Let The Games Begin!

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Perhaps you have heard about this. The Game Show Network (GSN), buoyed by the success of “The American Bible Challenge,” has decided to develop another new game show with believers in mind. And so, they are developing “It Takes a Church,” a dating show where church members compete against each other to find the perfect mate for their single co-congregant. For the show, “a church will go on a mission to find love for one lucky, single parishioner…without them knowing! Each week, we’ll visit another church from across the country and surprise a single girl (or guy) with the news that she is about to be saved from the dating world. The congregation, Pastor, friends, and family will all contribute, but in the end our single will decide which suitor she is putting her faith in.”

There are so many things troubling about that description, I don’t know where to begin.

“A church will go on a mission…” Since when is it the MISSION of the church to marry me off?  Did I just really misunderstand Matthew 28?

“Lucky, single parishioner…” Not sure “lucky” is the word I would use.

“Without them knowing!” Really? That makes the person even MORE unlucky in my opinion. Granted, the person must at some point sign off on the whole deal, but that is NOT a surprise I would welcome… “Hey Susie-Q!  The church voted and decided you need our help and the assistance of a nationally televised game show if you are ever going to find love.”

“Our single will decide which suitor she is putting her faith in.”  Okay, I’m trying to remind myself that although the target audience is Christian, the show developers are not necessarily Christian themselves.  But still, this comment seems to perpetuate the idea that a single person can or should place their entire faith ANYWHERE but Jesus. I think single women, especially, hear (and sometimes buy into) the lie that if they will find a Godly husband, they can just follow him, while he follows God. Certainly, you put faith in anyone you are going to marry (if you can’t do that, don’t get married), but blindly following anyone besides God will not go well, and ultimately we are to place our faith in Christ.

I am hopeful about one thing with this game show, however. Won’t it be wonderful if it provides a platform for godly men and women to state their beliefs about God’s plan for marriage, or perhaps discuss the uncommon belief that sex was created for marriage only? God can be glorified in more venues and ways than I could ever imagine, so I pray he’ll be glorified in this, and maybe the prayers of some “lucky, single parishioner” will be answered.

UPDATE: “It takes a Church” is scheduled to premiere on June 5, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzbqyQrVT_A

Single Christian or Christian Single?

Which is more prevalent in your life? Being single or being a Christian? Well, if we are giving the correct “churchy” answer, we would say being a Christian, but many times, truth be told, it is more about being single. Our world is more focused on marriage, families, and even civil unions. Single is seen as either very lonely with lots of cats, in a state of waiting with your life on hold for your spouse to come along, or living a wild, party life.

However, the world has a skewed view. The reality is that many of us don’t fit any of those categories. Many of us are great people who are enjoying life, friends & family, our jobs and the ministries we are involved in with our church and community. Some days we are focused on our singleness and some days we are more focused on who we are in Christ. Guess what? Married people have that same struggle of having their identity being wrapped up in being married vs. their identity being in Christ.

Single or married, our identity should be in who we are in Christ. God doesn’t love you more if you are single or if you are married. He loves you incredibly more than we can even imagine. From John 10:10 we learn that Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. What a gift to us! Are you living your life abundantly or are you just surviving another day as a single waiting to see if love will ever come along? It is time to get up and enjoy life and do the things that God has for you – things that will bless you and bring honor and glory to Him.

Most of the problems you have as a single will still be there when you are married or they will be replaced with different issues that come with marriage. The answer for all struggles is in your relationship with Christ. As a Christian, do you believe that God truly has your best interests at heart? I do. Sometimes God doesn’t always do what I thought he would, yet I know he does what is best for me and will bless me. If where you are in life brings you down, do a gut-check to see where your focus is. Are you focused on you or unconditionally on God? I say “unconditionally” because we need to be honest with ourselves. To focus on God with conditions about what we want, is really just to be focused on ourselves.

When you start falling into that pattern of worry and despair about where you are in life, immediately stop allowing yourself to go down that road. Instead, replace it with seeking God and thinking on the many ways he has blessed you – doing that will change your life.

What’s in a Verse?

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Are you a Pinner? Table for One is on Pinterest @ www.pinterest.com/tableforonemin. We have over 1,500 followers and nearly 4,000 pins. We see nearly 100,000 views a day of our pins and many visits to our website from those pins. Our pins that generate the most traffic are ones with Scripture on them.

What is your favorite verse in Scripture? Search for it on Pinterest and you will be amazed at all the artwork you will find. Scripture portrayed in visual form is powerful, bold, and by pinning it you are spreading God’s Word. Your favorite verse or life verse means a lot to you, so share it with world! Use social media as a way to show your friends what you value and hold close to your heart. Conversations can stem from simple pinning that can encourage others or open a door to share the Gospel.

