Compassion in evangelical churches is out of balance. When I talk about it, I get a lot of glazed expressions.

Jesus isn't a God who stayed on the mountaintop - he's a Savior who came down and lived and worked with the people.

Our Savior kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts of our lives. But rather than recoil in horror, he reaches out in kindness and says, "I can clean that if you want." And from the basin of his grace, he scoops a palm full of mercy and washes away our sin.

On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.

All of my books began as sermons, so really the heart of the message is still the same.

It's important to preach like there's a broken heart on every pew. That's always been a phrase that stuck with me. Not everybody is having a tough time, but you can bet your buck that there's a good tenth of your church that's going through a hard season. There really is a broken heart on every pew.

The duty of the branch is to cling to the vine.