If we are not deliberately thinking about our culture and our context, we will be conformed to it without ever knowing.

Faith is not primarily a function of how you feel. Faith is living out and believing what truth is despite what you feel.

If you and your church were to disappear off the face of the earth tomorrow, would anyone in the community around you notice you were gone? And if the community did even notice would they say 'we are really glad they are gone', or 'we are really going to miss them'?

Fear-based repentance makes us hate ourselves. Joy-based repentance makes us hate the sin.

Religion operates on the principle 'I obey-therefore I am accepted by God.' But the operating principle of the gospel is 'I am accepted by God through what Christ has done-therefore I obey.'

In religion, you obey because God is useful. In Christianity, you obey because God is beautiful.

Prayer is awe, intimacy, struggle-yet, the way to reality.