{"id":300235,"date":"2018-05-10T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/love-looks-strange\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:24","slug":"love-looks-strange","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-looks-strange\/","title":{"rendered":"Love Looks Strange"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>God called the prophet Hosea to marry the prostitute Gomer. Pastor Bryan Loritts walks us through the biblical account that illustrates how counter-cultural true love really is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-05-10.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:28:39","filesize":"26.24M","filesize_raw":"27509570","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822,2860],"tags":[4383,4382,4381,4384],"podcast_series":[7213],"cwp_profile":[8819],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300235","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-hardship-and-suffering","tag-extravagant-love","tag-gomer","tag-hosea","tag-love-of-god","podcast_series-hosea-gomer-and-us","cwp_profile-bryan-loritts","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300235\/love-looks-strange","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300235\/love-looks-strange","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"vGv8vvwLVI\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-looks-strange\/\">Love Looks Strange<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/love-looks-strange\/embed\/#?secret=vGv8vvwLVI\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Love Looks Strange&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"vGv8vvwLVI\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"God called the prophet Hosea to marry the prostitute Gomer. Pastor Bryan Loritts walks us through the biblical account that illustrates how counter-cultural true love really is.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-05-10.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Have you noticed that you and your spouse don\u2019t always think alike, or feel alike, or act alike? Bryan Loritts says that\u2019s normal.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bryan: <\/strong>Marriage is a joint venture between two radically different people. It\u2019s just <em>amazing<\/em> how different my wife and I are and how different you and your spouse are\u2014I mean, different philosophies on how to squeeze the toothpaste. One of us does it properly\u2014from the bottom up\u2014and\u2014God\u2019s goal for marriage is oneness, not sameness!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, May 10<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey; I'm Bob Lepine. So, how do two different, distinct people become one? It\u2019s possible, as we\u2019ll hear from Bryan Loritts today. Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us on the Thursday edition. You know, when you think about passages in the Bible that have to do with marriage, most people don\u2019t go to the Old Testament Book of Hosea, but Hosea does say a little bit about what happens when a marriage goes bad; doesn\u2019t it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It\u2019s about committed love in the face of unfaithfulness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And honestly, it\u2019s a great model of how God can use a broken situation to display His glory. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob, I couldn\u2019t help but think, as I was listening to the message that we\u2019re featuring here, how many people were sitting out there, going: \u201cCould it be that God wants to use our broken situation to show our kids how two people, who have really hurt one another deeply, can\u2014not just stick and stay and not walk out\u2014but truly turn it around and exchange the thorns for roses that bloom and blossom and leave a fragrance of Christ?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>You and I had a chance to hear this message, which was presented by one of our favorite pastors and speakers, Bryan Loritts, who, by the way, is a part of the new <em>Art of Parenting<\/em>\u2122 video series, along with his wife, Korie. They\u2019re contributors to the series\u2014did a great job in the<em> Art of Parenting. <\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>\u00a0<\/em>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is a message that Bryan presented on marriage, where he took the Book of Hosea as his text, and I thought brought some powerful principles out of that Old Testament book. Here\u2019s Part One of Bryan Loritts\u2019 message: \u201cMarriage Lessons from Hosea.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Recorded Message]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bryan: <\/strong>A young man sat down to have a conversation with an elderly woman. Not long into the conversation, he noticed that, situated on the coffee table between [him] and this elderly woman, was this dish \/ this bowl that was filled with the most delightful-looking peanuts he had ever seen in his life. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHe was distracted by these peanuts; so not long into the conversation, this young man said to this elderly woman: \u201cMa\u2019am, do you mind if I have some of these peanuts? They look so wonderful! Can I have some?