For Me

1 Peter 3:13-17
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

C.S.Lewis in The Weight of Glory
"The infinite value of each human soul is not a Christian doctrine. God did not die for man because of some value He perceived in him. The value of each human soul considered simply in itself, out of relation to God, is zero. As St. Paul writes, to have died for valuable men would have been not divine but merely heroic; but God died for sinners."

John Piper
"If you can't see the sun, you will be impressed with a street light. If you've never felt thunder and lightning, you'll be impressed with fireworks. And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God, you'll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures."

Ravi Zacharias in Can Man Live Without God
"Let me say forthrightly that what we have actually done is smuggle in foundational strengths of Christian thought, buried far below the surface to maintain some stability, while above the ground we see humanism's bizarre experiments growing unchecked... And though in the classroom we have tried to dignify what we have done, the songwriters and artists have called our bluff...

An utterly fascinating illustration of this duping of ourselves is the Wexner Center for the Performing Arts at OSU. This building, another one of our chimerical exploits in the name of intellectual advance was branded by Newsweek as "America's first deconstructionist building." Its white scaffolding, red brick turrets, and Colorado grass pods evoke a double take. But puzzlement only intensifies when you enter the building, for inside you encounter stairways that go nowhere, pillars that hang from the ceiling without purpose, and angled surfaces configured to create a sense of vertigo. The architect, we are duly informed, designed this building to reflect life itself-senseless and incoherent-and the "capriciousness of the rules that organize the built world". When the rationale was explained to me, I had just one question: Did they do the same with the foundation?

The laughter in response to my question unmasked the double standard our deconstructionists espouse. And that is precisely the double standard of antitheism!"

taken all away

My friend's been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease of the nervous system. She was misdiagnosed at first so by the time they realized it, the disease was in its aggressive stage.

She spent the past two weeks in the hospital receiving treatment but they don't really specialize in this disease. Thankfully, Mayo Clinic accepted her application so she'll be getting more treatment there.

Our sinful natures

Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

God, why do we not see the sin that is in us? Why do people think that they are better, or not so bad, or not as bad? Get rid of the pride God and take away the shame. Your kindness should bring us to repentance.... but we have so little faith in your cross. Show us how MUCH we have been forgiven.

This church needs you so much right now.

you are my freedom,
jesus, you're the reason
i'm kneeling again at your throne

where would i be without you
here in my life
here in my life