Today's Good Word is the last installment in our 1 Corinthians 13 series. This verse tells us that love believes all things and hopes all things.

Belief and hope are beautiful to think on. They are light. They soar; they float; they illuminate; they warm. Don't we all feel more hopeful when we feel loved? Don't we all find it easier to believe the best when love enters the picture?

God's love should call us to a stronger belief in His Gospel and a vigorous hope for what the future holds. Can you imagine? … God's love can cure doubt, anxiety, and despair.

Today's Good Word tells us that charity doesn't delight in wrongdoing. It rejoices in truth. How does this apply to our lives today?

Some people use "love" as a reason to excuse sin. For example, "I love this person too much to hurt him. If I tell him the truth, I will hurt him."

How about this one: "I'm doing [insert any sinful behavior] because I love the person I'm doing it for."

Here's one more: "But I really love [insert any sinful behavior]. How could it be bad if I love it (or need it) so much?"

Would you describe yourself as having a short fuse? Maybe you're the opposite, and it takes a tsunami to rock your boat.

No matter how quick or slow we are to anger, we all have some "red buttons" inside. You know the red button I'm talking about. You see it in an elevator, or cockpit, or alien spacecraft. It's a big, round, can't-miss-it red button, and there's a large warning next to it that says, "DO NOT PUSH." If you do, you'll regret it.

For the coming month of February, our Good Word Fridays are going to focus on 1 Corinthians 13 and the verses that describe love. We'll take a closer look at these verses and ponder what they're trying to tell us about charity (which is synonymous with love in this chapter).

Today's verse says that charity (or love) is longsuffering and kind.

Today's Good Word comes from the mouth of Alma, who is speaking to his son, Shiblon. Alma gives his son some great, godly advice. For example, serve God and you'll prosper. Trust God and you'll be delivered from trials.

Then, wise man that he is, he says, in paraphrase, "Don't think that I figured any of this out on my own. The Holy Spirit taught it to me. In fact, if I wasn't baptized, I wouldn't know any of it."

What is the "newness of the spirit" that today's Good Word is talking about? It's contrasted with the "oldness of the letter." What does it mean?

Back before Christ came, God's people were under the Law of Moses, and they were held to the letter of the law. When they made mistakes, they paid for those offenses by offering the animal and food sacrifices that the law prescribed.

Think of it like a list of rules. Next to each rule is a box. You put a check mark in that box if you complied with that rule or performed that duty. (Do you have a similar list in your planner or on an app?)

Today's Good Word invokes the "newness" that everyone seems to be focusing on this time of year. We open fresh new calendars. We set brand new goals. We see new styles and trends reflected in culture. It's a time of change.

Today, let's ask a question: What kind of "newness" is the Holy Spirit calling me to in 2019?" We're supposed to walk in newness of life, and this transformation from our old self to our new self is an incremental change that happens over the course of our lifetime. Each year, we have the opportunity to become even "newer" (more Christ-like) than the year before.

What a Good Word for the New Year! Do you have any "old things" that you'd like to put behind you in 2019? Got any bad habits, unwise behaviors, or wayward thought patterns that you wish would just "pass away"?

In Christ, it can become reality.

Today's Good Word reminds us of why Jesus Christ came into the world. He came not as the greatest of many but as the least of these. He came not with immortal immunity but with all the frailty of human form. He came keeping the law, not disdaining it. In short, he came as one of us.

Because He lived the perfect life that none of us could've ever (or can ever) live, His blood was a worthy sacrifice to wash away the sins of the world, past, present, and future.

Christmas Day is approaching, and, if you have children in the house, chances are good that they're getting pretty excited. After all, "Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them," or so says Anne Shirley of Green Gables.

As we grow up, the anticipation of Christmas Day grows less and less magical. Some of us have even grown so weary that we've got our head down, and it's tough to drum up any good cheer. Today's Good Word says, "Lift up your head and be of good cheer." But it's not for gifts or good food. It's not even for spending time with family and friends.

As we continue to prepare for the celebrations surrounding Christmas Day, it's appropriate to remember why Christ came in the first place. Today's Good Word tells us that we were not saved by our own righteous works but instead by God's mercy.

No matter how many good deeds we do, we also commit sin. Good works cannot wash away sin or pay the price for it. Under the Law of Moses, a blood sacrifice was required to forgive sin (not a penance of good deeds).

The next time you're thinking of staying home from Church on Sunday, remember today's Good Word. It reminds us that thanking God and praising Him with song is a great way to spend our time.

The next time you're thinking of taking credit for something that the Lord has done, remember today's Good Word. It reminds us that thanking God rather than singing our own praises is the best way to go.

Are you in need of a victory today? Many of us have ongoing challenges and troubles that dampen our spirits and burden our minds. You may feel like you're in a perpetual boxing match with life's problems, and after a while, you're too bruised and beaten to keep fighting.

If you're all battled out today, we pray that this Good Word directs you to the only one who can overcome what you're facing. Our Lord Jesus Christ holds the key to victory. In the context of this verse, we understand "victory" to mean victory over spiritual death and the hope of spiritual life eternal in God's Son.

We hope that yesterday you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with those closest to you. Chances are good that, at some point, you reflected on all the things you're thankful for in life. Chances are good that those reflections made you feel happy and content.

Do you need more of that happiness and contentment every day of the year and not just on Thanksgiving? If you do, then try to "live in thanksgiving daily" as today's Good Word encourages us to do.

Have you ever thanked someone from The Church for something? Many times, instead of saying, "You're welcome" or "My pleasure," the person says, "Thank God." That's because we sometimes can't in good conscience accept thanks when we know we are not the ones who did the real work or inspired the work in the first place — it was God. We then direct the person's gratitude to one who is worthy of it.