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHis request seemed to stun her a little bit. A moment of silence ensued. She was clearly taken aback by this request, and she seemed somewhat hesitant to acquiesce; but finally she says: \u201cYes; go ahead. Help yourself.\u201d He stuck his hand in the bowl, popped some of the peanuts into his mouth, and the conversation commenced.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNot long after doing this, he realized\u2014this young man\u2014that the dish was now empty. He had eaten all of her peanuts. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEmbarrassed, he said to this elderly woman: \u201cMa\u2019am, I\u2019m so sorry. I\u2019m a young man. I grew up in the South; my mama raised me better than this. Here I am\u2014a guest in your home\u2014and I have eaten all of your peanuts! But I have to tell you, ma\u2019am; those are some of the best peanuts I have ever had in my life! I just have to know, ma\u2019am; where did you get these peanuts from?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow this elderly woman was clearly taken aback by his question. She\u2019s embarrassed; she turns red\u2014stunned silence\u2014even a more prolonged silence ensues, for what felt like, at least, 30 seconds. In reality, it was probably no longer than 10. She finally gathers herself together and she says: \u201cYoung man, as you can see, I\u2019m an elderly woman; and as such I have no teeth. Those peanuts used to be covered in chocolate; [Laughter] but since I don\u2019t have any teeth, I just suck the chocolate off and spit them back into the dish.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe moral of the story is: \u201cThings are not always as they appear.\u201d [Laughter]\u00a0 What\u2019s tragically true of once-chocolate covered peanuts is also true of so many people, who say they are followers of Jesus Christ, but are not.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tJesus, in Matthew, Chapter 7\u2014that chapter, in which D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says is \u201c\u2026the most harrowing chapter in all of the Scriptures,\u201d is coming to the conclusion of His great Sermon on the Mount. I see him, now, with a group of religious leaders situated around Him; and He says, \u201cNot everybody who says to Me, \u2018Lord, Lord,\u2019 will enter into the kingdom of heaven.\u201d These religious leaders are taken aback: \u201cWhat do you mean, Jesus? Didn\u2019t we cast out demons in your name? Didn\u2019t we prophesy in your name? Didn\u2019t we do all these wonderful things in your name?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd Jesus says: \u201cI\u2019ll respond by saying, \u2018Depart from Me. I never knew you.\u2019\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe great tragedy of hell is\u2014hell will have many parking spaces reserved for people, who came to church and who were operating under the illusion that they were saved when, in reality, they were <em>not<\/em>. It was the great C.S. Lewis who once, at Oxford University, looked out upon a crowd. He said: \u201cYou know, when we get to heaven, we\u2019re going to be surprised on two fronts. One, we\u2019re going to be surprised at who is there that we knew for sure would not be there; and two, we\u2019re going to be surprised at who is not there that we knew for sure would be there.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSalvation is a mystery. So, how do I know that \u201cI\u2019m saved\u201d?\u2014one word: \u201cfruit.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAt the end of Jesus\u2019 sermon here to these religious leaders, He says, \u201cYou will recognize them\u201d\u2014not by the amount of sword drills they won but\u2014\u201cYou will recognize them by their fruit.\u201d Fruit is a changed and changing lifestyle that cannot be blamed on the normal maturation process of adulthood, but could only be blamed on the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit. It\u2019s fruit. Every believer \/ every legitimate believer should be able to look through the rearview mirror of their journey with Jesus and conclude two things: \u201cOne, \u2018I have not arrived\u2019; but two, \u2018I am not where I used to be. He\u2019s changing me.\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMy pastor, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer\u2014he once said this in front of his 13,000-person church\u2014so I don\u2019t mind saying it to you. He says, \u201cYou know, when I first got saved, I used to cuss at the drop of a hat; but now, since following Jesus, I don\u2019t cuss that fast anymore. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\u201cI have not arrived; but at the same time,\u201d\u2014he\u2019s saying\u2014\u201cwhen I look at where I once was, I am not all the way\u2014both having arrived and I\u2019m not all the way <em>there<\/em>\u2014He\u2019s bringing me along and changing me.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHow does that fruit come? Writing to the Ephesians, Paul would say it this way: \u201cDo not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d He\u2019s writing in Greek. The Greek word for \u201cfilled\u201d is the Greek word, <em>pleroma<\/em> (\u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03c1\u03c9\u03bc\u03b1); it literally means \u201cto be filled to overflowing.