Category: Spiritually Preparing for Marriage

2 Corinthians 7:9 (NLT) “Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.” No matter how many steps…

“Have you met anyone yet?” Carla hesitated. That question always stirred something heavy in her chest. Instead of answering, she gave a soft smile and changed the subject. She didn’t want to say it—not again. That she was still single. Still waiting. Still watching from the sidelines as life moved forward for everyone else. Year…

Luke 12:48 (NLT) “But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” When you know, you know. We say it all the time…

Wrestling with Desire, Faith, and God’s Timing Romans 7:15–17 (NLT) “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good.…

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT): “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves…

Numbers 6:24–26 (NLT) “May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” When You Feel Overlooked Sometimes we think we’ve been overlooked by God. Like maybe He forgot to add us to the…

Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT) says, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again… that anyone living that sort of…

1 John 2:15 (NLT): “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” We can’t touch love, or see it—but who would argue that it isn’t real? When you love someone and they hurt you, it…

Time is passing with increased momentum, and for many single followers of Christ, fear begins to settle in. They wonder if anything will ever change. A fulfilling life with someone to walk through it with feels less like a dream waiting to happen—and more like a dream slowly slipping away. But Matthew 16:19 (NLT) gives…

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  If we pull back the layers and reveal the depth of our desire for marriage, many of our hearts would reveal…

Proverbs 5:21 (NIV) “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.” If we pull back all the layers of our emotional turmoil and doubt, we often find that at the root is a deep longing for more out of life. We want to expand and express ourselves…

There’s something powerful about presence. It’s not just about someone physically being around—it’s about how their presence makes you feel anchored, known, and seen. When someone is present in your life, especially someone you trust and love, their nearness brings a certain strength. You feel more confident. More secure. But when that presence is suddenly…

John 6:26-27,35 (NLT) “26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For…

Exodus 16:16-18 (NLT) “16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had…

Matthew 16:19(NLT) “Jesus Christ said ‘And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.’” Sometimes, when it seems that a situation is just hopeless, it’s not always the easiest thing to…

“He’ll come when you aren’t looking.” If you’re in wait mode for the one God has ordained to walk with you through life, you’ve probably heard this phrase more times than you can count. Of course, it’s said by well-meaning people—those who know that this has been on our hearts and prayers for a while.…

1 Peter 3:12-13(NLT) “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers.  But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” The kind of knowledge and instruction that is found in 1 Peter is not the kind that is typically taught in grade…

Proverbs 19:2-3 (NLT) “2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes. 3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” God commands us to renew our minds, and this is one of the most impactful and essential exercises for anyone committed to living a life of…

Hosea 6:3(NLT) “Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” As believers and followers of Christ, sometimes it is necessary for us to remind ourselves of the truths that…

Colossians 2:10 (NLT) “So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” When a relationship falls apart, the pain can really make us question who we are. It can be deeply challenging to remember that our worth isn’t tied to what someone else thinks of…

1 John 3:16-17 The Message (MSG) “This is how we have come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means…

What happens when a couple wants to take their relationship to the next level of commitment but can’t seem to get past their lack of trust with one another? First things first—what does the Word of God say? It’s our guidebook for every circumstance we could ever experience. And in this case, it’s clear: before…