Christians necessarily believe we depend on God for everything-a prayerless Christian, then, is a contradiction in terms.

The essence of Christian obedience is not do’s and don’ts but personal allegiance to Jesus.

We can only grasp the gospel's sweetness if we first grapple with its offense- you can't save yourself.

Most people in the world believe that if there is a God, you relate to God by being good. Most religions are based on that principle, though there are a million different variations on it...But they all have the same logic: If I perform, if I obey, I’m accepted. The gospel of Jesus is not only different from that but diametrically opposed to it: I’m fully accepted in Jesus Christ, and therefore I obey.

To preach the gospel is to show people their need for salvation against a backdrop of God's nature and the character of sin, and then present Jesus as the only remedy for what ails them and the world. In my weekly preaching in the worship services I always call people to believe in Christ.

A triune God would call us to converse with him . . . because he wants to share the joy he has. Prayer is our way of entering into the happiness of God himself.

Friends become wiser together through a healthy clash of viewpoints.