The Apostles Table | HOW TO LOVE YOUR WIFE | Dr. Mike Woods Sr | 13 MAY 2021

Welcome to the Apostle's Table, where lions roar and lives are changed. The Apostle's Table is a part of the worldwide outreach ministry of Dr. Mike Wood Sr. You will encounter supernatural wisdom and revelation that will help you discern God's purpose for your life, develop your potential, and deploy your gifts effectively into the earth. We decree your life will never be the same again. Thanks for joining us and welcome to The Apostle's Table.

So yes, tonight I want to give you some straight talk, just from my heart to your heart, concerning how to love your wife. And you may say, Michael Woods, how in the world do you think you're qualified to share this with me? I know you're a preacher, But how is it that you're qualified to tell me how to love my wife? Well, I'm gonna tell you. I got about 27 years of marriage under my belt, and in my previous marriage, before my marriage now, I failed miserably at loving like Christ loved the church and being what I needed to be as a man to my spouse in every single way. And so what I did in those failures of the past, I didn't just fall and mess up. I learned some wisdom, all right, and some, some knowledge and revelation that I'm applying to my life in my present marriage. And I'm gonna tell you something, if you really want to qualify what I'm saying, my wife is on social media. Her name is Felicia Woods. You can send her an inbox and say, hey, is Apostle really living this stuff he teaching? And she's a very honest woman. She's going to tell you if I am or not. But at the end of the day, my qualification comes from understanding what it takes to create a beautiful— watch this— affair-proof, eternal, monogamous relationship with your spouse. So I'm going to share this, and again, watch this, a divorce-proof relationship. So tonight, ladies, don't move. I want you to stay, whether you're single or married. Women, stay with me because I'm going to share something that will help you in the future concerning how you operate as a wife in your role and how you connect with the man in your life. And you really to share this video with the man in your life. I promise you it'll make things better if he opens his heart and actually listens. Most men have a whole lot of ego issues and they don't want to listen, especially to another man trying to tell them something. But listen, bruh, I'm telling you right now, I done failed right here, you know. And this stuff I'm about to share with you tonight, this, this is so for food, and it's for grown folk, you know. And if you really want to see your marriage work, you want to be successful in your marriage, then you need to really take a close listen to this. If your wife or your woman shared this with you, she wants you to become stronger, she wants you to become better, right? So we're going to Ephesians chapter number 5, and I'm going to begin reading at verse number 22. 2, and I'm going to read through and including verse number 33. I need you guys to engage tonight. Like this video, share it. If you're listening by podcast, please share it with someone. But please, by all means, if you're watching this live, comment below. Let us know that this is blessing you. Share it. Let us know you shared it. Glory to God. Follow along. Comment if telling the truth, type amen, type yes Lord, type glory to God. If I'm lying, don't say nothing. But if I'm telling the truth, I need you to respond because I need others to be clear. Glory to God, that it's not only something I'm— it's not something I'm coming up with and making up. This stuff is real. All right, so let's look at Ephesians 5, beginning verse 22 through and including verse number 33. Let's read. Wives, be subject, be submissive, and adapt yourselves to your own husbands as a service to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the church. Watch this, himself the savior of his body. So verse 22 and 23 is connected. We're going to talk about those in a moment. Verse 24: As the church is subject to Christ— listen to this— so let wives also in everything be subject to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Oh my God. So that he— I love this, I love this, hallelujah— might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word. Glory to God. I love Jesus. How about you? He said, verse 27, that he might present the church to himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and faultless. Even so, husbands should love their wives as being in a sense their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own flesh. But nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church. Verse 30: Because we are members, parts of his body. For this reason, verse 31, shall a man leave his father and mother— oh boy, oh boy— and be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh. Verse 32: This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning the relation of Christ and the church. Verse 33: However, let each man, each one of you without exception, love his wife. Hear this, oh my God, as being, in a sense, his very own self. Listen, wives, and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband, that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him. Oh my God. Oh Jesus. Venerates him and esteems him. And that she defers to him. Listen, praises him. For you women that say, I ain't praising