Happy Valentine’s Day!

On this Valentine’s Day weekend, our thoughts go to the subject of love. It is the theme of the New Testament. No other character quality is of more concern to God for us to manifest. It is the first element of successful relationships. Unfortunately, love has been redefined by Hollywood and television to mean something that is only physical, only feeling. Paul defined love in 1 Cor. 13. It is not merely an emotion, but an act of the will. We choose to love. One man asked, “What is the goal of marriage, to hang on?” Surely, God intended something loftier than just hanging on. God’s aim is that we learn to be “killer” lovers. We are to love each other to death until death. The second element of successful marriage is maturity. Our greatest need is often to grow up past our self-centeredness. And the third element is faith. The divorce rate for people who take their faith seriously is extremely low. Marriage is the strongest bond of all human relationships. Jesus said, “A man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Mt. 19:5). The word “leave” means “to abandon,” and the word “joined” means “to be glued to.” Jesus taught that the most permanent relationship in society is not between parent and child, but between husband and wife. So Happy Valentine’s Day! May you know true love. It can only be found in a relationship with Christ, which will flow out in relationships with others. We love you! Please pray for us! Pastors Mark and Jennifer