1 Corinthians 13:1-7

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home An ingredient that, as the “more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31), exceeds all others More important than anything I SAY (13:1) More important than anything I HAVE (13:2) More important than anything I DO (13:3) God calls it the “greatest” (13:13) — “Agape” Love – Unconditional, sacrificial devotion – Self is forgotten as the betterment of one being loved is put first – Does not come & go – it “never fails” (13:8)

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS KIND! (1 Cor. 13:4) –Love is patient!  Gk – ‘macrothumia’—macro (long), thumia (anger)  Long in coming to anger (cf. Jas. 1:19; 1 Th. 5:14) –Love is kind!  Gracious, gentle, having a servant’s heart –Love does not envy!  Strong jealousy, fervent, “boil over”  Anger & hatred with another’s good fortune –When mistreated, love is kind (Rm. 12:20-21).

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS HUMBLE! (1 Cor. 13:4) –Love does not brag (parade itself, boast)!  Showing off for display our accomplishments or drawing attention to our needs & our wishes in order to receive praise & be the center of attention –Love is not arrogant (puffed up)!  An inflated opinion of self & our own importance  Allow others to stroke our ego—get puffed up –Love diverts attention away from self (cf. Phil. 2:3-4; Rom. 12:3) & to the one loved!

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS SACRIFICIAL! (1 Cor. 13:5) –Love does not behave rudely!  Disgracefully shame, embarrass or hurt others –Love does not seeks its own!  Insists on having its own way upon its own rights –Love  is tactful, courteous, polite, helpful & respectful.  “edifies” (1 Cor. 8:1); “does no harm” (Rm. 13:10)  unselfishly sacrifices self for others (1 Cor. 10:24)  does not have a “ME-first” attitude

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS FORGIVING! (1 Cor. 13:5) –Love is not provoked!  Irritable, touchy, bad-tempered, short-fused –Love does not keep a record of wrong!  Gk – accounting term: entering an item into a ledger so that it is not forgotten  Stores up resentment; holds and nurses a grudge –Love keeps a record of kindnesses received! –Love learns to forgive like God (Eph. 4:32)!  Not place on probation or keep under suspicion

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS TRUTHFUL (1 Cor. 13:6) –Love does not rejoice in wrong-doing  Rejoice when harm comes to one who harmed you  Laugh with joy when enemies have problems  Snicker when hear of another’s misfortunes  Gleefully join in the gossip-mill –Love joins in rejoicing in the truth  Finds no pleasure in evil-doing or anything wrong  Rejoices at good fortune of others (cf. Luke 15)  Rejoices when right, truth and goodness win

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS PROTECTIVE! (1 Cor. 13:7) –Love bears ALL things (lit. covers)!  Protection that comes by placing a cover over it— carports over our cars, pavilions over picnic tables.  Mercifully and quietly protects/covers the flaws, imperfections, faults & mistakes of others rather than dig them up and drag them out for display  “Above all…have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (1 Pet. 4:8).  Love does not condone sin but it does whatever is necessary to protect each other from sin & conseq.

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS TRUSTING! (1 Cor. 13:7) –Love believes ALL things!  Believe in and trust each other until verified evidence forces us to think otherwise  Give each other the benefit-of-the-doubt  Place the best connotation possible on events, actions & words of another  Gracious, not suspicious; careful, not critical

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS ENCOURAGING! (1 Cor. 13:7) –Love hopes ALL things!  To hope is to desire something and expect to receive that something.  Love moves us to desire and expect only what is best from each other and for each other  Hoping for the best involves encouragement: –Looking for the best –Expecting the best − Finding the best − Encouraging the best

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home LOVE IS PERSEVERING! (1 Cor. 13:7) –Love endures ALL things!  Despite ingratitude, bad conduct and problems from others, love patiently endures and doesn’t give up and run away.  Love puts up with more than a lot!  Love does more than just wait for better times and a cessation of mistreatment, love eagerly works to positively shape, even the worst circumstances, into a blessing for all involved.

God’s #1 Ingredient for Your Home ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● PERSEVERINGLOVE IS ENCOURAGINGLOVE IS TRUSTINGLOVE IS PROTECTIVELOVE IS TRUTHFULLOVE IS FORGIVINGLOVE IS SACRIFICIALLOVE IS HUMBLELOVE IS KINDLOVE IS! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Are you ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

“If you love me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Believe Jesus is God’s Son – John 8:24 Repent of your sins – Luke 13:3 Confess your faith in Jesus – Matthew 10:32 Be immersed in water – Mark 16:16 –Sins are forgiven – Acts 22:16 –Added to His church – Acts 2:47 –Registered in heaven – Hebrews 12:23 Love & serve Him faithfully – John 14:15