S.W.A.P. ABUNDANT LIFE SINGLES MINISTRY

The topic is about having intimacy (sex) before marriage to see if there is compatibility there. The reality is, it doesn’t matter what subject we are discussing, if you are a born again Christian and you are trusting God with your life, then you definitely must trust His Word, God’s Words must be trusted at all cost. Anytime we feel that our way is better than God’s way there is a huge problem. The thing that normally leads to this false independence is “pride.” God is the creator of everything and we must trust that His way is the only way, no matter what the topic!



Lets get back to the topic at hand. Why would God say don’t fornicate, don’t have sexual intimacy before marriage? I’m sure there are many reasons, one being, this is an expression of love that is to be done in a predetermined covenant of love (i.e. marriage.) Sex is not a window shopping, let’s see it, try it on, and see if it fits, decision. Intimacy glues, ties, and exchanges souls, the two shall become one, and you wouldn’t want to do that with just anybody… I hope. Taking a few moments to look at God’s way shows us how awesome this intimacy is suppose to be. Imagine two people, just married, knowing nothing about sexual intimacy, being new clay with no existing impressions, ready to mold and be molded, making a shape of love that only they share. Both being a student of the other, learning and expressing what has been learned, tailor making an intimacy, a fingerprint of their love alone, something that can’t be shared by anyone else…Wow! Learning each other and created to please each other, not bringing in something they learned from someone else or some fly-by relationship. Sex was never suppose to be a matter of experience but a creation of new love between husband and wife. This is completely contrary to the worlds way of thinking, but completely correspondent to the Word. In most areas in society we look for the person with the most experience to hire for a job, to fix our car, or to do handy work around our home, but sex and intimacy was meant to be a blank canvas…fresh, new, and ready for a masterpiece. The experience in true intimacy begins with the married couple, not beforehand. Being new, fresh, and a student is key in every aspect of the relationship, whether it is communication, emotional connections, or physical connections, all are meant to be learned, not something you could possibly know ahead of time. So what I am saying is, “trust God and His ways, His ways are always the best way!


P. Nette


Scriptures for reference:
1Thessalonians 4:3, Acts 15:20, Hebrews 4:15, Psalms 139:13-16

There are many stages of singleness. There are those that have never been married and anxiously await a mate. There are those who have been married or cohabitated at sometime or another, but now find themselves single and would like to marry again. Then there is that special group that are single and have no desire what –so- ever to marry (this is not me lol). I kind of laugh when I say that I do not have the gift of singleness because when I say this to someone, I often get the response, “you can’t tell, I thought you were happy the way you are”. I have thought about this and come to the conclusion that I am content (ready to accept) where I am because I believe this is where God intends for me to be at this time.
I think about where I was spiritually few years ago and where I am today and I can see how I have changed and grown, and how this has affected every other aspect of my life. Had I married then, I wonder what my marriage would be like today (if it survived at all). I certainly was not looking for the same qualities in a mate then as I am now, and I would not have attracted the same qualities in a mate then that I do now.
Depending upon which state of singleness you are in your desires will vary. But, if you are in the category that so many of us find ourselves in, looking for a mate (if you are a man) or waiting for a mate (if you are a woman), learn to be content where you are. Use this time of singleness to work on yourself, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Get involved with other Christian singles; find one that you can talk to openly and honestly about your concerns or what you may be experiencing. You will find the path a lot easier when you allow others to walk it with you.
I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment, ask a question or just say hi. Be blessed.

Billie

Is love a feeling? Is love the way you look at someone or the way they look at you? Do you use the same word to describe your favorite food or sport team that you do to describe your relationship with your children?

Something to think about. Love is the very nature of God. Love is so much more than an adjective. Love is a choice.

Hey guys, change of plans. We did not get our reservations for Bella Luna in, in time and they sold out :( So we will be going to Dave and Busters instead. If you have never been there before you will love it and if you have then you already know the great time that is in store. We will still meet at the church at 5:45. See you then.

Hey SWAP, we have finalized our Valentine's Day plans!

We will meet at the church (890 Hwy 19) at 5:30pm Saturday, Feb. 13th. We'll have dinner in Jacksonville and then head to MOSH for Bella Luna (dessert under the stars). It promises to be a great time. The price for dinner should be between $10-$20 and the price for Bella Luna is $18. If you are interested in going and have not already signed up please post a comment or email me at abundantlifeswap@gmail.com. See ya there!

Just thought I would post a little encouragement from my man Fred. Wait on the Lord!!!!

Alright singles are you ready for something new? I am. I am so excited about the vision God has for ABL, and of course I have to give props to our Pastors. They have really been bringing the word.

The baptism Sunday was awesome. Although it was a symbolic gesture, I felt new and renewed when I came out of that water. I have already begun to make life changes both spiritual and physical, this promises to be a year filled with new experiences (have I mentioned how excited I am!!).

I am looking for new things for the singles ministry to get involved in. I need your input. Tell me what you would like to see our ministry accomplish this year. We need some fun fellowship ideas as well as ideas for outreach. Oh...speaking of fellowship, Valentines Day is coming up, what do you guys want to do. Let me know.

Talk to you later..