Genesis 1:26-28
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let
them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the
livestock, over all the earth, [2]
and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man
in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he
created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase
in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and
the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the
ground."
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Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- and no shrub of the
field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet
sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was
no man to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered
the whole surface of the ground-- the LORD God formed the man from the
dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and
the man became a living being. Now the LORD God had planted a garden in
the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD
God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground--trees that were
pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were
the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and
take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat
from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a
helper suitable for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground
all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them
to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called
each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the
livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for
Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall
into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's
ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman
from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she
shall be called `woman, for she was taken out of man." or this reason a
man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they
will become one flesh.
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Song of
Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7
My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and
come with me. See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of
doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the
blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my
beautiful one, come with me."
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is
as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like
blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers
cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of his house for
love, it would be utterly scorned.
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I Corinthians
13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am
only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of
prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a
faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give
all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have
not love, I gain nothing. 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, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But
where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they
will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know
in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect
disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a
child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways
behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall
see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I
am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the
greatest of these is love.
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Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in
heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious
riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner
being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray
that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together
with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the
love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you
may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God
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Ephesians 5:
-2, 21-331
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life
of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant
offering and sacrifice to God. Submit to one another out of reverence for
Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is
the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of
which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives
should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her
holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to
present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or
any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands
ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves
himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares
for it, just as Christ does the church-- for we are members of his body.
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound
mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one
of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must
respect her husband.
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Colossians 3:12-17
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against
one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues
put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace
of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you
sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to
God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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1 John 4:7-16
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone
who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does
not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among
us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through
him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so
loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but
if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in
us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of
his Spirit. and we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son
to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the
Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the
love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and
God in him.
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Matthew 5:1-10
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His
disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will
be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
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Matthew 5:13-16
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how
can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to
be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city
on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it
under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to
everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
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Matthew 7:21,24-29
"Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven"
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came
down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But
everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice
is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell
with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the
crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had
authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
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Mark 10:6-9, 13-16
"But at the beginning of creation God `made them male and female.' `For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but
one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but
the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said
to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for
the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone
who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never
enter it."And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and
blessed them.
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John 15:9-12
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed
my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that
my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is
this: Love each other as I have loved you.
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