365 Sermon Illustrations on Love

“A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.” — Mary Kay Ash

“Love is a better master than duty.” — Albert Einstein

“To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you.” — Tony Dorsett

“When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible.” — Nido Qubein

“The clearer you are about the consequences of your actions and the more intensely you desire to enjoy the consequences that your behaviors may lead to, the more motivated you will be.” — Brian Tracy

“Inspiration comes of working every day.” — Charles Baudelaire

The holidays will be joyous for some, solemn for others. Another year has rolled by and some have moved ahead and some slipped behind. The shopping malls will be decked with glitter and shine. Many people will buy gifts to thank those they love. Some will search for the perfect way to send an apology so that next year will be better. Some will shop because that’s all they know. Another season will pass, and another year will end. The holidays are here and I am looking for the perfect gift.

Try something different this year and give the gift of commitment to all the people that depend on you. Say thank you to the spouse who stood by you in times of despair. Thank you to the child who obeyed you in times of doubt. The gift of admiration and reverence to your parents who nurtured you to become who you are. The gift of forgiveness to all the people that hurt you. An apology to the employer who kept you in spite of days of inadequate performance. Make a commitment to start a new chapter in your life. The holidays are here, it’s time to sow the seeds of hope.

On February 14, 1999, I made a commitment to renew my vows to my beloved bride of 13 years. As we stood in front of the altar holding each other’s hands, I felt her soft, supple palms that were silky to touch. As I gazed into the beauty of her eyes, tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. Her expression hid the calluses of years of laundry and cooking. Her mannerisms clouded the many sleepless nights she spent nurturing our son. Her joy camouflaged the many disappointments we had faced as we tried to make a life in a foreign land. But her supple palms and silky touch said, “Oh how I love thee, let me count the ways.” The holidays are here, it’s time to love unconditionally for it will conquer all.

We are at the cusp of a new century and the New Year will bring the promise of something spectacular. In addition to the doubts we have, we will carry with us both good and bad memories. If we make a commitment to honor the opportunity we have, and remind ourselves that we live in the best of times in the best country in the world, it will be a lot easier. The holidays are here. I am glad to be where I am, for this is the center of my world and from here I can go anywhere and the farthest distance is just twelve thousand miles.

1. I am so glad that our Father in heav’n

Tells of His love in the Book He has giv’n;

Wonderful thins in the Bible I see–

This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me.

Chorus:

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus love me, Jesus loves me;

I am so glad that Jesus loves me,

Jesus loves even me.

2. Though I forget Him and wander away,

Still He doth love me wherever I stray;

Back to His dear loving arms would I flee

When I remember that Jesus loves me.

3. O if there’s only one song I can sin

When in His beauty I see the great King,

This shall my song in eternity be:

“O what a wonder that Jesus loves me!”

• The first secret — THE POWER OF THOUGHT.

Love begins with our thoughts. We become what we think about. Loving thoughts create loving experiences and loving relationships. Affirmations can change our beliefs and thoughts about ourselves and others. If we want to love someone, we need to consider their needs and desires. Thinking about your ideal partner will help you recognize her when you meet her.

• The second secret — THE POWER OF RESPECT

You cannot love anyone or anything unless you first respect them. The first person you need to respect is yourself. To begin to gain self-respect ask yourself, “What do I respect about myself?” To gain respect for others, even those you may dislike, ask yourself “What do I respect about them?”

• The third secret — THE POWER OF GIVING.

If you want to receive love, all you have to do is give it! The more love you give, the more you will receive. To love is to give of yourself, freely and unconditionally. Practice random acts of kindness. Before committing to a relationship ask not what the other person will be able to give to you, but rather what will you be able to give them. The secret formula of a happy, lifelong, loving relationship is to always focus on what you can give instead of what you can take.

• The fourth secret — THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP.

To find a true love, you must first find a true friend. Love does not consist of gazing into each other’s eyes, but rather looking outward together in the same direction. To love someone completely you must love them for who they are, not what they look like. Friendship is the soil through which love’s seeds grow. If you want to bring love into a relationship, you must first bring friendship.

• The fifth secret — THE POWER OF TOUCH.

Touch is one of the most powerful expressions of love, breaking down barriers and bonding relationships. Touch changes our physical and emotional states and makes us more receptive to love.

• The sixth secret — THE POWER OF LETTING GO.

If you love something, let it free. If it comes back to you it’s yours, if it doesn’t it never was. Even in a loving relationship, people need their own space. If we want to learn to love, we must first learn to forgive and let go of past hurts and grievances. Love means letting go of our fears, prejudices, egos and conditions. “Today I let go of all my fears, the past has no power over me — today is the beginning of a new life.”

• The seventh secret — THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION.

When we learn to communicate openly and honestly, life changes. To love someone is to communicate with them. Let the people you love know that you love them and appreciate them. Never be afraid to say those three magic words: “I Love You.” Never let an opportunity pass to praise someone. Always leave someone you love with a loving word — it could be the last time you see them. If you were about to die but could make telephone calls to the people you loved, who would you call, what would you say and … why are you waiting?

• The eighth secret — THE POWER OF COMMITMENT.

If you want to have love in abundance, you must be committed to it, and that commitment will be reflected in your thoughts and actions. Commitment is the true test of love. If you want to have loving relationships, you must be committed to loving relationships. When you are committed to someone or something, quitting is never an option. Commitment distinguishes a fragile relationship from a strong one.

• The ninth secret — THE POWER OF PASSION.

Passion ignites love and keeps it alive. Lasting passion does not come through physical attraction alone, it comes from deep commitment, enthusiasm, interest and excitement. Passion can be recreated by recreating past experiences when you felt passionate. Spontaneity and surprises produce passion. The essence of love and happiness are the same; all we need to do is to live each day with passion.

• The tenth secret — THE POWER OF TRUST.

Trust is essential in all loving relationships. Without it one person becomes suspicious, anxious and fearful and the other person feels trapped and emotionally suffocated. You cannot love someone completely unless you trust them completely. Act as if your relationship with the person you love will never end. One of the ways you can tell whether a person is right for you is to ask yourself, “Do I trust them completely and unreservedly?” If the answer is “no”, think carefully before making a commitment.

