For the next few weeks Dave and Bethlie are taking an important break in order to focus on moving into their new home and also to enable them freedom to serve their community as it continues to deal with the recent tornados that negatively impacted their town of Poplar Bluff. They will resume normal programming very soon. 

In the meantime, please enjoy this rewind episode which is part 2 of a series entitled The Challenging Seasons of Life.

For the next few weeks Dave and Bethlie are taking an important break in order to focus on moving into their new home and also to enable them freedom to serve their community as it continues to deal with the recent tornados that negatively impacted their town of Poplar Bluff. They will resume normal programming very soon. 

In the meantime, please enjoy this rewind episode which is part 1 of a series entitled The Challenging Seasons of Life.

Join Dave and Bethlie as the discuss a sensitive yet prevalent issue in our culture today.  

What do you do when your child has been caught viewing porn?

1. Be thankful for the "caught"
2. Be matter of fact
3. Begin the conversation

1. What happened?
2. How long has this been happening?
3. What have you been viewing?
4. How did you access it?

Be willing to disciple for the long haul

1. Psalm 119:9-11

1. God's Word cleanses us
2. God'w Word strengthens us to victory

5. Take time to evaluate

1. Is there a failure in the home?
2. Is there a fault that can be corrected?
3. Is there a failure in your teaching?

1. Have you had conversations about sexuality?
2. About porn?
3. About what to do when you see porn?

6. Take time to grow the relationship 

Part 3:

3.  Be wise in your approach

1. Questions that should be asked before a relationship becomes serious
   1. Not all of these are deal breakers, but they need wise examination and counsel
   2. Your spiritual testimony
      1. No Unequal yoke with someone who is not a believer
   3. Virginity
   4. Porn
   5. Drugs/alcohol
   6. Debt
2. Your friends saw the red flags. Your family voiced their concerns. But you were so caught up in the excitement of new love that you missed all the warning signs. Now you’re stuck in a relationship that’s making you absolutely miserable.
3. Why does this happen? According to researchers at University College London, “feelings of love lead to a suppression of activity in the areas of the brain controlling critical thought.” In other words, love can not only make you blind, but stupid.
4. So, how can you keep your brain switched on while dating and dodge potential bullets in the realm of romance? According to relationship expert Dr. John Van Epp, author of How to Avoid Falling in Love With a Jerk, it’s about using both your head and your heart by taking the time to understand your partner’s F.A.C.E.S.
   1. There are areas you should examine
      1. Family Dynamics and Background
      2. Attitudes and Actions of a Mature Conscience
      3. Compatibility Potential
      4. Examples of Previous Friendship or Relationship Patterns
      5. Skills for Relationships

Join Dave and Bethlie for part 2 of this series on Thoughts for Singles About Finding A Spouse.

Here is the book Dave and Bethlie recommends Get Married by Brad Wilcox

2. Be Practical In Your Approach

1. Be open to dating
2. Be friendly
3. Be where other singles are
4. Be preparing
5. Be more Biblical than cultural
   1. Focus on Character (more than image)
   2. Focus on prepared
6. Be willing to ask for help
7. Allow others to set up dates
8. Ask trusted mentors if they have anyone who would be a potential spouse

Thoughts for Singles about Finding a Spouse

1. Think Wisely about Marriage
   1. Genesis 2 - not good for the man to be alone
   2. Hebrews 13:4 - marriage is honorable
      1. Honorable means valuable; of great price; precious (minerals or diamonds)
   3. Brad Wilcox, professor of Sociology at U of Virginia
   4. Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families; and Save Civilization
   5. Marriage binds men to the children they father. It stabilizes the romantic relationships of adults and the family lives of children. It bridges the gender divide between men and women; endows the lives of women and especially men with a deeper sense of meaning, direction, and solidarity; and, above all, provides the ideal context for the bearing and rearing of children.
   6. Marriage is certainly the “keystone institution” for our nation. At the civilizational level, this institution has, across the course of American history, promoted prosperity and reduced the risk of widespread poverty at both the state and national levels. It has reinforced the rule of law and minimized the risk of crime and mass disorder. It has boosted the physical health and emotional well-being of the general population. It has maximized the odds that children across the country are happy, healthy, and well prepared to take their place as virtuous citizens in our civilization. For all these reasons, married families maximize the odds that ordinary men, women, and children succeed at that quintessential American quest, “the pursuit of happiness.”
   7. Stay away from those who are unBiblical
      1. One of the most influential leaders for the young men of our country
      2. Wedlock is designed to control the peasantry. A King must reproduce at any cost . . .
      1. Andrew Tate has 10.7 million followers on X (Twitter)
      2. Guard your heart so that you think wisely and Biblically

2. Be practical in your approach

               1.  Be open to dating

How To Enjoy Singleness

Part 2

3. Redeem your time

• • Don’t be a couch potato
  • Don’t be glued to instagram and all the negative emotions that can result
  • Stay fit
  • Eat well
  • Have devotions

4. Build a life

• • Get a good job
    • A good job is one you love
    • One to which you are committed
    • One where you can use your gifts and talents
  • Make a living
  • Buy a house
  • Take care of your stuff
    • Keep a clean house
    • Keep a nice yard
    • Keep a clean car
  • Have hobbies
    • Choose ones that involve learning skills
    • Choose ones that involve being with people

5. Be open to dating

• • Keep it light
  • Remember the two keys to any relationship:
    • Time
    • Talking

Join Dave and Bethlie as they provide practicle steps that you can use to enjoy singleness.

1. Stay Sweet
2. Serve

• Throw a party
• Invest in others
• Serve family
• Serve in church

    3. Redeem Your Time

3.  Try to meet each other’s needs

1. Intimacy = closeness, love, gentle care
2. A spouse is called by God to meet the other’s needs
   1. I Corinthians 7:1-5
      1. The husband has sexual needs that can only be met by the wife
      2. The wife has sexual needs that can only be met by the husband
      3. We are to fulfill those needs
      4. We are not to allow Satan to tempt us to fulfill those needs elsewhere
      5. We are only to refrain with mutual agreement for a short time
3. Failure here always has negative results:
   1. Damages intimacy
   2. Opens doors for the enemy
   3. Damages the relationship
   4. Sins against God

4.  Trust God about children (take steps to delay pregancy)

1. It is wonderful to have children
2. It is right to want children
3. It is ok just to have children
4. It is ok to wisely plan them

5.  Take time to flirt and flourish

1. Use Words
2. Write Notes
3. Send Texts
4. Buy and Wear Lingerie
5. Use Massage oil

6.  Be practical

1. Use Lubrication
2. Make love when you can
3. Go to bed earlier

7. Treat challenges medically where it is needed

1. ED - erectile dysfunction
2. Intimacy anorexia
3. Pain
4. Etc.

In this episode of Keeping It Young, Dave and Bethlie dive into the important topic of keeping the bedroom alive and fresh in marriage. They discuss how seasons of life impact intimacy, the importance of thinking about each other in 'that way,' and how open communication can strengthen a couple’s connection. 

How do you keep the bedroom alive and fresh?

1.  Think about each other in “that way”

1. 1. “Seasons” affect us differently
      1. Young parents with small children
      2. Teens
      3. Pregnancy
   2. Start with positive thoughts
   3. Be aware that it is normal for each of us to think about the bedroom differently

2.  Talk to each other about needs, desires, and wants

1. How often
2. In what way
   1. Shower together?
   2. Fast?
   3. Gourmet?
3. When
   1. This can vary by job demands
   2. This can vary by schedule
   3. This can vary by the age of your children
4. What do you need? What do you want?
5. What do WE need?
6. What can we do to meet each other’s needs