Kindness and Truth

Do not let kindness and truth leave you;

Bind them around your neck,

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3

When I read this verse the other day, I stopped to ponder its meaning. We need to let kindness and truth invade our lives. They should be in everything we say and do. They should be what characterize us. And we are to do everything possible to not let them leave us. “Bind them around your neck”. This made me think of putting a necklace on. Kindness and truth should adorn and grace our lives like a beautiful necklace. This verse also says to “write kindness and truth on the tablet of your heart”. A couple of images came to mind when I read this. When I went to Israel, I had the opportunity to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and a tablet of stone with writing on it that proves Pontius Pilot lived. That stone and the scrolls have survived for centuries. They were meant to be permanent when they were written. Kindness and truth should be ingrained in us permanently as well. If a stone and scrolls with important writing can last centuries, kindness and truth should be able to last our lifetime. So write kindness and truth permanently on your heart and adorn your life with their beauty, and they will never leave you.

Psalm 122 Revisited

Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, that is built
As a city that is compact together;
To which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord—
An ordinance for Israel—
To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
For there thrones were set for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
“May peace be within your walls,
And prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.


I posted this Psalm several weeks ago before I left on an exciting adventure that God had brought to me. I had the privilege of spending 11 days touring the land of the Bible, Israel. It was an amazing and incredible experience that has changed the way I read the Bible. I decided to come back to this Psalm, that so beautifully talks about Jerusalem. I cannot describe the joy of standing within the gates of this city that is indeed “compact”. I do give thanks to the name of the LORD for the opportunity He gave me, and I urge you to join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, both physically and spiritually. It is a city that is filled with people who need the salvation that only Jesus Christ can offer.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

God brought me this beautiful passage shortly after a dear saint passed away. While we do mourn our loss of those dear to us, if they are fellow believers, we are to rejoice with them. They are in Heaven with the Savior! They have no more pain, struggles, or sin! And one day we will be reunited with them and spend eternity praising the Lord together!

The Heart of the Home

The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23

The fruit of the Spirit is something that is to be present and evident in every Christian’s life. However, did you ever think that these are characteristics that can and should be found in the Christian home? An up-coming Biblical Womanhood Seminar will teach on this very topic.

Christ in Me …
The Heart of the Home
Saturday, May 8, 2010
8:30 am -- 4:30 pm
Cost: $15 per person
Breakfast and lunch provided

This one-day seminar, open to all ladies age 15 and older, will be held at the beautiful Cedar Springs Christian Conference Center in Sumas, Washington. It will be a wonderful day filled with Biblical encouragement on filling our homes with the fruit of the Spirit.

If you would like more information on registering for this seminar, please leave a comment!

The Word of God

There is nothing like the Word of God. There will never be anything like it. We live and die spiritually in proportion to how seriously we take this book. Those who take it as the Word of God will forever stand in awe of every jot and tittle and be transformed by its incredible power. It is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness. In other words, it will teach you, touch you, turn you, and transform you. It will put back the missing pieces in your soul and make you new. - Russell Kelfer

God's Love for Me

February 14th means different things to different people. Generally, it is recognized as a day to express your love for a certain person. But, I have found that many singles, especially ladies, find it one of the worst days of the year. I have heard of it being renamed “Singles Awareness Day”, a day when singles remind themselves and everyone around them that they are single. However, I find that viewing the day in this way causes a slight, or severe, case of self-pity and discouragement. So, I decided to see the holiday in a different light this year. Instead of looking at the love two humans have for each other, I looked at the love God has for me. I searched for verses in the Bible, songs, and quotes that tell me of God’s love for me. As I studied and read, I again realized that I am loved by the God of the universe with the greatest love of all time, and found myself falling deeper in love with Him. I would like to share with you some of the things I found, and invite you, whether single or married, to join with me in celebrating God’s love for us this Valentine’s Day.

The Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me
and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
John 16:27

God’s steadfast, sure love for us is:
Unbelievable - so worship!
Unwarranted - so rejoice!
Unshakable - so love!

God’s steadfast, sure love is unshaken by:
Death - when you die God’s love keeps going.
Time - God’s love never wears out.
Sin - sin does not break God’s eternal love for you.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Romans 8:35a

The Love of God
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell,
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest Hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

When years of time shall pass away
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love so sure shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade.
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure,
How measureless and strong.
It shall forever more endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss.
The Father turns His face away.
As wounds which mare the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers.

It was my sin that held Him there.
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life.
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom.
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart,
His wounds have paid my ransom.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we would be called children of God; and such we are.
1 John 3:1a

Contentment & Our Promised Land

I came across the following paragraph in the book Emotional Purity. It was a great encouragement to me as I read it.

