Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more . . . And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less

Eugene Peterson points out that "the root meaning in Hebrew of salvation is to be broad, to become spacious, to enlarge. It carries the sense of deliverance from an existence that has become compressed, confined and cramped." God wants to set free, to make it possible for us to live open and loving lives with God and our neighbors. "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free," wrote the psalmist.

Goodness cannot be imposed externally, from the top down; it must grow internally, from the bottom up.

Be salt, and a little bit of salt keeps the whole society from going rancid.

True faith does not so much attempt to manipulate God to do our will as it does to position us to do his will.

The Gospels and the rest of the New Testament reflect the life of Jesus, what it means for us & what it means for the world.

Who would complain if God allowed one hour of suffering in an entire lifetime of comfort? Why complain about a lifetime that includes suffering when that lifetime is a mere hour of eternity?