GYC 2007: Be

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Alan and Nicole Parker - Happily Ever After: Finding True Love, God's Way

Alan Parker

Nicole Parker

Is This “The One”?

But We’re Just Friends

Romance, Courtship, and Marriage

Getting Ready for Your Wedding Night

Beauty for Ashes: Healing Past Hurts

Relationships Question and Answer

Lord Jesus, I know that everyone here wants to follow your will.

And I just pray, Lord, that you will open our minds, that you will send your Holy Spirit to bless and guide us.

Give me the right words to say that will reach each person here and give them what they need for the tools to help them have the best future possible in your work and in their lives.

Thank you so much Lord for hearing and answering our prayers and for caring so much about us.

Alright this seminar is called Is This The 1?

So some of you may have somebody in mind already, and probably a lot of you don't yet.

We're going to talk about how you can know who is the 1.

First I want to talk a little bit about how not to know.

I have known many people in my short and fruitful life who have made choices based on many different ideas.

I had a friend once who decided to date this guy and I said, ìWhy are you interested in him?

So you know, and he really is interested in spiritual things.

He's asked me to study the Bible with him.

So they start studying the Bible together And before you know it, of course, they're dating.

And when I talked to her about it, I was like, you know, what's going on here?

She says, well, you know, the most amazing thing happened.

I had this sort of, I don't know how I'd describe it, like a picture in my mind as I was praying about our relationship.

And it was like I saw myself in God's hands, standing there, just tiny little me, and Him in the other hand of God.

And then God brought both of us together in His hands.

Then I was talking to him later on and I told him, you know, well, it's just, I guess we're each in the hand of God.

And he got this funny look on his face and he said, you know, that's amazing.

Because when I was praying about us, I had this kind of vision in my mind, it was like I was in the hand of God and you were in the other hand of God.

And so they knew they're right for each other, and so they started dating, and they dated intensely and they messed up their lives for like 2 years before they finally figured out, okay He's not going to change beliefs and in this case become an Adventist and she is not going to not be an Adventist and both Of them, you know, it's been a while trying to persuade the other person and then they gave up Now they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they just followed some basic guidelines.

Now I'm assuming everybody here is a Seventh-day Adventist and believes in the spirit of prophecy.

In this particular seminar, that's kind of what we're going to do.

I realize those who listen to these seminars may or may not be of that persuasion.

I think you can get a lot of good things out of it.

Just know that in my opinion, there are a lot of things that we can save ourselves trouble from by reading some really good books that are from the pen of somebody who is enlightened by wisdom from God.

And the things that she says can save us from a lot of messes.

And 1 of the things that she says is that you should not date somebody who is not a believer in the same beliefs that you are.

If you have 1 set of beliefs, the other person has another set of beliefs, that doesn't mean that God isn't leading them.

That doesn't mean that they have any less of a spiritual relationship with God.

They may be stronger and closer to God than you are, but can 2 walk together unless they be agreed?

The Bible is plain on this and so is the spirit of prophecy.

We don't need to figure out by visions or dreams whether we're the right people for 1 another.

I've had other friends who have had signs that were much stronger than that.

Even so much as 1 girl who prayed and she felt convicted that God was telling her of 2 dates about her interest in this other guy.

So she waited and the first date came and went and then the next date came and on that day he came to her and said, you know I got this poem I wrote for a girl from California, can you want to read it and see what you think?

So she took it and she started reading it and it was really sweet, but you know, her heart sank.

He's interested in somebody else, a girl from California.

And So they started dating and she found out that the first date that she'd been impressed with was the date that he asked her father if it was okay for him to start a relationship with her.

And, you know, whether the Lord was leading there or not, I'm not a prophet.

But I can tell you that maybe she learned some quality things.

Maybe he did too That the thing I want to impress on you is that you don't choose a spouse Based solely on I got a sign from God because that that's that's just not the way that we're told to find somebody.

I also knew somebody, now another way not to find your spouse, somebody brought us a note once, my husband and me, and said, you know, I'm thinking about having you guys give this to a certain young man.

