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Love Like You Mean It: The Heart of a Marriage that Honors God
Every year, millions of men and women stand before friends and family to pledge their lifelong love to each other. Do they know what they’re getting into? Unfortunately, many people have a shallow, superficial idea of what marriage is. As a result, many marriages don’t last, and many more married couples are trudging along looking for something more. Love Like You Mean It gives husbands and wives a biblical understanding of what real love looks like in marriage by unpacking the ten attributes of genuine love listed in 1 Corinthians 13. Bob Lepine, marriage and family expert and host of the nationally syndicated radio program FamilyLife Today, helps husbands and wives discover that it’s not primarily emotions that define marital love, but actions and decisions that fuel emotions and cause marital love to grow. Every person who is married, would like to be married one day, or wants to understand more about the biblical vision of marriage will find what they’re looking for as they dive deep into Love Like You Mean It.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2020
57 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Bob Lepine
19 books6 followersBob Lepine is the co-host of the popular daily radio program "Family Life Today," a nationally syndicated radio program heard in more than 200 cities across the country. A frequent speaker at Family Life Marriage Conferences, he lives with his wife and five children in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 10, 2022
My husband and I read this together. The best parts were the questions within the chapters. We had some great discussions as a couple. Sometimes the chapters themselves seemed like they were stretched to fit, like more filler was needed to fulfill the requirements, but it was still a helpful book. True love isn't about romance or passion (though those are nice). It's about choosing to love because God loved us and demonstrating His love to each other.
November 3, 2020
Most marriage books begin and end with what the author thinks is most important: communication, conflict resolution, sexual intimacy, finances, parenting, etc. Love Like You Mean It begins and ends with God’s definition of love and that’s what makes it so powerful. In the end, if we pursue love and grow in love (as God defines it) most conflicts, communication issues, sexual issues, financial concerns etc. can be addressed in an entirely new way with an entirely new power from an entirely new platform.
Even if you’ve read every marriage book published in the last twenty years, you’ll still find new inspiration, encouragement, challenge, conviction and God-breathed hope and wisdom in this fine work. That’s why I’m so delighted to recommend it to all believers who want to look at marriage and love—two very familiar words—and rediscover both of them in a an entirely new light: God’s light
Even if you’ve read every marriage book published in the last twenty years, you’ll still find new inspiration, encouragement, challenge, conviction and God-breathed hope and wisdom in this fine work. That’s why I’m so delighted to recommend it to all believers who want to look at marriage and love—two very familiar words—and rediscover both of them in a an entirely new light: God’s light
February 6, 2025
I loved this book so much I didn’t want it to end!! So many good reminders and truths! God’s love NEVER fails or runs out!!
(Perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up.)
(Perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up.)
December 30, 2020
If this book does not humbly convict you to reevaluate the way you love your spouse and others through the lens of God's Word, nothing will, besides the Good Book itself. Mr. Lepine takes the reader on a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a. This is the best study and education of true love that I have ever seen, heard, or read. All I know is I now have that part of Scripture memorized not only in my head but also my heart. Lord, help me to keep this at the for-front of my heart and mind as I interact with my spouse and others. Amen!
March 6, 2022
Every married couple (or anyone who ever plans to be married) should read this book. I will definitely be coming back to this one over and over!
October 27, 2022
Love Like You Mean It by Bob Lepine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When I was about to get married I read all kinds of marriage books, received all kinds of advice (mostly unsolicited), and heard all kinds of overused, unexplained phrases like “marriage is a lot of work”.
While all of this was very well intended by my desire to be a good wife and the efforts of those around BJ and I who (I hope) wanted us to succeed, I never understood what it really meant to be a wife. That is until I became a true follower of Christ and started to attend a Biblically sound church (and I am not just saying that because the author, Bob Lepine, is my pastor 😉)!
Love Like You Mean It is a well written exposition of 1 Corinthians 13, the well known “love” passage. Bob breaks down each characteristic of love (patience, kindness, humility, generosity, honesty, etc.) in a way that the reader can understand. While he unpacks the meaning of each word by providing the Greek word and it’s definition and context, he also accompanies it with a metaphor, analogy, or personal anecdote to make sure that the reader gets a full understanding.
