God is not interested in what you think you should be or feel. He is not interested in the narrative you construct for yourself, or that others construct for you. Rather, He is interested in you, the you who suffers, the you who inflicts suffering on others, the you who hides, the you who has bad days (and good ones). And He meets you where you are.

God reminds us again and again that things between He and us are forever fixed. They are the rendezvous points where God declares to us concretely that the debt has been paid, the ledger put away, and that everything we need, in Christ we already possess. This re-convincing produces humility, because we realize that our needs are fulfilled. We don’t have to worry about ourselves anymore. This in turn frees us to stop looking out for what we think we need and liberates us to love our neighbor by looking out for what they need.

The bad news that we are all guilty is met with the best news that God loves and forgives guilty people.

A preacher who doesn't believe he's that bad will attract people who don't think they're that bad. And that's bad.

The smaller you get-the smaller life makes you-the easier it is to see the grandeur of grace. While I am far more incapable than I may have initially thought, God is infinitely more capable than I ever hoped.

My observation of Christendom is that most of us tend to base our relationship with God on our performance instead of on His grace.

Nothing makes me want to obey more than knowing that God unconditionally loves me and forgives me even when I disobey.