Jeffie was in his playpen and he was crying. Tears were rolling down his little cheeks, his face was red as it could be. He was crying, and he looked pitiful in his little baseball T-shirt and a diaper.

Then Jeffie’s Grandpa entered the room; Jeffie’s little face lit up when he saw his Grandpa! He immediately reached out his little arms in supplication and said “Out Pa Pa out.”

What is a Grandpa to do? How can someone resist that?

So Grandpa went over to the playpen, he bent over. He reached down to lift his little buddy from captivity and distress …

Just then “Law and Order” walked into the room.

Momma said “Jeffie, you stay right there! I’m punishing you because you have been naughty! Dad, leave Jeffie alone!”

What is a Grandpa to do?

Grandpa backs off and is thinking, “I can’t just pick up a book and read it with Jeffie here. He would think I was uncaring and distant. I can’t leave the room because he would feel like I have abandoned him.”

What is a Grandpa to do?

But you know what? Love always finds a way. Since Grandpa couldn’t take Jeffie out of the playpen, Grandpa climbed in with Jeffie!

Grandpa said “If you are in the playpen buddy, I’m in the playpen too. What are you in for? What is your sentence?”

Having Grandpa join him in his “prison cell” brought Jeffie great comfort and joy. In the midst of his captivity, Jeffie no longer felt so alone.

What Jeffie’s Grandpa did is also a picture of what Jesus Christ did for us when He came to Earth as a baby.

God the Father yearned to reach down into our “playpen of captivity” and pull us out. He could not … because of our disobedience … because of our sin. What did God do?

God climbed into our “playpen” with us!

When Jesus Christ entered into our “playpen of captivity,” He took the sin and disobedience that should have been ours alone, releasing us from our captivity … allowing us the opportunity to experience the fullness of life God has for us!

The message is simple, clear and personal: God with us … He loves you so much He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have Eternal Life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 (NIV)

”I loved her!”

The clergyman was finishing the graveside service. Suddenly, the 78-year-old man whose wife of 50 years had just died began screaming in a thick accent, “Oh, oh, oh, how I loved her!” His mournful wail interrupted the dignified quiet of the ceremony. The other family and friends standing around the grave looked shocked and embarrassed. His grown children, blushing, tried to shush their father. “It’s okay, Dad; we understand, Shush.” The old man stared fixedly at the casket lowering slowly into the grave. The clergyman went on. Finishing, he invited the family to shovel some dirt onto the coffin as a mark of the finality of death. Each, in turn, did so with the exception of the old man. “Oh, how I loved her!” he moaned loudly. His daughter and two sons again tried to restrain him, but he continued, “I loved her!”

Now, as the rest of those gathered around began leaving the grave, the old man stubbornly resisted. He stayed, staring into the grave. The clergyman approached. “I know how you must feel, but it’s time to leave. We all must leave and go on with life.”

“Oh, how I loved her!” the old man moaned, miserably. “You don’t understand,” he said to the clergyman, “I almost told her once.”

While the story is a piece of fiction, I figure that it’s more true than we would care to admit. Wouldn’t that be a shame to allow this to happen? Our loved ones need to hear from us regularly that we love them. It’s impossible to tell someone too often how much you care for them!

Go ahead… give it a try! And when you tell your family and friends that you love them each time you see them, you’ll find yourself feeling better about yourself too!!!

You can’t feel bad for long when you’re sharing love… and remember the old saying, “It’s not love until it’s shared” – you’ve got to share it for others to know it and feel it!

So go ahead and tell someone that you love them – you’ll love yourself for it!

Have a Christ filled day!

1. I love you! There is nothing that will make me stop loving you. Nothing you could do or say or think will ever change that.

2. You are amazing! I look at you with wonder! Not just at what you can do, but who you are. There is no one like you. No one!

3. It’s all right to cry. People cry for all kinds of reasons: when they are hurt, sad, glad, or worried; when they are angry, afraid, or lonely. When they feel. Big people cry too. I do.

4. You’ve made a mistake. That was wrong. People make mistakes. I do. Is it something we can fix? What can we do? It’s all over. You can start fresh. I know you are sorry. I forgive you.

5. You did the right thing. That was scary or hard. Even though it wasn’t easy, you did it. I am proud of you; you should be too.

6. I’m sorry. Forgive me. I made a mistake.

7. You can change your mind. It’s good to decide, but it is also fine to change.

8. What a great idea! You were really thinking! How did you come up with that? Tell me more. Your mind is clever!

9. That was kind. You did something helpful and thoughtful for that person. That must make you feel good inside. Thank you!

10. I have a surprise for you. It’s not your birthday. It’s for no reason at all. Just a surprise, a little one, but a surprise.

[Some of this is fine, but there is an underlying philosophy with which I disagree — but it does provide an example of secular wisdom in this field. RGH]

One person caring about another represents life’s greatest value.

Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing.

The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, “If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.” Now I say, “I will take care of me for you if you will take care of you for me”

The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy.

You cannot succeed by yourself. It’s hard to find a rich hermit.

There is no greater leadership challenge than parenting.

If you talk to your children, you can help them to keep their lives together. If you talk to them skillfully, you can help them to build future dreams.

Leadership is the great challenge of the 21st century in science, politics, education, and industry. But the greatest challenge in leadership is parenting. We need to do more than just get our enterprises ready for the challenges of the twenty-first century. We also need to get our children ready for the challenges of the 21st century.

February — Valentine's Day — A day when we are encouraged to express our love freely and openly to those who matter the most in our lives. And every year, we put a lot of time and effort into planning for this one event. We wonder what we can do to make this a special day for our partners. We question what we can give them. We buy gifts; we choose cards; we select special flowers. Finally, we prepare for a romantic evening out. We may buy a new dress or search for new shoes or look for something special to help celebrate and share all the love we have in our lives and in our hearts. But every year, we leave someone out!

