Faith in God offers no insurance against tragedy.

We're concerned with how things turn out; God seems more concerned with how we turn out.

Unless we love natural goods - sex, alcohol, food, money, success, power - in the way God intended, we become their slaves, as any addict can attest.

The church works best not as a power center, rather as a countercultural community - in the world but not of it - that shows others how to live the most fulfilled and meaningful life on earth. In modern society that means rejecting the false gods of independence, success, and pleasure and replacing them with love for God and neighbor.

It's easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you've heard everything before and that you have nothing left to learn.

... learning humility is a prerequisite for grace.

Jesus reserved his hardest words for the hidden sins of hypocrisy, pride, greed and legalism.