If you aren't constantly astonished at God's grace in your solitude, there's no way it can happen in public.

Jesus' purpose is not to warm our hearts but to shatter our categories.

God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power, and so should we.

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

The gospel shows us that our spiritual problem lies not only in failing to obey God, but also in relying on our obedience to make us fully acceptable to God, ourselves and others. Every kind of character flaw comes from this natural impulse to be our own saviour through our own performance and achievement. On the one hand, proud and disdainful personalities come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are succeeding. But on the other hand, discouraged and self loathing personalities also come from basing your identity on your performance and thinking you are failing.

Think like a prophet, serve like a priest, and plan like a king.

In the church we have to deliberately let ourselves be transparent and accountable to others. We're a family.