God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ.

Where the grass is greener, the water bill is bigger.

Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God.

If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).

I think everyone does selective reading. Everybody has a filter, and that is real easy for critics to see things from their perspectives, and I'm going, I didn't mean that at all. And believers do the same.

When you jump across a canyon, cautious small steps and vacillation won't work. Sometimes you just have to go for it.

We may not always finish what we start but God always finishes what He starts.