Relationship Road Map

Practical, biblical guidance for every step of your relationship journey--from single to dating to engaged to married from the bestselling author of If you are single and desire to be married, you’re on a journey. And like any journey worth taking, this journey is challenging, exhilarating, and discouraging all at once. Navigating the modern dating scene of apps and social media can feel overwhelming and disorienting--like trying to get directions without knowing your current location. And to complicate matters, today you face more pressure than ever before to compromise your character and faith while dating.;In With memorable storytelling and contemporary insights, Pastor Stephen will help you;get your bearings;amid the challenges of modern dating so you can date thoughtfully and intentionally, with your character and integrity intact.

Autorentext
Stephen Chandler is the senior pastor of Union Church based in Maryland, one of America’s fastest-growing congregations, and the author of the bestselling book Stop Waiting for Permission. A sought-after international speaker whose teaching on dating and relationships has touched thousands of lives, he is unapologetic about helping people maximize their God-given passion and purpose. Stephen’s true legacy is his family—his wife, Zai, and their three beautiful children: Zoe, Roman, and Jade.
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Klappentext

"Practical, biblical guidance for every step of your relationship journey-from single to dating to engaged to married from the bestselling author of Stop Waiting for Permission"--

Zusammenfassung
ECPA BESTSELLER • Practical, biblical guidance for every step of your relationship journey—from single to dating to engaged to married from the bestselling author of Stop Waiting for Permission.

“A helpful resource for anyone looking . . . to align their relationship with God’s heart.”—Tim Timberlake

When it comes to romantic relationships, have you ever felt like you are navigating without a GPS, broken down with no help in sight, or running on empty—miles from the nearest gas station? Has the modern dating scene left you heartsick or hopeless? If so, you’re not alone, and it’s not too late to get on the highway toward your desired destination.

In Relationship Road Map, pastor and bestselling author Stephen Chandler mines Scripture for practical applications to bring hope, healing, and redirection to your journey. Whether you’re single and searching, delving into dating, engaged, or jaded from too many bad dates, the hard-won wisdom and biblical insights within these pages will set you on a course toward a healthier, more fulfilling relational future.

As he unfolds the road map, Chandler lays out the keys to navigating your way to the altar and beyond, including the importance of

• beginning your dating journey with marriage in mind
• getting a spiritual tune-up by inviting God to prepare you for the journey
• avoiding dating hazards, dead ends, and obstacles along the route
• following the road rules—dating with integrity and intentionality
• seeking wisdom from seasoned travelers—inviting accountability into your dating journey
• kicking relational hitchhikers to the curb—knowing when the person you are dating isn’t the right one

With guidance tailored to the unique perspectives of both women and men, Relationship Road Map speaks to the intricate wiring in all of us, the need to consult the ultimate Instruction Manual at key junctions, and the fuel it will take to arrive safely at the destination where your heart longs to go.

An exciting journey awaits—are you ready to hit the road?

Leseprobe
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Begin with Your Destination in Mind

Know Where You Want to End Up

About four years ago, I got some great news that had the potential to impact my life in an extremely good way. When I found out, I knew I needed to stay dignified about it. Stay humble. I wasn’t about to go on Instagram and holler, “I’m on top of the world!”

You know what I did in my house when I got that news? I turned on “So Fresh, So Clean” by Outkast, jumped up onto the kitchen countertop, and started shaking what my mama gave me. Guess what my wife, Zai, did? She jumped onto that countertop with me, and we screamed and danced and cut up and had the time of our lives. I want that for you! I want you to have someone to twerk on the kitchen countertop with for the rest of your life. This process of finding the right person to spend your life with is one of the greatest and most important endeavors you can embark on next to knowing Christ. Why? Because . . .

Life. Is. Amazing.

Life. Is. Hard.

Life is full of so many wonderful ups, but it’s also filled with some really difficult downs. When you have someone on your best days to share the joy, it makes a great day one thousand times better. But sometimes you’ll be curled up on the couch together in front of the fire, crying your eyes out after a difficult day. Having an amazing person who is committed to you for life on those days is one of the greatest joys a person could have. Remember that the first thing God declared not good was for “man to be alone.” This tells us that marriage is good. And while not everyone is called to get married, marriage is one of God’s most profound gifts to us. Dating, with the goal of finding God’s person for you, can be tricky, but I’m here to tell you that the journey you’re on is worth it. There are few greater joys on planet earth—­outside of your relationship with God—­than finding your person and building an amazing marriage.

When you’ve got a lover you can cut up with, it makes all the difference. The way Zai and I cut up is absolutely ridiculous sometimes. The Bible says that laughter is like medicine, and in a healthy marriage, you have someone to laugh with. You’ll have your inside jokes, your secret handshakes. You were made to enjoy life with that person as long as you both live. The first relationship God established, after a relationship with Himself, was between a husband and a wife. And God created that union to be good.

This doesn’t mean that there won’t be difficult days. But it does mean that the number of those days will be cut in half. Had a hard day at work? In conflict with a friend? Get a scary diagnosis? There is someone at home who will hold you, encourage you, and feed you apple pie after one of those bad days. That person is in your corner. They’ll listen to you. And this person is also going to double your good days! Dancing on our kitchen countertop with Zai? My joy was doubled. When you’ve got a committed lover in your corner, your bad days are cut in half and the good ones are more than doubled.

You’ve also got someone to build with. God hasn’t given every gift to every person. In fact, I think that God purposefully doesn’t give you all the tools you need to fulfill your destiny. He has placed some of the tools you lack in your spouse! For example, I’m proud to be an introvert; I think we have the deepest relationships with others. The number of people who introverts know can be limited because of our discomfort in engaging new people. In ministry, what I started to find was that Zai would bring people into our world with her beautiful extroversion. That expanded our sphere of influence in our community. It expanded our support system. You hear it? I benefited from a gift I didn’t possess. My partner is gifted in ways I am not. She has experience I don’t. And that has been a blessing in all that God has called us to build.

I mentioned that…