It is unlikely that we will deepen our relationship with God in a casual or haphazard manner.

In a sense, each of us chooses a “spiritual strategy” whether or not we are intentional about it.  We can choose it by default.

Every once in a while do something good and make sure no one finds out about it.

For many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith.  It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.

The strongest argument for Christianity is Christians, when they are drawing life from God.  The strongest argument against Christianity?  Also Christians, when they become exclusive, self-righteous and complacent.

When Jesus came in the form of a servant, he was not disguising who God is.  He was revealing who God is.

Sin carries with it a certain moral myopia…it distorts our ability to detect its presence.

We are not the passive victims of others’ opinions.  Their opinions are powerless until we validate them.

We’d like to be humble…but what if no one notices.

We must assess our thoughts and beliefs and rekon whether they are moving us closer to conformity to Christ or farther away from it.  2 Cor 10:5  We take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Acts of servanthood done to impress others lose their intrinsic power to help us enter the life of the kingdom.

Human conversation is largely an endless attempt to convince others that we are more assertive or clever or gentle or successful than they might think if we did not carefully educate them.

We are to progressively become more like Christ everyday.

Discipline—any activity I can do by direct effort that will help me do what I cannot now do by direct effort.

Spiritual discipline—any activity that can help me gain power to live life as Jesus taught and modeled it.

We must arrange our lives so that sin no longer looks good to us.

Meditating on scriptures—what the mind repeats, it retains.

One moment I want to hear God, the next I want to use what I have heard to impress people with how spiritual I am.