Prayer gives us relief from the melancholy burden of self-absorption .
Without the gospel we hate ourselves instead of our sin. Without the gospel we’re motivated through all sorts of awful fear and pride to change and it doesn’t really change our hearts; it just restrains our hearts.
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.
The essence of forgiveness is absorbing pain instead of giving it.
There is no evil that the father’s love cannot pardon and cover, there is no sin that is a match for his grace.
To stand in the presence of God, that is what the Gospel is. The Gospel is not primarily about forgiveness. It’s not primarily about good feelings. It’s not primarily about power. All those things are byproducts, sparks. It’s primarily about the presence of God.
All human problems are ultimately symptoms, and our separation from God is the cause.
Love is primarily giving. It’s an action that leads to a feeling, not a feeling first.
Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong.
The gospel is not only the way to enter the kingdom; it is the way to live in the kingdom.
To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.
God’s reckless grace is our greatest hope.
A common vision can unite people of very different temperaments.
Christians need the gospel as much as non-Christians do.
Easter means that Christmas worked.
The sin that is most destructive in your life right now is the one you are most defensive about.
As long as we think we are not that bad, the idea of grace will never change us.
Every single emotion you have should be processed in prayer.
Faith is not primarily a function of how you feel. Faith is living out and believing what truth is despite what you feel.
What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.