Maybe you've found "the one".  First, congratulations!  But, are you READY for marriage?  All the feelings may be there.  But after the joy of the wedding, a marriage happens.  In this episode, Tom & Scott talk about how to know if you are really ready for marriage.

The Session:  Am I Prepared For Marriage?

Psalm 127:1

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it” (vs. 1).

A strong lasting marriage must be based on a relationship with God.

(Session will come from Galatians 5:22)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

We should show the evidence of the Holy Spirit first and foremost in marriage.

Am I Walking closely in my relationship with Jesus?

· Love

Paul begins with love, from the Greek term agapē. This is famously described as "selfless love," or an attitude that considers other people more than ourselves. How am I sowing these in my walk with Jesus?

· Joy

True joy is the response of delight to what God delights in. It requires a person’s heart to be tuned to the right values; specifically

· Peace

Having the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit in me helps me process life in a way that shows peace.

· Forbearance

Does the condition of my heart show patience and attitude of forgiveness?

· Kindness

Kindness is selfless, compassionate, and merciful; its greatest power revealed in practice to our enemies and amongst the least of these.

As we see from Psalm 15, the depth of our relationship with God should be reflected by our kindness to others, the control of our tongue and our integrity.

Ps. 15

O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?  Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?

He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart,

who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,

Who despises the vile but honors those who fear the Lord, who does not revise a costly oath,

Who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent.  He who does these things will never be shaken.

Additional thoughts from Timothy Keller

· Goodness

In the Greek, the word goodness, means “an uprightness of heart and life” (Thayer & Strong, 1995).

· Faithfulness

It is lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships, especially marriage and friendship: A wedding ring is a symbol of unending love and faithfulness to each other.

· Gentleness

Showing the kind of care and consideration that God in Jesus Christ has shown to us.

· Self Control

The active effort we put forth to resist the attacks of the enemy with God’s help.

“Against which there is no law.”

So there is no law against doing these things.  Why?  Because they are the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  There is no law against doing things that represent the character of God.