Do you love your spouse unconditionally?

Watch the video clip
Question 1
In the first scene, Caleb has saved money to purchase a boat. How much money did he have put away for the boat? In the second scene, Catherine finds out that Caleb paid $24,000 to “buy medical equipment” for Catherine’s mother. Why is the amount of money significant? What specifically did Caleb do?

Read Philippians 2:3-4
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.Question 2
How do Caleb’s actions in the second scene align with this verse?

Question 3
All the time Caleb paid for the medical equipment, Catherine was still planning to divorce him. So there was a very real possibility Caleb would spend the money for the equipment
and still wind up divorced from Catherine. Put yourself in Caleb’s position – how difficult would it be for you to make that decision? In your own life, have you ever made a risky
decision out of love for someone? Share the story as part of your discussion.
Question 4
One of the questions in session 2 was, “Who do you think is more important to Caleb, himself or his wife?” How would you answer it now? If you feel that Caleb changed, what do you think caused the change?
Read Romans 5:6-8
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Question 5
This passage provides an excellent example of Jesus’ unconditional love for us. As you read, did you see any conditions we must fulfill in order to be loved by God? What words, phrases or concepts touch you the most in this Scripture?

Question 6
In what ways can love be conditional? What are some conditions that people apply to loving a spouse? What are the consequences when those conditions aren’t met?
Read John 13:34-35
34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”Question 7
Does loving others sound like a suggestion? Or is the wording in this passage stronger than that? Which words in these two verses indicate how important it is that we love our spouse and others around us?

Read John 15:9-17
9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.Question 8
In verse 9 of this passage, Jesus tells us to “remain in my love.” In what ways can we “remain in His love?” How do you think “remaining” in Jesus’ love enables us to love others?

Question 9
Why do you think Jesus directs us to love one another? One answer is in the previous passage, John 13:35. What are some other reasons?

Question 10
Verse 13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” What does Jesus mean in this verse, and is there more than one meaning? In what ways
can we “lay down our lives” for one another?
Read 1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Question 11
If you love somebody deeply, can that love “cover a multitude” of your own sins? Can loving another person deeply cause you to see past their sins? How so? Share an example from your own life during the discussion.

Close in prayer.