Three Ingredients for Relationships that Go the Distance | Part 2 | Andy Stanley

Main message: The second essential ingredient for relationships that go the distance is a posture of mutual submission modeled on Jesus — actively putting others first out of reverence for Christ rather than reacting based on our estimate of them. Practically, that means serving and asking, "What can I do to help?" in marriage, work, family, and community.

Key points:

• Paul’s central command: "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" (mutual submission) is meant as a behavioral posture, not passive weakness.
• Submission (Greek hupotasso) and love are verbs — they are actions we choose to do, not merely feelings we wait to have.
• In marriage Paul applies the principle: wives are called to submit “as to the Lord,” and husbands are commanded to love sacrificially "just as Christ loved the church" — a leveling of first-century power dynamics, not permission for domination.
• The verse has been misused to justify staying in abusive situations; Jesus condemned mistreatment based on rank or power, so submission is not a mandate to accept abuse.
• Practical homework: begin asking and living the attitude, "What can I do to help?" — especially those with more authority, who should ask it more often; such service is an act of worship.

Scriptures mentioned: Philippians 2:5, Ephesians 5:21–33 (Ephesians 5:21; 5:22; 5:25 referenced), John 13:35, (also referenced: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, James)