“You’ve heard “hind-sight is twenty-twenty”. I think the children of Israel must have coined that phrase. Did they understand what God was going to do when they stood at the Red Sea with their enemies behind them? No. Did they understand or know where their food, water, and provision for their basic needs would come from? No. Did they understand what God did when He said the land He gave to them was filled with giants? No. They continued in their discontentment and the cost became deadly. The Israelites rebelled against God over and over in the desert, and often we do the same thing. The correlation between the children of Israel and us is clear: they were in bondage to the Egyptians, we are in bondage to believing that marriage is going to save us from this state of discontented singleness. God performed a grand exodus to save the Israelites from slavery; God sent His Son to save us from slavery. He led the Israelites through the desert of testing to worship and serve Him there; He wants us to come through the desert of testing to see if we trust Him. Then He allowed the Israelites to enter the Promised Land; and, if you allow God to take you through the arid desert of trials, you will come through trusting and obeying Him. The promised land is not marriage, but rather a place of knowing that you are in the Father’s hands and that you will not be single a day longer than He plans for you.” ~ Emotional Purity: An Affair of the Heart, By Heather Arnel Paulsen, p.92

I love the comparison Heather makes between us as singles, and the children of Israel. It is so important that we gain contentment before marriage. As I have heard repeatedly, “If you’re not content before marriage, you won’t be content after you’re married”. I think the Israelites are a good example of this. Even when they got the freedom they wanted, they still weren’t content. I also love the last sentence in this paragraph. Ladies, marriage is not our promised land. It is so good to be reminded where our focus is supposed to be and what our promised land is and in Whom it can be found.

Mary's Magnificat

And Mary said:
“My soul exalts the Lord,
and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has had regard
for the humble state of His bondslave;
for behold, from this time on
all generations will count me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is upon generation after generation
toward those who fear Him.
He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud
in the thoughts of their heart.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted those who were humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and sent away the rich empty-handed.
He has given help to Israel His servant,
in remembrance of His mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
~ Luke 1:46-55

This passage of Scripture, known as Mary’s Magnificat, is Mary’s response to Elizabeth blessing her and the child she carried. Almost the entire speech is made up of verses from the Old Testament. Mary’s mind and soul was so steeped in Scripture that when she broke out in praise the Old Testament naturally flowed from her lips.

A Citizen of Zion

PSALM 15
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
He who walks with integrity,
and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

David begins this psalm with questions. He is asking the Lord what the characteristics of a citizen of Zion are. He then answers those questions. This psalm describes to us how a citizen of Zion should behave. From our side of the cross, we can say that this psalm is a description of a Christian. They are good guidelines to be reminded of. Also, if we do these things we will “never be shaken”. What a wonderful promise!

Give Thanks!

Reading through the Psalms, I noticed that there were several verses with the exact same wording, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting.” I pulled up my Bible study program on my computer and found there are five verses in the book of Psalms that say this. Growing up, I was taught that everything God said is important, when He says something twice it’s really important, and if He says it three times it’s really, really important. The Bible repeats these exact words five times! I think God is trying to tell us something through the Psalmist. He is commanding us to be thankful to God because He is good. His everlasting lovingkindness is not only another reason why we should be thankful to God, but it is also one of the many things we should be giving thanks for. God told us this five times, so let’s listen up and give thanks!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 118:29; 136:1(NASB)

Feeding Our Minds

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat”. If we eat healthy food, we’ll be healthy, but if we eat junk food, we won’t be healthy. The same is true with our minds. We feed our minds with the things we listen to, watch, and read. What we feed our minds with effects our thoughts, and our thoughts effect our actions. In other words, what we feed our minds on is what shapes who we are. This can be a good, beautiful thing or it can be a bad, ugly thing depending on what we are using to feed our minds. When we read the Bible and meditate on Scripture, we become more like Christ and become beautiful to God. However, if we are reading books, watching movies, and listening to things that stir up wrong thoughts, we will eventually start acting in a way that displeases the Lord. The Bible says we are to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). That starts with what we are using to feed our thoughts. If we control the types of things we are listening to, watching, and reading, we will be able to better control our thoughts. Does this mean we shouldn’t read anything except the Bible? No. We just need to be aware of what causes us to sin in our thoughts and stay away from those things. We can also give ourselves a standard or guidelines to help us decide whether we should feed our minds with a certain book or movie. Something that has helped me in this area is a standard that is found in the Bible. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things”. While reading a book or watching a movie I can ask myself, “Is what is happening true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise?” If the answer to the majority of these is “no”, then I probably shouldn’t be reading or watching it. I admit I don’t always hold things up to this standard or put them away when they don’t measure up. However, we all need to be striving to take captive our thoughts by controlling what we are using to feed our minds.

