THE SECRET OF LASTING LOVE

God put us on this planet to learn the greatest lesson in life. 1. Learning to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. 2. Learning to love everybody else. The only way to learn how to love is by loving, when you don’t feel like loving. Loving the unlovable and unlovely and unloving and unloved.

The Acts of Love 1 Cor. 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. [6] Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

The Acts of Love 1. Love is patient long suffering no matter the evil and injury done by a person without resentment, anger, or seeking revenge.

The Acts of Love 2. Love is kind courteous, good, helpful, giving, showing and showering favors.

The Acts of Love 3. Love does not envy is not jealous; does not have feelings against others because of what they have, such as gifts, position, friends, recognition, possessions, popularity, abilities.

The Acts of Love 4. Love does not boast does not brag nor seek recognition, honor, or applause from others. On the contrary, love seeks to give, to recognize, to honor, to applaud the other person.

The Acts of Love 5. Love is not proud is not arrogant, conceited; does not think nor act as though he/she is better or above others.

The Acts of Love 6. Love is not rude does nothing to shame others, it treats all persons with respect, honoring and respecting who they are.

The Acts of Love 7. Love is not self-seeking does not insist upon its own rights, it is giving to others, it is acknowledging others, not focused upon what he/she has done.

The Acts of Love 8. Love is not easily angered not ready to take offense, not quick tempered, not “touchy”

The Acts of Love 9. Love keeps no record of wrongs does not hold the evil done to oneself. Love suffers the evil done to it and forgets it.

The Acts of Love 10. Love does not delight in evil does not take pleasure in the unrighteousness and sin of others. Love rejoices with the truth. rejoices when the truth is known even if it hurts

1 Cor. 13:7 LOVE; bear all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Q. How can you have a love that will last a lifetime? A. Loving other people in the same way God loves you. The Love Of God Is; Reliable, Unchanging, Consistent, Steadfast, Unwavering, Enduring and Eternal

The Dirty D’s of Relationships Difficulties, Disagreements, Differences, Disappointment, Defeat, Dead-ends, Depression, Delay, Doubt, Distance, Death, Debt, Demands. BIG D – Divorce.

“It’s not real love unless it’s eternal.” (Euripides) The divorce rate in America; 40% for first marriages 60 % for second time marriages 70 % for third marriages

True or False “You don’t really understand perfect love until you’ve been married at least a quarter of a century.” (Mark Twain) Love at first sight is just attraction and arousal.

THE SECRET OF LASTING LOVE 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.”

Q. Why is grace required in every relationship? 1. Lasting love extends grace 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” Romans 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one.

1. Lasting love extends grace Some ways to accept people Listen Understand Give allowance Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

2. Lasting love expresses faith 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” Faith and love are intertwined because love is built on trust. Marriage contract

2. Lasting love expresses faith. The key evidence of trust is your willingness to give other people a second chance. You may not trust your spouse but you can entrust your spouse to God because God knows what He’s doing.

2. Lasting love expresses faith. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

3. Lasting love expects the best. 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” Love is forward looking. It’s positive. It’s not stuck in the past.

3. Lasting love expects the best. “Whoever loves believes in miracles.” (Elizabeth Browning) Problem We tend to shape the people around us by what we expect of them.

3. Lasting love expects the best. The Solution Husbands, if you want your wife to treat you like a king? Treat her like a queen.

4. It endures the worst 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.” Endure is a military word - meaning to stand against the attack of an enemy. Love endures the worst It is stubborn love that it will not give up on the relationship.

4. It endures the worst Love endures. Separation is not an option.

4. It endures the worst Romans 5:6-8 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. [7] Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. [8] But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God put you on this planet for us to learn the greatest lesson in life. 1. Learning to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. 2. And learning to love everybody else. The only way to learn how to love is by loving, when you don’t feel like loving. Loving the unlovable and unlovely and unloving and unloved. Q. Is it easy to love people like you?

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