\u201d This is an interesting word. It was used of a pregnant woman\u2014and not just any old pregnant woman\u2014it was only used of a pregnant woman in her third trimester. I\u2019m talking sure-enough pregnant. [Laughter] I\u2019m talking can\u2019t-bend-down-and-tie-her-shoes pregnant. I\u2019m talking so overflowing with baby\u2014can\u2019t-get-comfortable-at-night pregnant! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019m talking so obviously pregnant that, even though you just met her for the first time, step to her in confidence and ask her \u201cWhen-the-baby\u2019s-due?\u201d pregnant. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s the word Paul uses in Ephesians 5. It\u2019s as if he\u2019s saying, \u201cMay you and your marriage be third-trimestered with the Holy Spirit so that, when people see you for the first time, there is no doubt who calls the shots in your life.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat does that look like?\u2014to be third-trimestered with the Holy Spirit? Paul tells us in Galatians, Chapter 5, when he writes, \u201cBut the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.\u201d It\u2019s no coincidence that the leadoff batter to the list is love. First Corinthians 13\u2014that great passage that some of us had read at our weddings\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014Paul actually says, \u201cNow abideth faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tOne scholar says that \u201cLove is the MVP of all New Testament virtues.\u201d Jesus would say it this way, in John 13, \u201cBy this will all people know that you are My disciples,\u201d\u2014not by the arguments you have on Facebook<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, not by the latest book you\u2019ve read, not by your ability to pontificate on fine points of theology\u2014but by this will all people know that you are real-deal followers of Jesus Christ\u2014\u201cit is by your love.\u201d An unloving Christian, in so many words, is an oxymoron; it is a contradiction in terms. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe New Testament is clear: \u201cTo be followers of Jesus Christ is to be people radically marked by love.\u201d The primary human relationship\u2014the theater upon which love is to be acted out\u2014is in our marriages. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt was Robert Smith, Jr., who said, \u201cEvery New Testament point has an Old Testament picture.\u201d The New Testament point is: \u201cLove,\u201d \u201cLove,\u201d \u201cLove.\u201d If that is the primary fruit \/ the primary evidence that I am marked and dominated by\/third-trimestered by the Holy Spirit, then I need to be real clear what love looks like. To help us with this, I want us to come to Hosea, Chapter 3. I want to read the whole chapter to you\u2014chill out; it\u2019s just five verses. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHosea says:\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd the Lord said to me, \u201cGo again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is,\u201d\u2014not <em>used to be<\/em> \/ is; not <em>was<\/em> \/ <em>is<\/em>\u2014\u201c\u2018an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tVerse two\u2014please note the specificity here. We\u2019ll unpack it: \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, \u201cYou must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.\u201d For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to His goodness in the latter days.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod comes to Hosea one day and He says: \u201cHosea, I have a problem. My problem, Hosea, is I have entered into holy matrimony with My people Israel. I have exchanged vows with her.\u201d This is what the Jews call <em>hesed<\/em>: \u201cI\u2019ve entered into covenant, not a contract.\u201d Contracts are performance-based. Contracts are: \u201cYou do your part, and I do my part.\u201d Contracts are 50\/50 propositions. You\u2019ve heard the line: \u201cAnyone who says they\u2019ll meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo God says, in so many words: \u201cHosea, I have a problem here. I\u2019ve entered into\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>hesed<\/em> \/ I\u2019ve entered into covenant with Israel; but here\u2019s the problem\u2014Israel, My bride, keeps cheating on Me\u201d\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014His words\u2014\u201cby whoring after other gods. Here\u2019s My problem, Hosea\u2014My problem is that, in My holiness, I will not allow myself to divorce My cheating bride. I need her to know I am with her \u2018ride or die.\u2019 I need her to know that this relationship isn\u2019t <em>quid pro quo<\/em>. I need her to know that this relationship is not contractual \/ it is not performance-based. I want to submit this to her\u2014that I am with her regardless of how she acts or does not act.