Love: A Commitment Beyond Emotions and Circumstances

1. "Men, have been talking about the bride of Christ. We've been talking about a people, you and I being prepared for the great marriage that is to occur between Jesus Christ and his bride and those who have, and I put this very particular, those Christians who have made themselves ready. So that means it's not every Christians included in this. That's obvious. They've allowed him, Jesus, to work on us to have no spot or wrinkle and ready for his appearing and for one of the greatest events that will ever happen in human history called the marriage supper of the lamb." [03:06] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "You understand you can fall in and out of love easy enough you can like someone and dislike someone and the question is always why do you love this person more than all the other girlfriends or the other boyfriends you've had and until a person can answer that question their marriage or their relationship is on very unstable grounds because you get into conflict you get into difference what holds a marriage together what holds our relationship with Jesus Christ together if you haven't worked out why you love a person you'll suddenly see another person come along and think oh I don't know I don't know I don't know I don't know I don't know that person much more preferable to this thing and then you change what makes a person better you see I don't think for one moment that love is the only basis for marriage there's got to be something more." [11:25] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "You see, love can change emotions can change and I love Patricia but sometimes we have conflict well some people say to me they never have conflict in their marriage and I know that's a lie um and I don't feel I love her so much in fact I don't like her and she doesn't like me but eventually she puts it right and then of course I listened to William I don't know who is it I don't know who is it I don't know who is it I can't remember his name you know if I humble myself you know I'm thinking better humble myself and I put it right with her and then suddenly I like her and my love is just flourishing." [11:25] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "You realize that almost all issues in marriage have been because they haven't talked through some issues honestly. And instead of talking through issues, they've reacted. And that's why you've got to learn to control your reactions, your anger, your bitterness, your resentment. You've got to control that. You've got to deal with it. You can't, you can control it. It's a choice you make as love is a choice that we make. So how does it work with Jesus? See, because what happens is many people fall in love with Jesus, but after a while, the love can cool off." [19:47] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "And the question is, how do you keep passion in your relationship with your husband or your wife? How do you keep passion in your relationship with Jesus? Well, I'll tell you how you do it. You take the things like I do with Patricia, that I've so appreciated about her. And I do it with Jesus. And if I feel my love is called off, my passion for him is called off, suddenly I'll start to pray like this, Jesus, I love you, and you love me, and you died for me. I thank you, Jesus, that you've forgiven me. You have accepted me, despite my weaknesses and my failures." [21:41] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


6. "And you see, this starts to help us to understand a few moments about Jesus. And you learn that in your marriage, arguing has no point to it. You're having an argument. Well, basically that's going to always end up in pain and sorrow and your emotions are going to change. You realize that almost all issues in marriage have been because they haven't talked through some issues honestly. And instead of talking through issues, they've reacted. And that's why you've got to learn to control your reactions, your anger, your bitterness, your resentment. You've got to control that. You've got to deal with it. You can't, you can control it. It's a choice you make as love is a choice that we make." [19:47] (63 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


7. "And so we understand that there are times when people will not experience the love of Jesus. And we understand that there are times when people will not experience or feel the love of Jesus quite so strongly. It's just a natural flow of emotion. And so you reinforce your love with Jesus by talking about what he's done for you. You're here today because he sacrificed for you. You're here today because he cleansed you and washed you. You are here today because he set you free from all sorts of things." [31:03] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


8. "And you see, when we look into the pattern of the Ephesians that we just read, it says, husbands love your wives. And then he says this profound thing. Now, get this. Wives submit to your husbands. That's not a legalistic statement. That is the consequence of husbands sacrificially loving their wives to such an extent where the wives are wanting to submit to their husbands. Because of the way that they, the husbands, are behaving toward their wives. This has profound impact on various cultures. Because there are various cultures that see their wives almost as a slave." [27:09] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


9. "And so all of a sudden, my relationship with Jesus, I got no problem surrendering my life to Jesus. Ha! Because he loved me from a Greek word that means sacrifice. A sacrificial love. And when I am reminded of that and I talk to him about it and I thank him for it, what happens? My love for Jesus is rekindled afresh. And so we understand that there are times when people will not experience the love of Jesus. And we understand that there are times when people will not experience or feel the love of Jesus quite so strongly. It's just a natural flow of emotion." [31:03] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


10. "And you speak it out. Now, for me, it's going to be one thing. But for each one of you, there are other things that Jesus has done for you. There's other journeys that he's taken you on. There are other miracles he's done in your life. And what you do is you begin to express that and you rekindle why you love Jesus, just like you. Rekindle why you love your husband or your wife or whatever. It's rekindled. And I know that when I do that with Jesus, my love for him moves from more than just an emotion and a feeling to something that is profoundly committed, profoundly deep, profoundly amazing." [23:26] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)