nobody but God, your man needs to be stroked. His ego needs to be built up. He needs to know you're his biggest fan. You need to praise him. Glory to God. Not, not like you praise God, but you praise him and build him and celebrate him. And loves and admires him exceedingly. I love that, this, these passages of scripture. So here's what the Apostle Paul is doing for the church at Ephesus, or these Ephesians. He's making a wise comparison of the church and Christ and marriage and between the husband and the wife. Yeah, because here in Ephesus there were some problems happening inside of the marriage. There were some women that wasn't being submissive. There were some men that wasn't submitted to God. So, so the Apostle Paul, in his most articulate way, he shares with them a great dichotomy: the church and Christ, the husband and wife. And he compares the two. And I want to tell you something, that Christ and his church— listen to me— is always a great reflection of the marriage of the husband and wife. And when, when people see the husband and wife, the kingdom marriage, All right, they should see a reflection of how Christ looks at his church. But let me tell you something, some of these marriages— listen to me, oh my God— they don't reflect how Christ deals with his church. And part of that reality is because people don't really understand clearly the relationship of Christ and the church. And so when you go into marriage, you need to understand what this looks like. So let me just give you a few things, and you can write them down if you want to. And we saw these in the text. Number 1, we saw that Christ is the head of the church. Hallelujah. We're going to talk about how that relates to the man and how he should love his wife in a moment. Number 2, we saw that Christ is the savior of the church. Number 3, we saw in the text that the church must be subject to Christ in all things. Number 4, we saw that Christ gave himself for the church. Number 5, we see in these verses— it's right here, guys— that Christ sanctifies the church with the washing of the word. Number 6, we saw that Christ cleanses the church by the washing of the word. Number 7, we saw that Christ will receive the church to himself. Number 8, we saw that Christ makes the church glorious— my God! Number 9, we saw that Christ makes the church spotless. Number 10, we saw that Christ makes the church perfect. Ooh! Number 11, we saw that Christ makes the church holy. Number 12, we saw that Christ makes the church faultless. Number 13, we saw that Christ nourishes the church. Number 14, he cherishes the church. Watch this, we saw number 15, that Christ, according to verses 30 through 32, that Christ is a part of the church. And then we also, in those same verses, saw that Christ is one with the church. So when we understand that these 15, 16 things I just share with you, they should be reflective in every marriage. Oh my God. And it starts with how the husband loves his wife. One of the reasons I believe that a lot of husbands don't know how to love their wife— because first of all, most husbands have not seen this modeled. They have not seen really another man model this model to the fullest, because in many instances this has not been taught. I would have been a lot— and great, my daddy was a great model. And before I moved with my daddy at 14, I lived with my mama from 1 14. And my mom was married to a great man, Virgil Phelps Woods. It's ironic that he had the same last name my dad. That was so interesting. But at the end of the day, he was like a dad to me as well. And Phelps, PJ, is what they called him. A lot of my swag I got from him. Phelps was a very, very well-groomed man, of an awesome dresser. He treated my mama with respect. He, he, he modeled a good man before me. And on the flip side, my daddy— I get a lot of my work ethic, I get my God consciousness, I get my passion to be better and to do things right and in excellence from my father. Because that— what— and my entrepreneurial spirit comes from my daddy. He modeled that. That. So I had some good examples. But when I tell you— and he treated my stepmom Angela, who's my mom too— I don't like the step thing, she's my mom too. She was very instrumental in my life. And he treated her with respect and dignity, honored her gifts, made— always made her feel well. And I really loved watching my daddy be married, which is one of the things they wanted reasons I wanted to get married. Now, with that said, I cannot honestly sit at this table and tell you that I saw Ephesians 5:22-33 modeled, and I had almost perfect men— come on now— who were living in the house with me. So I'm not saying— I'm just saying it's because most of the time we have not been taught. Our preachers hadn't taught it, our dads hadn't really taught it. Because nobody taught it to them this way. Because a lot of what I'm about to share with you, a lot of times it was disseminated and released in error and the wrong way. So we gotta be taught on how to be kingdom men, how to be kingdom wives. So I'm starting with the men tonight. I'm gonna get you women as well. We're going to talk about your roles as wives. Glory to God. But tonight we're going to talk about how to love your wife, man. Listen, I think secondly, another reason why it's hard for men to grab this and really love their wife the way they need to love her is because— watch, watch me, y'all, watch