God First," has been a journey through understanding what it means to put God first in every aspect of our lives. Today, we focus on a topic that resonates with many: being single and sold out to God. In a world that often promotes self-indulgence, living a God-first life requires surrendering every area to Christ's lordship. We explore this through the lens of the Song of Solomon, a unique biblical book that uses allegory to describe love, intimacy, and courtship.
Singleness is a season of preparation, where God works beneath the surface to strengthen and prepare us for future seasons. It's crucial not to rush through this time but to allow God to shape us into the person we are meant to be. As we progress in relationships, we encounter a season of perfection, where everything seems ideal. However, it's essential to recognize this as a temporary phase and to set boundaries to safeguard our hearts and maintain a God-first lifestyle.
Finally, we enter a season of progression, where relationships mature and deepen beyond physical attraction. This is a time for honest communication about our past and future plans, ensuring alignment in values and goals. Throughout these stages, protecting our purity is paramount, as it aligns with God's design for relationships and attracts His favor.
In every season, whether single or in a relationship, the call is to live fully surrendered to Christ. Only through complete surrender can we experience the fullness of God's power and grace in our lives.
Key Takeaways:
- Season of Preparation: Singleness is a time for God to work beneath the surface, strengthening and preparing us for future seasons. Embrace this period as an opportunity to surrender everything to God and establish Christ-honoring priorities. [23:41]
- Season of Perfection: In relationships, the initial phase of infatuation can be misleading. Recognize it as a temporary season and set boundaries to maintain a God-first lifestyle. True love is rooted in commitment beyond this phase. [35:35]
- Season of Progression: As relationships mature, honest communication about past experiences and future plans is crucial. This transparency helps avoid future frustrations and ensures alignment in values and goals. [35:35]
- Protecting Purity: In a world that promotes self-indulgence, maintaining purity is challenging but essential for attracting God's favor. Anything God-given works best when God-governed, including relationships and marriage. [35:35]
- Complete Surrender: The power of a fully surrendered life to Christ cannot be overstated. Partial surrender limits our experience of God's fullness. True transformation and blessing come when we give all of ourselves to God. [35:35]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:45] - Grand Opening Celebration
- [02:30] - Invitation to Newcomers
- [04:15] - Importance of God's Word
- [05:30] - Series Overview: God First
- [07:00] - Focus on Singleness
- [09:00] - Personal Story: First Date
- [14:00] - Introduction to Song of Solomon
- [16:30] - Season of Preparation
- [23:41] - Season of Perfection
- [28:00] - Setting Boundaries
- [35:35] - Season of Progression
- [40:00] - Protecting Purity
- [45:00] - Complete Surrender to Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 - "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
2. Song of Solomon 2:11-12 - "See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land."
3. Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens."
Observation Questions:
1. What does the sermon suggest is the significance of the "season of preparation" during singleness? [23:41]
2. How does the Song of Solomon use allegory to describe the different stages of relationships? [35:35]
3. According to the sermon, what are the three things that should be limited during the "season of perfection"? [23:41]
4. What does the pastor mean by "complete surrender" to Christ, and why is it emphasized as crucial? [35:35]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of "putting God first" in every area of life challenge the cultural norms of self-indulgence? [23:41]
2. In what ways does the "season of progression" encourage deeper understanding and communication in relationships? [35:35]
3. How does the sermon interpret the role of purity in attracting God's favor in relationships? [35:35]
4. What does the sermon imply about the dangers of a "partially surrendered life" to Christ? [35:35]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current season of life. How can you embrace it as a time of preparation and surrender to God? [23:41]
2. In what ways can you set healthy boundaries in your relationships to maintain a God-first lifestyle? [23:41]
3. How can you practice honest communication about your past and future plans in your relationships? [35:35]
4. What specific steps can you take to protect your purity in a world that promotes self-indulgence? [35:35]
5. Consider an area of your life that may not be fully surrendered to Christ. What changes can you make to align it with God's will? [35:35]
6. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of your partner's heart and soul, beyond physical attraction? [35:35]
7. Identify one way you can demonstrate complete surrender to Christ in your daily life this week. [35:35]
Devotional
Day 1: Embrace the Season of Singleness
In the season of singleness, God is at work beneath the surface, preparing individuals for future seasons of life. This time should not be rushed, but rather embraced as an opportunity to surrender every aspect of life to God and establish Christ-honoring priorities. Singleness is a unique period where one can focus on personal growth and spiritual development, allowing God to shape them into the person they are meant to be. By fully surrendering to God's plan during this time, individuals can lay a strong foundation for future relationships and endeavors. [23:41]
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, ESV)
Reflection: How can you intentionally use your current season of singleness to grow closer to God and prepare for the future He has for you?
