{"id":301513,"date":"2008-01-24T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-24T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2\/"},"modified":"2008-01-24T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2008-01-24T17:00:00","slug":"the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Christian Husband:  Loving Your Wife Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What does it mean to be a husband in our culture today?<\/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\/fl2008-01-24.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"11.32M","filesize_raw":"11870914","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2901],"tags":[4284,4868,4698],"podcast_series":[7564],"cwp_profile":[3142],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-301513","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-husbands","tag-father","tag-husband","tag-manhood","podcast_series-the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife","cwp_profile-bob-lepine","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\/301513\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/301513\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2","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=\"tOPtcB8Vt5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2\/\">The Christian Husband:  Loving Your Wife Part 2<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/the-christian-husband-loving-your-wife-part-2\/embed\/#?secret=tOPtcB8Vt5\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;The Christian Husband:  Loving Your Wife Part 2&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"tOPtcB8Vt5\" 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":"What does it mean to be a husband in our culture today?","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2008-01-24.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Gentlemen, how would your wife rate you as a lover?\u00a0 Before you jump too quickly to an answer, consider these characteristics of love from Dennis Rainey.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Love is patient, it is not self-seeking; it always perseveres.\u00a0 Take those three, and I want you to take them to your wife, and I want you to ask her, \"Honey, which of those three would you like to see me grow the most in and maybe even give me some specific ways or areas that I could grow as a man.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0This is FamilyLife Today for Thursday, January 24th.\u00a0 Our host is the president of FamilyLife, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 And, as we just heard, being a world champion lover, as a husband, it's a little harder than most of us thought it would be.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And welcome to FamilyLife Today, thanks for joining us on the Thursday edition.\u00a0 We're spending some time this week talking about how we, as husbands, can do a better job of loving our wives and do it according to the Scriptures, to love our wives as Christ loves the church and as He gave Himself up for her.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And our guest on the broadcast today is Bob Lepine.\u00a0 He has written a book called \"The Christian Husband.\"\u00a0 We've got to tell folks about your book so they give it away to the husbands who need to get it, because a lot of husbands out there need to know how to be better Christian husbands.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You know, it's been real encouraging since the book came out.\u00a0 I've heard from husbands who have gone through this book in small group settings, some who have given it as gifts to engaged men or newlywed men.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0That's a great idea.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0And it's just been real gratifying to get the feedback from guys who said, \"This has helped me.\u00a0 It's challenged me, but it's also given me some practical help on how I can live out my assignment.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, Bob, I've got to do this to you.\u00a0 You're a good friend, and I don't want to jeopardize our friendship here on the air, especially, but I've got to ask you this question.\u00a0 I've been waiting to ask you this question long enough for your book to be out.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0After you've written a book \u2013 and you folks in the audience need to understand this \u2013 when you write a book about a topic, whether it's raising children, being a husband, having a Christian marriage, if you write a book on a topic that is an intimate topic that is still being lived out, like \"Parenting Today's Adolescent.\"\u00a0 I wrote a book by that title, and I have had at least 100 occasions on which to say, \"Where is that book?\u00a0 We need to get them all and burn those books, because I'm a lousy parent today.\u00a0 I'm just not winning.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You have had to have a classic moment, Bob, as a husband, where you have asked yourself the question, \"Why did I write a book and put my name on the front and have the audacity to say, 'The Christian Husband,' by Bob Lepine, and they even spelled your name right at the bottom of the book.\u00a0 Have you had one of those moments?\u00a0 And, if so, take us there right to your house.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, you do refocus as you write something like this and, interestingly, I teach an adult Sunday school class, and we were going through this passage, Ephesians 5:25 in the adult Sunday school class, and so I was pulling in material from my book, only this time my wife was in the audience as I was going through it and every time I'd throw out some principle, I'd kind of look over at her.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0A witness, a witness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0I'd realize \u2013 I know how to teach this stuff much better than I know how to live this stuff.\u00a0 But I got home, and I said, \"Honey, I just wanted you to know that I know that I'm not doing a lot of the stuff that I was saying a husband ought to do this morning in Sunday school.