me, stay with me, stay with me— they don't understand really what their wives need, right? They don't even understand the wife's position. Okay, so, um, they don't know that she has real needs, and these needs are needs, they're not wants. And these are not things that you can physically do really to meet— you can't buy off these needs, you have to literally meet these needs. So there are a few things a woman asks— every woman actually needs, every wife actually is looking for. Even if you Oprah, okay, you looking for this. It don't matter what woman you are, even if you're Michelle Obama, you looking for this, right? And so here's a number one emotional need of a woman. That keeps her solid, keeps her happy, is security. Even Oprah, with her multi-billion dollar valuation, even if it's not by money, because security doesn't always come through money, but it comes through peace of mind. It comes through understanding that my husband got my back no matter what happens, that If the— I'm in danger, he's going to protect me. He values me above everything else. She needs to feel secure. For the woman that don't have a billion, money is very much so tied into that because a man needs to be able to help this woman. You know, it doesn't make sense to be married and you contribute nothing. I'm talking about absolutely nothing. And at the end of the day, you know, you don't do anything that brings security to your wife, to your family. You're not loving if you're not doing that, because a woman needs security. A man doesn't need security because he's a man and he can kind of survive in any conditions, because a man's number one emotional need is sexual fulfillment. So a man can have sex anytime, anywhere. The lights can be off. The power company could have just turned the lights off and the man can still have sex. That woman is going to be like, no, baby, I'm not interested in that right now. How are we going to get these lights on? That, that's her interest. Are you hearing me? Because she wants to feel secure. She don't want a man that's sitting around all day, does nothing, never takes her on trips, never buys her a nice dress. Are you hearing me? Never does things to make her feel like a queen. She wants security. Secondly, she wants a spiritual, spiritual man. Every woman wants this. Every woman wants a man that has a sense of spirituality, that will seek God. Glory to God. And if you don't want that, women, you're signing up for trouble. I'm gonna tell you why in a moment, okay? But a man that loves God is going to love you correctly. Thirdly, every woman needs— oh my God, here we go— domestic support. She needs to know that you'll help her with the children if you have small children, the grandchildren if you got a small grandchild. She needs to feel confident that if you'll wash a dish, you'll take out the trash. I mean, she needs domestic support. Or if you ain't going to do it, pay somebody to do it. She needs domestic support. I'm not going to fix a car, I'm not going to cut grass, I'm gonna pay somebody to do it, period. That's the kind of man I am. But she— at least that's my way of supporting domestically. But a woman needs that, all right? She needs professional support. A woman needs a man to support her dreams. To be on her team. And if you master what she needs, loving her is easy. All right, so let's— we read the text, and I just wanted to start with that, but I'm moving. I talked on it too long, really. First of all, we read in verse 22, the Bible said, wives, submit unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. So he— the, the writer was basically, be submissive adapt to, be open to receive leadership. That's what submission— submission to her, submission. So to bring your mission under an overall mission and follow so that both missions are fulfilled. So you adapt to your husband's way. So this is why you should never marry a man that's not spiritual. A man that doesn't have a mission and a vision in life. A man that doesn't want any more than he already has. Hear me, ladies and women, you're— listen, you're— you need to understand, you cannot marry somebody just because they got on a pair of pants and, and they have male reproductive organs. You need somebody Now wait a minute, let me just clarify that because the world we live in now, you got to clarify everything. All right, so notice I said you shouldn't marry him just because he has that. I don't want nobody to take this away, that you need to go get you a woman that has women reproductive— that's not what I said. I'm telling you now, you need more than male reproductive organs. You need a man that has a vision, a man that has a strategic plan, a man that has a plan to take his family to the next level. I'm working on— glory to God— I've been working on a 2-year plan that I am a year and 3 months into, and I promise you, in 7 months it's going to be done. I'm going to pay off the house we live in. I'm going to buy another house debt-free. I have a plan. I have a plan to ensure my wife comes all the way out of work, period. She could now. She just wants to— she just want to go to work. But at the end of the day, we're working on making sure that in her mind, everything she could possibly ever want is already available to her. That, that— see, when you've been independent as long as her, it's just got to start registering. So once it registers, And, and