Living for the Audience of One

One of our downfalls as humans is worrying about what other people think of us. We are naturally “people-pleasers”. However, it shouldn’t be that way. As Christians, we should be living to please God alone. This is called “living for the Audience of One”. In Genesis 17:1 God told Abram, “I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be blameless”. He didn’t tell Abram to walk before his family or his friends, God told Abram to walk before Him. It didn’t matter what others thought of Abram’s life, only what God thought. The same is true of our lives. What other people think of us can’t change who we are in Christ, so when our identity is in Christ it doesn’t matter what others are thinking or if we’re pleasing them. When we make God our “Audience of One”, it frees our minds from the thoughts that accompany trying to please others, and we are able to focus on becoming more like Christ. In other words, living for the Audience of One gives us the freedom to become the women God wants us to be. We need to determine whether we are living to please God alone, and choose to make Him our Audience of One.

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men?
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10

May I See Your ID Please?

Your identity is your individuality, uniqueness, and distinctiveness. It’s who you are, and you get to decide what your identity is going to be. Where you find your identity is critical because where your identity lies will dictate how you live. People find their identity in many different things based on their position in their family, their education, their job, etc. However, what most people don’t realize is that each of these things could change at any given time. If they lost their job, their identity would change. So is there an identity you can take on that won’t change? The answer is yes! Christ can be your identity. When your identity is in Christ, your life is based on Someone and Something that does not change. When you become a Christian, you have already begun to make Christ your identity. As I’ve said before, the first step is to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. Of course, just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you are finding your identity in Christ. One of the goals of making Christ your identity is so that when people look at you they see Him. In order for that to happen, you have to give Him your whole life. The next thing to do is learn to see yourself as God sees you. There are many verses in the New Testament that describe how God sees us and who we are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, John 1:12, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Colossians 3:12, etc.). Study these verses and take them to heart, because the more you know who you are, the more you can walk in the light of it. If you are finding your identity in Christ, you will live your life in a manner pleasing to Him. So choose to make Christ your identity today!

Building a Relationship with God - Part 2

The next part of building a relationship with God is spending time with Him. It takes time and effort to get to know someone. You can know a lot about someone from what other people tell you, but you won’t really know them unless you spend time with them. Your relationship with God is the same way. One of the ways you can spend time with God is by reading the Bible. The Bible is God’s letter to you. When you get a letter from a friend, you don’t stuff it away in a drawer, you read it as soon as possible, and re-read it so you know all that it says. This is how you should view reading the Bible. You should be enthusiastic to read it and want to know all that it says. Reading the Bible should be a daily goal and activity. And remember, you won’t make much progress in your relationship if you only spend a few minutes with God. Spend enough time with God each day to really get to know Him. It may be hard at first, but you will find that the more time you spend with God, the more you want to spend time with Him.

What God has Done for You

I just started a Bible study on the book of Ephesians and thought I'd share one of the assignments with y'all. It doesn't take very long, but it will leave you thankful and excited to be a Christian! So here it is:

Read Ephesians 1:3-14 and list all the things God has done for you.

Read it, do it, and be blessed!

Pharaoh's Hardened Heart

As I read the account of the plagues on Egypt in Exodus, I noticed a phrase that was repeated with each plague. As each plague came, Pharaoh would say that the Israelites could go, and would plead for the plague to stop. However, when God stopped the plague, each time Pharaoh would change his mind. Three times the account says that, “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart” (Exodus 9:12; 10:2; 10:27), and four times it says, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, just as the Lord had said” (7:13; 7:22; 8:15; 9:35). I began to think about the wording of this passage. If it had read, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened”, we would not have thought much about it. However, God used this opportunity to show us that He controls the hearts of all men, even the king of Egypt. In Chapter 7 of Exodus, God had told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart (v. 3). This is another amazing verse that stood out to me as I read this account. In this verse, God tells us why He hardened Pharaoh’s heart. “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” God could have made Pharaoh let the Israelites go the first time Moses and Aaron made the request. But He didn’t. He chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart to bring glory to Himself, and so Pharaoh, the Egyptians, the Israelites, and all of us, could see the power of God. In this passage, I saw proof that God is completely in control of everything, even the minds, hearts, and responses of men, and that He has a purpose for everything He does, even if it doesn’t make sense to us at the time. We serve an amazing God!

