Be My Valentine

Be My Valentine

John 3:16

I was thinking about love this week. No because I wanted too ,but because Dorothy suggested that tit would be a good topic this week. Since Valentines day is just a few days away. I thought back to my elementary school days down in Douglasville. Beulah Elementary and maybe the 3rd or 4th grade .

SLIDE 2 then 3

I remember making valentines in class. I believe they were primarily for my mom. The red construction paper cut into the shape of a heart. The white lacey paper that was glued around the edge. I don’t remember being too neat. I do seem to remember being excited to take it home.

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I also remember filling in the to and from on valentines that my mom bought from the store. The little ones with the catchy sayings and they each came with a little envelope. I also remember that I had to make one for every member of my class. It did not matter if I actually liked the person or not.

Sometimes, I would choose particular valentines for certain people. I especially remember searching the box of cards for the perfect valentine for that very special person… My teacher.

I always started with the teacher card, doing as neat a job as I possibly could. I liked to make points with my teachers.

Unfortunately, my hand writing has never improved.

Occasionally, I would mark out or changed words on the card not wanting any girl to get the mistaken idea.

Then on the day closest to Valentines Day we delivered the cards to people’s desks or boxes or bags along the wall. The girl’s mail boxes were heavily decorated with harts and lace and lots of red. The boys if they could get away with it might only have their name and always had the minimum.

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I remember later days in high school. Ordering a flower from a school club to be delivered to my sweet heart, perhaps some candy in the heart shaped box.

I seem to remember spending most and sometimes all I had to get the best gifts and card I could.

Love can make you do some strange things. It can make you act crazy. It can make you take risk that a more sane person would never consider.

I had one additional deep thought this week. The more I thought about love the more I remembered how much it can hurt.

I hope that ya’ll can remember that painful feeling of young love. If you were shy, like me, sometimes it was hidden deep inside of you. Perhaps only exposed when you looked, at a distance, toward that person that caught your eye. A silent crush where it was obvious that the other person did not even know you were alive, much less suspect that you liked them.

Others may remember rejection from a person that they liked. Love is an unrealistic emotion that has the ability to cause a physical pain when it is rejected or made fun of.

--Today we are talking about God’s valentine.

SLIDE 6 (Natural Valentine)

It is similar to a valentine card that you might purchase or make this week. They normally have short or simplified statements of love and friendship.

I can not think of a Valentine I have ever seen that would actually express the love I have for Renee.

SLIDES 7 – 11 (Last funny)

Love is more complex than a catchy slogan on a colorful card.

Be mine, True Love, Be My valentine all fall short of how I feel, but since I don’t know how to express it myself in words. The extra price of a Hallmark card, all too often, has to do . Even a gift of jewelry is unable to really describe love. I can only hope that the depth of my feelings are understood from any “off the rack” gesture.

--- The scripture today is probably the most quoted scripture ever. You see on TV normally as a sign in the bleachers at ball games.

Many people can say it with you if you start to quote it.

I would venture to guess that if you ask a random person what John 3:16 says they could give an accurate paraphrase if they have ever spent any time in church.

John 3:16 is the simplified statement of the Gospel.

SLIDE (God)

I consider this scripture to a valentine, the words are powerful and the meaning is deep beyond words, however the statement is brief.

SLIDE 12 (Scripture)

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

-- That is the statement of the gospel in a nut shell.