- An unjust society will not last.
- When we engage with a theological controversy, we ought to do so with much level-headedness.
- Tell me the name of the man who claims that God is contra pleasure and contra comfort and contra leisure, that I may rebuke him! Did God not create sexuality?
- A central truth of the Christian life: Whatever happens, if God’s got us then we gon be alright.
- If I believe that the carefree man is merely ignorant or lazy, then my soul is in a sad state.
- It is better to reverse a sin pattern than it is to grieve over a sin pattern.
- Worship and obedience cannot be separated.
- There are few things more important to having a reasonably good life than the accumulation of wise counsel.
- The profundity of Exodus 33:11a renders me speechless.
- Nothing that is nihilistic can include concepts of sacredness or holiness.
- What church should you attend? I don’t know. But I do know that you will attend an imperfect church.
- If a topic has nuance, then one man’s honest report is another man’s spin.
- The good lover is not the man who has satisfied fifty different women. It is not difficult to do this. The good lover is the man who has satisfied one woman for fifty years.
- Obsession over authenticity can lead to lack of repentance and continuance of habits of sin.
- Your personality profile is not your identity.
- People who like Communism are usually thinking of Marx. People who dislike Communism are usually thinking of Lenin. The question is, can Marx be separated from Lenin?
- If I identify as a gossiper, then when I begin to make real spiritual progress away from the sin of gossip, I will feel like I am betraying myself and am being un-authentic. I will be uncomfortable in my New Man, and will desire to return to the sin of my flesh, to familiarity. Thus, aiming for authenticity is only good if we understand our true identity in Christ. Otherwise, it is a snare that keeps us away from repentance.
- Transformation often requires strenuous work, yet the source of transformation is not our work.
- A transformative experience might take ten seconds or seven decades. A sudden transformative experience may be a revelation of the tremendous stability that Christ provides for us. A prolonged transformative experience may be the daily work of loving your neighbor for seven decades. Both teach us much, and both change us greatly.
- Transformation is more about an external God or experience reaching into us and changing our hearts. Repentance is more about a daily turning away from sin towards love. Transformation is often related to truth or reality, while repentance is often related to morality and the law. Both are an essential part of the Christian walk.
- In Christianity, we are transformed into a new thing, which is the thing that we truly are. None of us are authentically ourselves until we are glorified.
- A shameless person reminds us that shame has a purpose.
- With a nod to CCEF, guilt is a feeling of condemnation when we do not meet a standard. Shame is a feeling of condemnation when under the gaze of a disapproving other. Guilt is about our deeds, behavior, and external being. Shame is about our identity and who we are. False guilt occurs when we try to meet a standard that is not obligatory, and can be mended through teaching about the real standard and real forgiveness. Unhealthy shame occurs when we find our self-worth in the wrong eyes, and can be mended through teaching about the One who loves us. Not to say that this mending is simple or easy, however.
- It is profoundly evil to get a sense of satisfaction from the public humiliation of another. Yet, haven’t we all felt this malice?
- Make no excuses to avoid the work God has given for you to do. Do not be burdened by work that is not commanded by God. This is the work God has given for you to do: Love God, love your neighbor.
- There are few things in life better than seeing your beloved wife live happily.
- Fear of God is taking the holiness of God seriously.
- Why is it important to have good doctrine? Many reasons. But one reason is so that we can have something to say in counseling, instead of just sitting there and saying we don’t know what to say.
- I want to teach my children to be happy in life, and to delight in life, and to have mirth and goofiness. I also want to teach them that life is difficult and the world is severely broken. I want to teach them about the beauty of trust and friendship. I also want to teach them that men are sinners. I want to teach them about the importance of leisure. I also want to teach them to be diligent and that sloth is a deadly enemy.
Thoughts of a Novice 