Happiness or Holiness?

Scott McFarland
01/07/24 - Sun AM Worship

Series: Living As You Are Called
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

I’ve been wanting to do a series on marriage and singleness for a while. Marriage in our society is so, so lacking. For those who are married, it is often about survival— survival until the kids are out of the house, until one spouse gets a different job so they can afford to support themselves, until they get past… For those who are unmarried, many have battle scars from previous marriages and have vowed never to do that again. Marriage satisfaction and flourishing almost seems to be something you can only find on a movie screen with your favorite actor.

And, what about singles? Unfortunately, in every church I’ve been a part of, singles get the leftovers of any meaningful life discussion. The lion’s share of attention goes to married people in navigating life together, but what about singles? Some will never marry, have no desire to marry—is that wrong? I don’t think so. Can they also have fulfilling lives, all while maintaining their singleness?

How can we help each other live godly lives in whatever state we find ourselves in, all the while acknowledging the unique challenges associated with each situation? My hope is that over the next few weeks we’ll deal with some of those questions and issues. Jesus came to give us the “abundant life” (John 10:10) and this extends to our relationships, or lack thereof. We’ll be looking at a variety of passages—both directed to singles and married—to understand what God wants for us in the state we find ourselves in. I hope you’ll join us and invite a friend!

~Scott McFarland