Jesus evidently hates it when we tear into our brothers or sisters with demeaning words, words that fail to honor the people around us as the beautiful image-bearing creatures that they are.

When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is.

In my desire to distance myself from sadistic Christians who revel in the idea of wrath and punishment, I may have crossed a line. Refusing to teach a passage of Scripture is just as wrong as abusing it.I really believe it's time for some of us to stop apologizing for God and start apologizing to Him for being embarrassed by the ways He has chosen to reveal Himself.

It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.

The world says love yourself, grab all you can, follow your heart. Jesus says deny yourself, grab your cross and follow me.

Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.

The message of the Bible is not about God in Heaven who wants to take from you. It's about God who wants to give to you.