The conflicting missions of the two armies seemed to have no fog, no gray, only black-and-white clarity. I had lived my life in terms of compromise, rule-bending, trade-offs, concessions, bargaining, striking deals, finding middle ground. In these two great armies, there was no such thing. Good was good, and evil was evil, and they shared no common ground.

The repentant man rightfully loses trust in himself. He recognizes his self-dependence as the source of his problems, not the solution.

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.)

It's dangerous faith in our untamed Savior that leads us to the joy we crave.

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

Seek the Lord and give God the opportunity to provide through other means before you take out debt.

Messin with me, is like wearing cheese underwear down rat alley. Ollie Chandler in Deception