Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age

by Ben Stuart

Overview

God has given us a specific, compelling reason for each of the four seasons of relationships: singleness, dating, engagement, and marriage. This book unlocks each season’s God-given purpose and shows you how to thrive within it.

In a society where everyone is supposedly more connected, why do people feel so lonely? Even as marriage rates decline, recent studies find the overwhelming majority of single adults still hope to get married. But how can we navigate life and love in this disconnected culture? Has social media eroded the institutions that brought us together—and the deeper emotional intimacy they provided?

Pastor and bestselling author Ben Stuart will help you navigate through the four stages of a relational life and show you how to look at the truths and intentions God has established for each.

As you embark on this journey, you will discover how to:

• Use singleness to make an impact for the kingdom of God
• Pursue dating with clarity and purity
• Use the season of engagement wisely to prepare for marriage
• Maximize your life as a married couple for shared ministry
• Continually seek God and His will throughout each stage

Discover how to embrace God's design, invest your life in what matters most, and find meaning in whatever season of life you're in.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780718097899
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	46,956
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ben Stuart is the Pastor of Passion City Church, Washington D.C. He previously served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries, a weekly Bible study attended by thousands of college students on the campus of Texas A&M, for eleven years.

Ben earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime. They currently reside in the Washington, D.C. area with their three kids, Hannah, Sparrow, and Owen.

Ben is the author of Rest & War: Rhythms of a Well Fought Life, Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age,and the Bible study, This Changes Everything.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

First things first

1 God, guys, & girls 3

Single: devotion

2 The purpose of singleness 19

3 A singleness case study // the apostle paul 41

Dating: evaluation

4 Who to date 57

5 How to date 84

6 Sex 113

7 A dating case study // isaac receives rebekah 131

Engaged: union

8 How to know that you know 153

9 Becoming one 170

10 An engagement case study // solomon + the shulammite 184

Married: mission

11 Marriage as a picture 203

12 Marriage as a pursuit: a case study // priscilla + aquila 224

Conclusion 241

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247