Bible Study: Let’s Talk Dating

If you spend a few minutes eavesdropping on a conversation between a group of teens you will very quickly see that the topic of dating occupies much of their thoughts and conversations. Teenage magazines have articles on topics such as “Does He Like You? Ten Ways to Know for Sure,” “Flirty Text Message Ideas,” and even “Sex Q and A.”

A Few Things to Remember

To have a successful discussion it is important to get off on the right foot. Be aware that this topic may be sensitive for many youth–either because they feel threatened by the “don’ts” imposed by most adults, or because they simply are embarrassed to share their own experiences or lack thereof. While some teens may be involved in very serious relationships, others may not have had a first date yet, may not be allowed to date, or have no interest in dating. For this reason, start off with non-threatening questions. Dont be over anxious to jump in with all of the answers. Look for volunteers to answer rather than requiring everyone to share. Use the beginning section as a warm up to get everyone comfortable.

The student handout can be copied for group use. Some leaders may prefer not to use worksheets but a handout may assist in facilitating discussion. If your group is large you may want to break up into smaller groups to answer the questions and then come back as a larger group to discuss and share.

Suggested Uses for this Resource

• Use for Sunday morning Bible study
• Plan a youth night around the topic of dating
• Discuss dating during a lock-in or weekend retreat
• Use as a discussion starter between parents and teens

Getting Started

With the group, answer the following questions. Be sensitive to the fact that some youth may not have gone on any dates yet.

• Where do most of your friends go on dates?
• What was your worst date?
• What was the funniest thing happened on a date?
• What is your dream date?
• What movie star would make the best/worst date?
• Feel free to add any other creative questions to this list.

Download the PDFs for the rest of the study.