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0This was without her saying a word to you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Without her saying a word, and she looked up at me, and she said, \"So when are you going to start doing it?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Ohp.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0And I went, \"Well, I thought just by confessing that I knew I wasn't doing it, that was good enough.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0[whistles] Hello.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0She just gently kind of nudged me back toward my assignment to be the kind of husband that the Bible calls me to be.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, I want our listeners to hear this.\u00a0 It takes a while for a man to become an excellent Christian husband.\u00a0 You don't stand before a pastor or the justice of the peace and seal the deal of marriage and instantly become a Christian husband, at least not a good one.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0It is a process, it is one filled with trial and error, but you have to do it according to some blueprint, and one of the major problems in our nation today is that we are taking our cues of what it means to be a husband from the world and not from the Word, and we need to be going to the Scriptures directly to find out how we should love and lead and sacrificially care for our wives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0One of the things we talked about on yesterday's broadcast was redefining love, and we talked about how there are four facets of love \u2013 unconditional love, covenantal love, incarnational love, and sacrificial love.\u00a0 Today I want us to look at 1 Corinthians 13 and talk about aspects of love.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, I want to just read this here at the beginning of the broadcast \u2013 love is patient; love is kind; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud; it is not rude; it is not self-seeking.\u00a0 Love is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs; love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.\u00a0 It always protects; always trusts; always hopes; always perseveres.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Bob, there is a load of truth in that passage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0There is, and I remember learning that passage in high school.\u00a0 I don't know if you had these in Ozark, Missouri, but we had, in St. Louis, what were called \"head\" shops.\u00a0 Did you ever have any head shops in Ozark?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0No, no, Ozark was not big enough to have a head shop.\u00a0 The guy who would head that up would have been arrested.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, the guys in St. Louis should have been arrested, but there were all these psychedelic posters.\u00a0 This kind of betrays the era in which I grew up.\u00a0 But they'd put 1 Corinthians 13 on a psychedelic poster because, man, this was the time of love, and we all wanted to be about love.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Until we started talking about what love really was.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0That's right.\u00a0 And when you look at what the biblical definition of love is, it has little to do with feelings and a lot to do with actions.\u00a0 I remember somebody saying one time, \"Read through that passage that you just read through and instead of putting the word \"love\" in there, put your own name in there.\u00a0 Read through and say \"Bob is patient, Bob is kind, Bob's not jealous, he doesn't brag, he's not arrogant.\"\u00a0 Just go through the whole passage and say, \"How are you doing as a love?\"\u00a0 And that's what husbands are assigned to do.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0We are to love our wives as Christ loved the church, and here is what that love ought to look like \u2013 we ought to be patient, and we ought to be kind.\u00a0 That's the place where it starts.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I heard a story one time about a young Christian who went to a friend of his, an older believer, and said, \"I'd like you to pray that I would grow in patience.\"\u00a0 And the older believer began to pray right then and there.\u00a0 He said, \"Lord, I pray you would bring trials and tribulation into this man's life.\u00a0 I pray he would experience trouble this morning, trouble again this afternoon,\" and he just started going, and the guy said, \"No, wait, wait, I wanted you to pray for patience.\"\u00a0 And the older man said, \"That's what I was doing.\u00a0 You see, the Bible teaches us that we learn patience through endurance.\u00a0 We learn it as we go through trials, and God's going to take men through trials to teach them patience.\u00a0 That's a part of our assignment, and then we've got to express that kind of patience and that kindness to our wives.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Okay, let's say we've got a young man who is in his first year of marriage, and he says, \"Okay, Bob, I've got my pencil out.\u00a0 Let's talk about some of these ingredients of love from 1 Corinthians 13.\u00a0 Let's start with this one, 'Love is patient.'\u00a0 What does the word 'patience' mean?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, you remember the old King James translation here?\u00a0 The King James Bible would say, \"Love suffereth long.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Longsuffering.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Isn't that a great word?\u00a0 You see, that's what patience is.\u00a0 You suffer for a long time \u2013 that's patience.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Yeah, and you think about our culture today, we don't want to suffer for a short time.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0No, we think we've suffered long enough at the first hint of pain, and yet suffering long is what patience looks like practically.\u00a0 And so you look at a husband, and he says, \"I just don't know how long I can take this.\u00a0 It's not what I thought it was going to be.\u00a0 I'm not getting my needs met.\u00a0 We're not connecting as husband and wife,\" and I said, \"Are you suffering?