A Christianity that does not have as its primary focus the deepening of passions for God is a false Christianity, no matter how zealously it seeks conversions or how forcefully it advocates righteous behavior.

True religion is when you serve God to get nothing else but more of God.

Things like radical generosity and audacious faith are not produced when we focus on them, but when we focus on the gospel.

It is one thing to understand the gospel but is quite another to experience the gospel in such a way that it fundamentally changes us and becomes the source of our identity and security.

The amount which you understand the gospel is measured by your ability to be joyful in all circumstances. If you grasp what a treasure the presence and acceptance of God are, then even when life goes really wrong you will have a joy that sustains you, because you’ll recognize the value of what you have in Him. When life punches you in the face, you’ll say, ‘But I still have the love and acceptance of God, a treasure I don’t deserve.’ And the joy you find in that treasure can make you rejoice even when you have a bloody nose. You have a joy that death and depravation cannot touch.

Being able to articulate the gospel with accuracy is one thing; having its truth captivate your soul is quite another.

When we realize how great a debt we owe to God, we become willing servants, eager to be poured out for God and His Kingdom.