In this kickoff sermon for the “Tell Me More About” series, Pastor Aaron of Trace Church speaks to singles, teaching from 1 Corinthians 7 that Paul described his own singleness as a gift rather than a deficiency. His central argument is that anyone who wants to end up “married and happy” must first become “single and secure,” finding their complete identity in Christ (Colossians 2) rather than expecting a future spouse to complete them. He then offers practical dating advice: never date someone who isn’t following Jesus, don’t stay in a relationship once you know you won’t marry the person, don’t look to anyone but Christ for completion, don’t move in together before marriage (citing a jump from a 50% to 75% divorce risk and framing marriage as a covenant per Genesis 2, Matthew 19, and Ephesians 4), and introduce a significant other to a pastor for accountability. He speaks directly to young women throughout, cautioning against making relationships a “mission field” and offering himself as a father figure for those without an involved dad. He closes with grace, reminding listeners that no matter how much they have gotten wrong, there is still time to do it God’s way and become the kind of person they hope to find.
