"It is misleading to say that God accepts us the way we are. Rather, He accepts us despite the way we are. He receives us only in Christ and for Christ's sake. Nor does He mean to leave us in the way He found us, but to transform us into the likeness of His Son."

"We must read our Bibles like men digging for hidden treasures."

"Too many people assume their entrance into God's family is a function of their own earnest desire. Phrases like 'Asking Jesus into my heart' or 'Accepting Jesus as my personal Savior' are emblematic of a mentality that carelessly reverses the roles of salvation."

"Trials are divine sculptors; they chisel away at our pride, carving us into humble vessels of God's grace."