To be a Christian is to realize that in your sin, you were separated from God's presence, and you deserved nothing but God's wrath.

We don't have stomachs for the things of this world because we have feasted on the goodness of our God.

The gospel confronts us with the hopelessness of our sinful condition. But we don't like what we see of ourselves in the gospel, so we shrink back from it.

Consider what it takes for successful businessmen and businesswomen, effective entrepreneurs and hardworking associates, shrewd retirees and idealistic students to combine forces with a creative pastor to grow a "successful church" today. Clearly, it doesn't require the power of God to draw a crowd in our culture. A few key elements that we can manufacture will suffice.

Salvation has absolutely nothing to do with human merit and absolutely everything to do with divine mercy.

God stands ready to allocate his power to all who are radically dependent on Him and radically devoted to making much of Him.

Every Christian has unique opportunities to engage the most pressing social issues of our day by praying, proclaiming the gospel, and participating with God in all that he is doing in the world.