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cSo here\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking, Hosea. I\u2019m thinking that I want to use you as my divine show-and-tell for the profound depths of love that I have for her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cI want to use you, Hosea, to show my people that My love has no statute of limitations, that there is <em>nothing<\/em> they can do to get out of My love. So here\u2019s what I want you to do, Hosea. I know you just graduated from seminary\u2014got the M. Div.; just got called to your first church, Hosea; and I know you\u2019re single; you\u2019ve been crying out to Me for a wife. I have one picked out for you.\u201d [Laughter] \u201cWell, who is she?!\u201d \u201cHer name is Gomer, and she is an adulteress.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI can see Hosea\u2019s countenance now dropping: \u201cWait a minute, God. I\u2019m a preacher. That\u2019s a strange sight, God!\u201d God says, \u201cThat exactly the point; because I\u2019ll show you a stranger sight\u2014Me, a holy God, with <em>you<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cBecause remember, this marriage is an illustration to communicate deep truths about Me and My love for My people. Hosea, you need to know, your marriage isn\u2019t ultimately about your marriage, or your happiness, or your reputation. Your marriage is an illustration to communicate eternal truths to a dying world.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI think that\u2019s a great place to park and send you a good old text message: \u201cYour marriage is more than just paying bills! Your marriage is a lot more than fulfilling your dreams, or your happiness, or even your holiness. Your marriage is to be a divine \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tsimile \/ a divine metaphor that communicates the power of an eternal God loving through two flawed individuals in the power that could reach to a dying world.\u201d [Applause]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0\u201cSo here\u2019s what I want you to do, Hosea. I am calling two profoundly different people\u2014the preacher to exchange vows with the prostitute\u2014and the only thing I\u2019m asking of you, Hosea, is to love her. I\u2019m not asking you to change her. She has one Savior, and it isn\u2019t you! I\u2019m asking you to receive her as is; and to love her, exuding the power of My Spirit; and leave the results to Me.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMarriage is a joint venture between two radically different people. It\u2019s just <em>amazing<\/em> how different my wife and I are and how different you and your spouse are\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014I mean, different philosophies on how to squeeze the toothpaste. One of us does it properly\u2014from the bottom up\u2014and the other improperly. [Laughter] God\u2019s goal for marriage is oneness, not sameness. So the dance of marriage becomes: \u201cHow do two incredibly different people\u201d\u2014and some of those are just natural differences \/ others of those are differences that arise out of brokenness\u2014\u201cHow do two radically different people pull off oneness without trying to clone each other in their image?\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWell, you must rid yourself of any messianic machinations that you are the fourth member of the Trinity. [Laughter] \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBreathe easy; God does not expect you to change your spouse, but to <em>love<\/em> your spouse.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t[Studio]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, that\u2019s Part One of a message, \u201cMarriage Lessons from Hosea,\u201d from our friend, Bryan Loritts. We\u2019ll hear Part Two of the message this week.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, I think it was maybe a paradigm-shifting moment in our marriage when Mary Ann I both realized that different isn\u2019t necessarily wrong\u2014it\u2019s just different. Now, Mary Ann is always too quick to say, whenever I say that\u2014I say, \u201cYou know, different isn\u2019t always wrong; it\u2019s sometimes just different,\u201d and she says, \u201cSometimes it is wrong.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; selfishness called anything\u2014even called \u201cdifferent\u201d\u2014is definitely wrong.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>That\u2019s right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; I think, Bob, we\u2019re attracted to one another because we\u2019re different; then we marry because we\u2019re different; and then, unfortunately, many divorce because they\u2019re different and their differences are repelling them from one another rather than embracing the differences and celebrating how your spouse complements you and how he or she has broadened your world.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>When we learn to appreciate and value each other\u2019s differences, we\u2019re better together, with that broader perspective, than if it\u2019s just one of us alone.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And here\u2019s what I\u2019d say\u2014I close with this illustration. There was an anthill that, all of a sudden, felt a thud. The guys crawled out on the outside; they spotted a golf ball. The guys on the outside went back down and said: \u201cHey, there\u2019s a golf ball. You guys need to hide for cover.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>These would be ants?