Anderson-Kouba
Wedding Sandy Anderson / Butch Kouba 6.27.98
Texts: 1 John 4.9-12 John 2.1-10 John 15.9-12
Why in the world are you two getting married?
communicate well, enjoy each other, play well together
obvious, simple answer: getting married bec you Love each other
whole lotta love in verses you’ve chosen
What’s Love got to do with it?
you know true LOVE is anything but simple as you try to live it out in your daily lives;
you know how hard it is to balance work and time together; know that it’s possible for relationships to be broken, know how difficult it is to keep the romance alive and love to stay lively
we’re here bec you love each other: Is it enough?
interesting that in 2 of passages you chose, you are explicitly directed to love each other - John 15: "This is my commandment, that you love one another
we most often think of love as a feeling (LUV), but in the Bible LOVE is an action
the Greek language of Bible has separate words to describe these loves: the LUV word has to do with feeling, emotions, passion, chemistry - knee wobbling, butterfly in stomach - not a bad thing: doesn’t even appear in the NT - more impt: that luv can’t be commanded
BUT LOVE arises from a keen sense of the value and worth in the object of our love - it is something you can do and I want you to remember to do throughout your marriage: value, treasure, appreciate - to plan for and nurture your relationship
feelings/passions/LUV may have ups/downs BUT LOVE is intentional, takes planning, care, commitment
And when I or anyone else says: LOVE each other - you realize what an awesome promise it is that you r making to each other today
Will you indeed not just luv each other BUT also LOVE each other?
It’s almost too much for any human being to promise, but here is where you begin to realize that you are not alone in your marriage
joh 15 again: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
why in the world? bec God has brought you to this day; God’s love gives you the freedom to love each other in an active way; that holds up thru better/worse all years bring.
SO, Why in the world are you two getting married?
bec you love each other (play well…) BEC GOD’s love for you has drawn you together
and perhaps, like in Cana story, it is the good wine that God has at last brought forth for you both
that’s why in the world we are are here at your marriage: to celebrate this love of God which has been manifested in your relationship.
And throughout your marriage, I pray that you will not only LUV each other but also find the ways to LOVE each other just as God loves you. AMEN.