How my relationship with my parents influenced my writing, really not at all. My dad was a mechanic, my mom a nurse.

We may speak about a place where there are no tears, no death, no fear, no night; but those are just the benefits of heaven. The beauty of heaven is seeing God.

Don't equate the presence of God with a good mood or a pleasant temperament. God is near whether you are happy or not.

Meet your fears with faith.

I do think there is great strength, though, in starting a sermon with a story, then returning to that story at the end. That puts book ends to a sermon. It is a real simple technique that communicates to the audience that there is a sense of closure, that they have a package here, or we began and we closed with this. I think that's just a nice technique.

Regardless of the circumstances that surrounded your arrival, you are not an accident. God planned you before you were born.

Most people have settled for a wimpy grace. It's something that doesn't change their lives. There is a difference between grace and mercy. Mercy is the decision of God not to punish us. But grace is the decision of God to save and bless us.