Explore every episode of the podcast A Love Language Minute

Showing kindness should be intentional. Look for ways in which you can help others. Kindness should be a way of life. It will transform those around you.

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Is it essential that you and your fiancé hold the same religious beliefs before getting married? Scripture teaches that you should be in agreement on the major spiritual issues but give latitude to minor differences in belief.

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Is it OK to be married and have close friends of the opposite sex? This scenario can be dangerous and might open the door to temptation. It's much better to have friends of the same sex.

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Our natural tendency is to return evil for evil. Showing kindness to those who are unkind to you will often put them to shame.

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A husband shouldn't wait for his wife to show him love before he begins to show love to her. Scripture tells us that "while were still sinners, Christ died for us". He loved us before we loved Him.

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When we were children, we tended to be kind to those who were kind to us. The same is true even as adults. However, Scripture says we should return good for evil. Being kind to someone who hasn't been kind to us is the highest level of kindness.

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Are you obligated to tell your wife about your past history? Not necessarily. By telling her, you might relieve some of the burden of your past, but you might also be adding a new burden on her - the knowledge of your past. Seek Godly counsel on the matter.

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Just because there's an expectation that your spouse should be your best friend doesn't mean you shouldn't have other close friends.

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Kindness is seeing the needs of others and reaching out to help them.  If we choose kindness as a way of life, we'll enrich the lives of everyone with whom come in contact.

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When your spouse chooses to leave you, let them go. You can't make them stay. But continue to reach out to them and pray for them. If they come back, you'll be ready to begin to restore the relationship.

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When a husband has been unfaithful but repents, forgiveness is in order. What forgiveness does is open the possibility for healing. But forgiveness doesn't always remove the consequences of his sin.

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What's the most effective way to show love to your girlfriend? Dr. Gary Chapman recommends taking the online Five Love Languages quiz at 5lovelanguages.com. When you discover what her primary love language is, you'll be far more effective in expressing your love to her.

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If your children are to thrive in life, it's absolutely essential that they hear you say "I love you." If a parent never received words of affirmation growing up, it may be difficult for them to express love to their own children. Dr. Gary Chapman encourages you to read the book "The Five Love Languages of Children".

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What do we do when someone has sinned against us? Scripture calls on us to rebuke them for their actions. If they repent, we are to forgive them. If they don't repent, pray for them. Don't repay evil for evil.

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Being obsessed with the in-love experience is a love that's based on feelings. With time, feelings fade. True love is based on actions - the commitment to demonstrate love in spite of how we feel.

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God's love for us is a model of how we should forgive others. We are to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. There are two parts to restoring a relationship - confession and repentance on the part of the offender, and forgiveness on the part of the offended party.

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If your daughter is obsessed with her appearance, it might be an indication she's struggling with her self worth. Condemning her will only push her away. If her love language is Words of Affirmation, offering positive comments about her appearance may make her feel affirmed and loved.

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Teens often push the boundaries of how they dress etc. This is their way of breaking away from their parents and becoming independent. Though the parents may be upset about this, it's vitally important that they still love their child, no matter what.

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The key ideas in Scripture for forgiveness are to cover, take away, or pardon. God's forgiveness relieves the sinner of God's judgment and extends mercy. That pattern should be followed when we struggle to forgive.

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Prayer is the only thing that has the potential for restoring relationships. That's because prayer brings God into the situation. When we try to work things out by ourselves, the end result isn't usually successful.

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Sin always separates us from God. The road back to God is repentance on our part and forgiveness on God's part.  The same pattern is true in human relationships. We must forgive as we have been forgiven.

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How can you continue in your marriage after your spouse has had an affair? There is life beyond this. If your spouse confesses, expresses regret and asks for your forgiveness, the Christian thing to do is forgive him. Begin to rebuild trust in your relationship.

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The arrival of children can often diminish marital intimacy. You and your spouse must team up to care for your children, but not at the expense of your marital relationship.

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When your marriage is lacking that spark, your attention can be drawn toward someone else. Those "tingles" can lead to betrayal. Scripture says to "take every thought captive and be obedient to Christ". Don't let feelings lead you astray.

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Marriage is great before your first child was born. Afterward, your relationship isn't the same. Instead of becoming bitter, find out what makes your spouse feel loved, and begin to express that love in their love language.

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What can you do when your friend is obsessed with her boy friend? Being so "in love" can lead to making unwise decisions. Express your concerns with her.

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We become angry when we've been hurt by our spouse. Anger doesn't just go away with the passage of time. Matt. 18:15-20 tells us to lovingly confront our spouse. If they repent, forgive them.

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When your first child comes along, it often results in a decline of marital intimacy. You get so caught up with taking care of the baby that you don't have the time or energy to enrich your marriage. Don't resent your spouse - take positive action.

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When your spouse has been unfaithful, you cannot accept that as being all right. But don't give up on your marriage too quickly. Spend time with the Lord, and ask Him to begin a work in your spouse's life.

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Intimacy is at the heart of a healthy marriage. It gives the sense of being connected, loved, appreciated and respected. Marital intimacy can be squeezed out by busyness or the arrival of children. Maybe it's time to start dating each other again!

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No matter what you do, it seems like your wife doesn't feel loved. It could very well be that when she was growing up, she didn't feel loved, so she doesn't know what it feels like to be loved. Discover her primary love language and speak it to her often.

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Should you end the relationship is you've crossed the physical lines with your girlfriend? Not necessarily. If your true desire is to seek God's will, ending the relationship shouldn't be a given. Set clear boundaries with your girlfriend, and ask God for the strength to live within those boundaries.

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Sadly, physical and sexual abuse is a reality in the life of many teens. Most abuse is perpetrated by men. If you suspect someone of being an abuser, ask your child to tell you what occurred, then seek professional help for them.

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There's a Biblical approach to understanding divorce. God has clearly set boundaries for a holy marriage. But when a marriage dissolves, Scripture also teaches about God's grace and forgiveness of sin.

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In this generation, there's a tendency on the part of fathers to withdraw physical touch from their emerging teenage daughters. Studies show that withholding appropriate physical touch from your daughters will often cause them to look for love in other inappropriate ways.

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Having a very different love language than your spouse may make you feel like you're both living on different planets. The key is to learn and speak you're spouse's love language. That will naturally draw each other closer together.

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Is it Biblical for a husband to be a stay-at-home spouse? It's certainly not the norm; but when a wife has skills that enable her to better provide financially for the family, there's no Biblical prohibition to this arrangement. After all, in God's sight, the husband and wife are one - a team.

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Timing is everything when expressing love to your teenager. Pay attention to their mood. If they're in a bad mood, that's not the time to express your love to them. They'll be much more receptive to your expressions of love when they're in a good mood.

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Getting married will not solve all of your problems, and getting married might be worse than being single. Whether married or single, your relationship with God should be the central relationship in your life.

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If your teen's love language is touch, you must carefully focus on how, where and when you should touch. Hugging them in front of their peers might be embarrassing; but hugging them at home will be warmly received.

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How do you connect with your wife when she's always busy? In a kind and gentle way, express how much it hurts when you feel she's not making the time for you to be a part of her life.

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Tests have shown that the The 5 Love Languages translate well in any culture or language.

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As your child approaches their teen years, it important to keep talking to them in their own love language, but you should make sure you're talking to them in a more mature way.

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When you become angry, it's important to not only control your anger, but you should also process your anger. Controlling your anger without processing it will drive it deep inside, and might come out in negative behavior.

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When couples contemplate marriage, religion needs to be near the top of their list of matters that need to be discussed. The Bible says that you should never marry an unbeliever.

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What if you discovered that your wife emotionally cheated on you while you were engaged? How do you deal with the hurt? If she has confessed and apologized to you, you have to ask God to help you forgive her.

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What do you do if you believe your spouse's love language is changing? You may actually be observing her secondary love language, but she has only one primary love language. Taking Dr. Gary Chapman's love language quiz will help you learn what her primary love language is.

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In marriage, mutual sexual fulfillment is not automatic. Sex can often become a battlefield for many couples. Information and communication are the keys to finding mutual satisfaction. Sex was God's idea. Look to His Word for guidance.

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Anger is an emotion that every human being experiences. Though anger is often wrong, it can also be appropriate because we all have a sense of right and wrong. It's important to learn learn practical ways to manage anger in a creative and responsible manner.

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Do you and your spouse have a money plan? Do you know how much debt your soon-to-be spouse has, or how much savings they have? Who will balance the checkbook? All these and other financial questions need to be discussed BEFORE you get married.

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