Joshua Harris has done some writing on dating in the past. At age 21, his first book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye introduced a series of books focused on romantic relationships and sexual purity. This fourth book, my reading focus this week, shifts to consider our Western tendency to "date" the church casually, falling short of a relational commitment.
While Joshua's thoughts don't involve as much outward focus as I'd like to see in such a book, this short, straightforward read is worth reviewing. When we understand that the church is people for whom God paid a tremendous price, we're prone to love the church like Jesus loves her. That requires real heart change.
I appreciated his comments in the chapter, Why We Really Need the Local Church:
"Going away is easy. Do you want to know what's harder? Do you want to know what takes more courage and what will make you grow faster than anything else? Join a local church and lay down your selfish desires by considering others more important than yourself. Humble yourself and acknowledge that you need other Christians. Invite them into your life. Stop complaining about what's wrong with the church, and become part of a solution."
Check out the book, Stop Dating the Church, Fall in Love with the Family of God