\"\u00a0 He says, \"Yes.\"\u00a0 \"How long have you suffered?\"\u00a0 \"Well, for a while now.\"\u00a0 And I say, \"Love suffers longer.\u00a0 Keeping going.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Because what God is trying to do is grow you up, He's trying to mature you through the river of suffering and love suffers long because you grow up in the process and because love covers a multitude of sin.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0There are two things guaranteed to happen in any young man who gets married.\u00a0 Number one, after he's married and turns 25, his car insurance is going to go down.\u00a0 That's a promise.\u00a0 And, number two, if he even attempts to become God's husband, God's man in that family, I promise you he is going to learn how to suffer, he is going to learn how to be patient as he loves and leads his wife.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You know, in our marriage there is an area where my patience has been repeatedly tested with Barbara.\u00a0 Now, I want you to know, I'm married to a wonderful woman.\u00a0 She is a great lady, but there is something within her, I don't know what it is, when it comes to looking at the clock, she does not have a good sense of geography and time married together to know how long it takes to go from point A to point B and arrive at the place where you intended to be on time.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And it's not just church, it may be other places that you're going.\u00a0 And I've got to tell you, it takes a heart that dies to self and say, \"Lord Jesus, will you help me be patient with my wife, because right now I am feeling very pressed.\u00a0 We're going to walk in church \u2013 and when we walk in church, Bob, it's not just two people who walk in church.\u00a0 It's like a bus walks in church.\u00a0 It's like a covey comes into church.\u00a0 So it's an event for the church for us to come in late.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I've gotten better at this, because I've realized one of the ways to do this is to head this off at the pass, but sometimes it's still not going to work.\u00a0 Your spouse is going to be late, they're going to spend too much money, they are going to make too many commitments and allow your children to get involved in too many activities, and, again, you're going to be faced with a weakness in your spouse \u2013 I just want to remind you \u2013 God put you two together, and love looks at that spouse and says, \"You know what?\u00a0 I love you even though \u2013 I will be patient.\u00a0 I will manifest the love of God for you,\" and, Bob, it's at that point where you've got to ask the spirit of God to fill you and control you and empower you and to help you keep your mouth shut, not say a single word.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, all of the aspects of love, all of the characteristics of love that we see in 1 Corinthians 13 are characteristics that can be summed up under the heading of \"other focused, unselfish, looking out for the best interest of another person rather than your own interests.\"\u00a0 I mean, that's what it means to be patient and kind; that's what it means not to be arrogant or prideful or boastful.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0All of these things really have the other person as more important than you.\u00a0 It puts them in the position of priority, and I'm convinced that a marriage where the husband and wife are continually trying to put the other person in the position of priority, that marriage is destined for success.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, it took a number of years for me to grow up as a man on Sunday morning, and to realize that my wife needed certain things done for her to serve her, and that meant helping get children ready, that mean help preparing food, et cetera, et cetera, and not reading the newspaper or watching the news on Sunday morning while everybody else was scurrying about just because it took me less time to get ready than the rest of the crew.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And, I've got to tell you, I'm still learning, but one of the ways Barbara recently said I could help her is by making her breakfast for her.\u00a0 Going downstairs, since it doesn't take me long to get ready, and fixing a shake, she likes a fruit shake in the morning, and preparing that for her and taking it back upstairs so she can drink it as she's getting ready.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Because she's braiding hair, she's combing out the curls from the curling irons and helping choose different dresses for different girls who change at least three times on Sunday morning before we leave for church, and there are a lot of agendas, and she does need help.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0And I think, as husbands, we are wise if we would go to our wives, not in the middle of the crisis but when the lake is calm and saying, \"Sweetheart, I've noticed that on Sunday morning,\" or \"I've noticed in this situation with money,\" or \"I've noticed\" in this situation over here.\u00a0 What do you need me to do as a husband?\u00a0 How could I exhibit love to you and help you in that circumstance?\u00a0 And you know what?\u00a0 She may not know on the spot, but she may be able to answer a couple of days later.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Stay after that issue.\u00a0 Don't make her mad about it, but stay after the issue and find out what it is that you need to provide for her in being the lover of her soul.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Yesterday I went home from work, I'd had a long day, I was tired when I got home.\u00a0 It started early, I'd gotten up for a meeting at 6:00, so I had started my day earlier than I normally do, and when I got home, I was whipped.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Well, Mary Ann had had a busy day, too.\u00a0 She'd been carting the kids here and there, back and forth, a lot on the agenda.\u00a0 We got home and had dinner, and the boys needed a haircut.