See bulletin As we approach Valentine's Day, let’s do a little relationship counseling. The Apostle Paul lists some of the many cancers that affect how we LOVE others. In fact, when we look a little closer these cancers within LOVE ultimately destroy what God has intended LOVE to look like. And what do we do with cancer? We REMOVE it! Sin, destroys what God has intended LOVE to look like. Ephesians 4:31 says "Let all bitterness (grudges), wrath (blood boiling anger), anger (vengeance), clamor (angry yelling or shouting), and evil speaking (putting down someone’s name) be put away from you, with all malice (hateful feelings)." If you pause there for a moment and think about those words and attitudes (sins), aren’t they very cancerous to any relationship you’ve ever had? Rather Paul writes to the Corinthians in his first letter, chapter 13 that LOVE is patient, it endures and suffers for someone else. LOVE is not envious or jealous, it doesn’t parade itself proudly bragging or gets puffed up acting like an arrogant “know it all.” LOVE isn’t rude or ever behaves improperly. Is LOVE selfish? Does is sound loving when I ask or think, “What’s in it for me?” or “I better get exactly what I want if I do this!” LOVE isn’t irritable or easy angered or provoked. No. That’s obviously not what love looks like. But we see it in ourselves daily. LOVE doesn’t keep a record of wrongs, put people on a “list,” or dwell on evil thoughts of others. So what IS LOVE? Is Paul describing LOVE, or is he described what the absence of LOVE truly looks like? Substitute JESUS for the word LOVE and you'll know. JESUS is patient, kind, enduring, suffering, not rude or selfish. JESUS displays the greatest of LOVE in His sacrifice for you for your sins! He teaches us what LOVE is all about and how our LOVE for Him can be displayed to Him in how we follow Him? Jesus says in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." Certainly "God so LOVED the world, that He gave..." gave His Son Jesus up on the cross for us, and out of love for us! As we consider our relationships during this season of LOVE, let's consider the best demonstration of it ever in the LOVE of our Lord and Savior JESUS Christ!