Each Valentine’s Day, we forget ourselves! On a day dedicated to joyously celebrating love we neglect to honor and acknowledge the love we have for us. We just don’t think about it! For some, the mere thought of it causes embarrassment. Why do we generally harbor a feeling that self-love is wrong? Why do we believe it to be vain or self-centered? Or worse yet, why can we find no reason TO love ourselves? Maybe it’s because we can see our flaws so clearly. And so we believe that others must be able to see them too. Maybe it’s these horrible imperfections that cause us to feel unworthy of our own love. Yet if we can’t love ourselves, how can we love anyone else and how can we expect anyone else to love us in return, including our families??

So often I hear women complain that their spouses and their children take them for granted. These women do EVERYTHING around the house without asking for help, without complaining, without seeking anything in return. They GIVE and give and give, continuously and silently. Sooner or later all that they do catches up with them. They tire and become tired of all the chores, of all the responsibilities of all the giving. They get angry with their family for not helping out and for EXPECTING them to do all that they do. But why shouldn’t the family expect it? They know no different.

We set the tone for how we will be treated by our families, our employers, our friends and even strangers. We do this by the way in which we treat ourselves and by the way in which we ALLOW others to treat us.

The people in our lives will respond to us in the same manner we respond to us. IF we treat ourselves without respect, without appreciation, and without gratitude then others will do the same. Conversely, if we treat ourselves with dignity, love and honor, than others will do the same. WE set the example.

In the same way, it is our belief in our own worthiness that creates the limits for how we will allow ourselves to be treated. If we ALLOW our families to EXPECT and to take us for granted, then they will! If establish limits and boundaries for how we will allow ourselves to be treated, our families will come to respect those too. It all starts with us!

So this Valentine’s Day do something a little bit different. Put some time and effort into planning to make this day special for you. Question what you can give yourself and make sure you give yourself the gift of time. If only for a few minutes, take this day and HONOR you. Love yourself in spite of your imperfections. It is NOT vain. It is NOT self centered. It IS respectful and I can’t think of anyone who deserves your respect more.

Fifty Ways to Love Your Spouse

1. Love yourself first.

2. Start each day with a hug.

3. Serve breakfast in bed.

4. Say "I love you" every time you part ways.

5. Compliment freely and often.

6. Appreciate — and celebrate — your differences.

7. Live each day as if it's your last.

8. Write unexpected love letters.

9. Plant a seed together and nurture it to maturity.

10. Go on a date once every week.

11. Send flowers for no reason.

12. Accept and love each other's family and friends.

13. Make little signs that say "I love you" and post them all over the house.

14. Stop and smell the roses.

15. Kiss unexpectedly.

16. Seek out beautiful sunsets together.

17. Apologize sincerely.

18. Be forgiving.

19. Remember the day you fell in love — and recreate it.

20. Hold hands.

21. Say "I love you" with your eyes.

22. Let her cry in your arms.

23. Tell him you understand.

24. Drink toasts of love and commitment.

25. Do something arousing.

26. Let her give you directions when you're lost.

27. Laugh at his jokes.

28. Appreciate her inner beauty.

29. Do the other person's chores for a day.

30. Encourage wonderful dreams.

31. Commit a public display of affection.

32. Give loving massages with no strings attached.

33. Start a love journal and record your special moments.

34. Calm each other's fears.

35. Walk barefoot on the beach together.

36. Ask her to marry you again.

37. Say yes.

38. Respect each other.

39. Be your partner's biggest fan.

40. Give the love your partner wants to receive.

41. Give the love you want to receive.

42. Show interest in the other's work.

43. Work on a project together.

44. Build a fort with blankets.

45. Swing as high as you can on a swing-set by moonlight.

46. Have a picnic indoors on a rainy day.

47. Never go to bed mad.

48. Put your partner first in your prayers.

49. Kiss each other goodnight.

50. Sleep like spoons.

The Christian and the Decalogue — Desires — Exodus 20:17«Leaders material shown in these braces»

2 I am Jehovah thy God, … 16 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. — ASV

A. Webster’s dictionary defines to covet as to desire ardently; especially something that another person has

1. George W. Forell, a Lutheran theologian, in commenting on this commandment, suggests that “man’s life is impelled by the passion to get what others have.” —{1}. In a moment or two I would like your comments on the validity of this statement

2. What is the same object coveted in each of the following:

a. Genesis 3:1–6; (NAS): 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’” 4 And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. «Man coveting God’s divinity»

b. Acts 12:21–23; (NAS): 12:21 And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. 22 And the people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. «Man coveting God’s glory and the adulation of men»

c. modern religions, new age and humanism? «To exalt man as being god-like»

d. biochemical scientists? «To create life, to be like God»

3. so let’s go back to Forell’s statements that “man’s life is impelled by the passion to get what others have.” Comment on this in the following realms

a. there is a box of toys, one two-year old has a car in his hand, and there is another two-year old …

b. “fashion”

c. “market forces” and “free trade”« — these are terms of the laissez-faire economist; prices and values depend on the law of supply and demand, on how much people desire a certain thing, leading us to a consumer society»

B. This sin can infect the Christian

1. When Paul quotes this command (Rom 7:7, Rom 13:9) it is just simply, “thou shalt not covet”

2. Romans 7:7–8 teaches that «(NAS: What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘you shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.) Coveting is still sin»

3. what are some antidotes to this infection?

a. Proverbs 24:1 «— don’t get ensnared by the attractive pleasures of wicked people»

b. 2 Corinthians 10:5 «— making our thoughts captives of Christ; build our thought-life from God’s Word rather than imposing our concepts into the Bible»

c. Ephesians 2:3 «— remember from what we have been saved, and the dissatisfaction of that life»

d. Philippians 2:5 «— learn the mind of Christ – see Ephesians 4:17–24; previously greedy, deceitful lusts; now renewed in the spirit of our mind»

e. Colossians 3:1–2 «— turning our point of view from the world, the physical to heaven, the spiritual»

C. The first opposite: gratitude

1. in fact, when you think of it, coveting is a prime example of sin being ingratitude to God, to what He has given to us

2. what is the expression of gratitude? Psalm 107:22 and quoted in paraphrase in Hebrews 13:15-16. «The “sacrifice” of praise and thanksgiving.»

