The Thursday Update

Lakeshore Friends—

When it comes to love and romance, it can seem that God has lots of very specific rules.  Limiting rules.  Restrictive rules.  Rules that make it seem like He is a real kill-joy when it comes to dating and romance.

But is he really trying to make us unhappy by keeping us from experiencing things that we think will make us happy?  Of course not.

So much of romance is actually a battle between the short-term and the long-term.  And the truth is that it’s always easier for most people to choose the short-term.  Afterall, it brings quick and immediate gratification and we like that.  Well, at least for a little while.  But short-term gratification usually keeps us from long-term satisfaction.  You rarely can have both in romance.

That’s where God steps in.

God’s rules that often seem too strenuous, too specific, too limiting and too restrictive are also very protective.  God has His rules and regulations to protect us from the trouble that comes with doing things our own way.  Troubles like heart-break, broken trust, rejection, physical problems that may come our way, and even having to plan for a family when you aren’t ready for one.  There’s a lot more but I think you get the point.

So maybe it’s time we stop seeing God’s rules and standards as restrictive and joy-killing and start seeing them for what they really are— liberating, protective, freeing and joy-producing.

No matter where you are in your romance life— from single to long-time married— do things God’s way.  He made the rules because He knows what’s best for us- in the long-term!

Warmly,

Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

One of the big challenges of romance is knowing if your attraction to someone of the opposite sex is true love.  Sometimes, what we think is love is actually something else: infatuation.  True love will always last, infatuation will always fade over time.

But it isn’t always easy to determine if what we’re experiencing is love or infatuation.  How can you decide which is which in a relationship that you think could lead to marriage?

On Sunday, we will provide five biblical tests to determine if what’s happening in your relationship is true love or temporary infatuation.  We’ll use 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 as our guide for making this important distinction.

If you want to better understand this difference (for yourself or for someone else you know), you’ll want to be here.

This Sunday is also Father’s Day, the day we honor our fathers for the good things that they’ve done in our lives and for the place of fatherhood in our world.  We will have a special surprise for everyone at church, just like we brought in a Lugia’s Ice Cream truck on Mother’s Day.

Warmly,

Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

When it comes to love, sex and romance, the cultural norms have made a very significant shift in our country over the past 60 years.  You could even say a radical shift has taken place in just a few short years.

The “make love, not war” movement of the hippie era in the 1960’s began a tidal wave of so called “free sex” where people connected in very prematurely intimate ways.  Marriage was no longer the standard for determining when people made intimate, physical connections.  The trend has only gotten stronger since then.  So, what has that produced?  10 million single-parent homes (24% or about 1 in 4) in America with over 80% led by single mothers.  And fewer than half of all homes in America (47%) were headed up by a married couple, down from 66% of all homes just 50 years ago.

This is not a knock on people who are in these household circumstances because we don’t know why anyone is in this situation.  Neither are we trying to judge anyone here because there may be reasons beyond their control for some people.  Rather, this is a warning of what can happen when we don’t engage in love and romance in God’s biblically ordained way.

So, what’s the solution?  It starts with our proper understanding of love, sex and romance from the God who created them.  And it ends with living by them faithfully.

We’re beginning a new series on Sunday called, “Love, Sex And Romance” where we will look at:

--A biblical framework for finding the right person in your life to date and marry (this Sunday!).

--How to know the difference between true love and temporary infatuation.

--Learning how to sort out the difference between love and sex, and why it makes a difference. 

The ways of our culture and the world have failed many people, leaving increasing numbers of people hurting and lacking in the kind of abundant life that God intended for them to live.  We need to come back to the pattern God established for love, sex and romance if we want to find the satisfaction that God promises us.

No matter your situation in life, this series will help you live with the opposite sex— from singleness to long-time married couples— in amazing ways.

Warmly,

Vince