“Many times people think if God has called you to something, he’s promising you success. He might be calling you to fail to prepare you for something else through the failure.”

The sin that is most destructive in your life right now is the one you are most defensive about.

Christians need the gospel as much as non-Christians do.

We instinctively tend to limit for whom we exert ourselves. We do it for people like us, and for people whom we like. Jesus will have none of that.

The great basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us.

I am going to judge my circumstances by Jesus’ love, not Jesus’ love by my circumstances.

In religion, you obey because God is useful. In Christianity, you obey because God is beautiful.

All human problems are ultimately symptoms, and our separation from God is the cause.

Since they were saved by sheer grace, not by their perfect doctrine or strong moral character.

When we grasp that we are unworthy sinners saved by an infinitely costly grace, it destroys both our self-righteousn ess and our need to ridicule others.

Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.

We come to God saying, “Look at all I’ve done,” or maybe “Look at all I’ve suffered.” God, however, wants us to look to him – to just wash.

The purpose of Jesus’s coming is to put the whole world right, to renew and restore the creation, not to escape it.

Christ’s resurrection not only gives you hope for the future; it gives you hope to handle your scars right now.

Suffering can refine us rather than destroy us because God himself walks with us in the fire.

How does Satan accuse us? By causing us to look at our sin rather than our Savior.

Think like a prophet, serve like a priest, and plan like a king.

If you don’t have a goal or purpose to strive for, I don’t think that you have much of a life. You’ve got to have something to do that you want to apply yourself to – that’s what living is all about.

For anybody who’s ever been on the other end of, like, racial violence logic is not something that can be used.

I think being recognized more is something you have to get used to, whether it’s your homeland or when you’re traveling. People recognize me from my play or a commercial I’ve done. It’s just a normal part of life.

There’s just enough drinking and cheating songs around without me adding to them. Unless you’ve got something better than “Misery and Gin” by Merle Haggard, you’re beating a dead horse.

I try to pick characters that I find interesting and complex and that I feel I can bring something of myself to.

When you’re doing something you’re passionate about, stress becomes a featurenot a bug.

I like workplace shows and White House was a very glamorous workplace to set a show in; it appealed to a sense of romanticism and idealism that I have.

I think that for some people faith is good – they have something to draw to.