Everything we do is for His glory! Make sure that social media and every pin you pin glorifies the Lord. This doesn’t mean you can’t have fun! Pin clean jokes, recipes, craft ideas, and more all for the Kingdom.

Single and Having the Time of my Life?

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There is a thought out there that somehow when you are single, you should “be having the time of your life.” That before marriage and kids there is a magical time of singleness that is full of freedom, without responsibilities, with no regrets, and no worries. The only support for this notion is found in a shallow understanding of 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 where Paul acknowledges that being married can create a “divided interest” between serving God and serving your spouse.

True life happens when you give your life to Christ and follow Him. Laying down any distractions, sins, or lifestyles that pull you away from His will. We all have 24 hours in a day to live for God as His followers. The time of our life should be focused on using that life for Kingdom purposes!

Being single is great! But so is being married, having kids, having grandkids! Every life stage is great when you follow Christ! As a single adult you do have the advantage of making a decision, consulting with God and taking action. Other life stages may require more input from affected parties, this is why Paul wishes we were single like him even though he supports marriage. (1 Corinthians 7:7)

Be bold for Christ as a single. Have fun, go on trips, go on mission, go and follow the One who has saved you by grace! This is not the “time of your life” but a time to give your life to Christ and follow Him undivided wherever He may take you.

DTR – Define the Relationship

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DTR – Define the Relationship

So you have been on a few dates with someone and things look promising. However, you do not know where they stand in their feelings and you would like to be in a committed relationship. Its time for a DTR. Defining the relationship is an honest conversation with someone else about where you stand in their life and vise versa. Defining a relationship helps you give appropriate priority to that relationship in your life. As a single adult, your relationship priorities can change at different stages of your life. But one relationship should remain #1.

Your relationship with Christ should always be your first priority. Spending time with Him daily through prayer, reading His Word, and Worship. From time to time you may need to have a DTR with Christ and know where you stand. He will always be the same, but we sometimes drift away or decrease the importance of that relationship. Knowing where your priorities are at all times will help you with your DTR’s and keep you focused on honoring God.

Don’t be afraid to have a DTR in any of your relationships. Do them as soon or as often as you like, but doing them is key to remembering that Christ should come first among all our relationships.

An Emergency Fund Kind of Day

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I had a wonderful time visiting with family at Christmas. Due to my job, I traveled back from Tennessee to Texas on Christmas Day . A storm was moving up from the Gulf and another winter front moving down from Oklahoma. Eventually, these two storms would collide. No worries. I carefully planned to avoid the expected collision. According to the weather forecast, I would be in between the storms.

However, both moved faster than expected.

Halfway through Arkansas, I ran into the heavy rain storm that froze and turned to ice. About 15 miles later, I heard the noise. The noise was a tire pierced with a large piece of metal. I managed to ease off the Interstate at an exit with a Shell gas station. An abandoned Shell gas station. I was in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately, my cell phone Roadside Assistance was able to help me. Within an hour, I was back on the road.

Another 40 miles and I was out of the storm. I had talked with family and they’d checked the weather–it was clear the rest of the way. About an hour later I called again for a check because huge snow chunks, not flakes, but chunks, were hitting my windshield with loud splats. The storm had shifted and taken an ugly turn. The next 100 miles seemed extra long and slow. As I approached the next town, I needed to determine whether to get a hotel room or press on despite the highway conditions. I pressed on.

I saw over 60 cars wrecked or skidded off the road, stuck in ditches. Each incident represented the possible need for Emergency Funds. My Emergency Fund could have been in play if I had decided to stop and get a hotel room. Because I had an Emergency Fund, I knew I could have made that decision. I had a choice.

Now, put yourself in this true story. Do you have an Emergency Fund set aside to tap into if you have a wreck, a snowstorm, an unexpected hotel stay? There’s many other emergency scenarios. You have a dead battery or bad alternator. A bout of flu that require $70 worth of prescriptions. A minor child who runs into a neighbor’s mailbox and it needs to be replaced.

Emergencies will happen, it’s just a matter of timing.

If you don’t have an Emergency Fund, it’s time to get your Emergency Fund in place as if you see the emergency coming. I assure you, at some point, it is. Start small, maybe $100 set-aside for emergencies. Then over time, grow it $500, then $1,000. From there you can determine how much emergency funds you need in your budget to avoid worrying about where money will come from when there is a time of need.