05 Marriage Devotional: What it truly means to love sacrificially within marriage

Show notes

About This Episode To understand sacrificial love, there is really only one place to look: the person of Jesus. In this devotional, we walk through the crucifixion and Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and talk about how His selfless, patient, enduring love is the model for marriage. We share a turning point from the early, hardest years of our marriage, when God asked Aaron during a church service whether Jennifer had ever done anything worse to him than he had done to Jesus. We talk about why sacrificial love goes first instead of waiting to be earned, how the Holy Spirit empowers couples to love beyond themselves, and how confession and prayer have transformed us over nearly 19 years of marriage.

About Aaron & Jennifer Smith Aaron and Jennifer Smith are the founders of Marriage After God and authors of Husband After God, Wife After God, and Marriage After God. Married since 2007 and raising six children in Bend, Oregon, they started Husband Revolution and Unveiled Wife to share what God was teaching them, not from a place of having it figured out, but as fellow travelers pointing couples back to Jesus.

In This Episode The cross as our model — why sacrificial love starts with what Christ did for us Gethsemane — praying not my will but yours when you want the cup removed Our turning point — the church service where God convicted Aaron to love like Christ Love that goes first — initiating love without waiting for your spouse to earn it Take up your cross daily — dying to self in the everyday moments of marriage Abiding in Christ — how the fruit of the Spirit makes sacrificial love possible Confession and prayer — how God has transformed our communication and our hearts over the years

Scripture Referenced Matthew 27:27-32 — the soldiers mock Jesus and lead Him away to be crucified Mark 14:36 — not what I will, but what you will Luke 9:23 — take up your cross daily and follow me John 15:13 — greater love has no one than this 1 Peter 2:24 — He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree 1 John 4:16 — God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God Hebrews 10:14 — by a single offering He has perfected those being sanctified

Resources from This Episode Join in on our devotional series and get your copies of Husband After God and Wife After God Shop Marriage After God Full show notes and blog post

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