2. Did you know that throughout history there has been twelve men by the name Valentine who have been “sainted” by the Catholic church?

3. LOVE – AND A PRISON CELL ! DEAR____________: ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ “LOVE FROM YOUR VALENTINE”

5. OLD TESTAMENT: “HESSED” LOYAL LOVE COVENANT LOVE NEW TESTAMENT: “AGAPE” SACRIFICIAL LOVE SELFLESS LOVE

6. THE DEFINITION OF AGAPE LOVE! “LOVE IS THE UNCONDITIONAL, SELFLESS GIVING OF GOD TO MEET OUR NEED AND IT IS THE UNCONDITIONAL, SELFLESS GIVING LOVE FROM US TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.”

7. I CORINTHIANS 13:1-8a “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

8. I CORINTHIANS 13:1-8a (cont.) “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

10. THE DESCRIPTION OF AGAPE LOVE! “Love is… patient, kind, secure, appropriate behavior, unselfish, steady/reliable, forgiving, holy, strong, trusting, hoping, enduring, and never failing.” (I Cor. 13: 4-8 paraphrased) LOVE IS: GOD’S LIFE IN ACTION THROUGH THE LIVES OF HIS PEOPLE!

12. THE EXAMPLE OF AGAPE LOVE!

13. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AGAPE LOVE

14. THE NECESSITY OF AGAPE LOVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN MY LIFE VALIDATES EVERYTHING ABOUT ME AS A CHRISTIAN AND THE ABSENCE OF THE LOVE OF GOD IN MY LIFE INVALIDATES EVERYTHING ABOUT ME AS A CHRISTIAN!

15. THE NECESSITY OF AGAPE LOVE (Cont.) I CORINTHIANS 13:1-3 IF I SPEAK ELOQUENTLY… IF I KNOW EVERYTHING… IF I CAN DO EVERTHING… IF I SACRIFICE EVERTHING… IF I SUFFER COMPLETELY… WITHOUT LOVE IT IS ALL WORTHLESS!

16. THE NECESSITY OF AGAPE LOVE (Cont.) I CORINTHIANS 13:1-3 WITHOUT LOVE: ALL I SAY IS INEFFECTIVE! ALL I KNOW IS INCOMPLETE! ALL I BELIEVE IS INSUFFICIENT! ALL I GIVE IS INSIGNIFICANT! ALL I ACCOMPLISH IS INADEQUATE!

17. THE SUPERIORITY OF AGAPE LOVE!

18. QUESTIONS FOR MY LIFE: 1.HOW CAN I LOVE SOMEONE WHO HAS HURT ME IN SOME WAY IN THE PAST? 2.HOW CAN I SHOW LOVE TO SOMEONE WHO IS DIFFICULT TO BE AROUND? 3.HOW CAN I LOVE THOSE WHO ARE CLOSEST TO ME MORE EFFECTIVELY?

19. NOW, WHAT DO I DO? I CORINTHIANS 14:1