Diagrams, hymn lyrics, cross references, and quotes and commentaries from Bible teachers throughout time also help provide insight to the meaning of agape love and God’s purposeful design of marriage.
This book is also not written in a way that just fills your head with knowledge, but provides thought-provoking questions and gives Biblical advice and encouragement to husbands and wives to live out the commandments of loving God and loving others. 💙
Overall, Love Like You Mean It is a wonderful book for those who are about to get married and those who are already married. Marriage is so much more than flowers and chocolate, and is so much more than “a lot of work”. It is a picture of God’s unfailing, amazing, and gracious love for us! 💙
When I was about to get married I read all kinds of marriage books, received all kinds of advice (mostly unsolicited), and heard all kinds of overused, unexplained phrases like “marriage is a lot of work”.
While all of this was very well intended by my desire to be a good wife and the efforts of those around BJ and I who (I hope) wanted us to succeed, I never understood what it really meant to be a wife. That is until I became a true follower of Christ and started to attend a Biblically sound church (and I am not just saying that because the author, Bob Lepine, is my pastor 😉)!
Love Like You Mean It is a well written exposition of 1 Corinthians 13, the well known “love” passage. Bob breaks down each characteristic of love (patience, kindness, humility, generosity, honesty, etc.) in a way that the reader can understand. While he unpacks the meaning of each word by providing the Greek word and it’s definition and context, he also accompanies it with a metaphor, analogy, or personal anecdote to make sure that the reader gets a full understanding.
Diagrams, hymn lyrics, cross references, and quotes and commentaries from Bible teachers throughout time also help provide insight to the meaning of agape love and God’s purposeful design of marriage.
This book is also not written in a way that just fills your head with knowledge, but provides thought-provoking questions and gives Biblical advice and encouragement to husbands and wives to live out the commandments of loving God and loving others. 💙
Overall, Love Like You Mean It is a wonderful book for those who are about to get married and those who are already married. Marriage is so much more than flowers and chocolate, and is so much more than “a lot of work”. It is a picture of God’s unfailing, amazing, and gracious love for us! 💙
August 11, 2025
This is the book that Bob Lepine was meant to write after nearly 30 years of hosting "FamilyLife Today" and the other radio programs from FamilyLife, speaking at Weekends to Remember, incubating thought with Dennis Rainey and the other leaders and speakers for FamilyLife, and a lifetime of personal theological study. Oh, and let's not forget loving his wife and raising five children with her.
This book is not theory. Bob delivers hard-won practical wisdom washed through a theological and biblical grid to deliver trustworthy instruction about marriage.
The organizing principle may be the "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13, but you could read this book ten times and learn something new every reading.
Bob writes in his familiar conversational style that rests somewhere between Paul Harvey and your favorite late-night comedian.
If you like audiobooks, or even if you don't, the recorded version features Bob narrating his own book. That is a treat worth owning a paper copy and an audio one.
If you're looking for a complete, unabridged systematic theology of compassionate complementarianism, you won't find it here. That book should be written and Bob would be an excellent contributor to it. Love Like You Mean It is designed not to fill your mind with knowledge, although it will do that. The book is written to help you take a step each day toward loving your spouse more deeply and like Christ desires.
This book is not theory. Bob delivers hard-won practical wisdom washed through a theological and biblical grid to deliver trustworthy instruction about marriage.
The organizing principle may be the "love chapter" of 1 Corinthians 13, but you could read this book ten times and learn something new every reading.
Bob writes in his familiar conversational style that rests somewhere between Paul Harvey and your favorite late-night comedian.
If you like audiobooks, or even if you don't, the recorded version features Bob narrating his own book. That is a treat worth owning a paper copy and an audio one.
If you're looking for a complete, unabridged systematic theology of compassionate complementarianism, you won't find it here. That book should be written and Bob would be an excellent contributor to it. Love Like You Mean It is designed not to fill your mind with knowledge, although it will do that. The book is written to help you take a step each day toward loving your spouse more deeply and like Christ desires.
October 19, 2020
In any relationship, especially marriage, we have a tendency to be selfish. This includes how we love our spouses or significant others. Outside of Christ, it's impossible to love our spouses the right way. This book unpacks the ten attributes of genuine love listed in 1 Corinthians 13. One of my favorite things about this book is the talk together prompts. Instead of just telling you everything, Bob Lepine goes even further by getting you to talk with your spouse. I appreciate that there's space in each chapter that encourages growth and togetherness in this book. This is a book for couples that are looking for a challenge on a radical way to love their spouse. By modeling your marriage on 1 Corinthians 13, you challenged on how to love better. Highly recommend!
