1. How’s Your LOVE Life? (Based on « The Relationship Principles of Jesus » by Tom Holladay) Matthew 7:12 Luke 6:31

2. How’s Your LOVE Life? All of our lives we’ve heard this paraphrased; it’s simply referred to as the Golden Rule. Once again we are instructed by Christ Himself, that we must lay our desires aside and live unselfishly with respect to others. The Reciprocal Rule: “You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours”.

3. How’s Your LOVE Life? The Ricochet Rule: Treat the next person as someone else has treated you. The Hidden Motive Rule: It’s when someone gives something or acts in a particular way towards another that is out of character, and immediately it arouses our suspicions. If we are honest with what we see in ourselves, we will most likely recognise stubbornness deep within our own hearts.

4. How’s Your LOVE Life? It’s always our turn to do what’s right. You need to begin to thank God for the other person despite their lack of love and relationship skills, and ask Him to help you find one small thing each day about that person that you can be grateful for. This will open your heart to allow God to work on your attitude and ability to express love to those who don’t return it.

5. How’s Your LOVE Life? Jesus clearly showed that this kind of love was not to be reciprocal, but rather it was to be sacrificial. Jesus gave us truth to empower and encourage us. We are not only to treat others as we want them to treat us, but we are to treat others the way God does.

6. How’s Your LOVE Life? We must never let our imperfections keep us from traveling down the path He has laid out for us. Jesus has opened the door for our journey, and he has promised to walk with us guiding us every step of the way. The Golden Rule says we have to love even our enemies.

7. How’s Your LOVE Life? God does not want us to show resistance, rejection or retaliation. We are to choose vulnerable love, generous love, sacrificial love, and practical love. By giving to our enemy, we don’t allow them to take our rights away.

8. How’s Your LOVE Life? The goal of love is not some false ideal we’ve conjured up in our minds; the goal of love is seeing God at work in our real lives. If our focus is always on the fact that our relationships are less than ideal or perfect, we will never be satisfied. We need to focus on making the little changes day by day that can make a huge difference in our relationships, and actually end up revolutionizing them.

9. How’s Your LOVE Life? Take your ordinary, real life – and give it to God; asking Him to help you to love in a new kind of way.

10. How’s Your LOVE Life? Forgiveness doesn’t mean you don’t remember. Forgiveness means you let go of anger, bitterness, and revenge. After forgiveness, it takes time to rebuild trust. 3) We are to choose to accept. Romans 15:7 4) We are to choose to sacrifice. 1 John 3:16

11. How’s Your LOVE Life? 1 Corinthians 13 shows us how to love sacrificially. – Be patient. – Be kind. – Don’t be proud. – Don’t be selfish. – Don’t give up.

12. How’s Your LOVE Life? The Lord will be there to provide help and His empowering.