when we confess our sins with genuine sorrow, yet receive the wonder of God’s gracious pardon with thanksgiving, then the joy of the Lord becomes our strength.

Sometimes we fear to approach God, thinking it’s not appropriate to bother him with the little things. But he wants us to connect with him in everything. 

The heart humbled by grace does not send God a bill for our goodness but devotes itself to the One who paid it all.   

In God’s graceful timing, he always answers faithful prayers as he knows is best.

Our Lord has already declared what he wants: “forgive as God in Christ forgave you.”

The charge to put God’s priorities above our own often can reduce our checklist to one item: Does this church help me serve Jesus better?

When the Holy Spirit is active among us, he not only convicts our hearts of sin, but makes us willing to confess our sin to God and to one another.

Our churches, our families, our neighborhoods, fellowships, and the people in all of these become more precious to us as we invest in them, and Jesus shine brighter because we do.

We don’t love others because they deserve it, but because Christ deserves our obedience.

If you have come to the end of yourself, it’s time to pray “that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”