For Christians this present life is the closest they will come to Hell. For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to Heaven.

Jesus didn't tell us not to store up treasures. On the contrary, he commanded us to. He simply said, "Stop storing them up in the wrong place, and start storing them up in the right place."

When my thirst for joy is satisfied by Christ, sin becomes unattractive.

Am I getting braver, or just getting accustomed to being terrified?

God doesn't look at just what we give. He also looks at what we keep.

Giving up everything must mean giving over everything to kingdom purposes, surrendering everything to further the one central cause, loosening our grip on everything. For some of us, this may mean ridding ourselves of most of our possessions. But for all of us it should mean dedicating everything we retain to further the kingdom. (For true disciples, however, it cannot mean hoarding or using kingdom assets self-indulgently.)

If we can keep ourselves from interfering with the natural laws of life, mistakes can be our child's finest teachers.