The product of a true, growing, gospel-centered nature is often gentleness.

To stand in the presence of God, that is what the Gospel is. The Gospel is not primarily about forgiveness. It’s not primarily about good feelings. It’s not primarily about power. All those things are byproducts, sparks. It’s primarily about the presence of God.

Describe the God you've rejected. Describe the God you don't believe in. Maybe I don't believe in that God either.

We have to be careful not to elevate our preferences to moral standards and judge others by them. We only do so to feel superior.

To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.

Cities have more “image of God” per square inch than anywhere else, and so we must not idealize the country as somehow a more spiritual place than the city.

A common vision can unite people of very different temperaments.