LOVE AND DATING – Pursuing purity, purpose, and patience Love And... – Part 2 5/4/2025 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a ESV 1. Love in Dating is Patient and Pure (v. 4) “Love is patient and kind…” I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem… that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases. Song of Songs 2:7 ESV 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, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 ESV Purity protects—not prohibits—intimacy. True love waits and respects God’s timing and the other person’s dignity. 2. Love in Dating Does Not Envy or Boast (v. 4) “...love does not envy or boast...” But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition… this is not the wisdom that comes down from above. James 3:14–16 ESV Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 ESV In dating, comparison kills contentment. Your relationship should not be a performance for others. 3. Love in Dating Honors God Above Feelings (v. 5–6) “It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful... it does not rejoice at wrongdoing…” Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind… Romans 12:2 ESV - Culture says, “Follow your heart”; God says, “Guard your heart.” - A dating relationship should never encourage sin or compromise. - When your feelings contradict God’s Word, love submits to the truth. 4. Love in Dating Pursues Truth and Trust (v. 6–7) “...rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things…” Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet? Amos 3:3 ESV Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV - Is your dating relationship grounded in truth, trust, and shared values? - Truth in dating means honesty about intentions, past, and faith. - Believing all things doesn’t mean being naive—but choosing trust over fear. 5. Love in Dating Endures with God’s Strength (v. 7–8) “...endures all things. Love never ends.” And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap… Galatians 6:9 ESV ...run with endurance the race... looking to Jesus... Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV - Strong relationships are built on Christ, not convenience. - If Christ is at the center, even trials can strengthen your bond. - Love that lasts isn’t based on chemistry—but commitment. Talk About It 1. Why is patience so important in the early stages of a relationship? 2. How does the world’s view of dating differ from God’s? 3. What are some healthy boundaries that protect purity in dating? 4. How can a couple intentionally honor God together while dating? 5. What does it look like to “rejoice with the truth” in a relationship?