I know there's certain other things I got to do to make sure it registers, but I got a vision to secure her emotionally. Y'all ain't got to help me, I, I know I'm talking right. But watch this, women, when, when you do this, you're doing yourself a disservice. And men, don't do a woman like that if you know you ain't got no drive, if you know you don't want to do nothing else with your life glory to the name of God. And really, you want to live off your wife and you don't want to pay bills, you don't want to start a business, you don't want to grow anything beyond where you are— don't do that to a woman because she needs more. So what I, I challenge you to do is get yourself together now so she can submit, because, because that's a command. Wives, submit to your husbands. Secondly, these are 4 commands to the woman. Secondly, he said honor the headship, recognize the headship. This is verse 23, of your husband. Watch this. For husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the church. Remember I told you there's an interesting dichotomy? Christ, the head of the church. Husband, head of the wife. Christ, head of the husband. Husband, head of the wife. So as Christ is Savior of the church. Your husband, in loving you correctly— men, in loving your wife correctly, you should be the Savior of your wife's body. Hallelujah! You should be the Savior of her body. She should be in good health. She should— glory to God— you should be a leader in the area of health. You should be leading the area of sensuality, sexuality, spirituality. You should be the one— glory to the name of God— that she looks to. She needs to be able to recognize you as the head. Here you go, wife. The Bible said be subject to your own husband in verse 24. Be subject to your own husband. Everything your own husband. In everything. And then in verse 33 it said, reverence your husband. I love that. I was reading and was getting happy because it represented— again, it means the Greek transliteration, it says like this, that you notice him, you regard him, you honor him, you prefer him, you venerate him. I always tell my wife, baby, you make me go. I dream big. I, I got this billion-dollar run in my head. I'm grinding, grinding, grinding, trying to get somewhere that somebody on the outside looking at me and say, man, you'll never reach that goal. The devil is a liar. I am, because I live with somebody that stimulates that work ethic. Glory to God. That make, make rest, make, always assures me that, baby, you gonna do it. You got it in you. You're smart, you're intelligent, you're my man, you're gonna make it happen. See, you should venerate your husband, glory to God, and esteem him and defer to him and praise him and love him And watch this, admire him exceedingly above everything else. You should, you should be able to admire your husband above your boss, your preacher. Y'all not talking to me. Your daddy. You should admire your husband above everything else exceedingly. Oh, see, see, here's, here's reality, man. When you really move into that third one of being subject in everything, You really have accepted the fact that you can respect, honor, reverence, praise, venerate this man because you trust his judgment. That's why you don't need to marry a man that don't pray, a man that don't study the word, a man that doesn't know God. Because watch this, he's saying be subject in everything that is lawful and right. Not in things that are criminal. Oh my God, not in things that are wrong, not in things that are sinful. According to this text, if your husband is inviting you into a ménage à trois, you're not to follow him into that. That's not godly. Okay, y'all don't know what ménage à trois is, right? Okay, y'all, y'all deep and wonderful. You left heaven to listen to this message tonight, and your chariot is outside your house waiting to to carry you back to glory when you're done. The lie— you, you didn't come from glory to hear this. Listen, let me tell you something. A ménage à trois is a threesome. And if your husband is inviting you to that, or if he's inviting you into, uh, a poly— a polyamorous relationship, that's ridiculous. People have caught on to something— him loving God, right? If he's not obedient to God and loving you like Christ loved his— loved the church and gave himself for it. Verse 25 simply said, husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. See, real love for your wife is not based on what you buy her. I'm grateful, I'm blessed to buy my wife stuff like Louis and, you know, Gucci. I can buy those things and red bottoms. I'm, I'm blessed to be able to do that. But she's the kind of woman, if I wasn't able— as a matter of fact, when I proposed to her, I gave her a ring that was 5 3/4 carats, one solitary diamond that's 5 3/4 carats. But guess what? This woman, if I'd have gave her a ring that was one carat, half a carat, she would have been so elated and valued it because it came from me. Because you know what, material things— you can't buy love. You gotta act out. My love language just happens to be giving. I just happen to like nice things, so I buy those things. But I want to tell you something, you gotta love like Christ. Real love is giving yourself up for her. I mean, I'm not really, you know, giving myself up just by giving her things— cars, paying off a house, those kind of things. That's not giving myself. What's giving