Essential Glue for Every Couple to Apply, Part 1

Today from Chuck Swindoll father would be willing to guard for his if we are willing to go so far as to die for our children.

Why is it that we often don't seem willing to live.

Don't hold back your hearts don't restrain your kisses.

If it helps practice the words I love you. When was the last time you did that with an adult son. Once the honeymoon reality.

How do husbands and wives ensure that their romance remains healthy and as the years move on, and children bring challenges all the wrong house a couple ward off the forces that work against things like financial pressure managing a hectic schedule dealing with unwanted surprises today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll provides a biblical answer that may seem so obvious, so predictable that we often fail to measure its value to title today's message is essential glue for every couple time we come across a passage of Scripture that is so familiar. We tend to drift a bit when we returned to it.

It's not let that happen today as we turn together to the 13th chapter of first Corinthians you're not familiar with your Bible. It is in the New Testament.

It is among the letters that Paul wrote and this is often considered greatest treatise in all of literature on the subject of love.

I've heard the passage read where the name of Christ is substituted for the word love. I like today for you to hear this is it for the first time, we will focus on a few moments together. If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing and if I give all my possessions to feed the poor and if I deliver my body to be burned but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous. Love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly. It does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

See these next three words with me.

Love never fails.

Once again, never study the Bible with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download searching the Scripture study by going to Insight world.org/studies and outlets resume the message titled essential glue for every couple to apply. Love is a language all its own.

Isn't it interesting that when it is on display. No words can adequately define or describe it. And when it is absent. No words can take its place. That's why I referred to love is one of those few essentials for life use that word often.

Webster tells us that is central has to do with that which is absolutely basic indispensable vital love is what air, food and water are to physical life.

Love is what the 3R's are to good education.

Love is what nine people and pitching and hitting and fielding are to the game of baseball. Love is what 11 people and offense and defense and special teams are to the game of football. Love is the glue. The glue that when applied will bond the family regardless of what the family is going through. Step back with me and imagine several scenes that sort of say it all when it comes to love you and are in an airport and we look over our shoulder and we hear the sounds of a family is the dead gets up to get on the plane he surrounded by those who were getting up in years.

Obviously his parents are hers, his wife and three or four children. His arms around his legs. He's in a uniform being deployed to defend the country or to liberate another saying their goodbyes.

The tears the hugs's the kisses have a language all their own. No words are needed. Walk with me onto the maternity floor of any of the local hospitals and stand in the shadows and watch as the nurse with a smile on her face brings a newborn into the room for a first-time mother and her husband, the dad standing there arms are reaching out first time for her to nurse that look the baby almost gets sore from all the handling of mom and dad that first visit is there love which really needs no words surround and envelop the child look into the face of any proud father of the bride coming down the aisle at a wedding which is my joy as a pastor to do from time to time I have the best view I get to see this man who is getting ready to hand over Stradivarius to the gorilla who was waiting down in front and he is so enraptured in his love for her heat. He can hardly remember the one line that is he is to say I'll never forget the wedding.

When I asked and who gives this bride to be married to this group. Dad bewildered, said my mother and I did assorted negotiate sitting down by his wife. After that sometimes words fail us when we come to a treacherous place where love is on display in life-and-death hang in the balance. Patrick Morley in his outstanding book every man should read the man in the mirror tells the unforgettable true story. The salmon nearly leapt onto their hooks.

That was a far cry from the day before when the four anglers couldn't even seem to catch a cold, disappointed and yet not discouraged. They had climbed aboard their small seaplane and skimmed over the Alaskan mountains to a pristine secluded bay where the fish were sure to bite. They parked their aircraft and waited upstream where the water teamed with ready to catch salmon.

Later that afternoon when they returned to their camp. They were surprised to find seaplane high and dry. The tides fluctuated 23 feet. That particular bay and the pontoons rested on a bed of gravel since they couldn't fly out till morning. They settled in for the night and enjoyed some of their catch for dinner then slipped in the plane in the morning.

