Does anyone have ideas for Bible study ideas for couples?
If both sides are individually studying the Bible and going to studies themselves, can they can avoid problems like this but maybe even help each other put God at the center of their relationship? Can dating couples do Bible study together and any tips for things they could do?
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People who study on their own and also go to a church study are stronger for it. But that won’t keep a dating couple from kissing before marriage if they’ve never said out loud where the line is.
Dating couples can study the Bible together. One format I like is reading the Sermon on the Mount out loud in a coffee shop, one short section a week, with each person naming one ordinary choice the passage asks of them before next time. The same approach works with a single parable, taking turns retelling it before either of you explains it, so it doesn’t turn into a lecture. That’s what helped my partner and me put God at the center.
Yes, dating couples can study the Bible together. Make sure you’re each still keeping up your own faith and church involvement, and that you’ve set sensible physical boundaries.
One simple approach is reading through a Gospel in short sections and talking about what it shows you about Jesus and what needs to change in your own lives. Topics like conflict, money, forgiveness, sexuality and serving others are also worth working through, since they show pretty fast whether your values line up.
I’d keep the time structured, and don’t use Scripture to correct or pressure each other.
Yes, dating couples can do Bible study together.
My partner and I have been going through Proverbs, one chapter at a time. We each read it on our own during the week and talk through what stood out when we meet up.
On keeping God at the center, having time set aside for Scripture has made a bigger difference for us. There’s a whole thread on that here: Devotionals to Bring Spouses Together
I wish I’d heard the part about not using Scripture to correct each other sooner, because I did that early on and it hurt more than helped.
Naming one ordinary choice each week is Matthew 7:24, where “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice” builds on rock.
Reading separately during the week before talking it through worked for us too, since we each showed up with something to share.
Small note, the Sermon on the Mount ends with the wise and foolish builders parable in Matthew 7, so your 2 formats overlap there.
Reading on your own first and then talking it through together works well. Each person gets time to listen to God before hearing what the other one thinks.
My partner and I did something like this. We’d pick one verse to apply or pray over, and sticking to just one kept the conversation from drifting.
Carve out serious time for the whole New Testament on your own first, if you can. You’ll bring way more to your couple study that way.
Individual maturity as Christians matters a lot here, both yours and theirs.
If marriage is on the horizon, Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts [by Les and Leslie Parrott] is worth a look. Not sure that’s where you’re at, but it’s for engaged couples and pre-engaged ones.
The actual Bible, chapter by chapter. No special dating couples plan needed. The Word itself has the power. It washes and renews, and your boyfriend can guide you through it as you read it together.
Keep it simple.
I think couple Bible studies should wait until there’s a ring on it. Studying Scripture together feels pretty intimate, maybe more for engagement or marriage.
For the dating phase, pick a book of the Bible on your own or find a study to do with friends instead.
My partner and I have been trying to dig into specific doctrines rather than reading passages at random. We’ll pick something (the threefold offices of Christ, for example), each research related Scripture on our own, then compare notes.
For any couple studying together, I’d point to John and Romans. John lays out the gospel, while Romans walks through what the Christian life looks like day to day.
Get those basics down together and the rest of Scripture starts clicking.
My partner and I set Song of Solomon aside to read together after we’re married.
Beautiful book, and saving it gave us something to look forward to.
Invite another couple, dating or married and you get more perspective and way more prayer. Solo study can’t match it.
One psalm, read slowly. Then we sit for a few minutes before either of us speaks.
Don’t always study just the two of you on the couch late at night. Mix in a young adults group or another couple sometimes. Someone else in the room will notice when your “study” turns into a forty-minute chat about wedding venues.