\u00a0 And she said, \"I'm going to take the boys out to get a haircut,\" so she took them and left, and I was home alone, and I had this hour, it was just wonderful \u2013 nobody there \u2013 I just kind of sat down and vegged out and just unwound.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And she got home, and the boys were looking good, and they kind of bounced into the house, and she'd been at the grocery store, and I went out and said, \"Do you need help carrying in the groceries,\" and carried those in.\u00a0 And then I looked at the boys, and I thought, \"Two of these boys need to have a shower, and they need someone to help them,\" and I looked over at Mary Ann and looked back at me, and I thought, \"Okay, who is it going to be?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0The couch had gotten a little too comfortable by that point, huh?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Is it going to be me or is it going to be her?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Now, she walked in thinking the same thing.\u00a0 These boys needs showers, somebody's going to need to help them.\u00a0 Neither of us said anything to the other person.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0No, no, she didn't walk in thinking the same thing.\u00a0 She walked in thinking you would do it.\u00a0 That's not because she's selfish, it's just that our wives after an all-day experience with children, they do think about as husbands picking up the slack and carrying the load in the evenings.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0Well, I cinched it up last night.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0Did you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0I don't always do this, but I just said, \"Let me take the boys up, and I'll give them a shower,\" and there was this look on her face of, \"Thank you.\"\u00a0 She didn't say it, there was just this look like \"that ministers to my soul.\"\u00a0 So I took the boys up and got them ready for bed and did all of that while she had a few minutes downstairs, and she didn't go to the sofa, I think she was busy in the kitchen and doing stuff there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0That's what a husband's got to do.\u00a0 He's got to look around and say \"How can I die to self now and serve you?\u00a0 How can I love you in a visible, tangible expression that says you're more important than anything else I've got going on in my life right now.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, later on in that same passage, in 1 Corinthians 13, it says \"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.\"\u00a0 Now that's a weighty passage.\u00a0 What's the spirit of God getting at for us, as husbands, as He calls us to bear, believe, hope, and endure?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You know, I came across a great quote that kind of sums up this whole chapter.\u00a0 The writer, Ray Lauren, said what good is patience and kindness, the things that 1 Corinthians 13 has been talking about?\u00a0 What good is generosity, humility, courtesy, unselfishness, good nature, charitableness, sincerity \u2013 all of these qualities \u2013 what good are they unless they continue?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Most of us can be kind for a day, but love is kindness that endures.\u00a0 Most of us can be patient for a while, but love is patience that endures.\u00a0 When the Bible says love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things, it says love goes the distance.\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0It's really what the preacher tried to say when he said the vows.\u00a0 He said, \"Are you in this for sickness or for health?\u00a0 Are you in this for better or for worse?\u00a0 Are you in this for richer or for poorer?\u00a0 Are you going the distance on this?\u00a0 Will your love continue in the face of adversity?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And that's what I think Paul is summing it up with.\u00a0 He is saying, \"Real love doesn't change when the circumstances around it change.\u00a0 Real love stays with it even when the circumstances are fighting against that feeling or fighting against the flesh.\u00a0 Real love bears, believes, hopes, and endures, and that's what a husband's got to do.\u00a0 In the middle of circumstances that would press him back to his selfishness, he's got to endure, he's got to bear, he's got to believe and hope his wife needs him to provide that kind of commitment, stability, and certainty in their marriage that says, \"I'm going to love you no matter what you do, no matter what the circumstances are, I'm here for you and for us for good?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0You know, I really like that.\u00a0 In fact, what I'm about to do reminds me of a time in grade school where the bell would ring, and it was time to leave class, and there was an occasional teacher who would keep us after the first bell rang and make an assignment.\u00a0 Well, hear the bell?\u00a0 I'm about to keep our listeners beyond the bell for just a moment, okay?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You got an assignment?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tDennis:\u00a0I've got an assignment for the husbands.\u00a0 I want you to take these three things we've talked about today about love \u2013 love is patient, love isn't selfish and, third, love goes the distance.\u00a0 I want you to take those three, and I want you to take them to your wife, and I want you to ask her, \"Honey, which of those three would you like me to most grow in over the next 12 months as your husband?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, I've got to tell you, no assignment that you ever received, not even in trig or in physics may be as hard as this assignment right here, because this is a risky assignment.\u00a0 But if you really want to have God's marriage, a Christian marriage, it's made up of two people who are expressing expectations and are expressing wants and dreams and longings, and they're sharpening one another.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I'm going to do this.\u00a0 I'm going to take these three home tonight with Barbara, and I'm going to ask her, \"Love is patient, love is not selfish, and love goes the distance.