Day 2: Recognize the Temporary Nature of Infatuation
The initial phase of a relationship, often marked by infatuation, can be misleading. It is essential to recognize this as a temporary season and to set boundaries that maintain a God-first lifestyle. True love is rooted in commitment and goes beyond the fleeting emotions of infatuation. By setting boundaries, individuals can protect their hearts and ensure that their relationships are built on a solid foundation of mutual respect and shared values. This approach aligns with God's design for relationships and helps to foster lasting, meaningful connections. [35:35]
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23, ESV)
Reflection: What boundaries can you set in your relationships to ensure they are honoring to God and built on a foundation of true love and commitment?
Day 3: Communicate Openly in Mature Relationships
As relationships mature, it is crucial to engage in honest communication about past experiences and future plans. This transparency helps to avoid future frustrations and ensures alignment in values and goals. By discussing important topics openly, couples can build a strong partnership that is grounded in mutual understanding and respect. This season of progression allows relationships to deepen beyond physical attraction, fostering a connection that is both emotionally and spiritually fulfilling. [35:35]
"Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." (Ephesians 4:25, ESV)
Reflection: What important conversations do you need to have with your partner to ensure your relationship is aligned with your shared values and goals?
Day 4: Maintain Purity in a Self-Indulgent World
In a world that often promotes self-indulgence, maintaining purity is challenging but essential for attracting God's favor. Anything God-given works best when God-governed, including relationships and marriage. By prioritizing purity, individuals can align their lives with God's design and experience the blessings that come from living according to His will. This commitment to purity requires intentionality and discipline, but it ultimately leads to a more fulfilling and God-honoring life. [35:35]
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you actively pursue purity in your life, and how can this pursuit draw you closer to God's favor and blessings?
Day 5: Experience the Power of Complete Surrender
The power of a fully surrendered life to Christ cannot be overstated. Partial surrender limits one's experience of God's fullness, while true transformation and blessing come when individuals give all of themselves to God. By surrendering every area of life to Christ, individuals can experience the fullness of God's power and grace, leading to a life that is rich in purpose and meaning. This complete surrender is a daily commitment that requires trust and faith in God's perfect plan. [35:35]
"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
Well, good morning to you, Canvas. It is an exciting, exciting day. We want to take a moment to welcome not only the men at the Gainesville work camp that we love so much and minister to every week that join us online. But let's just take a moment and for those that are joining us today for our official grand opening of the university campus today. Can we just do that? Such a big deal. Such a big deal. Thank you. [00:06:17] (24 seconds)
Man, for six months, we have been working so hard on the facility, and we are so grateful. I just got a text from Pastor Robbie just a moment ago, standing room only at the university campus this morning, and the first service, and we got a whole nother service to go. And if you're in that room, and you're the one standing along the wall, hang in there. We're going to work on more service times for you and work something out. It's going to be all right. [00:06:43] (24 seconds)
There are no perfect churches, they do not exist, because we are just people. We are all flawed and a little jacked up and broken in some way, but you have walked into an incredibly healthy fellowship and a beautiful fellowship full of people that are deeply committed to the preaching of God's word, to loving God, loving people, and serving others with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. [00:07:41] (24 seconds)
But before we made another shift again as we progressed towards Easter, I just felt so oddly directed that I didn't want to leave out this very, very important group of people that happens to represent a very large constituency in our church. And so today, what I want to talk about is I want to talk about how to be single and still sold out to God. [00:12:00] (22 seconds)
And I used to see these things on the side. I would blow dry my hair and I would blow dry these big wings out on the side, okay? And it just was freaking awesome is what it really was. I mean, it was awesome everywhere I went. And I don't know why I did it, but I just looked like I could fly away any second, right? [00:13:38] (18 seconds)
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