Series: Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage
Sermon: The Dating Dilemma
Scripture: Proverbs 4:23, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 5:15-17, 1 Corinthians 6:18
Review
This week, we continued our Love, Marriage, and the Baby Carriage series by tackling The Dating Dilemma. We explored how cultural norms tell us to follow our heart when it comes to relationships, but Scripture teaches something radically different—to guard our hearts with wisdom.
We began by acknowledging the modern struggles of dating, including the impact of social media, hookup culture, and the illusion of endless options. The world tells us to follow our hearts, but as Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, "The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?"
Instead of building walls of self-protection—using lies, manipulation, or power plays—Scripture calls us to build wisdom. Proverbs 4:23 tells us, "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Guarding our hearts means making wise, intentional decisions about who we allow to influence our lives.
To date wisely and in alignment with God’s plan, we focused on three areas of compatibility that serve as guardrails for a healthy relationship:
Compatible Beliefs – Scripture warns us not to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14). If you move in opposite directions spiritually, you will struggle to walk together in life.
Compatible Blueprints – Even if someone believes in Jesus, that doesn’t mean they are following Jesus. Ephesians 5:15-17 challenges us to walk wisely, making the most of our time and understanding God’s will.
Compatible Boundaries – Sexual sin is unique because it impacts both the body and the soul (1 Corinthians 6:18). If someone is unwilling to respect your boundaries, they are unwilling to respect you.
King Solomon, the wisest man in history, ignored these principles, leading to his downfall (1 Kings 11:4). His story serves as a warning: when we don’t date with wisdom, we end up building walls that damage our relationships and our future.
Apply
Have you ever made relationship decisions based purely on following your heart? What was the outcome?
Where have you built walls in your relationships instead of wisdom? Are you withholding vulnerability, hiding behind lies, or making compromises out of fear?
How have you approached compatibility in your relationships? Have you prioritized chemistry over character?
Now, take all of that and consider this: What is ONE area where you need to replace following your heart with guarding your heart? Is it your beliefs, your blueprint for life, or your boundaries? What specific step will you take this week to build wisdom in your relationship?
Pray
Take time to ask God for wisdom in your relationships. Ask Him to reveal where you need to realign your life with His plan. Pray for strength to guard your heart, courage to uphold boundaries, and discernment to seek relationships that honor Him.
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