The proper focus of holiness is not on being set apart from something (i.e., the world), but on being set apart for something.

You can't find a YouTube clip to become a craftsman, friend, parent - or disciple of Christ. It's all of grace. And to grow in that grace, you need two things: time and community.

Ask the proficient athlete, artist, businessperson, or homemaker what creates excellence and they'll all agree: a commitment to long-term goals - and with a community of mentors and fellow "disciples."

Once we truly grasp the message of the New Testament, it is impossible to read the Old Testament again without seeing Christ on every page, in every story, foreshadowed or anticipated in every event and narrative. The Bible must be read as a whole, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation, letting promise and fulfillment guide or expectations for what we will find there.

We need more Christians who take their place alongside believing and unbelieving neighbors in the daily gift exchange

Theology, not morality, is the first business on the church's agenda of reform, and the church, not society, is the first target of divine criticism.

Excellence is being thwarted not only by laziness but by reckless attachment to causes, programs, and - in some cases, leaders.