3. What occasions for gratitude were given to the Colossians?

a. 1:12 «— adoption (so that we can inherit the kingdom)»

b. 2:6–7 «— the faith by which we received Christ»

c. 3:15–17 «— all the blessings attending God’s people»

d. in Hebrews 12:28? «— our kingdom is unshakeable»

e. in Hebrews 13:5 «— gratitude is contentment with our “haves” since our greatest “have” is His Presence (same as we find in the Old Testament)»

f. What are some other occasions for gratitude? Why? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 «— any and every; it’s God’s will»

D. The second opposite: love

1. What wrong approach might we use in applying Mark 8:35–37; (NAS): For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s shall save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? if we also apply the teaching of 1 Corinthians 13:3? «Having the wrong motives for Christian deeds of righteousness — to gain us spiritual credits — rather than from God’s love flowing through us»

2. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 is the opposite to coveting in that

a. «is not envious (verse 4)»

b. «is not self-seeking (verse 5)»

c. «accepts personal discomfort (verses 4, 7)»

3. what do we discover about this kind of love?

a. Ephesians 3:17, 19 «— its source, its roots is found in the indwelling Christ, in the indwelling fulness of God and in knowing His love»

b. 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 «— this love of Christ will move us to the same as His passion, that for lost mankind; the NEB, if we alter the order of the main and subordinate clauses to make it more English and less Greek, puts it this way “For when once we have reached the conclusion that one man died for all and therefore all mankind has died, the love of Christ leaves us no choice. His purpose in dying for all was that men, while still in life, should cease to live for themselves and should live for him who for their sake died and was raised to life.” — this is the life of love»

4. this is achieved in the Christian,

a. not by a theoretical consideration of God’s love

b. not by a set of opinions about the nature of God

c. but by, according to Acts 4:32 «—a Christian perspective on ownership»

d. what does 1 Peter 4:10 tell us that is? «— what we “own” is possessed by us as stewards to serve others»

E. Some final verses to leave with you

1. Matthew 5:43; (NAS): “You have heard that it was said, ‘you shall love your neighbour, and hate your enemy.’”

2. Matthew 22:39; (NAS): “The second is like it, ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”

3. Luke 9:23; (NAS): And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

========== References ==========

1. George W. Forell, page 146, "Ethics of Decision" © 1955 The Muhlenberg Press

• Customer Service Rep: Can you install LOVE?

• Customer: I can do that. I’m not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first?

• CS Rep: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma’am?

• Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running?

• CS Rep: What programs are running ma’am?

• Customer: Let me see… I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

• CS Rep: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma’am?

• Customer: I don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

• CS Rep: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

• Customer: Okay, I’m done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal?

• CS Rep: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message?

• Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

• CS Rep: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades.

• Customer: Oops… I have an error message already. What should I do?

• CS Rep: What does the message say?

• Customer: It says “ERROR 412 – PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS”. What does that mean?

• CS Rep: Don’t worry ma’am, that’s a common problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but In non-technical terms it means you have to “LOVE” your own machine before it can “LOVE” others.

• Customer: So what should I do?

• CS Rep: Can you find the directory called “SELF-ACCEPTANCE”?

• Customer: Yes, I have it.

• CS Rep: Excellent, you are getting good at this.

• Customer: Thank you.

• CS Rep: You’re welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the “MYHEART” directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

• Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART!

• CS Rep: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go…

• Customer: Yes?

• CS Rep: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet. They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you.

• Customer: I will. Thank you for your help

John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studies the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the pervious owner’s name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.

During the next year and one month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photography, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting – 7:00 P.M. at the Grand Central Station in New York. “You’ll recognize me,” she wrote, “by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he’d never seen. I’ll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened:

A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose. As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. “Going my way, sailor?” she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell.

She was standing almost directly behind the girl. A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle.

I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her. This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful. I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment,

“I’m Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner/”

The woman’s face broadened into a tolerant smile. “I don’t know what this is about son,” she answered, “but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”

It was one of those primitive science experiments that a lot of boys try. OK, it's a sunny winter day. You lay out a board out on the ground - this is what I did anyway. Now you can leave it there all day with the sun beating down on it. It won't even get warm. Now comes the exciting part of the experiment. You take a piece of glass and you focus the sun's rays on one spot on that board. Same sun, same board - very different result. Eventually, that board starts to get hot - and you've got smoke - maybe even fire going there. Amazing, huh?

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Singular Love.”

It really makes a difference when you focus the warmth of the sun on one spot. It really makes a difference when you focus the warmth of your love on one person. Especially if that person is the life partner you have or one of the children God has entrusted to you. The question for today isn't whether you love your family - I'm sure you do. The question is this: does each member of your family feel loved by you? Now, that may depend on how much focused love they get from you.

As always, Jesus is a wonderful example for us in how we need to treat people. In our word for today from the Word of God, Luke 8:43, we have an example like that. “As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him.” Lots of people who need Him, lots of demands for His attention - sound familiar at all? Sound like you right now? Well it goes on to say, “A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“'Who touched Me,' Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, 'Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.'“ Again, maybe a feeling you can relate to. “But Jesus said, 'Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.’ Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. Then He said, 'Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.'“

I love this story. It is so indicative of our Lord's heart. In the midst of great pressures and many needs, He is able to focus His love and attention on just one person. He's showing us how we ought to live. And right now, I'm thinking especially about how we live at home. For your spouse, for your son or daughter, to feel loved by you, they need your exclusive attention on a regular basis. A general “I love all of you, family” is about as powerful as the unfocused sun on that board. It's when you focus your love on one person that the fire of love is kindled in their heart.

To make this practical, let me suggest a commitment to consider - “I will give each member of my family all of me at least once a day.” Some days it might be for two minutes and others for two hours. But you consciously go to each one sometime during the day and you give them your total, undivided, undistracted love and attention. It's not the frantic, occasional bursts of love that make people feel loved - it's that regular, consistent, focused attention, making the person you're with feel like they are the only person on earth right now.

The people you love may have had you around them quite a bit, but not really with them - listening, working together, sharing feelings, laughing, hugging, encouraging. Why not commit yourself to consciously follow your Master's loving example - to warm the lives of those you love the most by, each day, aiming all your love just at them.

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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“For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if [there is] any other commandment, are [all] summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love [is] the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:9-10 NKJV)

Love Fulfils The Law

• briefly {are all}…saying — is summed up in a word

• love…thyself — Matt 22:39-40, Mark 12:31, Gal 5:13-14 — practical obedience to law of love covers all the other precepts

• love…neighbour — 1 Cor 13:4-7 — nor simply refrains from evil, but devises good things

• love…law — and more than the bare fulfilling

The love of our neighbour — Bp Butler

I. The object of the affection

II. Its proper extent. We are to love others as ourselves. This implies that this love –

1. Is to be of the same kind;

2. To bear a certain proportion to our self-love;

3. Is to equal our love for ourselves.

III. Its influence upon our general temper: to –

1. Produce all charitableness;

2. Fit men for every duty;

3. Moderate party feeling;

4. Prevent, or heal all strife.

IV. What it includes — all virtue. Love prompts men –

1. To seek the greatest happiness of all;

2. To the practise of personal virtues; and it includes –

3. All goodness

Love to Christ fulfils the law — An orphan boy, of peculiar vivacity and uncommon talents, and who had been a favourite comic performer in the heathen sports, was sent by his relations to New Hernhuth, a settlement of the Moravian missionaries. His agreeable and engaging manners gained him the affection of one of the wealthiest Greenlanders, in whose family he was placed, who had no son, and whose presumptive heir he was. At the first catechetical meeting at which he was present, being asked whether he would wish to be acquainted with our Saviour, and be converted? “O yes!” replied he gaily, “I shall soon be converted;” on which another, who had been lately baptized, gravely told him he knew little what conversion meant — that it was to yield the heart wholly to our Saviour, and to make a surrender of every evil inclination. This he found a hard saying, and would rather have thrown up his prospects among the brethren, and returned to his amusements among the heathen; till, after considerable mental conflict, he at last ceased contending with his Maker, and yielded a willing and cheerful obedience.

“Love is called the fulfilling of the law, because the love of God and man is the soul of every outward duty, and a cause that will produce these as its effects.” — Baxter

“When men are friends, there is no need of justice; but when they are just, they still need friendship.” — Aristotle

“Dr. Doddridge one day asked his little daughter how it was that everybody loved her. ‘I know not,’ said she; ‘unless it be that I love everybody.’”

I rise each day to rain or shine

And start my busy day.

So much to do, so much to be,

So much to think and say.

I’m grateful Lord, for all I have;

Family, friends, and health.

Faith and hope together Lord

Convince me of my wealth.

And should I stop and help someone

I meet along the way,

That chain of love will start anew

And make that person’s day.

We all must do the things we can

For people on this earth;

Being there for all who need,

Reminders of their worth.

So share a smile, a hug, or poem

With someone on your way.

You never know when you may have

A stranger make your day!

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, “Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine.” The crowd and the young man looked at the old man’s heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn’t fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared — how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought?

The young man looked at the old man’s heart and saw its state and laughed. “You must be joking,” he said. “Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.”

“Yes,” said the old man, “yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love — I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren’t exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared.

Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn’t returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges — giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man’s heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man’s heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.

When King David looked back on his life, he remembered some painful experiences. In Psalm 40, he recalled one especially severe difficulty, a time when he felt as if he had sunk deep into "the miry clay" (v.2). In his despair David kept pleading with God for deliverance, and graciously the Lord answered his desperate cries. Lifting him out of the "horrible pit," He set his feet on solid ground (v.2). No wonder David broke out into this hymn of praise and gratitude! As you look back on your own life, do you remember any experience when you felt as if you had fallen into a pit? Perhaps it was the pit of failure, the pit of bereavement, the pit of painful illness, the pit of dark doubt, the pit of some persistent sin. Did you keep crying out to God, and did He mercifully deliver you? If so, are you still praising the Lord for that answer to your cries and thanking Him for His grace? And are you now walking with Him in obedient fellowship? You can confidently trust the Lord to help you in whatever experience comes your way in the days ahead. Rejoice that in His time He can-and will-bring you through and bring you out. -Vernon Grounds Why must I bear this pain? I cannot tell; I only know my Lord does all things well. And so I trust in God, my all in all, For He will bring me through, whate'er befall. -Smith God can bring showers of blessing out of storms of adversity

Loving God is a commandment in the Bible. But “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, KJV).

Many years ago I spoke at the famous Park Street Church in Boston. That day my topic was God’s unconditional love, one of my favorite topics.

A missionary with whom I had gone to seminary twenty years earlier came up to me afterwards. “I could never preach a sermon like that,” he scolded. “I leave talking about God’s love to the theological liberals. I just talk about faith.”

Faith is important, but this poor man had lost sight of one of God’s greatest qualities. The apostle Paul writes, “We know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5, NLT).

God’s love for us, and His love through us, have always been the main focus of my ministry. His love is the central message of the gospel. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NLT).

God not only loves us, but it is noteworthy that His very Person is love. The Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8, NLT). Love is the essence of His being, the driving force behind everything He does. That is why He wants this chief attribute to be the driving force behind all that we do.

Many people already know that they are lost and that they are sinners. Many do not need to be reminded. This includes many who are in other countries with dominant, non-Christian religious systems. But many have never been told of God’s great, unconditional love for them and what He has done for them. The revelation of God’s love has no doubt brought more souls into the kingdom and caused more repentance and personal healing than any other message.

As God leads, we must proclaim the whole counsel of God and tell of hell and eternal punishment, but the good news is that because of His great love, God wants to redeem us. That is not because we deserve it, because we do not, but only because of His love and grace.

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8, NLT).

Yesterday we looked at two principles of love:

1 — Love is an act of the will.

2 — Love is action, not just words.

