Suffering can refine us rather than destroy us because God himself walks with us in the fire.

Hell is having to execute a pointless act from which nothing ever comes except the need to do it again.

Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God.

Religion poses a danger of creating division or intolerance between groups of people. However, the gospel of Jesus lead us to three things: humble service, reconciling behavior that is neither patronizing nor self-righteous, and a love toward people who hold different beliefs than we do.

To stay away from Christianity because part of the Bible’s teaching is offensive to you assumes that if there is a God he wouldn’t have any views that upset you. Does that belief make sense? If you don’t trust the Bible enough to let it challenge and correct your thinking, how could you ever have a personal relationship with God? In any truly personal relationship, the other person has to be able to contradict you.

Grace is to be let into a place that you don't have a right to be.

The two things we all want so desperately — glory and relationship — can coexist only with God.