myself up is when I see a fine woman, which none of us are blind, or— and I always tell my wife, you're gonna always see a man finer than me, and I may see somebody finer than you, but At the end of the day, we love each other, and that's the reality. And I always joke with her, you may say somebody fine to me, but it ain't gonna be often. Glory to God. But at the end of the day, that's just jokes, because she will. But real love says, I see that, and they may be flirting, they may like me, I may like them, but that doesn't mean I can touch it. See, I'm telling you, I failed miserably in this area in the past. And I've heard men say, you know what, I love you and I can sleep with her. I don't love her. But really, you may not love the person that you're sleeping with, but your love for your wife is in question. Oh boy, when you sleep with another woman, it's in question. And if you do it and have done it, I'm not saying leave, I'm saying get your love walk right in your marriage. And renew yourself to God. Repent and give yourself only to your wife. You got to be willing to give that up when you get married, man. If you want to really love your wife, you got to be willing to give up hanging out with the boys. Gave himself for— listen, I love golf, but I love my wife more than golf. I'll never put a game of golf above my wife. I can't do with a golf ball what I can do with my wife. And I'm not just talking sexually, it's part of that, but I'm not just talking about that. I can't travel with the— I can't travel with a golf ball. But at the end of the day, I can't speak to it, I can't communicate with it, I can't enjoy its company. That golf ball cannot cook for me. No, no, you got to prioritize and give up some things that you loved before you got married. Oh boy, if you, if you like to watch football all day on Sunday, oh, you got to make some sacrifices. Unless your wife is a football head too, you got to learn to make some sacrifices so you can spend quality time showing love to your spouse. You got to give something up like Christ did. Listen, the bandit comes in the house with a gun, you jump in front of the bandit and say, hey, no, shoot me, not her. Because you, you will give your very life for this person. I can tell you right now, I would give my life for my wife if it came down to it. I would do it. If me and her had same blood type, she needed a heart and I was the only person to give it to her, I'm giving her my heart. You know why? Because that's what scripture told me to do, and I would give myself for her. Lord, never put us in that position, but I'm just telling you right now, that's how it should be. Glory to God. I decree and declare right now that you'll never be be in that position, and neither would I. But I'm just saying, that's the extreme that you should go to. My God. So let me give you really— okay, all right, so that was number 1 of 8 commands for husbands. I gave you 4 for women. Let me give you 8 for husbands. Number 2, according to verse 23, you need to be the head of the wife. In other words, you need to be a leader. You should never get married if you're not ready to lead. Even if you got the money to take care of a wife, if you're not ready to lead her, you should not marry her. Oh my God, I'm gonna say that again. If you're not ready to lead her, you should not marry her. You should be the head. Number 3, you should love your wife as your own body. See, when you love your wife as your own body, oh my God, you will go the extra mile to help ensure that she is healthy as you is— you are healthy. You will, you will make the sacrifice and understand that whenever you sleep with somebody other than your wife, you are becoming one with that person. And if you're already one with your wife, you're actually taking her into that bedroom And then you're bringing that person back. Oh, how confusing is that? Back into your bedroom. And you got all these spirits now passing through a connection that's designed for husband and wife. You got to love your wife like your own body. Just like you take care of you, you should want to take care of her. You want to be happy and be full of joy. That's why, you know, I know the things I like. I'm not going to go out if I have red bottoms, if I have Dior, if I have Louis Vuitton, if I have custom-made, I'm going to make sure my wife has the best of everything too. Yeah, yeah, I do it for my children. At the end of the day, that's how I roll because I love her like I love me. Y'all ain't got to talk. I got a nice car, she needs to have a nice car. Man got a Benz, the wife riding around in a hoopty. That's the devil. You need to love your wife like you love your own body. Oh my God, I'm not traveling, going on vacation and not taking my wife unless she says, okay baby, you can go on a golf trip, you can do this, you can do that. But yeah, When I go somewhere, I want her with me. Are you hearing me? Because I love— if I'm enjoying it, she should get the opportunity to enjoy it. This is how you love your wife. Oh boy, watch this. I just renewed my season tickets to the Atlanta Hawks for next season, and I just added playoff seats for this season because thank God we're going to the playoffs. Glory to Jesus. Now watch this. I didn't get one ticket. I renewed my seats with 2 tickets, and I got 2 playoff tickets provided she wants to go, because I want her to be clear I love her as I love