African American Passover
Prayer Book Cover Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood |||

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“11 May the LORD, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised!”

– Deuteronomy 1:11

A Ministry Bringing Hope and Inspiration

Mature Love Is What This Is All About!

 

Thank you for visiting this spiritual website. My desire is to share thoughts, prayers, videos, and podcasts on real life issues that face the modern Christian, which can be found on this web page. Just click any of the links at the top or bottom of this page, and you can read prayers and meditations, listen to podcasts, watch videos, and meditate on meditations.

 

I publish a spiritual e-mail every week. If you would like to receive it directly to your computer or handheld device, contact me at nhoo996937@aol.com.

 

“Mature Love” is the focus for this week. I hope you find today’s message worthwhile and meaningful. I also hope you will share this meditation with a friend or family member.

 

Thank you.

Nick

Rev. Dr. Nicholas Hood |||

Scripture Lesson for this Week

1 Cor. 13: . 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Meditation for the Week

The apostle Paul spoke of how his love had matured. He contrasted himself to a child, and the outlook or mentality of a child. “When I was a child, I thought like a child…” Sometimes in our relationships, we act like the immaturity of a child

 

  1. selfish,
  2. reluctant to share,
  3. reluctant to support,
  4. insistent on having our own way
  5. Mature love is generous and gracious, because it actually cares about the thoughts and well-being of the other person.
  6. Mature love is a mutually trusting love
  7. Mature love is long suffering
  8. Patient
  9. Kind
  10. Redemptive
  11. Forgiving
  12. Sharing
  13. Willing to listen
  14. Not jealous
  15. Does not insist on its own way
  16. Bears all things
  17. Believes all things
  18. Hopes all things
  19. Endures all things
 

Paul acknowledges that he did not always feel this way. For many of us, maturity and love is something we grow into. It is not unusual in the early stages of a loving relationship we might say and do things we end up regretting.

 

Sidebar: Sometimes the love of a child is more pure then the love of an adult, and its so-called maturity. Children have a way of intuitively and instinctively determining who they like, and who they do not like. Unfortunately, as adults, in our maturity, we think we know so much, and have experienced so much, we end up losing the pure instinctive love of a child.

 

Often, if a child loves you, they will believe, hope, and trust, even to their own detriment. Some of us, as adults, would do well if we could go back to the outlook, mentality and trust of a child.

 

When Paul reflects upon the transition from his immature to a mature love, he compares his emotional transition from one who is looking in a mirror dimly, only at himself, to one who is mature who can view the other person face to face.

 

Some of us are stuck only thinking about ourselves, and even then it is as if we are looking through a mirror dimly. To look at each other face to face, means we have stripped away the pretense, stripped away the shallow -ness, and become one with one another.

 

Our love cannot mature until we humble ourselves to see each other as valued, vital, and worthwhile individuals, that are equal to ourselves. I challenge you to score your love on the bases of maturity.

 

Are you only looking in a mirror dimly, and at what point are you seeing face to face?

New Broadcast Episode for the Week

“Love Endures All Things”

New Broadcast Episode for This Week on The Word Network – Every Saturday at 2:30 PM EST. Check for local listings!

Your Best Days
You Can Handle This
Faith in the Storm
Lydia “Acts 16”
Luke 10 The Good Samaritan

Luke 10 The Good Samaritan – 1

Rev Hood EP 4 Book Of Esther Vashti Rev 2830

Thank God for Friends Who Go Back a Long Way
TURN BAD NEWS INTO GOOD NEWS!

LOVE DATING MARRIAGE AND THE BIBLE – worship promo

Dating Love and the Bible

AGENTS OF CHANGE (Joshua 24)
GENTS OF CHANGE – WORSHIP PROMO VIDEO
Commitment to Long Haul Sermon 2nd Segment

Thank God for Friends Who Go Back a Long Way

TURN BAD NEWS INTO GOOD NEWS!

LOVE DATING MARRIAGE AND THE BIBLE – worship promo

Dating Love and the Bible

AGENTS OF CHANGE (Joshua 24)
GENTS OF CHANGE – WORSHIP PROMO VIDEO
Commitment to Long Haul Sermon 2nd Segment

Missions

Take a minute to learn more about the important missions that Nick has been involved in.

Maternal-Child Care in Ethiopia

Plymouth United Church of Christ (PUCC) is proud to support a medical mission in Ethiopia founded by church member Dr. Ingida Asfaw. PUCC members, including Rev. and Mrs. Hood, traveled to Ethiopia to establish a maternal-child clinic. Visit ENAHPA for more information.

Do you want to make a difference in Africa? Partner with Nick in a health care mission to Ethiopia. Call 800-327-1048, and we will share with you ways you can help!

African Kids

Repatriation of Liberian Refugees of War

In 1997 and 1999, PUCC mission teams traveled to Côte d’Ivoire to bring medicine and cash to Liberian tribal members who were refugees of the Liberian civil war. The PUCC mission enabled the majority of one Liberian tribe, the Sarbo tribe, to return to Liberia.

Partner with Nick to bring assistance to former refugees of the war in Liberia. Call 800-327-1048, and we will help you learn how you can make a difference!

Children

Donate

You can make a difference today! Support Nick Hood’s online ministry to help him connect with people in every corner of the world. Note that all donations are tax-deductible.

Learn more about Nick Hood Ministries.