\u00a0 Now, which of those three would you like to see me grow the most in,\" and maybe even give me some specific ways or areas that I could grow as a man?\"\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, I realize this, again, is risky but, again, what are we talking about here?\u00a0 We're talking about the riskiest relationship that two people ever establish on the planet.\u00a0 Don't allow marriage to rob you of growing as a couple.\u00a0 We used to stay up late talking about these things when we dated.\u00a0 Now is the time to put some romance, some intrigue, some intimacy back in your marriage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0So, okay, guys.\u00a0 I know you've got to leave, the bell's rung, but go ahead, write this down, take it home tonight \u2013 how can you grow in being patient, in no longer being selfish, or in going the distance?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob:\u00a0You know, for the last several months I've been meeting once a week, most weeks, with a group of guys.\u00a0 We get together at a local restaurant on a Wednesday night, and we \u2013 I order cheese dip every week, and we just sit around, and we've been talking about our walk with Christ, how we can honor Him, and we've been spending a lot of time talking about our marriage, and I've found that when you get together, and you've got a book like this one to help guide you in your discussion, it can produce the kind of growth you're talking about.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Each week, as we get together, we've got some fresh examples, some fresh illustrations, to bring to the table, or some fresh issues that have come up, and iron sharpens iron, as we look together at the Scriptures and what they have to say and as we think about what it is God's called us to do and to be as husbands.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0And it's been encouraging for me.\u00a0 In fact, I got a note this morning from a guy who said, \"We've used your book, 'The Christian Husband' with our men's group at church, and it's been very helpful, and we appreciate your writing it, and that's been very affirming \u2013 to know that guys haven't just read the book and said, \"Well, that was interesting,\" but God's used it in some way to really make a difference in their marriage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0We've got copies of the book, \"The Christian Husband,\" here in our FamilyLife Resource Center, and if this is something that you want to consider to do with a men's group or just to read on your own, you can go to our website, FamilyLife.com, and if you click the red button you see in the center of the home page that says \"Go,\" that will take you to the area of the site where there is more information about how to get a copy of the book, \"The Christian Husband.\"\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You can order online, if you'd like.\u00a0 Again, the website is FamilyLife.com, or call 1-800-FLTODAY, 1-800-358-6329, and someone on our team will let you know how you can get a copy of this book sent out to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0You know, in almost every city where FamilyLife Today is heard, there are a handful of families where this program is more than just something you listen to every day.\u00a0 These are folks who have become Legacy Partners, folks who help support the ministry of FamilyLife Today to make sure it stays on in this community and in other cities all across the country.\u00a0 They provide monthly contributions for the ministry of FamilyLife Today and help underwrite the costs of production and syndication, and without their help, this program would not be able to exist.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0This week we are asking you if you would consider joining with those families in your community who have already stepped forward to become Legacy Partners.\u00a0 All you have to do is agree to make a monthly contribution to the ministry of FamilyLife Today, and in return we'll stay in touch with you regularly, offer you resources throughout the year to help strengthen your marriage and your family, and together we'll be partners in helping to make this radio program a reality throughout 2008 and beyond.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0So if you would consider becoming a Legacy Partner, can I ask you to go to our website and on our home page you'll see information about how you can become a Legacy Partner, or simply call 1-800-FLTODAY and say \"I'd like to know more about becoming a Legacy Partner, and we'll be happy to give you the details over the phone and let you know how you can be part of the team.\u00a0 And let me say thanks in advance for considering becoming a Legacy Partner.\u00a0 We appreciate those of you who already support the ministry, and we hope more of you will consider joining the team.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0Now, tomorrow we want to talk about God's assignment to a husband to help his wife become all that God wants her to be.\u00a0 That's a unique assignment, and we're going to pick up and talk about that tomorrow.\u00a0 I hope you can be with us for that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, and our entire broadcast production team.\u00a0 On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We'll see you back tomorrow for another edition of FamilyLife Today. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0FamilyLife Today is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t_____________________________________________________________\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've 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?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>www.FamilyLife.com<\/strong>\n\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\/301513","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=301513"}],"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=301513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301513"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=301513"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=301513"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=301513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}