Prayer is a recognition of the greatness of our God.

If you want God's grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster. We come to God saying, "Look at all I've done," or maybe "Look at all I've suffered." God, however, wants us to look to him - to just wash.

Out of the cross comes the resurrection. Out of weakness comes real strength.

The Cross is not simply a lovely example of sacrificial love. Throwing your life away needlessly is not admirable — it is wrong. Jesus’ death was only a good example if it was more than an example, if it was something absolutely necessary to rescue us. And it was. Why did Jesus have to die in order to forgive us? There was a debt to be paid — God himself paid it. There was a penalty to be born — God himself bore it. Forgiveness is always a form of costly suffering.

Religion makes us proud of what we have done. The Gospel makes us proud of what Jesus has done.

You should not begin to pray for all you want until you realize that in God you have all you need.

Jesus cannot be just liked. His claims make us either kill him or crown him.