my own body. Number 5. Men, this is how you love your wife. You need to nourish her. That Greek word for nourish is ek trepo. It means to bring up, care for, and protect. Nourish means, one, that you're constantly— oh my God— disseminating to her the word. You're helping her to grow spiritually. Ladies, don't you marry a man again that has— that is unable to be a priest, a teacher in your life. If he can't teach and prophesy, he needs to have enough connection that if he don't prophesy to nobody else, he need to be able to prophesy concerning his family and his house. He needs to be able to intercede for his family as a priest. Man, you need to become a a priest and a prophet so you can nourish your family. Let me tell you this. You say, I'm not a prophet, I'm gonna prophesy. Become a priest first. If you take up— this is how Christ loved the church. He was a priest, he was an intercessor for the church, he was the great high priest. So start interceding, praying. Ain't a day go by, a night go by, I don't pray for my wife, I don't pray for my family. And you know what happens when you go to God as a priest? You come back— listen to me— as a prophet, and you prophesy now what God says when you went and talked to him as a priest. But you ain't got a word because you ain't going to God as a priest. But if you really love your wife, you'll nourish her and go to God as a priest and share with her what Thus saith the Lord. Lord have mercy, Jesus, on my soul today. Oh, glory be to God. Hallelujah. Lord have mercy. Boy, I tell you the truth, I'm teaching this. Somebody ought to share this right now. Glory to God. Don't you scroll, ladies. I'm teaching these men how to love you. Glory to God. You need to understand what they should be doing. Nourish. Ek trepo, bring up, care for, protect. Your wife should never feel afraid when you around. Even when you're not around, she should feel protected. I kind of believe my wife thinks because I can be a little edgy— I grew up in the ghetto, all right— so I'm gonna protect at all costs. So I believe believe that whenever she at my presence, she still know she protected because she's— I know she got it back here. This negro that I'm married to ain't got no sense, so I ain't really got to worry about nobody because I know if anything happen, he gonna protect me. That's how your wife should feel. I ain't saying you got to be, you know, ballistic with it and ghetto. But what I am saying is that your wife should know you got her back. You will protect her. Somebody's gossiping about your wife, you say, hey, you don't talk to me about my wife like that. Somebody brings negative to you concerning your wife, amen, you know, you can't say that. You got to put people in there. Somebody, you know, I, I hear my wife talk, talking to people. I've heard people, yeah, I even get upset sometimes. She has people she has to report to. She's, uh, in a ranking position in her job, but she still has people she has to report to that she's under. Even in her supervisory leadership role, she has someone that has oversight over her. And someone that being in her position as long as she has, um, she's been with her, her particular job for 31 years, man. She has been doing this job and she does it well. She's one of the best people at it. But you know what? Sometimes I hear her talking and listen to what she goes through, and the protector in me wants to go to that job and say something to them people, that person in charge. But I know I can't do that because it would jeopardize her position, and she wouldn't want that. But that's— but I'm just telling you, there ought to be something in you that wants to protect. You ain't got— I mean, you got to use wisdom and do things the right way. Hallelujah! Because you ain't got to be a fool. You can do things the right way and still be a protector. All right. Oh my God. Number 6. You gotta cherish your wife. I love that word, thalpo in Greek. You gotta warm her bosom. Hallelujah! She should feel warm in your chest, in your bosom when she's close to you. She shouldn't feel coldness. She should feel like you value her, like you cherish her. Anybody ever given you something, and just because they gave it to you again, you valued it. You know, I can remember, I can remember, glory to God, receiving a bicycle from my Aunt Reen. Catherine, we called her Reen. That's my mama's sister. I was a little old boy. I probably was 5 years old when I remember this like it was yesterday. I was I was— we was living in Paradise East Apartments, and, uh, I remember this Christmas like it was— I mean, I had got— my mama was notorious for giving me everything I wanted, but I got everything but a bike. And I was like, man, I really wanted a bike. But mama knew Rean was bringing the bike, so that's why she didn't get it. So I never questioned it. I just enjoyed the things that I had. And there was a knock on the door, and my auntie, she bought me this 10-speed bicycle. I really wasn't big enough to ride a 10-speed at this time, hear me, but I had a 10-speed, and because my aunt that I loved so much— and she, I mean, I was her favorite, and of all her nieces and nephews, I was a favorite. Yeah, and I loved her, and to this day I miss her because she's gone from earth to heaven. But at the end of the day, let me tell you something, I cherished and valued that bike because Aunt Reen gave it to me. I didn't let