“Single Yet Preparing” Links and Recommended Resources

The following are web sites and recommended resources to help you if you are single yet preparing to marry someone someday.

You may or may not have someone in mind to marry. But we pray these web sites and resources will minister to your situation as you are single yet preparing.

Single Yet Preparing Links

• BIBLE VERSES ABOUT DATING This Open Bible web site lists various scripture verses concerning the question “What Does the Bible Say About Dating?”

• Boundless.org From college to career to relationships, Boundless.org wants “to cast a vibrant vision for the single years. The want to help you navigate this season while preparing for the challenges of the one to come. That requires living intentionally with purpose by bringing your gifts, talents and Christian worldview to bear on your whole life.”

• Crosswalk.com Singles This web site is dedicated to building up the Body of Christ. They do this by offering articles on a variety of helpful topics. This includes ministering to “Singles.” They also offer Christian Living Resources and Bible Studies.

Additional Single Yet Preparing Links:

• Startmarriageright.com Whether you are single, dating, engaged, or newlyweds, this web site is created for you. It contains articles, interviews, and resources to help you prepare for marriage, because as they say, “We believe that your wedding day is just the beginning!” (And we agree.)

• Truelovedates.com This is a great web site. It’s writers—especially Debra Fileta, talk “about love and relationships in a way you never have before!” They have articles, blogs and podcasts available on a variety of issues pertaining to being single and being married. One of the things that’s great is that you are given the opportunity to submit your own question on love and relationships to Debra and, as they say, “We might just have you on our show!” We recommend that you take a look.

SINGLE YET PREPARING RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

• Before The Ring – written by William L Coleman, published by Discovery House Publishers. This book has a different “spin” on things than most. It actually focuses in on helping couples to know IF they really should consider marriage. It’s a book that is designed for couples to take the time to get to know each other all the more. It suggests questions for couples to to consider. Author William Coleman says there is a way to assure yourself that you are marrying the right person. Ask questions —lots of questions. Of yourself. Of each other. And then be honest with your answers. To get reliable answers, you have to ask the right questions. And that’s the goal of this book.

• Before You Get Engaged – written by David Gudgel and Brent Gudgel, with Danielle Fitch, published by Thomas Nelson. This book offers advice and direction for those who are dating who are considering whether or not they will want to eventually marry. This book can be seen as a pre-engagement book. This of course, makes it unique. It aims at equipping you with insight, confidence, and peace to make one of the biggest decisions of your life.

• Breaking Up – written by Stina Wilson, published by Kregel Publications. This is not an easy book. That is because it challenges your thoughts on what God would want from you if you enter into marriage. A few of the questions addressed are: “How do you know if a relationship is godly? What does a ‘godly relationship’ even mean? Does it mean abstinence? What do you do if your relationship isn’t godly?” Building on her personal experience of working with students in Young Life, Stina Wilson has written this book to help you answer these complicated questions.

ALSO:

• Dating with Pure Passion: More than Rules, More than Courtship, More than a Formula is written by Rob Eagar. It is published by Harvest House. This book is for Christian singles to help to show that “spiritual union with Christ must be the foundation of all of their relationships. This includes dating relationships. Rather than looking to people to meet needs only God can fulfill, readers will learn how to let Christ’s sacrificial love ignite within them a passionate desire to share His love with a special person. This practical guide includes plenty of suggestions for establishing successful dating relationships.”

• How Can I Be Sure?: Questions to Ask Before You Get Married is written by Bob Phillips. It is published by Harvest House Publishers. This book is not an “answer book for marriage problems.” It is a “discussion guide to help couples open up important channels of communication. Plus this book helps couples to enhance their growing relationship together.” The author recommends that each person should have a personal copy to write his or her own responses. This book is also designed to be a helpful tool in the hands of Pastors and Counselors for pre-marital counseling.

Additional Single Yet Preparing Resources:

• Is This The One?: Insightful Dates for Finding the Love of Your Life is written by Steve Arterburn. It is published by Zondervan. In this book, Steve Arterburn maintains that the key to a long-term relationship is making sure you’re taking the plunge with the right person. He focuses attention on the beginning of relationships. This is before the commitment, before the emotional investment, before the children. He prescribes three sets of ten carefully devised dates designed to help couples reveal their true colors. This will clarify whether or not they are a compatible match.

• The Sacred Search: What If It’s Not about Who You Marry, But Why? – written by Gary Thomas, published by David C. Cook. “This is sobering but helpful marriage advice” as one reviewer wrote, and we agree. “Gary Thomas debunks the mythical search for a soul mate to help you choose a ‘sole-mate.’ This biblically based book is for anyone who wants to be wise in their pursuit of a spouse.” This is not a book for those who are afraid to look beyond their immediate feelings for the person they want to marry. It is a serious book about a serious matter —who you marry and why, and what to look for in that person, as you pursue the sacred covenant of marriage.

Plus:

• True Love Dates – written by Debra Fileta, published by Zondervan. In this book, Debra Fileta encourages singles to “experience a season of dating as a way to find real love. Through powerful, real-life stories and Fileta’s personal journey, this book offers profound insights from the expertise of a professional counselor. It provides honest help for dating by providing a guide into vital relationship essentials. Debra is a professional Christian counselor. …She delivers insight, direction, and counsel when it comes to entering the world of dating and learning to do it right the first time around. Drawing on the stories and struggles of hundreds of young men and women who have pursued the search for true love, Fileta helps readers bypass unnecessary pain while focusing on the things that really matter in the world of dating.

Also:

• 10 Great Dates Before You Say, “I Do” – written by David and Claudia Arp, published by Zondervan. This book has a unique approach featuring fun-filled dates to help seriously dating and engaged couples strengthen their relationship. Couples will discover whether or not to go to the next level of commitment. They quality time together now while preparing for a great marriage in the future. It combines the best of marriage preparation research with a fun, easy-to-follow format.

• 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged is written by Dr Norman Wright. It is published by Harvest House. In this book, couples counselor Norm Wright steers potential brides and grooms through a series of soul–searching questions. He helps them to discern if they’ve really met ‘the One.’ Couples will be much more confident about whether or not to pursue marriage after completing these questions. Norm also addresses “the delicate subject of calling off the wedding if readers discover that a potential mate isn’t actually meant to be a life partner.”