The seaplane was adrift, so they probably crank the engine and started to take all too late. They discovered one of the pontoons had been punctured and was filled with water. The extra weight through the plane into a circular pattern.

Within moments from lift off the seaplane careened into the sea and capsized Dr. Phil little Ford determined that everyone was alive including his 12-year-old son Mark. He suggested that they pray which the other two men quickly endorsed no safety equipment can be found on board a life vest, no floats, no flares, nothing. The plane gurgled and submerged into the blackness of the IC morning. See the frigid Alaskan waters shield their brand. They all began to swim for sure, but the riptide countered every stroke. The two men alongside Phil and Mark were strong swimmers and they both made sure one just catching the tip of land as the tides pulled them out toward the sea. Their two companions last saw Phil and Mark is a disappearing not on the horizon, swept arm in arm out to see the Coast Guard reportedly probably lasted no more than an hour in the freezing waters. Hypothermia would chill the body functions and they would go to sleep Mark with a smaller body mass would fall asleep first in his father's arms. Phil could have made the shoreline on his own. That would have meant abandoning his son. Their bodies were never found bucket pause before I read Morley's to very penetrating questions.

Can you imagine what that dad said to his son as he embraced him before they say can you imagine how tightly he hugged him.

Morley asks what father wouldn't be willing to die for his son. Then, if we are willing to go so far as to die for our children. Why is it that we often don't seem willing to live for. I haven't read you the story to play on your emotions.

I respect you too much. I read you the story to make you think urge you not to wait until there is a disastrous last moment where death hangs close and his hot breath is on your neck. Don't hold back your hugs don't restrain the kisses if it helps practice the words I love you save him use the first-person singular pronoun. Don't settle for love you. We say that your dogs love you love you we say I love you to people when was the last time you did that with an adult son or daughter said that made her practice throughout our marriage and certainly in the rearing of our children we would never stop saying that every chance we got.

Interestingly, we now here in return the first-person singular and the to the follow.

I love you this message today is is is all about that. All I have to say is contained in the first half of this grand treatise on love that you're so familiar with when it's read to get your lips move. I hope today that familiarity will not read in different I hope you will hear these things. Is it for the first time, though our time is limited. I plead with you, take them personally I don't care how you were reared. I don't care what's been done to you or against you. I ask you to take this personally.

This is for you.

This will impact you. My comment to Cynthia after I read it last night just before we went to bed was that if we read this every day. Our lives would change in a month they would be transformed into just reading your parcel begins with three statements regarding priority. The first priority in verse one has to do with words and love is so much better than that. The second has to do with all my knowledge prophetic gifts.

The whole ability to act on faith and love is better than that. And the third verse has to do with the sacrificial living right to the point of martyrdom and love is better than that revisited with me quickly. A higher priority than words is love verse one if I spoke or were able to speak with the tongues of men and of angels. If I had the language of the angelic creatures if I knew how to communicate with those who are six wind who filled the throne room of God. If I had the giftedness to hold vast audiences in my grip with my words if I had the eloquence to say things as had never been said before and I lacked love in the saying of them I would come across as a noisy gong or an empty brass symbol if I could speak with any language in heaven on earth. I might as well save my breath. No amount of linguistic skill.

No amount of eloquence can replace the presence of love without love. I have nothing value of value to say stop and think if I confront someone with words that lacked love. I offend them. I don't help. I heard if I attempt to comfort someone who is hurting and I expressed my compassion and words without love. They would rather are not even there comes across as insecure and flat if if I instruct other people with words that lacked love. They may hear words but they will resist the application of them for fear that they might turn out as I am heady, high-minded, gifted with words, but lacking the touch of love. The point without love. We have nothing of value to say the second verse. If I am gifted in the realm of prophecy. I know all the mysteries and I have all knowledge. Just think about that for a moment highest priority here is spiritual giftedness and spiritual death.

If I had the kind of faith that can move a range of mountains from one part of the continent to another just by claiming the moving of the mountains and yet lacked love I am nothing. Nothing.