DISCLAIMER: I received this book from B&H Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. Want to be a B&H/LifeWay blogger too? Apply at bhbloggers.com
DISCLAIMER: I received this book from B&H Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. Want to be a B&H/LifeWay blogger too? Apply at bhbloggers.com
March 11, 2021
This book is well written and is a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter in the Bible. It pulls apart each description of what love is and examines it in depth. There are also questions scattered throughout each chapter at strategic points that elicit discussion with your spouse. This was the first book that I’ve read in a while on the topic of marriage that was real in its assessment of how marriage plays out in real life during the hardest times.
March 30, 2021
This book is just what real marriages need right now. This book give you the tools to love your spouse! I liked how it had lots of opportunities in the book for couples to ask questions to each other. I really appreciated the way the author wrote this book in an easy to read applicable manner! 5 out of 5 stars!
May 4, 2021
Great book that teaches Christian values in a marriage. Great for those getting married, newlyweds or a guy that has been married 39 years like me. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that it’s not all about you and that marriage is a partnership and we should honor and love our wife as Christ loved the church.
August 13, 2021
A wonderful book about Agape love….yes about how you should love in marriage but moreover how you should love everyone. It’s His will:-). Eye opening book…going into the depth of 2 Corinthians 13.4!
May 18, 2022
God loved you first
I would recommend this book to anyone who has problems with relationships. As a widow I read this book to understand the real meaning of love. The love Jesus has for us to die for our sins.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has problems with relationships. As a widow I read this book to understand the real meaning of love. The love Jesus has for us to die for our sins.
June 7, 2022
Not bad but not quite everything I wanted either. Discovered I had to be in the right mindset to follow along otherwise I got bored or tired easily. That said, there are some good tips and reminders for a healthy marriage.
January 20, 2023
I mostly appreciated this book and found some good discussion points as I listened to the audio book with my husband. I disagree and struggled with his suggestion to a woman on why she should have sex more often with her husband. But otherwise helpful ideas and talking points.
July 25, 2023
Another great book that I would recommend to anyone who is in a serious relationship and considering marriage. I would also recommend this to anyone who is already married, those facing trials within their marriage or not.
November 27, 2024
This is one of the best marriage books I've ever read. The author is very straightforward and doesn't beat around the bush. But all of the directness comes directly from the Bible and uses God/Jesus as the ultimate example. So it didn't feel preachy. I plan to read this again next year.
December 1, 2020
A positive view of love and marriage that encourages Christians to set much higher standards than the culture, because we are called to much more than worldly cultures. Lepine seeks to restore God to the centre of both love and marriage.
August 21, 2023
I’d give it a 3.5 if I could. Worth reading with your spouse.
September 5, 2024
⭐️ 4.5
* Chapter could stretch on for a long bit but overall the content of this book was amazing.
* Great job at painting clear pictures for the reader with specific ties back to scripture.
* Chapter could stretch on for a long bit but overall the content of this book was amazing.
* Great job at painting clear pictures for the reader with specific ties back to scripture.
April 26, 2021
Chapters:
1. Everything Minus Love = Nothing
2. An odd Place to Begin
3. The Thing That is Better Than Life Itself
4. It's Not All About Me
5. It's My Way on the Love Way
6. Keep Calm and Keep Loving
7. It's Never Tight to Do What's Wrong
8. The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But
9. Be a Bulldog
10. Filling Up and Pouring Out
Each chapter has a few "Talk Together" section for reflection and discussion.
Includes a Notes section at the end showing sources.
1. Everything Minus Love = Nothing
2. An odd Place to Begin
3. The Thing That is Better Than Life Itself
4. It's Not All About Me
5. It's My Way on the Love Way
6. Keep Calm and Keep Loving
7. It's Never Tight to Do What's Wrong
8. The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But
9. Be a Bulldog
10. Filling Up and Pouring Out
Each chapter has a few "Talk Together" section for reflection and discussion.
Includes a Notes section at the end showing sources.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews