Hey Matt,

Thanks for the helpful posts and comments.  It's awesome to see the fruit the Lord has produced in the years you all have been teaching this at CHBC.  Not only is their greater victory for many people in this area, but there are the many joyous weddings, a higher view of marriage itself, the increase in chivalry (for lack of a better word), and greater acceptance and faithfulness in marital/gender roles.

But this kind of opportunity isn't only for the young singles.  How about middle-aged singles, widows, and divorcees?  Often, middle aged persons are at greater risk of failure in this area because (a) they fear their opportunity for marriage is over, and (b) they rationalize their temptation to sin by saying, "I'm an adult, experienced and able to handle it."  For the most part, Christians are not accustomed to church leaders and churches taking an interest in their intimate lives as you describe, which gets compounded by unhealthy notions of independence in later years.  In most places, we probably need this kind of teaching as an aid to both young and older singles until we build cultures of "close shepherding" and meaningful relationships in the body.

Greg, great insight re: the call to concern ourselves with loving others rather than being loved.