The unwounded life bears no resemblance to the Rabbi.

While the impostor draws his identity from past achievements and the adulation of others, the true self claims identity in its belovedness. We encounter God in the ordinariness of life: not in the search for spiritual highs and extraordinary, mystical experiences but in our simple presence in life.

On the last day, Jesus will look us over not for medals, diplomas, or honors, but for scars.

We miss Jesus' point entirely when we use His words as weapons against others.

Craving clarity, we attempt to eliminate the risk of trusting God.

Do the truth quietly without display.

What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far county. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus.