The cross is where God forgave his children without lowering his standards.

In the manger God loves you; through the cross God saves you. But has he taken you to his home? Not yet.

I think there is, not in the sense that I enjoy it, but that it's an important question. It's the question, "Does the presence of pain mean God doesn't care? Does God not love me anymore?" I think that's a very common connection we tend to make.

If God was willing to wrap himself in rags and drink from a mother's breast, then all questions about his love for us are off the table.

I see that a lot in my own life and in the lives of others.Does the presence of pain mean the absence of God?

It's such a unique story. Book of Joshua in the Bible wasn't always my favorite book, by the way. Only some ago did I realize that this book covers a seven-year period in the history of ancient Israel in which they literally went undefeated.They did have one setback, but outside of that, they defeated over 30 kings. They recaptured the Promised Land. They did what their ancestors said they could not.

Give a man religion without reminding him of his filth, and the result will be arrogance in a three- piece suit.