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>These are the ants\u2014they\u2019re talking to each other.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Okay.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And so the golfer got there\u2014and nothing disparaging, Bob\u2014but he played golf a lot like you. [Laughter] He swings here\u2014and doesn\u2019t hit the ball\u2014and hits the anthill and scatters ants everywhere. He squares up again to hit it. He swings again, and hits the anthill and misses the ball again. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe sound of dying of ants is everywhere. One of them turns to the other and says, \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d He said, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t know; but if we don\u2019t get on the ball we\u2019re going to be in trouble.\u201d [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, truthfully, there are a lot of listeners who need to get on the ball or they\u2019re going to be in trouble.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes; yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>They need to take a message like today and <em>apply<\/em> it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Express your appreciation for your bride. Tell her you\u2019re glad you married her, and then maybe articulate some of the ways that her differences have brought appreciation of some of the finer things into your life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We still have Part Two of Bryan\u2019s message that we\u2019re going to listen to tomorrow; but if our listeners have never been through FamilyLife\u2019s <em>Art of Marriage<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> video series\u2014either as a small group or there\u2019s an expanded version that you can do as a weekend retreat or as a Friday night\/Saturday marriage event in your local church\u2014Bryan Loritts is a contributor to <em>The Art of Marriage<\/em>. You can find out more about this video series when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBy the way, Bryan and his wife Korie are also a part of our brand-new <em>Art of Parenting<\/em>\u2122 video series. It has just been released; and again, you can find out more online about both <em>The Art of Marriage <\/em>andthe<em> Art of Parenting<\/em> when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com; or call if you have any questions: 1-800-FL-TODAY. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I want to say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to those of you we\u2019ve already heard from this month, who have contacted us and said, \u201cWe\u2019d like to be Legacy Partners with FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>.\u201d Legacy Partners are people who, on a monthly basis, help support this ministry financially. You guys provide the financial foundation for all that we do, here, at FamilyLife. During the month of May, we\u2019re hoping that 300 new families will join us as Legacy Partners. That would be six from every state in America\u2014that shouldn\u2019t be too tough; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we\u2019d love to think that you would be one of the six from your state who would become a new Legacy Partner. When you join today, a couple of things: first of all, your donations for the next 12 months\u2014every time you make a monthly donation\u2014it\u2019s going to be matched, dollar for dollar, up to a total of a half million dollars. We\u2019ve had some friends of the ministry, who have said they want to help us recruit new Legacy Partners, and they\u2019ll match your donations in the first year of you being a Legacy Partner.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn addition, we\u2019ll send you a certificate so that you and your spouse, or your kids, or friends you know\u2014whoever you\u2019d like to use it for\u2014can attend one of our <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage getaways. That\u2019s our gift to you when you become a new Legacy Partner. Would you join us, here, during the month of May?\u2014become a new Legacy Partner and have your donations matched, dollar for dollar, for the next 12 months? You can find out more when you go to FamilyLifeToday.com, or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to become a Legacy Partner.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can also have a onetime donation matched during the month of May. If you have been thinking about financially supporting this ministry, now\u2019s a great time to do that. Again, give online at FamilyLifeToday.com; or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd we hope you can join us back tomorrow when we\u2019ll hear Part Two of Bryan Loritts\u2019 message about \u201cHosea, and Gomer, and Us.\u201d I hope you can be with us for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2018 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/300235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300235"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=300235"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=300235"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=300235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}