Mind Your Heart
“Skin Hunger”
Matthew 8:1-4

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” –Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Relationships
Casual >>> Serious
Co-worker, Neighbor, Friend, Dating, Family, Married

Five Relationship Dynamics
Know, Trust, Rely, Commit, Touch
Ground rule: Never go further in one area than you have gone in the previous 

There is life-giving power that happens with human touch!

Matthew 8:1-4

You might just need the touch of Jesus today!

Touch is good and healing.

“Greet one another with a holy kiss.” –1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, Romans 16:16, 1 Peter 5:14
			
“He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” –Revelation 21:4

Sexual touch has God-given boundaries.

1. Sexual touch is reserved for marriage

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” –Genesis 1:27-28

2. Sexual touch is not to be casual or illicit. 

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” –Hebrews 13:4

3. Both men and women are responsible for sexual touch

“I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its fruit. Oh may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the scent of your breath like apples, and your mouth like the best wine.” –Song of Songs 7:8-10

“It goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding over lips and teeth. I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me. Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields and lodge in the villages; let us go out early to the vineyards and see whether the vines have budded, whether the grape blossoms have opened and the pomegranates are in bloom. There I will give you my love.” –Song of Songs 7:11-12

4. Sexual touch connects the souls.

“Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” –1 Corinthians 6:16-18

Few things more sacred and sensual than human touch.

Statistics

“…he [God] will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.” –Isaiah 61:3