nobody ride it. I was mad if you touched it. It was my bike from my Aunt Reen. I valued it. And to me, it was other bikes better that I saw people had, but mine's were the best because Aunt Reen gave it to me. Y'all, you don't been there. Somebody buy you a dress, it might not be the most expensive dress, but because that dude bought You cherish it. Every time you wear, you walk different, you smile different, because he gave it to you. You value it. That's what God is saying. You got to cherish your wife. She's a gift. You got to value her above everything else, brothers. Oh my God, my God. Gotta cherish her. Number 7, you got to be— I'm sorry, number 6— you got to be joined to her as one flesh. One. You gotta recognize that you're no longer twain, but you're one. We read that in Ephesians 5:30, one flesh. That's number 6. You gotta understand that she is a part of everything you are. And you know, I have to be totally transparent with you about something because this was one of the hard areas for me getting married again, because I had trust issues with people. And I've always been a private person, guarded, uh, didn't know what angle people were coming from. But I had to learn This woman that I'm with now loves— Felicia loves me 100 grand, and there ain't nothing that woman wouldn't do for me. And I had to get that and learn to be more open and to share my life with her. You know, something very tremendous happened to me. A few months ago, and all of the paperwork and all of the things that went along with that deal, I just emailed them all to her. Something I've never done in my life with anyone. I said, this is what is happening, because it was happening not just to me, it was happening to her too. And I wanted her to understand that I want you to be a part of every move I make, everything I do, and I don't want you to ever feel like I'm keeping a secret from you. You. So becoming one means you're open. You know, you men, if you really love your wife, you won't keep secrets from her. And listen, if it's something you gotta hide, you probably shouldn't be doing it. You want flesh. You know, your wife should be able to look at your phone, look at your computer. I mean, I don't care if my wife goes through my phone. I really— I don't care. I mean, because I have nothing to hide. We're one flesh, and that's how it should be. Oh, well, some of the old men, you messing now, Woods. So I don't want my wife going through my phone. Well, what are you hiding, sir? And if you really love her, you'll give her access to you because you are her and she is you. I'm just reading the Bible. Either you want to be saved or you don't, you know. At the end of the day You can do what you want to do. Uh, there is a place called hell if you want to do that. But at the end of the day, you gotta be one flesh. Wow. I'm closing. Number 7: You gotta leave your parents and cleave to your wife. Let me tell you something. Leave Leaving and cleaving is a powerful thing. This doesn't just mean move out the house. Leave— you leaving the house, okay, you left. Now you gotta cleave to your wife. The word cleave means to chase down consistently, constantly, constantly to stay aligned with and one with. Cleaving means I'm running you down in an effort to make sure that we're constantly alive, and I'm leaving what I left where it is. Here's what the interesting thing— the Bible, not even in Genesis, never told the woman to leave her parents and cleave to her husband, because a woman should never be chasing a man down. See, if the— if the man catches up to her because he is loved, she's automatically going to submit because he follows God. A godly one— unless you married a heathen woman— but a godly woman is going to follow you. She, she won't have to chase you. A woman should never have to run behind you to get your attention. A woman should never have to compete with you for your— oh my God, mama's boy, mama, mama, listen, mama's boy, come on. She should never compete with you against your mama. Oh my God. Oh Jesus, never should a woman have to compete with you against your mom, or any other woman for that matter. You gotta leave and cleave. If you do it by spiritual law, the woman's gonna reciprocate and cleave to you and be one with you and submit. But if you still hold on to My, my, my, my. She ain't gonna cleave. She ain't gonna align, bruh. She ain't gonna submit. She's bucking now, full of mouth, full of lip, talking, frustrating the heck out of you. You want to leave and go back home because you never left. You never cleave. You never chased her down. As the cherished, valued prize and gift that God gave you. Lord have mercy. Leave and cleave. That was 7 and 8. Leave then cleave. Hallelujah. I'm done. I'm gonna leave y'all alone. So that's how you love your wife. I pray I've blessed you today. Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray, dear God, that this word has landed on the good ground of every heart that has listened and that has heard. And I thank you for it now, in Jesus' name. Amen. And thank God. Listen, I love you guys. If you want to learn more about our ministry, you can do two things. You can go to drmikewoods.com, or you can go to corottachurch.com, and you can learn all about what we're called to do and the things that we are now accomplishing in the earth. Listen, thank you for your time. Y'all be blessed. Have a supernatural day. Peace.