It horribly skews the meaning of the cross when contemporary prophets of self-esteem say that the cross is a witness to my infinite worth. The biblical perspective is that the cross in a witness to the infinite worth of God's glory, and a witness to the immensity of the sin of my pride.

The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God. Not from God, but in God.

The thought of building a life around minimal morality or minimal significance—a life defined by the question, “What is permissible?”—felt almost disgusting to me. I didn’t want a minimal life. I didn’t want to live on the outskirts of reality. I wanted to understand the main thing about life and pursue it.

Gratitude is the joy that arises in response to God’s good will toward us in all his gifts.

We have a name for those who try to praise when they have no pleasure in the object. We call them hypocrites.

Life is war. That's not all it is. But it is always that. Our weakness in prayer is owing largely to our neglect of this truth. Prayer is primarily a wartime walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief.

Strong affections for God, rooted in and shaped by the truth of Scripture - this is the bone and marrow of Biblical worship.