Love is more valuable than prophetic knowledge and utterance. Love is more valuable than biblical awareness love is more valuable than personal faith, believe it, it says it, and yet we find ourselves pursuing a none an answer to the mysteries and an understanding of knowledge and and unraveling all of these incredible statements in the Bible about faith but Paul says love, that's the ticket that's the one essential and touching as close to home.

If I give everything that I possess everything but the clothing on my back everything I purchased everything I own everything that has my name everything that fills my home, including my home, my vehicles everything that I own everything I possess and on top of that, I give my body to be martyred for great calls and the giving up my things or the giving of my body to death is done without love. According to this, it profits me nothing one man put it in these words. Love is all important. Not verbal eloquence, prophetic utterance, incredible faith, compassionate benevolence, sacrificial martyrdom, so no matter what I say what I believe or what I do. I am bankrupt without love. This is a very good time for all of us to pause and do a quick analysis of our love life. If it gets too complicated to get outside the circle just stay within the circle of your family. If your parents are living, embrace them in your mind if your children are at home or have left if you have no children. If it's just you. You're still part of a family stay in that circle go there now if you're like me, it is helpful to know exactly what this has reference to means is this a gushy mushy kind of puppy love that, warms me up and makes me feel good that, thing, it is not few people to put it better than Dr. Ron Allen in his footnote on the Nelson study Bible is what he says. The base of first Corinthians 13.

The word agape translated love describes a love that is based on the deliberate choice of the one who loves rather than the worthiness of the one who is it is a giving, selfless, expect nothing in return. Kind of love are modern throwaway society encourages us to get rid of people in our lives who are difficult to get along with, whether they are friends, family or acquaintances. Yet this attitude runs in complete contrast to the love described by Paul truelove.

He concludes puts up with the people who would be easier to give up on convicting his boat when it works its way out. Now that we know the priority of it.

What are the characteristics give me some for instances. I'm hearing some of you say well if you look at the list in verses four through the first part of a will come across over a dozen characteristics each one of them is unique. Each one of them worth your time. Think about apprise your life on the basis of what is said and you'll it was interesting. You'll find that there were more negatives than positives more love is not than there are. Love is love dozen more often than loved us what sort of bunch up the group into chunks. We can bite often digest okay. Let's take patience and kindness together. Let's kick it off right there. Love is patient, love is kind. We have a term of short tempered. Interesting that would be in Greek micro to Leon to me. I was a word from which we get our word thermometer. Got it heat or passion. In this case tempered. This is Matt will to me long but interesting. Love is long. Love doesn't have a short were not finished yet. There's still much to discover in this passage Chuck Swindoll titled today's message essential glue for every couple to apply and this is insight for living.

The Scriptures are filled with the kind of counsel and advice we heard today. In fact, nothing surpasses the wisdom offered in the Bible and for husbands and wives it so important to consult the author of marriage. Along those lines, I remind you Chuck is written a daily devotional provides the same kind of direction for life and relationships is called wisdom for the way in this substantial book contains a chapter for every single day in the year. Think of all the competing voices you hear throughout an average day from daily news sources to the constant stream of trivial information online. This devotional wisdom for the way will guide your thoughts and help you stay on target and is available for purchase when you call us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/offer these daily programs are made possible because people like you give generous gift entry or support people all over our country and even around the world. Learning to place their trust in God. For example, I was encouraged to read a recent letter that said I started listening to Pastor Chuck when I was in prison and now seven years later I'm clean and living my best life. Thank you. Pastor Chuck and insight for living well is one who financially supports insight for living, you play a significant role, providing this daily program and in women like this one who found a new life in Christ. Thank you for including this nonprofit ministry in the oceans to give a contribution today. Simply go online to insight.org/donate Collins listening in the US, 1-800-772-8885 is the essential glue insight for living. The preceding message essential glue for every couple to apply was copyrighted in 2004, 2006 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly