We’ve all had ideas of what the ideal romance is. When you were younger, it may have been images of a knight in shining armor, bravely rescuing the princess.

I love my Bible! The more I consider it, the more I realize God loved me enough to give me a letter of love–filled with power, correction, guidance, and grace. It is a wonderful book, echoing the words of David when he spoke about the sword of Goliath, “There is none like it, give it me.” Truly there is none like it!

In less than one year’s time, the Welsh Revival of 1904–1905 saw 100,000 people saved. This great moving of God’s Spirit came through the preaching of a twenty-six-year-old preacher named Evan Roberts, who had prayed for revival for eleven years. So many were converted and evidenced truly-changed lives in such a short time span that the nation of Wales even became known for a time as “The Land of Revival.”

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart to stay.” I have the joy of the Lord in my heart, but do I enjoy what I have?

A growing Christian should practice perpetual gratitude. In this verse, we see that we should give thanks in everything. This means even in the worst situations we should give thanks because it is the will of God.

In the early days at Lancaster Baptist Church, I gave a “Visit with the Pastor” almost every Sunday night in which I tried to infuse our young church with the DNA of New Testament Christianity. Usually these were a brief topical lesson on topics ranging from how to lead someone to the Lord, to having family devotions, to encouraging new Christians.

In John chapter 15, Jesus reveals the abundant life (the real Christian life, which is His gift to us) by giving us the metaphor of the vine and the branches.

How many of us through the years have prayed, Psalm 85:6, “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”

It’s become a habit of mine—throughout the month of December, I jot down areas in which I want to grow in the new year as they come to mind. Then somewhere during the week between Christmas and New Years, I write out specific goals.

It can be a real dilemma seeing methods that seem to work really well, then being told not to use them.