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Author and preacher Holt reminds readers through a multitude of spiritual quotations and personal examples that despite the many troubles in the world, each person can obey the two great commandments of Jesus Christ for a successful life. The commandments—to love the Creator God with all one's heart and soul and love one's neighbor—are timeless rules that will help people reconnect with their "First Love." Those wishing to follow the Christian path must be willing to stop their disobedience to God's commands, "look unto the hills" for the help of Jesus, listen to God's words as expressed in the Bible, and make a radical change in all misguided ways. Caring for others enables followers of Jesus to overcome the world's temptations. Holt provides vivid memories—difficulties he caused for himself or that others caused for him—to underscore the need he has felt for the purifying power of that First Love, a love that led him to ministry and the wish to help others.
The author is an evangelist who has faced many of the barriers he describes as common to all. He grew up in poverty, fought legal battles, used and abused drugs, and had difficult interpersonal relationships before he found the guidance of Jesus he now speaks of so passionately. His book is straightforward and, in addition to offering wise counsel and numerous biblical quotations, often employs down-to-earth language to give his writing empathy and emphasis. He compares a well-organized, righteous life to a well-built house and stresses the love known to the Greeks as agape ("unconditional 'God' love") for his readers as they take on the obedience he so strongly recommends. Holt's book can be used by Christians in a group setting or individually as they seek the light of God's love.