In Friday’s blog post: The Perspective Every Marriage Needs (link here), I reminded readers of the purpose of marriage, and in Saturday’s blog post: Taking Sex Back from the World (link here), I encouraged you to hold fast to God’s design for intimacy in marriage. Today, I’m recommending a podcast episode that I believe will strengthen those of you who want to know how to faithfully wait for marriage and sex.

Podcast Details

Local pastor Jonathan Youssef (son of Dr. Michael Youssef, who founded Church of the Apostles and Leading the Way) is the host of the “Candid Conversations with Jonathan Youssef” podcast. In his recent Episode #88, (link here), Jonathan’s guest, Deepak Reju, a counselor-pastor in Washington, DC who ministers to many singles and marrieds, gives great advice for Christians navigating the dating years.

Topics Covered

• Modern dating challenges such as: remote vs in-person, technology, less opportunities for large group connection, porn, etc.
• Christian dating vs the dating culture
• Attraction-alone vs attraction + godliness
• Being known by each other in community
• The mess pornography has made in dating (and in marriage)
• Ways that faith in God’s goodness can lesson the baggage in dating (and in marriage)
• Encouragement that there is no past failure that is beyond the grace of God

Click here for the link to the podcast.

Prayer & Blessing

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… but exhorting one another.” (Heb. 10:23-25)