3 — Love reaches out to the unlovely.

4 — We need God to help us love.

5 — Love expects nothing in return.

(Taken from A Woman’s Walk With God, Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit by Elizabeth George)

Love reaches out to the unlovely. There are many Biblical examples of Jesus reaching out to unlovely and unlovable people: the leper, the prostitute, the adulterer, the tax collector, just to name a few. He does the same thing today. How does God reach out to you? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty “unlovely” at times. He loves me still. Romans 5:6 reports, “We were living against God.” “We were God’s enemies”, states Romans 5:10. Have you ever thought of yourself as God’s enemy? Have you ever turned against God? Have you ever done something that God wouldn’t want you to do? Lied? Cheated? Gossiped? Acted in disobedience? Disrespected your husband? Lost patience with your children? These are all examples of ugliness at its best. “There is none righteous, not even one. … All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:10, 23) Max Lucado says, “It isn’t that we can’t do good. We do. It’s just that we can’t keep from doing bad.” We, my good friends, are unlovely! Yet we are so loved by God. We are forgiven, cleansed, purified, reconciled, and then put back together––by God! Jesus was born the same way we were all born but He came bearing an extraordinary purpose. He came to save us ordinary, unlovely people, paying for our mistakes so we wouldn’t have to. He was always focused on love, His desire, passion, and purpose to bring His children home behind every step He took.

We need God to help us love. “Apart from Me, you can do nothing”, said Jesus in John 15:5. Even Jesus recognized His need for His Father. Notice how all through Jesus’ life, He studied the scriptures and made time for prayer. How else could He love the unlovely? In our natural state, we hate our enemies. Look at this principle again. We need God to help us love. That’s right, we do. We need God to help us love because He knows we can’t do it alone nor were we ever meant to. We are not to love for our sake, but for His sake. We wouldn’t need a Savior if we could do it alone. God wouldn’t be our Provider if we were self sufficient. And when it comes to love we are completely helpless to love on our own. Look at what He did for us. Romans 5:5 says, “God has poured out His love to fill our hearts. He gave us love through the Holy Spirit whom God has given to us.” You see, we do need God’s help to love. He stands ready, every minute of every day, to love through us.

Love expects nothing in return. I must admit that this truth is the hardest one for me to practice on a regular basis. It’s easy to understand, but hard to do. Just this morning, I brought my husband, Jeff, a cup of coffee while he was having his quiet time. He didn’t say thank you or anything. I got a little huffy, because I had walked all the way upstairs to deliver it. Fortunately, the Lord brought “His love” to my mind and this principle. I didn’t bring Jeff the coffee for a thank you. I did it because I love him and I know how hard he’s been working lately. That should be enough. I don’t say “thank you” to God for all the things He does for me on a moment by moment basis. And He still loves me. Let’s look to the cross to bring this principle home.

Jesus paid for our mistakes so we wouldn’t have to. Remember John 3:16. God loves us so much that He gave the life of His one and only Son – for us. There is nothing that we have to do or can do in order to earn this love. It’s free. When I look at it like that, it makes my pity party over the coffee look just plain stupid! I was trying to charge at least a “thank you” for coffee. It’s supposed to be free, expecting nothing in return. Accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, believing in Him. that’s all that’s required of us in order to experience His love. We don’t have to do anything in return. He did it all. While hanging on the cross (for you and me) in excruciating pain, He demonstrated a love like no other.

To really love someone like Christ loves is indeed a challenging call. But we can do it – if we do it through Him. Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can do everything through Him who gives us strength. If we could do it alone, this verse would just say, “I can do everything” and stop there. But we can’t do everything. We can’t do it all. “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” Let those words bring you comfort. You need God.

You can fulfill Jesus’ command in John 15:12 (to love like He loves), but you just can’t do it alone. Spend time with God. Have a quiet time and guard it. Go to Him for momentary “fill ups”. He is your Source and can fill your heart with all the love you’ll ever need.

My prayer for today:

Lord, thank you for filling my heart with love. I need you to help me share my love with others. I confess that I often expect something in return for the love I give to others. Help me to love as you love, expecting nothing in return. I pray that I will be one that reaches out to everyone, even the “unlovely”. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Practice doing things for others out of love, expecting nothing in return. Ask God to reveal to you the areas that you need help in loving those around you.

Reflection points:

• Do I ask God to help me love?

• Do I love just those who are easy to love, or is my love offered to everyone?

• Do I expect anything in return when I do something for a friend? My husband? My children?

• What is one way that I can show my love for someone today?

• Am I filling up with God’s love each day?

Power Verses:

1 Corinthians 13:5

Philippians 4:13

John 15:5

John 15:17

John 15:12

Luke 23:26–43 — The Passion Week (8) — First Three Words from the Cross (from 9 am till noon) « Leader information shown in this fashion »

A. On the Road (”via dolorosa”) to Golgotha (Calvary), the Place of the Skull, Luke 22:26–33a (NKJV; parallel passages Matthew 27_31–34, Mark 15:20–23 John 19:16–17): 26 Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ 31 For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” 32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, …

1. before going on this road, Matthew and Mark tell us they took off the mocking, royal robes and put on again his own garments

2. Matthew 27:34, NKJV, here says “they gave Him sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.” – there are a number of places in these hours where Jesus is offered wine or sour wine (vinegar); how many times is not certain due to the variations in the words used

3. Mark 15:21 tells us this Simon was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” … perhaps the “Rufus” of Romans 16:13

4. Did the Jewish nation totally reject Jesus as the Christ? « — it did so representatively in its leaders, but not individually; the “Crucify Him” crowd may even have been the minority! »

5. Prophecy fulfilled: Read Hosea 10:8

a. this was spoken to « Israel in the days when they (northern tribes) were about to go into captivity »

b. with these words Jesus warns His hearers of an imminent event; showing « prophecy can have near and far fulfilment »

c. the most natural application of Jesus’ words is to « the coming destruction of Jerusalem (70 A.D.) »

d. what about Revelation 6:16? « — past judgment (captivity, exile, Titus, dispersion) are warnings of judgment to come »

