The gospel doesn't just free me from what people think of me, but also from what I think of me.

Your identity is firmly anchored in Christ's accomplishment, not yours; his strength, not yours; his performance, not yours; his victory, not yours.

The people who tend to be the most gracious are those who know how badly they need grace

Legalism says God will love us if we change. The gospel says God will change us because He loves us.

God's acceptance of us cannot be gained by our successes nor forfeited by our failures.

God's ability to clean things up is infinitely greater than our ability to mess things up.

The desperate addict is closer to the heart of grace than the devout moralist.

Here's one way I can know that I've forgotten the gospel of grace: when your sin bothers me more than my sin.

Christianity is not about good people getting better. It is good news for bad people coping with their failure to be good.

If people knew the REAL us, they would run. God knows, stays, and loves.

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

Living in the moment works sometimes, but when alone, it clouds over your memories and dreams, and those are what I need to survive.

And what would we be, we sinful creatures, without fear, perhaps the most foresighted, the most loving of the divine gifts?

There are too many questions and not enough painkillers in the world to get through them all.

There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.

To me, all writing is like music. And especially dialogue. I studied music in college; that is what I wanted to be, a composer. Acting got me sidetracked.

We feign pity when we want to demonstrate our ascendancy over feelings of hostility: but usually in vain. Whenever we notice this,there is an accompanying surge in those hostile sensations.

My only goal was to make the largest profit possible for my employer. I was caught in a spiral that - with the support of my bosses - continued to lead up and up.

Painting is drawing, with the additional means of color.

No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness.

I seemed to recall some words from an old Zen master, something like, "My Zen cuts down mountains." My rejection of Buddhism was a cutting down of mountains; that is precisely how it felt to me.