A Beautiful Truth ~ 2 Peter 1:3

Seeing that His divine power has granted to us

everything pertaining to life and godliness,

through the true knowledge of Him

who called us by His own glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1:3

God has called me by His own glory and excellence and has given me everything I need to live a godly life.

Satisfied with Life

Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age,
an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people.
Genesis 25:8

While reading the book of Genesis, I came across this verse. I had read it before multiple times and it had always given me the same information: Abraham died and his family buried him. However, reading it this time, the middle part stood out to me. It says that when Abraham died, He was satisfied with life. I stopped to think over the life of Abraham. The Bible records for us not only this man’s great faith, but his weaknesses and failures as well. He lied several times and, at times, didn’t trust God to bring His promises to completion. We can be sure that Abraham was ashamed about the wrong things he had done. Nevertheless, the Bible records for all eternity that Abraham was satisfied with the life he had lived. He was human, a sinner, just like the rest of us. He did wrong. In spite of this, at the end of his life he looked back and felt that he had lived his life for the glory of God. What about us? Since reading this verse, I have pondered this question. It has been said that, “What you will be tomorrow you are becoming today”. The choices we make will affect the future. True there will be decisions we will regret. However, at the end of our earthly lives, will we look back on life and, like Abraham, be satisfied with how we have lived?

Contrite Confession of Sin

Another awesome sermon by my pastor!

Psalm 51
1Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. 5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. 16For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.

Introduction:

King David wrote this psalm after Nathan the prophet came to rebuke him for his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Even though a year has passed since David first saw Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed, he has not confessed his sin to God and repented. After Nathan’s rebuke, David realizes he has sinned against God and writes Psalm 51 in response.

This Psalm is a biblical model for confession and repentance of sin in the life of a genuine believer.

When we have not confessed sin in our lives it gnaws away at us. But when we confess to God and ask for His forgiveness, He takes that guilt away. David wrote about this in Psalm 32:3-5.

The sins we commit as Christians do not jeopardize our salvation or reduce God’s love for us as His children. We can not lose our salvation or ever be separated from the unconditional love of Christ. However, living in unrepentant sin as a Christian does hinder our testimony, fruitfulness, and the experience of our joyful fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

“The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and Grace.” ~ The Bible Knowledge Commentary

I. The Plea for Forgiveness (v. 1-2, 7, 9, 14)

In these five verses, David pleads with God to be gracious to him, to wash and purify him, to turn His face from his sin, to blot out his sin, and to deliver him. We, like David, serve a holy God and we need to plead with God for forgiveness as well.

II. The Admission of Guilt (v. 3-4)

Here, David confesses that he has sinned in his actions and that ultimately they are against God. Our sin is the same.

III. The Depth of Sin (v. 5-6)

Verses 5-6 contain David’s confession that his heart is naturally sinful from birth. While this is true for all of us as humans, it is not an excuse for our actions. We are still held accountable before God for what we do, say, and think. David is not excusing what he did, but he is stating that he realizes we are sinful by nature before we are sinful in action.

IV. The Only Acceptable Sacrifice (v. 16-17)

Both David and we can do nothing to wipe away our sin. God has to do it for us. He is willing, but we must first come to Him with a broken and contrite heart.

V. The Desire for Personal Holiness (v. 10-12)

David asks God to not cast him away, to make his heart clean, and to restore their relationship. As Christians, we are on the other side of the cross and our hearts are made clean when we receive God’s gift of salvation. God will never cast us away or remove His Spirit from us. When Christ washed His Disciple’s feet in John 13:5-11, He explained that those who have been saved (or bathed) are clean and they only need their feet washed sometimes.

VI. The Fruit of Forgiveness (v. 8, 12-15, 18-19)

There were four fruits of God’s forgiveness in David’s life:
- A testimony to others of God’s grace and mercy
- A heart of praise
- Joy in his heart at being forgiven
- Blessing on the people under his authority
These same fruits are true in our lives as well.

Conclusion:
Psalm 51 is an example of a contrite confession of sin. The attitude David had while writing it is the same that should be in our hearts.




Contrite Confession of Sin sermon by Pastor Steve Balvanz, February 22, 2009

Love Is ...

God commands us as Christians to love others, even those we don’t like. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 tells us what that looks like:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

According to these verses, we are to:
- Be patient
- Be kind
- Not be jealous
- Not brag
- Not be arrogant
- Not act unbecomingly
- Not seek our own
- Not be provoked
- Not take into account a wrong suffered
- Not rejoice in unrighteousness
- Rejoice with the truth
- Bear all things
- Believe all things
- Hope all things
- Endure all things

And, if we do these things, we will not fail, because love never fails.

Happy Valentine's Day!