6. what do you make of the proverb in verse 31? « – if the living One (Christ; Acts 3:15) is to suffer punishment, what about the (spiritually) dead ones (those rejecting their Christ) »

7. because of some ancient pictures showing 5 crosses and of their being called variously “criminals” and “robbers” some have said there were 4 crucified besides Jesus; this is highly doubtful

a. Prophecy fulfilled: Isaiah 53:12 … how? « His death was that of an executed criminal in the company of criminals »

B. The First Word from the Cross, Luke 22:33b–34 (NKJV; parallels, Matthew 27:35–36, Mark 15:24–25, John 19:18, 23–24): 33b …there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

1. John 19:23–24 (NKJV) supplies these details: 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.

2. Jesus was nailed to the cross (a , T, X, or Y shape) by His hands (John 20:25) and probably His feet (Luke 24:39). « The torment was extreme but gospels dwell on the significance not the agony »

3. who is the “them” of Jesus prayer?

a. John 19:23 « — the soldiers who carried out the execution »

b. Acts 2:23, 3:17 « — the Jewish people who clamoured for it »

c. Acts 4:10 « — the Jewish rulers who engineered it »

d. 1 Cor 2:8 « — the Romans rulers who authorized it »

4. to what extent did these “not know what they” did?

a. the people and soldiers « — simply followed their leaders; this is the excuse of Nazis and others »

b. the rulers « — knew Him to be innocent, but did not know the magnitude and purport of their act (Acts 2:23, 3:17) »

5. the soldiers and the clothing

a. what was their motivation? « — to make a choice prize out of the Lord’s garments … a good keepsake for the future »

b. Prophecy fulfilled; Psalm 22:18; what was the result? « God’s word was corroborated »

C. The Words of the People and Rulers, Luke 23:35–37 (NKJV; parallels Matthew 27:39–43, Mark 15:29–32): 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

1. Matthew 27:39–40 (NKJV) tells us: 39 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” and in verses 42b–44 adds the rulers etc., said 42b “… If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 43 He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.

2. Prophecy fulfilled: how was it in …

a. Psalm 22:7 « — although we have seen there were those who sorrowed for Jesus, every sector of society (high, low, robbers, Jews and Gentiles) participated in reviling the Lord Jesus »

b. Psalm 22:8 « — in like fashion they questioned His relationship with the Father, a major part of Jesus’ testimony »

D. The Superscription, Luke 23:38 (NKJV; parallels Matthew 27:37, Mark 15:26, John 19:19–22) 38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

1. from John, further insight: 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

2. why this sudden backbone in Pilate? « — he could get back at the rulers for the unfavourable situation they put him in (where they foiled every attempt he made to slide out) »

E. The Second Word from the Cross, Luke 23:39–43 (NKJV): 39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

1. only Luke records this event; that is consistent with a great theme to be found throughout Luke (chapter 15; 19:10) « which is “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” »

2. what useful evidence is to be found here? « — Jesus’ innocence and the rulers’ schemes were such public knowledge that even this criminal knew about it »

F. The Third Word from the Cross, found only in John 19:25–27 (NKJV): 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

1. Clopas (AV: Cleophas)here may be a quite different person from Cleopas, one of the disciples on the Emmaus road

2. what is the phrase by which the author of the fourth gospel refers to himself in it? (See John 21:20, 24) — « “the disciple whom Jesus loved” »

3. John quickly drops out of sight in the book of Acts as first Peter, then Paul become prominent; his care for Mary, the mother of the Lord, may be part of the reason; then late in life, John wrote epistles, probably then the gospel, and the book of Revelation

G. What do each of these first three words from the cross convey?

1. the first « — Christ’s love even for His enemies »

2. the second « — His love for a fellow-sufferer shown in salvation »

3. the third « — His love for His disciple and His mother »

Discuss this list with your wife. Ask her to check the ones meaningful to her, & then arrange them in order of importance to her. Use the list as a basis for learning her views. Your relationship can be greatly strengthened as you learn how to use these suggestions.

1. Communicate with her; never close her out.

2. Regard her as important.

3. Do everything you can to understand her feelings.

4. Be interested in her friends.

5. Ask her opinion frequently.

6. Value what she says.

7. Let her feel your approval & affection.

8. Protect her on a daily basis.

9. Be gentle & tender with her.

10. Develop a sense of humor. Make an effort to laugh together every day.

11. Avoid sudden major changes without discussion & without giving her time to adjust.

12. Learn to respond openly & verbally when she wants to communicate.

13. Comfort her when she’s down emotionally. For instance, put your arms around her & silently hold her for a few seconds without lectures or put-downs.