And so she gave us the note and we read it and she said, what do you think?

Well, the note told him, you know, I'm not going to choose a spouse.

I believe that God's going to choose a spouse for me, so I'm letting God lead in this matter.

And the sign that I've asked God to give me is that the young man that he has chosen will show up on my doorstep holding roses for me." That could qualify as orchestrating your signs, and you do want to be careful about that as well.

So that is more of how to confuse yourself, rather than how to choose a spouse.

Don't use signs, don't use visions, don't use dreams, except as confirmations of things that the Lord is showing you already through other ways to choose a spouse.

Because God has given some very solid ways to choose a spouse and we're going to look at those today.

Now some people think I've just got to wait and God will show me exactly the right person.

There's only 1 out there for me and I'm gonna wait and God is gonna show that person to me.

Now that may well be and I know people who God has given them something miraculous that showed them this is the right person.

I know other people who God has just led them through a lot of providential ways and means.

God is a God of a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing, right?

But there are some things that I'm concerned about when I hear people say, well, I'm waiting and God's going to show me exactly the right 1 because there's just 1 for me.

Number 1 is that that philosophy sometimes leads people into getting married too fast.

And maybe some of you know this from experience, from somebody you know, hopefully not yourselves.

But some people get married in the most sincere way.

They pray earnestly for God to show them exactly who is the right person.

And then something comes along and there's a sign.

Or they may pray for something to happen and then it happens.

I once had a guy who I was interested in but I didn't really know him well and I thought well you know circumstances haven't brought us to the same place and if the Lord wants us to get together then the Lord will work out those circumstances so I told the Lord you know if you want me to get to know this young man better, then make it so that I am assigned in a mission project that's right near where he is.

He was in a place that was like 5 hours from me, and only for a brief period of time.

And the next thing I knew, without me doing anything to do it, I was assigned to a ministry position that was right close by him.

And not only that, we found excuses to get together, and they were just all these different things that were seeming to work together and it was miraculous, but I didn't marry him.

We dated for a little while and I realized, you know what, he's not matching up to the ways that God has said to choose a spouse.

So we ended the relationship and he moved on and I moved on and I found the true man of my dreams.

Everybody tell me, are you glad to see that God can lead people together?

I am so glad that God can lead people together and I have no doubt that God led my husband and me together.

But I don't think he's the only person that I could have been happy with.

I think that there are so many people, and here's the second point that I have, besides people getting into marriage prematurely because they get a sign and so they go, that's it, this is the right 1, what are we waiting for?

And they get married in 2 months or 6 months And they don't know this person very well that can at the very least make for a very rocky Relationship particularly in the early years when you just don't know somebody it helps so much more if you get used to 1 another It's kind of like getting into cold water.

Series

Alan and Nicole Parker - Happily Ever After: Finding True Love, God's Way

Is This “The One”?

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

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Spark Training: Public Evangelism- Part 1

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02 From Squad to Soulmate: The Power of Godly Friendship

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Advising Love: From Attraction to Anniversaries

5. Advising Love’s Giving: Parenting and Family Life

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Making Sons of Hell? The Don’ts and Do’s of Soul Winning

Demonic Doctrines and How Not to Teach Them

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Advising Love: From Attraction to Anniversaries

1. Advising Love’s Beginning: Attraction & Dating

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The Sabbath

“Do Not Neglect the Gatherings”

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Pastor/Physician Team

Keys For Experiencing Positive Clinical & Spiritual Outcomes

1h 20m

GYC 2011 Seminar: The Holy Spirit in Evangelistic CARE Groups

RE-Formation, Part 1

59m

Abused: Bruised but Not Broken

Q&A Part 1

1h 1m

Intensive: How & Why to Move to the Country

How & Why to Move to the Country Part 3

41m

Leading People From Health To Him

Leading People From Health To Him, Part III

56m

Relationship Revival

1. Are You All In?

1h 13m

Sound Doctrine