“Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it.”

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.

We tend to see God as a means through which we get things to make us happy. For most of us, He has not become our happiness.

The basic purpose of prayer is not to bend God’s will to mine, but to mold my will into His.

It’s impossible to have met the real Jesus and be indifferent. You either bow down in wonder OR go away offended.

After creation God said, ‘It is finished’-and he rested. After redemption Jesus said, ‘It is finished’-and we can rest.

It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you.

The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access

The main human problems often are that we misidentify what will make us happy; and we ask people and things to save us beyond their ability.

We need to remember that we are saved by grace when we fail. But we need to remember it much more when we succeed.