14. Be interested in what she feels is important in life.

15. Correct her gently & tenderly — speaking the truth in LOVE.

16. Allow her to teach you without putting up your defenses.

17. Make special time available to her & your children.

18. Be trustworthy.

19. Compliment her often.

20. Be creative when you express your love, either in words or actions.

21. Have specific family goals to achieve together for each year.

22. Let her buy things she considers necessary.

23. Be forgiving when she offends you.

24. Show her you need her.

25. Accept her the way she is; discover her uniqueness as special.

26. Admit your mistakes; don’t be afraid to be humble. She’ll appreciate that!

27. Defend her to others-especially to her family.

28. Allow your wife to fail; discuss what went wrong after you’ve comforted her.

29. Rub her feet or neck, or scratch her back after a hard day.

30. Take time for the two of you to sit & talk calmly.

31. Go on romantic outings.

32. Write her a letter occasionally, telling her how much you love her.

33. Surprise her with a card or flowers.

34. Express how much you appreciate her.

35. Tell her how proud you are of her.

36. Give advice in a loving way when she asks for it.

37. Lead your family in their spiritual relationship with God.

38. Prefer her to others-giving her your attention & your time whenever possible.

39. Don’t expect her to do projects beyond her capabilities.

40. Pray for her to enjoy God’s best in life.

41. Take time to notice what she has done for you & the family.

42. Brag about her to other people, both in front of her & behind her back.

43. Share your thoughts & feelings with her.

44. Tell her about your job if she’s interested.

45. Take time to see how she spends her day, at work or at home.

46. Take care of the kids before dinner.

47. Learn to enjoy what she enjoys.

48. Help straighten up the house before mealtime.

49. Let her take a bubble bath while you do the dishes.

50. Understand her physical limitations & help her with the children.

51. Discipline the children in love, not anger.

52. Help her finish her goals, hobbies, & education.

53. Treat her as if God had stamped on her forehead, “Handle with Care”.

54. Work to get rid of habits that annoy her.

55. Be gentle & thoughtful to her relatives.

56. Don’t compare her relatives with yours in a negative way.

57. Thank her for things she has done without expecting anything in return.

58. Don’t expect a band to play whenever you help with the housecleaning.

59. Make sure she understands everything you’re planning to do.

60. Do little things for her — an unexpected kiss, coffee in bed.

61. Treat her as an intellectual equal.

62. Surprise her by asking her to give you a list of 3 things she’d like done around the house within the next month. And then make it your goal to do them.

63. Discover her fears in life.

64. See what you can do to eliminate those fears.

65. Discover her sexual needs.

66. Surprise her with a 15 second kiss.

67. Find out what makes her insecure.

68. Plan your future together.

69. Don’t quarrel over words, but try to find hidden meanings.

70. Practice common courtesies like holding the door for her, & pouring her coffee.

71. Ask her if you offend her sexually in any way.

72. Go out of your way to help her feel valued over anyone else.

73. See if she’s uncomfortable about the way money is spent.

74. Take her on dates now & then. You dated her before you married which helped you to fall in love, now date each other to STAY in love.

75. Hold her hand in public.

76. Put your arm around her in front of friends.

77. Tell her love her often.

78. Remember anniversaries, birthdays, & other special occasions.

79. Go shopping with her. (And don’t keep looking at what time it is when you go with her. That will be a pleasant surprise to her).

80. Make it a point to teach her to hunt & fish or whatever you enjoy doing if that’s important to her.

81. Surprise her by giving her a special gift from time to time.

82. Share the responsibilities around the house.

83. Don’t belittle her feminine characteristics.

84. Let her express herself freely, without fear of being called stupid or illogical.

85. Carefully choose your words, especially when angry.

86. Don’t criticize her in front of others — keeping her dignity in tact.

87. Don’t become excited about the physical features of another woman because that dishonors her.

88. Be sensitive to her needs-looking for ways to bless her.

89. Let her know you want to spend special time with her & the kids.

90. Fix dinner for her from time to time.

91. Be sympathetic when she’s sick-and help her however you can.

92. Call her when you’re going to be late.

93. Honor her by not disagreeing with her in front of the children.

94. Take her out to dinner & for weekend getaways.

95. Do the “ little things” she needs from time to time.

96. Give her special time alone with her friends.

97. Buy her what she considers an intimate gift.

98. Read a book she recommends to you.

99. Give her engraved plaque assuring her of your lasting love.

100. Write her a poem about how special she is.

In a chapel address Danny Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, gave three aspects of “excellent love” found in 1 Corinthians 13. He said excellent love is essential, expressive and enduring.

“When people know you love them, they will value your words. They will listen to what you say,” Akin said. “If they don't believe that you love them, regardless of how eloquent your words are, it will count for nothing.”

“If love doesn't temper your knowledge, as God reckons things, you are nothing,” he said.

According to Akin, when believers temper their knowledge with God's love, it will prevent the conceit that Paul rebukes in 1 Corinthians 8. Such love is selfless and builds others up, he said.

The second aspect of excellent love is found in how it is expressed.

Akin spoke of the 16 characteristics of love found in the passage and how they are in the active present tense, meaning love is a continual expression from the heart. He said one of the major components of godly love is that it is longsuffering and that God wants to teach believers to love more like Him through longsuffering.

“God must bring people into your life to make you suffer long,” he said. “Now you understand why God has brought difficult people into your life because God is committed to making you and I a long suffering kind of person.”

Akin further expressed that God's love hates sin and rejoices in His perfect will. He said this love also has an optimistic nature that can face the worst of situations.

“Love never quits. It never throws in the towel or drops out of the race. It never says, 'That is it!'“

As Akin closed by sharing how love is enduring, he said Scripture says there is a time when all things will pass away but that love will endure all things and never fade away.

“God is love and just like the Energizer bunny it will keep going and going and going,” he said. “It will never fail and it will never end. It is the very nature of God and it is the mark by which the world will know that you and I are His disciples.

“Therefore, the greatest of all things, love will endure.”

*

A little girl eleven years old, who was doing the housework in her home in Elizabeth, New Jersey, during the sickness of her mother, was suddenly horrified to see that her little baby brother had upset the lamp, and his clothing had taken fire. She determined to save the child, and ran with him to a lounge, screaming for help. She rolled him over and over until the flames were put out, although her own clothing had taken fire and she was being burned to death while she was making sure of the baby's safety. She saved the baby, and he was not badly burned, but the heroic girl died after a few hours. The brave little girl was living in the spirit of Him who, when he was hanging upon the cross, was mocked by his persecutors, with the insulting challenge that was truer than they knew, "He saved others; himself he cannot save" (Matthew 27:42; Mark 15:31).

A New York reporter was coming across City Hall Square, in a pouring rain, when he noticed an old woman dressed very shabbily and in clothing long out of date; walking by her side was an old man as torn and seedy as herself. But poor and unfortunate as they evidently were, no knight at an emperor's court was ever more gallant and chivalrous than the old man in care of his feeble wife. He guided her around puddles and between wagons, with his hand ever at her ragged elbow. Never for a moment did they trail miserably along, one behind the other. His hand was upon hers, his glance was directing both. There was evident grace and deference in his every movement. As they reached the bridge entrance he admonished her tenderly: "Watch the steps, Ellen, they do be terribly slippery today." It is the mission of Jesus Christ to make this whole world tender and gentle and chivalrous. So the weak shall lean upon the strong with grateful love, and the strong shall bear the burdens of the weak with sympathetic courtesy.