A Christ-Centered Courtship

The area of boundaries is probably one of the most important topics a couple will face on their way to marriage. The way boundaries are approached, set, and handled is one of the primary factors in how successful the relationship will be in areas of purity (whether that be spiritual, emotional, or physical purity). If that be the case, how are we to think about boundaries and use them in a God-glorifying way? There are a few passages that have helped me think through this topic. First, let’s consider Ephesians 5:25-27. It says “ 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (ESV)” Here, there is a command, an example, and purpose, and an ultimate goal. The command is for husbands to love their

 In regards to a biblical courtship, this topic has to be one of my favorites. A courtship that is without boundaries is bound to lead to trouble in purity (hahaha… nice play on words right?… not trouble in paradise, but…Yea…okay). It is very important for both the man and the woman to discuss, agree, and intentionally implement boundaries to make certain that honoring God and each other’s purity are most important. Greg and I talked about implementing boundaries within the first few weeks of our courtship. Together we discussed the boundaries that we wanted to implement in our courtship and why we wanted to implement them. Here is the list of boundaries that Greg and I agreed upon, early on in our courtship. 1.      We would not kiss each other (lips, cheek, hand, anywhere) until our wedding day. 2.      We would not hold hands. 3.      We would not talk with each other until we had first spent time with God (reading the Word/personal studies). We still

( A Man's Perspective- Greg Hutchins)   A healthy courtship needs to be founded on a foundation of trust and purity, so taking care of “dirty laundry” is something that needs to take place early on. Your dirty laundry consists of all the things in your past relationships that may have hurt you or caused you to stumble in any way. Things like sexual partners, STD’s, and other relationships fall into this category. Basically, any “skeletons in the closet” need to be exposed. Other hindrances to intimacy and purity, like masturbation and pornography should also be discussed during this time. The purpose of taking care of dirty laundry is to clear the air, establish trust, and give you a clearer picture of the person you’re pursuing marriage with. As a guy, you want to know if the woman you’re courting has any sexual history and if she’s been scarred emotionally in any way. Knowing this not only allows you to know more about her as a woman, but also shows you how

My boyfriend Greg and I decided to create this blog to give you a personal perspective of a Christian courtship that seeks to be Christ-centered. When we began dating, I noticed that there were not many blogs, articles, or information in general on what a biblical relationship should look like. The boundaries, the purity, the communication, etc. This blog will include not only my perspective as a woman on courting, but also Greg’s perspective as man in a courtship. I am sure we will both bring our unique perspective of our relationships with Christ and each other to you as you read our blog. We hope that if you are single, beginning a new relationship, or in a relationship, that you will be able to be encouraged by our insight on biblical courtship. It is our prayer that through this blog, you see a real couple seeking to honor Christ in every aspect of their relationship, and that you are encouraged to do the same.