The Greatest of These is Love In marriage, two become one. The hard part is deciding which one.

Opening Questions How did you and your spouse meet? What activities do you enjoy together? We’re supposed to complete our spouse, not finish them off.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church — for we are members of his body. (Ephesians 5:29-30)

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)

Chiasmus AB AB All for one and… Ask not what your country can do for you… People don’t care how much you know until… I’m stuck on Band-Aid… If you can’t be with the one you love, honey… Whoever exalts himself will be humbled but… BABA

Noah and his sons (Gen 6:10) All life on earth (6:13:a) Curse on earth (6:13:b) Flood announced (6:7) Ark (6:14-16) All living creatures (6:17–20 ) Food (6:21) Animals (7:2–3) Entering the Ark (7:13–16) Waters increase (7:17–20) God remembers Noah (8:1) Waters decrease (8:13–14) Exiting the Ark (8:15–19) Animals (9:2,3) Food (9:3,4) All living creatures (9:10a) Ark (9:10b) No more floods (9:11) Blessing on earth (9:12–17) All life on earth (9:16) Noah and his sons (9:18,19a)

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord For the husband is head of the wife, as Christ head of the church He himself is the Savior of the body But as the church is subject to Christ, and wives to their husbands Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church That He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the word That he might present to himself the church in all her glory She would be holy and blameless, having no spot or wrinkle So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies No one hates his body but nourishes it, as Christ does the church Because we are members of his body For this cause a man shall cleave to his wife, and the two become one flesh This mystery is great, but I refer to Christ and the church Nevertheless, let each among you also love his own wife even as himself And the wife is to respect her husband

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) ὑ π οτασσόμενοι ἀ λλήλοις ἐ ν φόβ ῳ Χριστο ῦ α ἱ γυνα ῖ κες το ῖ ς ἰ δίοις ἀ νδράσιν ὡ ς τ ῷ κυρί ῳ Submitting to one another in reverence of Christ. The wives to their own husbands as to the Lord hupó = under + tasso = arrange ὑ π οτασσόμενοι ἰ δίοις i d i o ti d i o t own husbands as to

Halftime Questions What are your favorite love songs? What are your favorite romantic movies? To make your marriage sizzle With loving in your cup… When you’re wrong, admit it When you’re right, shut up

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25) Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25) Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22)   †

Give, and it will be given to you. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord! (Luke 6:38, Colossians 3:23)

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life. (1 Peter 3:7) Husbands, in the same way

The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:4)

You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

Honor one another above yourselves. None of you should seek his own good, but the good of others. Humbly value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but to the interests of the others. (Romans 12:10, 1 Corinthians 10:24, Philippians 2:3-4)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in the likeness of man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death: even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:5-8)

The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who attends the groom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the groom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. (John 3:29)

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the groom fast while he is with them? The time will come when the groom will be taken from them; then they will fast. (Matthew 9:15)

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) (Revelation 19:7-8)

Closing Questions As the perfect groom, how did Christ love the church? How can we as a church become a better bride? My mom is tough. She buried three husbands. And two of them were just napping. (Rita Rudner)