Overview

Despite the church's best efforts at abstinence education, 90 percent of all American adults will have sex before marriage. Maybe what the church has been teaching about marriage is sending the wrong message. After all, more and more people—even Christians—are putting off marriage.

Marrying young has become downright countercultural. But, when supported by a loving church, young marriage has the potential to put biblical ideas about the formative institution into practice.

Table of Contents

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 2:19–25, Romans 12:9–21, 1 Corinthians 7:1–8

LEADER'S GUIDE

• Identify the Current Issue

• Discover the Eternal Principles

—Teaching point one: Our physical desires were created for a reason.

—Teaching point two: Marriage is a formative institution rooted in the covenant between God, man, and woman.

—Teaching point three: The church should rally to teach and support marriage.

• Apply Your Findings

• Additional Resources

ARTICLE FROM CHRISTIANITY TODAY

• The Case for Early Marriage, by Mark Regnerus (2007)

Total number of pages—